Most reflected his concern to improve the nature of Australian society and the welfare of its people, particularly in relation to education, causing him to be described by Rees as a "social missionary". Other Bean interests were linked with his wartime and pre-war occupations. In some of the societies and organisations formed around these interests and occupations Bean held official positions: councillor of the National Fitness Council of New South Wales for ten years; councillor of the Town Planning Association of New South Wales; president of the New South Wales Institute of Journalists; vice–president of the Recreation and Leadership Movement; chairman of the NSW Standing Committee on Community Centres; member of the Australian Services Education Council; chairman of the Promotions Appeal Board of the Australian Broadcasting Commission (1947 to 1958) and vice president of the United Nations Association, NSW. In support of these interests, Bean wrote to the press, maintained an output of articles (mostly for soldiers' journals), gave lectures and ccasional broadcasts. Underscoring his concern for open spaces and the natural environment, in 1930 he established the Parks and Playgrounds Movement of NSW and became the Movement's honorary secretary. Its aims included the provision of suitable public spaces to enable sports, especially team sports; the preservation of adequate passive recreational spaces and reserves for flora and fauna; ensuring that existing and future parks and reserves were properly used; and maintaining the right of all Australians to enjoy the natural beauties of Australia and of healthy open-air sport and play. In 1932 Bean persuaded the AWM to buy the Pozieres windmill ruins in France. In July 1916 he had written that the Pozieres ridge "was more densely sown with Australian sacrifice than any other spot on earth". Today the site, a place of pilgrimage, is in the care of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission with a memorial tablet bearing Bean's words. Bean was an active member of the League of Nations Union, believing in the League as guardian of peace. Horror of war led him to support Chamberlain's conciliation of Hitler in the hope that Hitler would keep his pledges. He retained that hope until the German invasion of Czechoslovakia. On 21 March 1939 in a letter which appeared in the S.M.H under the heading "Recantation", Bean withdrew that support for Chamberlain’s position. In 1940, with the Second A.I.F. at war, Bean wrote a pamphlet called The Old A.I.F and