Portland observer., April 26, 1973, Page 4, Image 4

Page 4
Portland/Obaervor
Thursday. April 20, 1973
NWACD holds First Annual Conference in Portland
President Gilcrease addresses conference
Mr. Cleveland Gilcrease,
President of the Northwest
Association for Community
Development and Executive
Director of the Portland
Metropolitan Steering Com­
mittee. had this message to
share with the conferees:
"Since I have been as
seriated with the National
Association for Community
Development for the past
several years and have served
on its Board of Directors for
the last two years, 1 have
become well aware that many
persons in the social service,
community development, or
human resource field, who
remain uninformed of this
most important organiza­
tion. NACD, from its incep­
tion, has been committed to
seeking the fullest potential
for the community develop­
ment field and for the hun­
dreds of thousands of people
employed in or voluntarily
serving its needs.
NACD has always been
primarily a membership or
ganization, even when Ford
Foundation funding provided
basic development support in
1966 and 1967. Since 1970.
membership dues have been
the primary source of in­
come. Agency dues provide
overall operational funds and
permit a broader servicing
function than would other­
wise be possible.
From
simple beginnings in 1965,
with a few hundred mem
bers, NACD has developed
to a major national effort.
With more than 10,000 indi­
viduals and agencies having
served as members, this as­
sociation now benefits the
professional and program­
matic interest of more than a
half million people.
NACD is a private, non­
profit corporation, chartered
as an educational and chari­
table organization. National
headquarters are in Wash­
ington, D.C. with regional
and state affiliate groups
chartered in various parts of
the country.
During the past months,
the members of the National
Association for Community
Development in Region X,
Oregon, Washington, Idaho,
and Alaska, have been or
ganizing an active chapter of
Cleveland Gilcrease, presi­
dent of NWACD and executive
director of the Portland Met­
ropolitan SteeringCommittee,
chaired the convention.
the national body, as is being
done in the other regions
throughout the country. In
doing so, it is our hope that
we shall become a viable arm
of the national organization,
concentrating our efforts to
promote the goals and ob­
jectives of NACD in Region
X.
• We plan to stimulate and
support a com prehensive
program of community de­
velopment through a local
commitment, determ ination
and broad citizen participa
tion;
• We plan to focus our at­
tention and priorities on the
developmental problems of
rural and urban commu­
nities;
• We plan to serve as a
catalyst and technical re­
source in enhancing indivi­
dual and overall professional
efforts in this field;
• We plan to serve as a
liaison and communications
link between the various pri
vate and public interests,
who may be supportive or
seek knowledge of this ef­
fort;
• We plan to collect and
disseminate information re­
garding experiences and les­
sons to be derived from this
field;
• We plan to promote the
general welfare and interests
of those traditionally omitted
from the key decision-making
processes.
Many of the converses in the workshop, influencing local gov­
ernment, were community people interested in their govern­
ments and some were employees of social service programs.
In compliance with the
National bylaws, the North
west Association for Com­
munity Development began
planning its first annual con
vention late in the fall of
last. Our Annual Convention
Committee considered many
themes, but the topic of
revenue sharing, in terms of
social service programs, was
prevalent in our minds.
Rased on the current national
trends it was felt the theme
"And then came Revenue
Sharing" would be most be
fitting our conference and
such a topic could prove to
be most beneficial to those
• persons working in and con
cerned with the community
development of human re­
sources or social service pro­
grams. The concept of Rev
enue Sharing has been called
by some “The New Fed
eralism" replacing the “Old
Federalism" that began with
the New Deal in 1932. Its
major objective is to get tax
money collected by the Fed
eral Government back to the
local level with few if any
Federal controls. It is also
the aim of Revenue Sharing,
as a fact and concept, to
replace most, if not all. cate­
gorical grant-in-aid programs,
to reform the welfare system
and to end the complete re­
organization of the Federal
Government, specifically the
bureaucracies.
We have gathered re­
source people from across
the country to lend their
expertise to the convention,
as well as prevailing upon
those persons deeply involved
in social service programs in
Region X. It is hoped that
each of you took full ad
vantage of this opportunity
to gather information, share
ideas, and plan strategies in
order that revenue sharing
may be used for the con­
tinued growth and better
ment of human service pro­
grams.
As President of NWACD
and as a board member of
NACD, I urge each of you.
concerned with eradicating
poverty in our nation, to join
in the efforts of NACD by
becoming a member and it is
ancitipated that each of you
will become fully apprised
and prepared for the days of
revenue sharing at the con
elusion of this convention.
At this time, I would like
to share with you resolutions
which are results of the
strategy workshop sessions
at the convention."
The members of the na­
tional Board of Directors
from Region X. Byron Brady
and Ed Chatman from Wash
ington, Kay Pell from Idaho,
and myself from Oregon or
ganized the first meeting of
the regional affiliate in May
of last year.
During this
time span, the NACD mem
bership in Region X had
grown from 40 members to
over 100, we have had our
bylaws adopted by the na
tional board of directors,
making Region X an active
chapter of NACD, and at
that time we chose the name
the Northwest Association
for Community Development.
PMSC director attends
national conference
"T h e fact is, revenue sharing is here. Don't waste your time
o r the time of others discussing whether it is good o r bad,'*
were the words of Charles M cM illan, special assistant. Office
of Operations, OEO, Washington, D.C.
Keynote speaker
'tells it like it is’
To Mr. Charles McMillan,
Special Assistant, Office of
E con om ic O pportunities,
OEO, the plain and simple
fact is, "Revenue Sharing is
here and that is a reality.”
He felt that it was a waste
of one's time to discuss the
good or the bad of revenue
sharing; the thing to do is
learn how to deal with it.
Mr. McMillan said that the
impact of the effect will be
felt in Comm unity action
agencies and on how well
they have organzed over the
years. The algebraic equa
tion between the poor and
city hall and the balancing of
that equation will definitely
relate to the CAA's ability to
organize.
When favorable conditions
prevail between city hall and
the CAA, the possibilities of
local government turning to
them for assistance in plan­
ning social service programs
will be good. On the other
hand, if those conditions are
not secure, the manuvering
ability of the CAA, and the
support of its constiuency,
must not take the appro
priate steps to get in the
favor of that local govern
ment.
However, with all of this
said, Mr. McMillan was still
optim istic about reven ue
sharing. He was optimistic
in 1965 and 1967 with the
Green Amendment, and in
1969 when so many predicted
com m unity action would
close. And he is optimistic in
1973 bei ¡sc he strongly be
lieves that CAAs have the
commitment and have the
demonstrated ability to move
forward with that commit­
ment.
He admitted starting all
over again as friends, local
government and CAAs, would
be difficult, but the concept
of community action will
make it.
In a recent national elec­
tion at the National Associa
tion for Community Develop­
ment's annual convention in
St. Louis, Missouri, April
8-12, 1973, Mr. Cleveland
Gilcrease was elected to the
office of 3rd Vice President.
Mr. Gilcrease has been a
National NACD board mem­
ber for the past 2 years,
representing Region X. How
ever, this is the first time he
has held the post of an of­
ficer. As a member of the
National Board, he held the
position of Chairman of the
By Laws Committee, Chair­
man of the Personnel Com­
mittee, and has been an
executive committee mem
ber.
The other NACD officers
elected are: Dr. Deton J.
Brooks, President, Commis­
sioner, Department of Human
Resources, Chicago, Illinois;
Clifford Ingram, 1st Vice
President, Monterey, Ten
nesse; Donald Sykes, 2nd
Vice President, Milwaukee,
Wisconsin; and Dr. David
B illin g s , S ecreta ry /T rea
surer. New York City, New
York.
One of the highlights of
the St. Louis Convention was
a phone call to the President,
Dr. Brooks, informing him of
the ruling made by Judge
Jones in Washington, D.C.,
regarding the OEO Director,
Howard Philips. Judge Jones
-»rdered acting OEO Director
Coward Phillips to cease his
activities immediately, saying
they are “unauthorized by
law, illegal and in excess of
statutory authority".
All
orders that have been issued
to date to phase-out opera
tions are “null and void",
Jones said.
This created
quite a buzz throughout the
entire convention, and it just
so happened a banquet was
being held in honor of Lyn­
don Baines Johnson on the
evening of Judge Jones' rul­
ing.
The Region X Northwest
Association for Community
Development, chapter active
of the National Association
for Community Development,
held its First Annual Con
vention recently at the Sher
aton M o t o r Hotel
in
Portland.
The convention
theme,
. And Then Came
Revenue Sharing", was a
drawing card for over 150
. people from W ashington,
Idaho. Alaska and other parts
of Oregon.
Chairing the convention
was Mr. Cleveland Gilcrease.
President of NWACD, and
Executive Director of the
Portland Metropolitan Steer
ing Committee. On hand to
give the welcome address
was Portland Mayor Neil
Goldschmidt, who set the
tone for the convention in his
opening remarks.
He ex ­
pressed his satisfaction of
the convention theme, and
felt that more people needed
to know what revenue shar
ing really meant to everyone.
He also thanked NWACD for
choosing Portland as their
convention site and bringing
the business into town.
A panel discussion fol
lowed the Mayors address,
with Com m issioner Donald
Clark. Multnomah County,
and Commissioner Dean Cole,
Clark County.
They ex ­
changed viewpoints with the
convention floor in regard to
the governmental standpoint,
and expressed their desires
to further support social ser
vice programs.
They also
pointed out the need for
better planning in the social
services and their need for
more involvement in the
communities' needs.
The convention theme was
dealt with in five workshops,
with subjects that would
directly be effected by reve­
nue sharing.
The topics
covered were The Future of
Rural D evelopm ent with
Revenue Sharing, moderator.
f*"'
life .
iti
Portland M ayor Neil Goldschmalt gave tlw welcome ad,1res« at tlw NWACD Convention anti M t
the tone for serious sessions at tlie workshops.
1.1
Commissioner DeanColeofClarkCounty. Wash-
Ington responds to a question on revenue share
ln$*
Bob Holdridge, E xecu tive
Director. Community Action
Team, Scappoose, Oregon;
Influencing Local govern
ment. m oderator Byron
Brady, Director. Stale Eco­
nomic O pportunity Office,
Olympia. Washington; Chil
dren Services, moderator
Gretchen Boynton, Project
Director, PMSC Child De
velopment Division; The Role
1 lie panel discussion with Commissioner Don
c | j r k of M u|!nomah County 4nd
Co| . of
c ,ark County #ivrred m in y questions on rev-
enue sharing.
of C A A s as the Social Plan
ning Agency w ith C ity and
County G overnm ent, mod
e ra lo r E dw ard Becks. Exe
cutive D ire cto r, San Mateo
County E c o n o m ic O p p o r
tu n ity Com m ission, Redwood
C ity, C alifornia; anil the A f
feels of Revenue S haring on
M anpower, m oderator George
Rankins, Field Representa
live . Urban la-ague Road
Builder's Project. Portland.
These w orkshops were
considered strategy sessions
in hopes of establishing re
solutions that could be sent
throughout the region to
assist others in dealing with
the advent of revenue shar
ing.
A summation report
was given by each workshop
moderator, and from that
resolutions were drawn up.
Brooks senses stategy in cuts
Dr. Deton J. Brooks, Presi­
dent, National Association
for Community Development,
and Commissioner, Depart
ment of Human Resources,
Chicago, Illinois, was the
keynote speaker at the con
vention banquet in the Sher
aton Motor Inn.
On the
podium with Dr. Brooks,
was Commissioner Mildred
Schwab, City of Portland,
and officers of the Northwest
Association for Community
Development.
Dr. Brooks, a noted speaker
for his fieriness, inspired the
conventioners attending the
banquet. He brought out the
dilemma of local officials and
the apparent drawback of
funds they were now faring.
. I'm not going to attempt
to predict what the outcome
will be, but I sense a stra
tegy here. A political stra
tegy of trying to push back
to the local communities a
problem which should be
basically of national concern.
That concern being the im
provement and the develop
ment of our total country,
environment, and people.”
He stated that what the
government was saying with
revenue sharing is “live in an
environment that costs $100 a
D r . Deton J . Brooks. President. NACD. andCommlsslonerof the Department of Human Resources
of Chicago," had a strong and to the point message. "Don't look for too much from revenue
sharing, It Just Isn't there right now. Keep your eyes on other budgets.*’
week and give you only $15
to $25 to live on.”
local governments were
not going to be in a position
to give the necessary monies
for social service programs,
not because they didn't want
to, but there wasn't enough.
Dr. Brooks encouraged th«
conventioners to look at other
budgets that will be coming
out as a new means of
funding sources.
He also spoke about the
National Association for Com­
munity Development and its
intent to continue the strug
gle for the poor of our
nation. Its 5,000 plus mem
bership is composed of var
ious community services and
social services programs, de
signed to put the poor bark
into the mainstream of life.
The delegation from Region
X, attending the convention
in St. Ixiuis, returned home
with nothing but praise for
the work that was accom­
plished there.
Many ex­
pressed their reactions and
said they had never attended
a convention like it.
This
convention provided techni­
ques for survival; it was a
most beautiful and wonderful
experience.
The Region X delegates
w ere C leveland G ilcrease,
Robey Eldridge, Betty Over-
ton, Annie Allen, Clifford
Daniels, Theodore Freeman,
Maxine McBee, Clara Green,
Evangaline Smith, Hildress
Benson, Alvin Lucus, Geor­
gia Warner, Helen Belec,
Vivian Oneroad and Bobby
Gary, all from Portland, Ore
gon. From Seattle, Wash­
ington was Mr. Ed Chatman,
and from Anchorage, Alaska
was Mike Harper.
M r. Chalmers Jones. Director. SEOO, Salem. Oregon, addressed
the Friday momlng general session with a forcefull speech.
Jones addresses body
Tbs workshop, Influencing Local Governments, was well attend­
ed, and proved to he quite IntsnM at tim es. The panel from
left to right: Mapgarat Brechen, recording secretary; Howard
Stewart, p ro je c t director fo r PACT: Byron Brady, Director,
SEOO, Olympia, Washington; J e rry Saulter. Chief Operations,
OEO Region X, Seattle; and George Gearhard, SEOO, Salem.
I
Mr. Chalmes Jones, Direr
tor, State Economic Oppor
tunity Office, Oregon, was
the speaker at the Friday
morning general session. He
also dealt with the realities
of revenue sharing and its
effects on social service pro
grams. His topic was "What
R evenue Sharing Is All
About".