Drive Heads Offer Change For Charities

A plan to remove the Combined Charities drive from Student Council control and set up an independent executive board will be proposed soon, Peter J. Solomon '60, co-chairman of this year's drive, disclosed last night.

Having an executive board composed of representatives of groups "such as Phillips Brooks House, the CRIMSON, and the Student Council, would serve to institutionalize the resources used in the drive," he explained.

According to Solomon, the whole organization and success of the fund drive now rests largely on the two directors, and these directors must rely solely on the voluntary cooperation of undergraduate groups.

As a more "independent and comprehensive" body, the proposed board would serve to make the whole college feel a responsibility for the drive, Solomon said. He also felt that "there was some political maneuvering in the selection of recommended charities" and that the new plan would remove this involvement.

Several deans have shown an interest in the proposal, Solomon noted, but he expects the Student Council may prove reluctant to surrender control of the drive.

At the same time, Solomon reported that an anonymous gift of $1000 has raised the final total for this year's Combined Charities drive to approximately $13,500. The undergraduate donor has tentatively earmarked his gift for the Program for Harvard College.

"While the amount collected cannot be termed an adequate response, it certainly represents a great improvement over last year's total of $2,500," Solomon commented.

He added that the proposed new system should give the community more confidence in the drive, and result in a larger percentage of contributors in the future.