itself, the interview with each applicant, the home visit, or the 
interview with the parents of the applicant: these are all oppor¬ 
tunities for pre-camp orientation. 
Pre-Camp Orientation Meetings 
Experience has demonstrated that it is very valuable to 
give to each applicant who is finally selected a more systematic and 
specific period of counseling a few days in advance of the date set 
for his examination and acceptance. This may be done either by indi¬ 
vidual counseling with applicants or through the medium of group 
meetings . Because of the significant success of group meetings in 
various parts of the country, a description of them is included here. 
The most successful pre-camp orientation meetings sponsored 
by selecting agents have been cooperative enterprises. They may be 
held in school buildings or other similarly suitable places. They oc¬ 
cur just before or just at the beginning of each quarterly enrollment 
period — at least several days before the date set for sending the 
young men forward for examination and acceptance into the Corps. The 
meeting is specifically designed for applicants and their families. 
There is good reason, however, why friends or other interested indi¬ 
viduals should also attend. 
The selecting agent acts as chairman. If there is a CCC 
camp nearby, the Camp Commander, the Educational Adviser and the 
Project Superintendent are all invited to make talks to the selected 
applicants and their parents about the nature of camp life, the kind 
of work to be done, the jobs that enrollees do, the educational and 
other opportunities available, and the rules and regulations under 
which a CCC camp operates. The selecting agent usually summarizes 
these factors and indicates what the local community expects of the 
young men who are about to enter the CCC. 
Frequently, no CCC camps are close to a local selecting 
agency and no CCC officials are available to appear before such 
groups. In that case the local selecting agent becomes personally 
well acquainted with the nature and work of CCC camps and is able 
to give an appropriate talk on this subject. The selecting agent 
then invites an able and (if possible) prominent local citizen to 
talk to the selected applicants, indicating that they are the repre¬ 
sentatives of that local community and that he hopes that the youths 
will uphold a high standard of performance in the Corps. 
The stimulus of such meetings to youths about to leave for 
camp is always good. It is believed from trial and observation that 
this process considerably reduces the bad consequences of homesick¬ 
ness and cuts down actual desertion cases. Since the greatest number 
of desertions occur within a few days or weeks after enrollment, it is 
obviously important to do everything possible to facilitate the adjust¬ 
ment of enrollees to camp life. This is certainly one very effective 
means. 
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