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No Cooperation

One of the men in our unit was experienced and trained as a recreational director. Only after many promises and long delay was he given a chance to do such work at Rosewood. Mainly through his own physical effort, devoting many of his free hours to the job, he installed volley-ball facilities, coached a basketball team, inaugurated gymnasium play periods for all the cottages, etc. Yet at no time was he favored with adequate cooperation. The gymnasium is located in the basement of one of the girls' cottages. Consequently, complaints were lodged over any noise made during evening activities. Objections were raised to having even a supervised group of boys on the girls' side of the barbed wire barrier during the day. And objection was also expressed that the use of the gym for athletic purposes interfered with its normal use -- as a place for hanging wet-wash!

To top this off, resentment was awakened in an individual holding the position of Dean of Boys, an office that would include responsibility for recreation. Although this person's time is fully occupied with his farm and chauffeuring duties (and his free time devoted to managing local outside baseball and basketball teams) he still objected to this intrusion upon his official domain and evidenced his objection by various subtle interferences. The net result of all this was that the CPS-man's earnest efforts were met with ridicule and sarcasm on all sides; only the children appreciated what he was trying to do.

A strong and capable administration sincerely interested in the welfare of the children would have had no difficulty in weighing these petty criticism, complaints, and jealousies against the benefit the children would have received have received from a real recreational program. The Rosewood administration, however, returned the CPS man to the status of cottage attendant. Peace was thus preserved; the status quo was maintained -- at the children's expense!

Professional Staff -- Board of Visitors to Blame

Of course, the immediate responsibility can be placed with the professional staff at Rosewood. Instead of crusading for badly needed reform, they have chosen to stagnate and protect a situation that places them in the rather ignoble position of waxing fat upon the neglect of their helpless and inarticulate charges. And then there is the Rosewood Board of Visitors. It will always be a somewhat bitter memory to think back on this group of prominent professional people who limited their activity to a monthly luncheon (with menus sometimes including such elaborate items as terrapin soup and roast turkey as well as champagane-sic- and scotch) followed by a meeting at which routine reports were heard and automatically approved. This Board, with every opportunity to become protector and advocate for the children instead became a means of whitewashing this unholy state of affairs through a near-criminal disinterest and inactivity.

Basic Responsibility With People

But the basic responsibility for the Rosewood situation lies with the people of Maryland. It is to curry their favor that the legislators are so eager to practice miserly economy at the expense of these unfortunate children. It lies with the social agencies of the state that with an almost inhuman detachment have developed a habit of treating these children as "case files," and never bother to take interest in their welfare after they have closed the "file" by a commitment to Rosewood. Sad as it is to say, the Catholic Charities appear to be every bit as deficient in this respect as are the secular agencies. Until the people of Maryland can be awakened to their obligations to the children they have taken into their custody, the moral crime that is Rosewood will continue to exist.

In the meantime all of us have a great opportunity to remedy these injustices by aiding the children with direct contributions. Used toys, softballs, baseball bats -- any tools of recreation that can be spared should be sent to Rosewood. Things of which your children may have tired are almost certain to be better than the best the Rosewood children have. If any sympathy has been awakened by this article, please express it with a tangible offering. By so doing you would also register your protest against the Rosewood situation. But, more important, this is a great opportunity to do true Christian charity; for whatsoever we may do, even to the least of these, we shall be doing to Him Who had so great a love for all children.

Note

Articles can be sent to Dr. George A. Johns, Rosewood, Owings Mills, Md., with instructions to put the contents to the children's use. It would be greatly appreciated if, at the same time, a card were sent to the Catholic Worker telling of the nature of the gift, etc., so that some measure may be made of the total amount contributed.