Amanuensis Monday

An Amanuensis is a person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.


I am continuing to work on transcribing the many newspaper clippings contained in an old scrapbook that I inherited from my Aunt Martha after she passed. Many of these old clippings contain references to my paternal grandfather, Rev. H. C. Jones, during his time as Director of the Negro Home and Welfare Association in Winston-Salem, NC.


Home and Welfare Groups to Study Varied Topics

The local Negro Home and Welfare Association announced today project which will be sponsored by adult clubs during the months of January and February in the fields of family relationship, health, gardening, flowers and sewing.

Rev. H. C. Jones, director of the association, stated that “many families have followed devious paths which have resulted in the increase of crime and delinquency because of the lack of the proper training in family relationship.” In order to create interest in this field and to give elementary training to parents and prospective parents, a family relationship project will be sponsored through the adult clubs during the months of January and February by representatives from the Family Service Agency and the County Welfare Department.

It is hoped by the association that this project will lead to establishment of a one-night family relationship institute held periodically in various sections of the city with courses on subjects relation to family life such as pre-marriage, marriage compatibility, family problems, parent-child problems, etc. Such clubs and instates, if made interesting and popular will not only help improve family life and reduce crime but will serve as an asset to the juvenile courts which may recommend parents of the delinquents to attend the courses.

Each club is asked to select the family with the highest percent of its members making a definite contribution to citizenship through leadership in activities in the churches, schools and other agencies. Special honors and prizes will be given to the winning family, it was announced.

The health leader in each club is asked to contact each person in his community and male a list of all who would like a free X-ray examination in February. Time will be allotted in each club for examinations of the group.

Prizes will be given by the Garden Club Council to the person with the highest number of garden units including Winter vegetables planted or growing, compost piles, deep breaking of garden not in use and leaving it in the rough, preparations of seed boxes and hot beds.

Sewing leaders are asked to invite everyone in the neighborhood to bring old clothes made of materials such as rayon faille, bengline, rayon jersey to the next meeting for a contest in making handbags, gloves and scarfs.

This undated article is probably from around 1945 and most likely appeared in either the Twin City Sentinel or the Winston Salem Journal.

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Amanuensis Monday is a daily blogging theme which encourages the family historian to transcribe family letters, journals, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Not only do the documents contain genealogical information, the words breathe life into kin – some we never met – others we see a time in their life before we knew them. A fuller explanation can be found here.


Amanuensis Monday is a popular ongoing series created by John Newmark atTransylvanianDutch.