Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-30
TO OPEN
PLANS COMPLETED FOR OUTDOOR
SPORTS TOMORROW.

The five outdoor Fairgrounds OF the Dis
trict. which will open tomorrow, will be
available from II o'clock until dark every
day and from o'clock Saturdays, b the
larger children will not be admitted to the
grounds between / and 3 o'clock pm.
At a meeting of the Fairgrounds direct
ors in room 205 Guray building. at 1890
yesterday, Dr. Curtis spoke to the teach
ers on the play dictatorship as profession.
He said that the teachers in the Chicago
Fairgrounds are receiving 81, 200 per year.
and that 1t Is hoped that teachers here will
soon receive as much as the teachers in the
public schools He said he regarded 1t as
the greatest opportunity for personal in
fluence over the child that is given to any
one.
pc jition in a playground Is an easy one to
fill, but that In fact 1t required for high
success the rarest qualities of organization
and leadership, and that the people who
are conspicuously successful in this line in
America can be numbered on the fingers
of one hand. Much of the art, however, it
is possible to acquire and almost every
school of physical training in the country
is giving courses for playground leaders.
The demand for such trained people is
much greater than the supply.
Appeal to Teachers.
The teachers were urged to learn all of
the children's games thoroughly and to
X ow how to play them better than the
children themselves as the fundamental re-
quirement of their success in the play
ground. Each teacher was asked to make
out a plan Of his work for the summer
get in mind just what he was seeking to
accomplish. and to make a plan every day
Of the work for the day following that
there should be no drifting from day to
day without aims purposes.
The lady teachers were urged to famil
iarize themselves with more forms Of the
Industrial work and to become more skill
full in teaching 1t to the children. DIR. Cur
tbs said the secret Of large attendance Is
largely in so organizing activities that there
are always several things going on at once.
thought and skill
for was thu organization Of teams. DR..
Curtis said that boys would come to a play
ground for a year and choose up and play
base ball with a team composed Of different
members each day without ever learning
the fine points of the game. They would
not practice regularly nor strive hard to
win until they were members Of a regular
team and lained team loyalty. A team Is
responsible and can be held to account for
the apparatus it uses and the damage 1t
does.
Main Purpose Outlined
Finally the main purpose for which they
are to strive and the standard by which
they are to be judged Is their success in
creating a spirit in the playground, which
was kindly and courteous and loyal to its
aims. DR.. Curtis said that at the time the
Fairgrounds were opened in New York
there was at first a complete lack Of loyal
ty to the playground and an almost COM
plete lack of courtesy or justice between
the large children and the small ones The
strong children took the playthings and ap-
paratus away from the weak ones, and hurt
them constantly by their rough play, but
that all of this was changed and the differ
ence was noticeable within a year to an OBJ
serving person.
The whole relation between the teacher
and child Is changed as soon as the child
feels that the teacher knows his name and
takes an interest in him personally.