July 3, 1942 - PPCLI

Dear Mom,

Well I guess that this is just about the last time I will write to you from this address and also I suspect with this number and designated unit. My transfer to the Royal Canadian Air Force has at last come through and tomorrow I go to the non-effective Transfer Dept. where I finally quit the Army. Of course you can guess I am very excited for I have been longing for this moment for over 2 years and at last it is here! Last week when I wrote to you I had just finished taking my exam and was going to finish my leave and then come back to camp expecting to wait for quite awhile. But they have rushed me through so fast that I have barely had time to catch my breath! I just got back from leave on Monday and on Tuesday there was a message from CMHQ telling me to report to camp for transfer. So I have been very busy these past two days getting ready to go. I am all packed now and waiting for tomorrow is a big day!

I had a lovely time in town last week after Wednesday when I finished the RCAF exam. Most of the time I spent with either Mary or at the Club with Mrs. Beverly. I was very sorry that I had no opportunity to talk very long to Mrs. Bemrose for what she had to say interested me considerably. As I have told you before, she is founder/chairman of an organization in this country called the Kinsmen. This is a group of parents of who have children evacuated to America and more or less adopted by families out there. The original idea was to get the parents to know each other and to try to show their gratitude to America by entertaining Canadians and Americans over here in England. But the organization has grown tremendously since then and it is one of these off-shoots I want to tell you about.

The parents have decided to found a trust fund of money and bonds which will be used after the war to pay for the passage, tuition, board and lodging of American children of 14 to 17 years of age so that they can study over here in England for one year. It is hoped to instill into these children a genuine love and understanding for England and English customs and ways of thought so that when that child goes back to his own country, he will not grow up with the false ideas and conception that have so long held England and America apart. It is hoped that this education will help form a basis of understanding and good-fellowship between our countries that can never again be broken down. Of course the same number of children will be sent out from this country as come over from America.

Now here comes the important point. The children selected will not necessarily be those with exceptional scholastic records though other faculties being equal to those with good
records will have the advantage over those who have not. Rather, the selection will be up more upon the basis that selections are made for Rhodes Scholarships namely, personality, charm, genuine interest in all the aspects of the affair, physical as well as mental fitness and a special interest in citizenship. For this purpose I have suggested a board of selecting officers as follows:
1 Doctor - physical fitness
1 Psychologist - mental ability and general personality
1 Minister - spiritual side and how well-developed
1 Judge with no party affication - Examines on interest in citizenship, understanding of why he is being sent with understanding of duty
1 Politician
1 School teacher - scholastic ability
1 Business man or 1 married woman with teen-aged children

Of course you can understand that this is only a suggestion on my part but Mrs. Bemrose took it very well indeed. I am wondering if you are interested at all, whether individually or as president of the WA. or a member of the WI. Perhaps you would like to get in touch with Mrs. Bemrose. Here is her address: Bemrose, The Cedars, Whitaker Road, Derby, Derbyshire, England.

Guess that's all for now. Received papers. Many thanks.

Love to all,

Jim