REPORT X

ACTION TAKEN

Sioux Falls, SD
Janet Ashby
Dana Coyne

Feulner, Michael
Cheryl Johnson
Judy Silvestrone
Robert Villa

ACTION REQUIRED

Huron, SD
Leslie Blumenthal
Suzanne McKitis

The following report is a compilation of several contacts both in person, at Sioux Falls February 15, 1978, and Huron, April 7, 1978, and via telephone since National Vistas were placed with the South Dakota component of the ACORN effort last December. 1977.

On February 15, I, accompanied by Ben Knopp, Region VIII, POO, visited the State ACORN Office in Sioux Falls, SD, in conjunction with several items of business to be conducted in the area. We had been requested by the RO to determine in what sort of Community Organization activities the volunteers were engaged and also to make contact with Mike Feulner, a National recruit, who had expressed displeasure with his situation and was requesting a transfer to another project. We were greeted by Steve Soifer, ACORN State Director, and were provided with a brief, but informative overview. Only 9 of 10 volunteers projected actually came on board, and 3 of those had been assigned to the Huron, SD area. Of the 6 remaining in Sioux Falls, 5 were in the office at the time of the visit, one being Mike Feulner. We were told by Soifer, and later confirmed by the volunteers, that they were presently engaged in a membership drive, which required much door knocking and i no one answered, the leaving of a pre-addressed postcard informing the occupant of a forthcoming issues-formulating meeting. During the course of our meeting, rost of the volunteers were busy with the task of pre-addressing the postcards. With the exception of Feulner, the volunteers seemed pleased with their activities and dedicated to the ACORN philosophy.

CONTINUATION SHEET

efore leaving, we met privately with Feulner who expressed much dissatisfaction, ot with the goals of ACORN but, with the methods the organization espoused to achieve ts goals. He cited specifically, the use of civil disobedience and civil disorder, f necessary, to accomplish an end. He also stated that in their Little Rock orientaion, a seemingly racist philosophy of social dynamics was being taught, the premise eing that if one organized the low-income "white" community, first, the other ethnic roups would probably fall in line. He asked to be, and since has been transferred o another project, South Central Community Action Program, Lake Andes, SD.

In March 14, while attending the ND/SD Vista Task Force meeting at Bismarck, ND, I et Sue McKitis, the ACORN project representative, and one of the volunteers assigned co Huron. She did not indicate that there were any problems of great magnitude, at the time, was surprised at all of the Vista activity in the Dakotas since only brief mention of Vista or ACTION were made at the Little Rock orientation, nothing regarding other projects, and in fact, were told that they were to consider themselves as ACORN staff only, to play down or not even admit to being Vistas. She extended an, invitation to visit the Huron site, which I promised to accept at some future date.

Scheduling that date was hastened by a rather urgent phone call on Friday, March 17, at the Region VIII ACTION office, Denver, where I was attending a General Staff meeting, from Deb Schiefelbein, Dakota's Program Clerk, who had been contacted by Doug Mathews, ACORN Vista, Huron. In calling back the Huron ACORN office, Sue McKitis answered and said that Doug had left but she was aware of his problem. Doug mad received a call from Wade Rathke, ACORN Director, Little Rock, AR, informing him that he was being transferred to Ft. Worth, TX. CONTINUATION SHEET X

GPO 845-496