FRIENDLY HOUSE

(Pamphlet Contributed by Luciann Bell.
Luciann says she had the pleasure to work there as an assistant to Mrs. and Mrs. Harry Downer)

     What it is. Friendly House is a social settlement of which Mr. and Mrs. Harry Downer are the residents in charge.

     Where it is. In Davenport, Iowa, at 1220 West Third street.

     The Plant. A three-story building, well adapted to its purpose. On the first floor you will find the office, game rooms, branch public library and reading room, public baths, gymnasium and a theater seating almost 1,000 people. The second floor has a large kitchen used for domestic science, an assembly room, a club room, a coat room and the motion picture booth. The third floor houses the residents.

     What we Do. Anything which will foster good citizenship, encourage social life, furnish wholesome recreation, encourage contentment and happiness in the community, give all sizes of people a just and kindly estimate of each other through association, give education and a touch of culture along lines not otherwise within reach and lay the foundation of useful lives. The settlement reaches and influences a multitude in a pleasant way.
     We do everything at Friendly House that is deemed beneficial for which we have room and can find leaders. Since January 1, 1913, when the doors were opened, we have had these activities-branch of public library and reading room, public baths, kindergarten classes in English and civics for foreign-born, classes in cooking, sewing, folk dancing, gymnasium, art, dressmaking, social dancing, fancy work, handcraft, knitting, crocheting, chorus singing, millinery, and applied arts. We have had dramatic clubs, Saturday motion pictures, a penny savings department, a print shop, athletic clubs, game rooms, clubs for boys, for girls, for young men and young women, story hour, orchestra, Boy Scouts and Camp Fires.  We have furnished a theater for many outside dramatic amateurs and a meeting place for the numberless gatherings. This is the polling place for the precinct. We have housed Red Cross groups and wartime sales of food. We have held efficiency, thrift and health exhibits. We have turned over to the Visiting Nurses the plant and equipment for clinics and exhibits. We have had many parties and anniversaries and two weddings. We have arranged entertainments to develop talent and furnish clean amusement and at small cost. We invite children to join afternoon classes and clubs and in the evening groups of young men and young women are made welcome. Last year we had applications for afternoon classes from the pupils of 23 schools. This indicates how widely Friendly House is utilized by the Community.

     How We Do It. By keeping our building crowded and busy as possible, by organizing classes and clubs for which there is a demand, by inviting to help in teaching and leadership people of energy, devotion and self sacrifice who volunteer their services, for the greater part, and devote time, talents and enthusiasm to helping the other fellow. The settlement passes the hat to pay expenses. It costs money to do anything worth while. There is a pledge list to carry a portion of the cost of his useful work. Good friend are constantly being lost through death or removal from the city. Their places must be filled if Friendly House is to go on. There are generous people of a fine degree of wealth on the maintenance list who give liberally. Other good friends give in 25 cent pieces as they can spare them. It takes all sorts of ways to keep Friendly House alive and useful. Each lesson brings in a modest fee. The Saturday motion pictures bring in a little. The public baths are expected to do their part. All of these things help, but, after all, the settlement must depend for its very life upon the gifts of people of optimism, of joy in life and faith in humanity who pay the bills that rooms may be warm for children and that lights may shine out of the windows to welcome older people when the leisure of evening calls to recreation and social life.

     What We Do Not Do. Friendly House conducts no religious services, encouraging rather, attendance at the various churches of the community. Neither is it a charitable institution, for it sends all applications for relief to the recognized organizations of the city doing relief work.

     The Responsible People. There must be guidance and able financiering to bring success in welfare work. Those who give must feel certain that their money will be carefully expended with a minimum for overhead and no waste. The whole scope and reach of a philanthropic institution must be determined by the people used to carrying on large enterprises in the business world. The Board of Trustees is made up of men of unquestioned integrity and wide experience. Hon. Alfred C. Mueller is president; Capt. F.H. French, first vice-president; Charles Shuler, second vice-president; other members of the executive committee, E.P. Adler and Col. N.D. Ely; other members of Board of Trustees, Hon. C.A. Ficke, Very Rev. Marmeduke Hare, J. Reed Lane, Paul Meyer; Max E. Ochs, Howard Power, E.C. Roberts, H.O. Sieffert, Hon. Henry Vollmer and Thomas J. Welsh.

     Service, not Self. Nobody seems to want to make money out of the Friendly House. Well, why should he? Instead of that, how can you help? What have you to give? Is it time  or ability, gift of leadership, sympathy, good will- what have you? An investment of life or money at this human service station brings great returns. it is of that giving which does not impoverish, but brings a thousand-fold return.