The Precinct Plan Bulletin XII United War Work Campaign for $170,500,000 November 11-18, 1918 SERIES OF CAMPAIGN BULLETINS I. Organization in the City, Large or Small II. Organization in the County III. Preparation and Assignment of Lists IV. Victory Boys V. Victory Girls VI. The Campaign among Students VII. The Campaign in Industries VIII. Publicity Organization and Distribution IX. Meetings: How to Plan and Conduct X. Campaign in Army and Navy Camps XL Collection, Custody, and Forwarding of Funds XII. The Precinct Plan Issued by the OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR GENERAL 347 Madison Avenue, New York, N. Y. THE PRECINCT PLAN (The following plan was used widely in the Second Red Cross Campaign and with particular success in Los Angeles, California, under the direction of Director Harry Haldeman. It will be found suggestive, and if used, should be regarded as supplementary to the plan outlined in Bulletin I. This plan applies in particular to large towns and cities. The election precinct (that is, the smallest voting division) is used as a unit. The Campaign Executive Committee of the city should appoint in each Precinct a Captain, who in turn secures from his Precinct a team of ten workers. It is the duty of this team : (1) To obtain a complete census of the Precinct and to list the names in alphabetical order. This list of residents of the Precinct may be displayed in Precinct headquarters if it is thought desirable. (2) To secure Precinct headquarters which are to be open con- tinuously throughout the Campaign. The location of these Precinct headquarters should be made known throughout the Precinct by signs displayed in prominent places. The prevention of duplication of effort is important in the Campaign. During the first four days of the Campaign the Precinct teams will make no active solicitation, but will be represented continuously at their headquarters for the receiving of voluntary subscriptions. As the canvass of the listed names proceeds during the first four days of the Campaign, each subscriber will receive a certificate of subscription. The subscriber will take this certificate to his own Precinct head- quarters, where it will be exchanged for the official button of the Campaign and the amount of his subscription will be recorded opposite his name. All subscriptions made voluntarily at the Precinct head- quarters are also recorded. The fact that the insignia or button is given out by Precinct headquarters only, makes it necessary for each subscriber either to make his subscription to his Precinct Committee or have his subscription recorded in order to get his button. In this way it is possible for the Precinct team to determine who has made a subscription. On the morning of November 15th the Precinct Team will set about making a canvass of the Precinct to secure subscriptions from those who have not yet been recorded as subscribers to the fund. Solicita- tion will continue throughout the balance of the campaign until every resident of the Precinct has been accounted for. The Precinct teams should be controlled through a Department of Inspectors, each Inspector having jurisdiction over ten Precincts. It is the duty of the Inspector to assist his Precinct in solving its diffi- culties, to collect returns, and to distribute supplies. This method 3 makes much simpler the problem of handling so large a number of small organized districts. The reason for postponing the Precinct canvass until the last two days of the Campaign is to insure the most productive method of solicitation of the more important prospective givers. The central campaign teams, meeting daily for luncheon, and composed of the more influential business men of the city, will undoubtedly be able to secure much larger contributions through their method of appeal than will be possible through a house-to-house canvass by the Pre- cinct teams. The Captains of the Precinct teams should meet with the central campaign teams at the noon-day luncheons in order that they may share in the spirit of the Campaign and carry the enthusiasm back into their Precinct organization. The Precinct plan does not preclude a choice on the part of the resident of a Precinct of the agency through which he may wish to make his subscription. He may subscribe through one of the central teams, through a team in the industrial plants, or through any other agency authorized to receive subscriptions. In order, however, to be recorded as a subscriber, he must deposit his certificate of subscription in the Precinct in which he lives. Members of Precinct teams are urged not to attempt to get the residents of the Precinct to pledge themselves to make their sub- scriptions through the Precinct Committee for the following reasons : (1) There are many prospective large subscribers who will make much larger subscriptions to members of the central teams than through the Precinct teams, because through business or per- sonal connections of an influential nature, a much stronger per- sonal appeal to the prospect may be made by the business men's teams. (2) Residents in the Precincts who are connected with some of the larger business concerns in the city are usually influenced to make larger subscriptions through their business connections, because in such business concerns are usually held meetings in which first-class speakers explain the issues of the Campaign. Further- more, the influence of the "team" spirit in business is very im- portant and the stimulus of one person acting upon another will often increase the subscription. The plan of several other approaches to the residents of a city does not diminish the importance of the Precinct plan. While numbers of people will make their subscriptions through other agencies or com- mittees, there is scarcely a home in the Precinct where there will not be others in addition to the head of the house who will be willing to make subscriptions, and the duties assigned to the Precinct teams include getting a subscription from every member of the household and checking up every individual resident in the Precinct, so that it 4 may be ascertained that every person has had the opportunity to make a subscription. It is well to remember the importance of not beginning the house- to-house canvass until Friday. November 15th. continuing it until Monday evening. November 18. or until it has been definitely estab- lished that every individual in the Precinct has been solicited for a subscription. In making up the Precinct teams, it will be well to include women of ability and energy as members of the team. The team should be in every case composed of the most influential active workers. It should be representative of the various constituencies interested in the Campaign. The success of this form of campaign will depend very largely on most efficient work by each member of the teams. In most cases it will be an advantage to establish Precinct head- quarters at the voting place in the Precinct. If this cannot be arranged, it is suggested that a garage or vacant store in a conspicuous location be secured. In other campaigns it has been found helpful to post the list of residents in the Precinct and to record opposite it each day the total amount of the Precinct's subscription up to the day in question and the amount of the same for the preceding day. This will be a constant record of all subscribers living in the Precinct. It should include all those who have subscribed through the central campaign teams, the industrial organizations, or any other source, as well as those that make voluntary subscriptions at Precinct headquarters. At the close of each campaign day the Precinct Captain should make up his report of the day's results and enclose it in a large Pre- cinct Captain's envelope and send it to Precinct headquarters. Some member of the team should be designated to compile the daily reports to insure uniformity and accuracy. The daily report should include the following items : (1) A list of all those subscribing outside the Precinct and de- positing their subscriptions within the Precinct. (2) Daily report of all subscriptions received by Precinct teams. (3) All signed pledge cards with an accurate statement of the num- ber of subscriptions classified by amount and the aggregate amounts subscribed. (4) All cash, currency, checks, and bonds. The envelope should be sealed, and if for any reason it is not called for on that particular day it should be deposited in the nearest safe deposit vault for safe keeping. Collections will be made before noon each day for the preceding day by properly accredited collectors. 5 1 1 I i Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2014 https://archive.org/details/precinctplanOOunit