Los Banos Rotary Club History
Salvation Army Man Speaks To Rotary Club

Major Henry Koerner, of the San Francisco headquarters office of the Salvation Army, was guest speaker at the Rotary Club Tuesday noon, bringing a report of the work the Salvation Army is doing throughout the world and particularly in California.

A large part of the money that is contributed in this community to the Salvation Army, he said, remains here for local charity needs, and in the past year the local Chapter has financed the purchase of glasses for 13 local children; has replaced the lens and repaired glasses for the others; reimbursed local dentists for actual expenses connected with dental work for children in this community, and has contributed nearly $50.00 in actual cash for the assistance of destitute families who were unable to obtain assistance from other sources.

Koerner told particularly of the work the Salvation Army is doing with its several hospitals and institutions for unwed mothers, of which there are three in California. The girls who come to the Salvation Army for help at such times, he said, represent a cross-section of our country; many come from the finer homes and almost 50 per cent of them are under 19 years of age. The younger mothers, he said, almost always leave their babies with the Army for adoption; the older ones, more mature in their thinking, usually want to keep and care for their babies if they can. The decision, he said is left entirely to the mother, though the Army counselors will advise them to the best of their ability if such advice is solicited.

Most of the unwed mothers, he said, come from homes that are in some manner not normal; where parents are either too lax, or too strict, or too careless of the welfare of their daughters.

Koerner also told of the work the Army is doing on "skid row" in San Francisco, which is generally a story of uncontrolled alcoholism. The skid row drunk, he said, is actually a medical case, in which the man himself is seemingly unable to overcome or control thirst for intoxicants. The skid row problem, he said, will never improve until police departments generally take a new conception of such cases, and the state provides medical and mental care for such patients. To date, he said, the best influence on these persons come from members of Alcoholics Anonymous or individuals who have been rejuvenated from alcoholic depths and are helping other unfortunates to recovery.

The speaker was introduced by Charles Kaljian, chairman of the local Salvation Army committee.

August 1, 1950

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