FAMILY LIFE COUNCIL & FAMILY LIFE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
Youngstown’s Family Life Council was formally organized in 1946. In 1947, Gertrude Hendricks became the Director of the Family Life Education Department of the Youngstown Public Schools, Coordinator of the Family Life Program, and Executive Secretary for the Family Life Council. She held these positions until 1972 when the Family Life Council dissolved.
The Council’s main function was as an advisory group to the program director of the Family Life Education program. Committees within the council memberships were organized to study, report, and evaluate program curriculum and program effectiveness. The purpose of the Council was written in their governing by-laws:
“The purpose of the organization shall be: to provide a channel through which the community may coordinate its needs and ideas in family life education into a program of activity; to interpret to the community the resources of the Family Life Education Program for enrichment and promotion of new developments in the field of family life education, and through its Executive Committee plan the activities of the staff of the Family Life Education Program.”
In 1970 and 1972, Dr. Pauline Botty wrote about the Family Life Council and the Director in her evaluation report for the federally-funded Consumer-Homemaking Education Project. Dr. Botty also authored a historical account of the Youngstown Family Life Program for their twenty-fifth anniversary.
Evaluation Report “The Developmental Roots,” Dr. Pauline Botty
“Those 25 Years … Remember Them Well” (commemoration booklet)
Dissolution of Program (news article)
Gertrude Hendricks’ Descriptions
The Purpose of Family Life Council
“Family Life Council was established with representative leaders from all groups who worked with people – all faiths, creeds, and races, also leaders from professional groups, representing all disciplines … which represents a cross section of all persons who work in this field. This group acts in advisory capacity.”
(Program Report, Annual Report, 1959)
“Family Life Education is a part of the adult vocational Home Economics program covering areas of work with classes in Foods, Clothing, Home Management, Family Finance, Consumer Education, Better Buymanship, Child Care, and Family Relations … “a grass roots” program with all socio-economic levels and a large number of church groups, civic groups, Federated Clubs, Associated Neighborhood Centers and Mahoning County Welfare Department avail themselves of these services. The Annual Youth Conference and Family Life Insitute (community-wide programs) are part of the Family Life Program.” (Annual Report 1963-1964)
Each school year (1947 to 1971) an annual report was compiled and submitted by Gertrude E. Hendricks to the Youngstown Family Life Council.
The Activities Reports provide a comprehensive overview and study of the family life education program’s development, implementation, and performance in an urban steel-manufacturing city from post-World War II to the 1970’s.
Supplemental program information and progress reports from the Home Management-Adult Vocational Training Programs (1965-1969) and Consumer-Homemaking Education Project (1970-1972) were added to the annual reports.
NOTE: Gertrude Hendricks did not have any clerical and secretarial help during her tenure as director. In addition to directing, conducting, and coordinating the family life education programs and activities, she was responsible for all record-keeping and completing the formally submitted annual report. She was also responsible for securing, creating, and distributing all the program materials.