|
| 2013.0133 [MINUTES, ANNUAL REPORTS & OTHER RECORDS] |
| Date Range of Records: |
1887-1992 |
|
| Most of this collection comprises annual reports, housed in unit 2. This unit holds minutes of the annual general meetings, society aims, constitution, council members, subscribers, representatives, charities and their representatives, summary of work done and achievements during the year and balance sheets (budgets), and (anonymous) examples of 'successful', 'doubtful' and 'unsuccessful' cases. A single volume is held of the minutes of Charity Organisation Society of Melbourne Executive Committee meetings together with five items comprising indexes to Executive Committee meeting minute books. Each index is alphabetically arranged, with page number references; only the first item (728) is labelled and dated. Also held is a scrapbook of original newspaper cuttings from the Argus, The Age, The Sun, The Herald, The Labor Call and The Truth (Melbourne) and The Sunday Mail (Brisbane). Articles cover the activities and achievements of the benevolent societies and philanthropists, especially the work of the Charity Organisation Society of Melbourne. Case examples of poverty are frequently cited. Topics covered include; begging imposters, charity overlapping, volunteers versus paid charity workers, blanket appeal, alcoholism, gambling, juvenile delinquency, sustenance and social service (social work) training. A common theme is fear of 'cadgers' and 'indiscriminate charity' leading to waste. Unit 1 holds selected case work summaries arranged in 2 ring binders that are almost identical in format, with sections I-VIII, offering in each section a selection of case work histories, summarised, (typed or handwritten) with some given captions such as 'incompetent motherhood'. These summaries are similar to the ones that regularly appeared in the Charity Organisation Society's Annual Reports. Topics covered include overlapping, mendicancy, begging children, imposition, responsibility of public citizens, press and charities, Melbourne's Relief System, Ladies Benevolent Societies' methods, dependency, "laziness, drink and dirt". Some newspaper cuttings are also included. There are also a small group of annual reports from the Council of the Charity Organisation Society (London) and a copy of the Mutual Registration of Assistance Booklet from the same source. The annual reports’ condition ranges from good to poor. The first volume has loose and discoloured pages and sticky tape on spine. The series was transferred from the RMIT Social Policy Archive where it had been transferred in the 1990s as part of a collection strategy to capture the records of community sector organisations operating in the welfare sector. Within the SPA, these records were identified as series 46, 47, 49-52 & 68 and were combined into a single series during processing at the UMA. It was the practice of the SPA to item number material in order of its receipt irrespective of the series it was later allocated; these item numbers and generally their order have been retained. These records were originally in the custody of the Citizens Welfare Service, Drummond Street, Carlton and transferred to the RMIT SPA in December 1992 at the express wish of the CWS Director, Mr David Maxwell. Access to this series is restricted because items identified from the former SPA series 68 contain confidential client information. |
|
|
| 2 Units, (0.5m) |
| Collection Category: |
Community and Political, organisations |
| Access Conditions: |
Access: Restricted |
| Finding Aids: |
Not listed |
|
|