Document 12: Minutes of the Board of Managers of the Detention Home, Cora Bussey Hillis Collection, Ms. 72, Box 1, Scrapbooks, State Historical Society of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.Introduction
Once the law was passed and cases were being heard, the Board of Managers created by the law were ordered to create a detention home in Polk County, Iowa. As a part of this order, the Board had to meet together and address the issues of who was on the Board, reporting to the Board, funding and outfitting the detention home. Hillis played a leading role in the day-to-day effort to implement the law.
What follows are the minutes of the first meeting of those on the Board of Managers. In this short meeting they elected positions and designed a simple initial strategy for dealing with the first round of implementation.
Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Managers of the Detention Home, held in the parlors of the Y.M.C.A. Saturday April 1st, at three thirty o'clock P.M.
Meeting was called to order by Mrs. Isaac Lea Hillis.
Members present were Mrs. Hillis, Mrs. Brown, Mrs. Gilcrest,J.W. Hill and A.C. Miller.
On motion of J.W. Hill who nominated Mrs. Hillis for president,we proceeded to the election of officers. Motion received a second by A.C. Miller and carried unanimously.
On motion, A.C. Miller was elected Secretary and Treasurer.
On motion of Mr. Hill a committee of three was appointed, consisting of Mrs. Hillis and the other two lady members of the Board to meet the Advisory Committee at the Tracey Home, look over the situation and make such repairs as they deemed best, back to this Board with suggestions,etc.
On motion of Mr. Hill, the President, Mrs. Hillis, was authorized to secure the services of Mrs. Elsie Bartlett of Perry, Iowa, as Superintendent of the Detention Home, at a salary of Forty ($40.00) Dollars per month, payable only when there are funds in the Treasury. The motion received a second by Mr. (Miller?) and carried unanimously.
On motion, Mrs. Hillis was instructed to make arrangements with Mrs. Larrison for her furniture with which to furnish a portion of the Home and for her services as House Keeper until further and more permanent arrangements can be made.
On motion, the President, Mrs. Hillis, was authorized to appoint what is known as a Central Committee, being composed of one member from each of the various clubs and organizations of the city. The duties of this committee being to solicit funds and interest the general public in the work associated with this Organization.
(Unreadable), we adjourned.
(Signed)Al Miller
Secretary
