Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-13
ASK TEACHERS HELP
THEIR AID NEEDED IN PLAY
GROUNDS WORK.
Accomplishments Of the Year Review
ed by the Committee-Dr. Curtis
Chosen Supervisor.


The meeting OF the Fairgrounds commit
tee, held Tuesday evening at 8 o'clock in
the rooms Of the Board Of Trade, was pre-
sided over by Mr.. Cuno H. Rudolph, and
among the members present were DR..
Richard Kingsman, John B. Sleman, WILL
lam H. Baldwin, G. A. Weber, John B.
Dickman, r. G. Coldren, Wallace Hatch,
Mrs. NJ L. Willis, Mrs. Giles Rafter, Miss
/. I. Russell. Mrs 8. c. Fernandis, Prof.
A. u. Craig and others.
At the beginning of the meeting chair
man Rudolph asked DR.. Henry Curtis to
report as to present workers on duty in the
outdoor Fairgrounds and as to his recon-
mendations for the remainder of the year.
On motion of Dr. Curtis, the committee
voted to retain the employees at their pres
that the hours after the beginning of
school should be from 1890 until dark
every school day and all day on Saturday.
IT was voted also to recommend to the
board of education that the school play
grounds should be kept open every school
day and that as many teachers as possible
in the schools where the Fairgrounds are
located should devote one afternoon a week
looking after the children in these play
grounds. DR.. Curtis reported in study
which he had made from papers of two
or three thousand normal and high school
pupils as to teachers who had had personal
lnnuence over them he had found that al
most every one had referred to those who
had played with them in the Fairgrounds
or In some other way had come in personal
contact with them. He said that he be-
heved that If the teachers could be gotten
to DO this 1t would be the best thing that
could happen to the school, as it would put
the teachers and pupils into more friendly
and Intimate relation. He said that the
English public and
quired In general two hours a day of such
play leadership from all their teachers, and
that they believed the results in character
and social training amply justified expend-
iture of this amount of time and energy.
The playground committee voted to fur
nish from its fund all supplies that might
be necessary in order to keep these play
grounds open.
Overture for Union.
At the request of Mr.. Stevens, a COM
mittee was appointed, consisting of Mr..
Coldren. Mr.. Sleman and DR.. Curtis. to
confer with the trustees of the Washington
Boys Club with reference to a union OF
the boys club with the Fairgrounds.
In speaking Of the work Dr. Curtis said:
The work In games this year has been
g. decided Improvement over last year.
very much of this progress has been due
to the course which Miss Hofer gave the
teachers. At the final tournament for
was left to choose the games which it pre-
ferred to play. and each playground played
oinerent games. nearly all of the games
chosen were the ones taught by Miss
Hofer. 1t Is the belief of the supervisor
that this, course In games has added thirty
or forty thousand to the attendance during
the summer, and that 1t has brought a
larger increase In numbers than 5000
spent IN an increase of equipment would
nave done. 1t is therefore his belief that
tne POO spent on this course has been very
profitably used. However. it is probable
that this work can be done by local peonIe
next year, and the course will not need To
be repeated ~
Last year the committee adopted the
STANDARD test of the Athletic League of
cational Association for boys who could
achieve certain standard in three events
This was called the championship test
Last year at the beginning of the play
to win this button. At the end Of the sea-
son there were twenty-five winners. This
year there have been 1874 already. and
there are number yet to try.
Improvement Noted.
n the twelve field events given at the
tournament seven Of the records were bro
Ken this year, and the athletic work was
great Improvement over that OF last in
every particular. Last year we were unable
10 organize teams in yolley ball or basket
bah that played well enough to appear at
the tournament. This year the umpire Of
volley ball said that the coiored children
played as good game as he had ever seen
and there have been some ten or twelve
teams organized In the different NAV
grounds. There are also six or seven tea mo
In basket ball. The tether ball team from
the Wafach school played the best game
tHat nave ever seen. When one considers
hNyf x1t@
which this represents and that some two or
three hundred children have been given this
interest, one must realize that these chill
dren nave gained something which will
stand as rival to many temptations which
might otherwise monopolize the attention.
The attendance this year has shown a
decided increase over that of last year The
attendance o in July for 1905 was 50, 1874; for
much. For August, 1905, the attendance
was S2,197, and for August, 1906 1OO.37S
When we consider that nearly two weeks Of
the weather In August was so rainy that
the children could not get out to tine play
grounds, and that most of the teachers
this year for the second half in the pIay-
ground for white children were substitutes.
we see that this is quite good record. The
total attendance for 1905 was al 961 and
for 1906, 21O.93S, being one and-one-half
times as many.
Children More Peaceful.
There has been much less destructive
ness in the playground this year than last,
and there has been an Improvement in the
feeling which the children of one section
seem to have toward the children of anoth-
er. 1t is the belief of the supervisor that
in another year meets will take place be-
tween different sections without unobjec-
tionable occurrences.
ut is to be regretted that SO few of the
members of the committee attended the
final tournament which was held on the 7th
and Sth Of September, this year, at Van
Ness Park. 1t plainly showed progress in
every line of the work, but there were very
few people there to see 1t. am now striv-
ing to get the Industrial work together
again In order that 1t may be put on ex-
hi M &ho oxnlxl