ACTION Review Project Remarks to Participants in the Project.

One of the agencies in Government, as all of you know, which provides the closest and most personal link between the average citizen of our country and their own Government is the ACTION Agency.

We've been excited and inspired in the past when Hubert Humphrey and President Kennedy and others initiated the basic concept of a massive volunteer effort in our Government, both domestically and in overseas operations, for the Peace Corps and with the programs that we conduct here in our own country, VISTA and others.

We want to be sure that at the beginning of this new administration, under the leadership of Sam Brown and Mary King¹ that we reassess the most effective way to use this tremendous untapped resource of American citizens of very young age and very old age, highly educated, and those who have little education at all, who want to work with us among people who need their direct and personal help and advice, counsel, and support.

¹ Director and Deputy Director of ACTION.

It's very important to make sure that this be done in an effective way. There is no incompatibility between effective organization, maximum use of financial and human resources on the one hand, kind of business-like management, and on the other, understanding and compassion and a real derivation of benefit from those who volunteer to help us.

I'm very grateful to all of you who are experts in management and all of those who've volunteered to help us in an advisory way to make sure that we reinvigorate the entire ACTION program, and, particularly, in the domestic scene. It means a lot to us. I think it can serve as perhaps no other program can to tap the tremendous interest that presently is growing, I believe, among the people of our Government, of our country, in their own Government.

And I think that because of the diversity of the programs--I think there are probably a dozen or so where you have different avenues to come into the Government and work on a voluntary basis-that we need to have some clear concept of a better way to manage this exciting program.

So, I want to let you know two things: one, of my personal and direct interest in it. I pledge to you that I'll do the best I can to carry out the recommendations that you make to the leaders of this agency; and secondly, I want to let you know that I appreciate your willingness to work with me and Bert Lance and the Vice President and the Congress, Sam and Mary, in making this agency more effective.

So, thank you from the bottom of my heart. We are forming a partnership that I think will pay rich dividends, and your expert knowledge and background and experience and your wide diversity of interest will be a tremendous resource for us.

So, thanks again. I'm willing to work with you as best I can.