What is the Blue Ridge Institute?

"Peopleizing" Services a la Blue Ridge
by Harold J. Weekley, 1914-98

Miscellaneous

Sessions and Free Time

For several years the Institute has opened with a Sunday evening dinner meeting, featuring an outstanding keynote speaker who helps stimulate our thoughts on the subject to be considered during the week ahead. Attendance and participation at sessions are requisite. Discussion groups are on an assigned basis to bring balance of interest and other types of representation. The morning hours are fully scheduled for all of us during the week of the Institute. Sometimes the afternoons and evenings are also used by committee groups in preparing for the next day's assignment. However, many Institute members and their family groups have free time in the afternoons and evenings to thoroughly enjoy the outstanding leisure time opportunities which are available in this section of North Carolina. If you want to view a meeting schedule, click here.

If you haven't seen "Unto These Hills" at Cherokee, or "Horn in the West" at Boone, or some of the other outstanding theatrical productions which are presented each summer, be sure to see them this week. Many of us have visited the Biltmore Estate or attended the Craftsman's Fair in Asheville. A visit to Mt. Mitchell, the highest elevation east of the Rockies, is also nearby and a wonderful way to spend an afternoon.

Programming

Programs have been planned each year to meet the changes which are constantly occurring in the community organization, health and social work fields. Each Institute group decides which program topic will be pursued the following year.

Program topics and a list of Institute Presidents since 1927 begin on page 8. The programs have been timely, thought-provoking, challenging and helpful to many executives of agencies, schools, governmental departments and other professional persons. Some topics have been continued two and three years, and all have stimulated us to do a better job back home.

In recent years most of the program leaders, consultants and clinic materials have been secured months in advance of the Institute. It is an unwritten law that when the Blue Ridge President asks you to do something about the program, or any other activity, you agree immediately to do it. That explains in part why I am now reminiscing with you. Blue Ridge is a good example of "togetherness" since so many people help with each session. As we continue to perfect our program planning, it is most important that we always arrange plenty of time for discussion of the topic during our morning sessions and to have participants from the different fields of service, because these essentials have contributed greatly to the success and effectiveness of Blue Ridge. Of course, many of the unsettled questions of the morning sessions will continue to be discussed by individuals during the afternoons and evenings.

Consultants

In 1939, the national association of Community Chest and Councils of America agreed, at the request of the Blue Ridge Executive Committee, to furnish a program consultant each year. Bradley Buell, then a member of the national staff, served in this capacity through 1946. From 1947 through 1953, Lyman S. Ford, later Executive Director of United Community Funds and Councils of America (successor to 3 C's, and predecessor to United Way of America), served as consultant until a change of staff responsibilities made it impossible for him to continue. From 1954 to 1962, Earle G. Lippincott, a member of the UCFCA staff, and secretary to the National Budget and Consultation Committee, served as our "guiding light". From 1963 through 1968, Kenneth I Williams served as our final UCFCA consultant; the national association found it necessary to discontinue this service which had been wonderful and contributed greatly to the success of Blue Ridge.

Planning Ahead

Since 1969, the Institute has continued without a national program consultant; it was at this time that a program chairman-elect was selected, one year in advance, and this practice continues today. In 1971 we began the practice of choosing a President-elect one-year in advance, and in 1982, an Invitations-Registrar-elect was approved for each annual election, to make possible advance planning in this area.

Monday Evening—for Family

The Monday evening picnic-type supper and entertainment has grown in popularity for the Institute members and their families. This event affords the "freshmen" members an opportunity to quickly become active participants. The Monday evening affair was started in the late 40s when members would barbecue a pig in the "Old Dell", near the site of the present Olympic-size swimming pool. We sat on split logs around a camp fire, eating good food, singing "ole-time" tunes, and enjoying wonderful fellowship-and hoping it wouldn't rain before nine o'clock. As the years have passed, a few changes have been made. We now sit on chairs in the Pavillon and don't worry about the rain; of course, we have added hot dogs to the menu for the children, and now get all the food from the Assembly. If you and members of your family (who are here) have entertainment talents, please notify the Recreation Chairman, who is the "talent scout".

Coffee and Juice Detail

Since the mid-50's, another feature is the "coffee detail" that helps you get up "bright-eyed" each morning; people sure look different before breakfast. Our Freshmen (first time at Blue Ridge) are in charge of this activity and they provide a great service, as a means of waking you up for breakfast. Each of the major buildings, which house our Blue Ridge attendees, has a committee to do the serving at about 7:00 a.m.

Dress

Our dress at Blue Ridge is most informal. Slacks, shorts and other comfortable attire are quite the vogue. The only time during the week that we dress up, as a group is for the Presidential Ball on Wednesday evening when most of our group goes to some fine eating establishment in Asheville to enjoy a nice evening together.

Home at Blue Ridge Assembly

The Institute has met every year except once since 1927, and all meetings except one have been at the Blue Ridge Assembly. The Assembly is 2,700 feet above sea level; it was founded in 1906 and is owned and operated by the YMCAs of the Southeast Region. During 1943 the Institute met at the Green Park Hotel, Blowing Rock, North Carolina, due to wartime difficulties. The 1944 session was cancelled due to a polio epidemic in the "Tar Heel" State. Several "Blue Ridgers" have been attending for 20 years, or longer. Going to Blue Ridge can easily become a habit during the last full week of July!

"Little Old Red Shawl"-Our Theme Song

Our theme song at Blue Ridge has been "The Little Old Red Shawl My Mother Wore". The late Judge Walter Criswell, a charter member of Blue Ridge and the second President of the Institute enjoyed this song prior to his attendance at the First Institute in 1927. It seemed like a natural during the second week of the first Institute when a sincere effort was made to promote fellowship. Everyone seemed to like the words and tune so it was soon adopted as the official Institute song which we sing at all general sessions during the week. The words to this song are shown on the back cover page of this booklet. Several years ago, Mrs. Arthur Jones of Charlotte, N.C. (wife of our sixth President) made a real red shawl that remains in the custody of the current Institute President.

Conclusion

Yes, the Blue Ridge family has grown and changed frequently over the past years. It has experienced varied emotions including weeping and laughing. It has seen people grow up professionally. It has been a definite part of many successful efforts to improve Southern programs of health, welfare and youth-serving agencies. It has made real contributions to the schools of social work and has tried to assist in keeping professional persons moving forward. Blue Ridge has tried to show how important it is for voluntary and governmental agencies to unite their efforts to help mankind. More important than even these assets is that it has provided many of us opportunities to grow stronger and more productive in our respective fields of service. It has helped us to gain some of the tools of professional management that each of us needs as we try to repair humanity or guide it in a better direction. Blue Ridge has emphasized that services are for people, not mere statistics-in other words, "peopleizing services"!

If we haven't gained from Blue Ridge, it's our own fault. We hope that each of you will gain much this week. At Blue Ridge you can have fun while learning too!

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