| Vol. 1 No. 4 | page 1 | Jan. 18, 1952 |
"The volume of suggestions submitted for the month of December achieved a new high," William B. Granberg, Executive Secretary of the Civilian Awards Board said today in an interview with your reporter. There were more suggestions submitted for the month of December than during any month since January of 1945.
The recent increased interest is attributed to the Suggestion-Box drive initiated in September of 1951 and to the larger number of persons working at the depot. The awards Board is hopeful that Awards presentations will become a more frequent occurrence than ever because of the greater number of suggestions being submitted.
In January, 1945, awards amounting to $385.00 were made to five persons for meritorious suggestions which resulted in a savings estimated to be $107,176.44. This savings is another mark at which we should set our sights for the coming month, especially since it is now more than ever the duty of all of us to help the Government cut down on expenditures. Each of us can help by keeping our eyes open and minds on the job. A suggestion may mean a nice cash award for some lucky inventor, too.
| Vol. 1 No. 10 | page 2 | March 14, 1952 |
The cleaning device, designed so fits over the end of the burster well tube that it prevents the Renovator from possible contamination by the gas should a leak occur during the cleaning operation. The device is also faster and saves the Depot more than $4,000.00.
The highest award yet paid to an Army employee was $2,750 paid in 1944 to Mr. Richard Norian, of Chicago Ordnance District for a suggestion relating to salvaging and packaging materials in the shipment of Ordnance goods. The Ordnance Department estimated that the suggestion saved the Army over $5,000,000 during the first year it was in operation.
It has been quite gratifying to the local Awards Board to see so many suggestions come in to them. The awards being made at his time represent about 20% of the submitted suggestions, a little better than the National average of 17%. Most of the awards made this time were for safety or morale factors involved. A direct savings was involved in only two of the suggestions, that of Curtis Lewis named above and that of Joseph Drus. Awards to be made for safety or morale factors are determined according to a chart which limits to $10 the award possible for a safety or morale award of "limited scope of applicability." $50 is the maximum for suggestions of "broader applicability" or greater value and $200 is the maximum award for a suggestion applicable to a major organizational element.
| Vol. 1 No. 10 | page 3 | March 14, 1952 |
| Vol. 2 No. 17 | pages 1 and 8 | April 24, 1953 |
The suggestion awards system was set up at Black Hills Ordnance Depot in September, 1943. Since that time 747 suggestions have been submitted and over $6,000.00 has been awarded for worthy suggestions. For the period of time that figures are available an estimated $256,224.00 has been saved due to suggested efficiency measures, short cuts, and devices. Inestimable benefit has been derived inasmuch as Depot Safety and Morale have benefitted greatly from the Suggestion Program since its inception.
Looking at the Suggestion Program as it has affected the Department of the Army as a whole, during the Fiscal Year 1952 over 19,000 suggestions were received, 3,673 were adopted and over $4,003,580.00 were saved as a result of these suggestions.
During the year 1952 twice as many suggestions received recognition and award as had during 1951. Twice as much money was paid out in 1952 also. A breakdown of the suggestions as to the kind of betterment they recommended shows the following results:
Safety, 49; Mechanical devices or inventions, 34; Improved job methods and procedures, 33; Greater employee convenience, 23; Grounds improvement, 11; Salvage of materials, 10; Health and sanitation, 9; Depot resident morale, 9; Construction of an additional facility, 9; Standard form design and-or simplification, 7; Miscellaneous, 6; Correction of mechanical faults, 4; Application of a commercial device to depot use, 3; and prevention of deterioration (plant or equipment), 3.
The above information will give you an idea about what types of suggestions are most popular. It is proper that safety suggestions should head the list and it is a credit to our Safety Office that employees have shown themselves so safety-minded. It is a good idea to ask oneself while performing the tasks of one's job: How could I do this easier, better, more safety? Would a device insure more safe operation, quicker operation, a cleaner more effective job? The person who can best answer these questions is the person who does the job. YOU! Let's really push the suggestion program. Let's double last year's quota of suggestions. It can be done.
| Vol. 3 No. 29 | pages 1 and 6 | July 16, 1954 |
Following a plan, conductive to the maintenance of continued interest in the Efficiency Awards Program, which he adopted as a Depot Regulation last month, Colonel Wickens felt that rotation of membership would afford training and experience to a larger group so, under the new regulation, a staggering tenure of duty will obtain. Membership for four members will expire each year on 30 June and for the balance of the Committee, 30 December.
New members named by the Colonel, and their tenure of membership, are: Ernest Schneider, Management, 30 June 1955; Mark Thompson, Post Engineer, 31 December 1954; Darrell Newlin, Storage, 30 June 1955; Harold Worthley, Transportation, 30 June 1955; and Blaine Hunter, Surveillance, 30 June 1955.
Members relieved following the serving of a year's term were: Bernert Ferdig, Management; Jennings Massery, Surveillance; Jack Lee, Storage; William Grubbs, Transportation, and Stewart Mickelson, Post Engineers.
Sydney Finkel has been chosen chairman of the Committee with LeRoy F. Holst remaining as not-voting executive secretary.
| Vol. III No. 52 | page 2 | Dec 24, 1954 |
| Vol. 5 No. 14 | page 1 | April 4, 1957 |
| Vol. 5 No. 30 | page 1 | July 25, 1957 |
Four new members have been appointed to the Incentive Awards Committee for one year terms by Depot Commander, Col. Don M. Hoffman.
Named were Roger Yardley, Delbert Harbaugh, Victor Garvis and Melvin Kneavel. Continuing members are Henry Kulbe, Capt. E. T. Jones, Cecil Lund and Chairman, Donald Nelson.
The committee will be interested in furthering the incentive program at the Depot in conjunction with the Department of the Army program this year which has been termed "Project Paydirt". Secretary of the Army, Wilber M. Brucker said recently, "The Army Incentive Awards Program is designed to encourage and to reward in a substantial way the men and women who turn problems into opportunities for more valuable service to the Army and to the Nation. Ideas to improve methods and actually putting them to work for a cause much greater than ourselves gives us a real sense of belonging to the Army team."
Completing a one year term the first of July were William Seals, William Grubbs, Ben Schock and R. R. Deimer.
| Vol. 5 No. 32 | page 1 | Aug. 8, 1957 |
Cloyse Lanphear hit pay dirt this week when he received a check for $125 for his adopted suggestion.
His award marks the largest single payment this year for a suggestion. Lanphear's idea concerned the use of a hand operated three-way air valve on the debanding machine, permitting the operator to control the length of time the machine was engaged. Previously the operation was automatic. When the switch was thrown the debanding cycle was not always of sufficient duration to deband the projectile. Estimated saving to the government was $4,100 during the first year of operation.
Other employees receiving cash awards at the ceremony were: Pete Sinclair, $10 for suggesting the use of an alarm device for crane booms, warning the operator when near a power line; Oscar G. Krebs, $10 for suggesting permanent installation of a ground near each warehouse door in the General Supply Area and Louis Rickard, $10 for a device to prevent soil erosion when flushing fire hydrants.
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