I stumbled across this page while researching a related topic. In my music library are a number of the little songbooks from the Cooperative Recreation Service, some of which I had from my youth and others purchased when I find them at sales. Later I learned about the Cooperative Recreation Service for research I was doing on the hymn called variously "Lac qui Parle", "Dakota Hymn", or "Many and Great, O God". I obtained a thesis, "A History of the Cooperation Recreation Service" written by Larry Nial Holcomb at the University of Michigan, 1972. Lots of interesting information on CRS! The reason so many of the little songbooks looked the same was that they were printed from the same song plates, hand scripted by Jane Keen.

I believe that the rights to the music of CRS has been purchased by World Around Songs, Inc. One of their songbooks,"Bright Morning Stars", copyright 1984, lists their address as 5790 Highway 80 South, Burnsville NC 28714, (704-675-5343). "Bright Morning Stars" includes some of the old standards from CRS, plus a number of other tunes.

The Rohrbaughs performed a fine service in keeping folk music and group singing alive among youth. I deeply regret that group singing has become less popular, and that many of the songs young people now sing tend to be so trivial.