B y JUDGE CHRIS T. BARNETTE Chairman, National Juvenile Court Foundation

The Foundation, through its chairman, has worked closely with the officers of the Council in plans for Council-Foundation projects and partic- ularly in applications for grants from other Foun- dations for funds with which to extend our educa- tional and instructive activities relating to the work of Juvenile Courts.

At this writing, I am pleased to report that applications are now pending with three well known national Foundations who have indicated their in- terest in our work. It is hoped that a favorable report can be made on this at the annual meeting in June in Cleveland.

Contributions received within the last three months have been most encouraging, and i t has been possible for the Foundation to meet its obliga- tions as they have accrued. President Riederer and I are proceeding with plans for a rather ambitious program for the Council and Foundation in full cooperation. We are careful to avoid commitments beyond present means but our projected plans are built upon faith and confidence in the members of the Council and Foundation to complete the job.

Great Potential

There is a terrific potential in the Juvenile Court Judges of America. We sincerely believe the Judges have not fully appreciated their own strength and importance and the scope of their in- fluence. I have just returned from a workshop conference in Mississippi sponsored by the Missis- sippi Children’s Code Commission. I was impressed by the number and stature of the persons partici- pating. They represented many allied disciplines and held positions of prominence in several states. There was general agreement among them that the Juvenile Court Judges of America must give direc- tion and take a prominent leadership role in their respective communities in the fight against juvenile delinquency.

Since the judge is the recognized leader in his community, does i t not follow logically that as a group, if they present a united front, they will be so recognized nationally?

The Council provides the opportunity for uni-

fication and the organization through which they can direct their efforts and make themselves heard. The Foundation is the channel through which the Council can be provided the material substance with which i t can be a tower of strength and the recognized leader in the nation in its fight against delinquency and the champion of the rights of America’s children.

Judges Meet The Challenge By JUDGE HORACE S . BELLFATTO Chairman, Ways and Means Committee

During the course of a Juvenile Court Judge’s term on the bench he is met with many challenges, the most important of which is the youngster ap- pearing before him. To best meet this challenge the Court must have the knowledge and must be aware of what type of facilities, both public and private, he should use and pursue to serve the best interests of the delinquent child before him.

How may he acquire this knowledge to meet the challenge? Certainly meeting with his fellow judges is a very important factor in helping a judge obtain his objective, i.e., the rehabilitation of the delinquent child.

One cannot deny that a lawyer’s membership in his local Bar Association and membership in the national organization, the American Bar Associa- tion gives him breadth of knowledge and practice in the law on a broader side, than merely confining himself to his own office and library. So too, by comparison may a juvenile Court Judge improve his status, his understanding and his knowledge in the field of juvenile delinquency on a broader scale by membership in his local State Council and na- tionally by his membership in the National Council, and thus be able better to meet the challenge.

We have commented on one challenge. Perhaps the challenge that we now refer to may never have come to pass, but for the fact that the National Foundation of Juvenile Court Judges suddenly lost

(Please Turn to Page 45)

April, 1962 - Vol. 13, No. 1 35