The San Francisco call., 1908-07-13
.CLUBWOMFN FEAST
VACATION SCHOOL
Oakland Matrons Entertain
Nearly 500 Children on
"Party Day"
Boys and Girls Are Taught to
Play and Play Fair at
TOmpkins School

OAKLAND, July 12.-Party day" was
| observed at the vacation school on Fri
| day afternoon, when the women OF the
| Oakland club who are conducting the
| work in the Tompkins school enter
| tained the $50 children enrolled with
| them at an afternoon luncheon There
was a spirit of anticipation in the air
| all the morning, and by L o'clock the
! casual observer recognized the holiday
aspect.
When will it be time for the party?''
was passed from lip 10 lip and an
swered again and again by teacher"
At the vacation school those net OF the
neighborhood are teacher" although
Miss Margaret Glendenning and Mrs.
| c. s. Chamberlain are the best beloved.
An anxious time was put in between
| 1 o'clock and 2:30, despite the games
: and postimes and happy secrets. The
! babies, for there are lots OF babies in
| the vacation school, cooed together,
| swaying to and fro in the rocking
chairs which had been reserved for
1 them. They, too. wanted party"
ADJUSTMENTS IN YARDS
! The big phonograph which was oper-
ated by Mrs. J. S. Emery before the
| feasting time was a source of genuine
/ delight, more particularly to the boys.
/ They loved the sound of the gladstone
music, but more they loved ''to see the
wheels go round" The handball court
was the scene of an exciting game.
| There was no football, for the two pig
/ skins had been so constantly in use
/ during the fortnight that they were
past service, and on Monday another
set will be provided. Parchesa, check
/ ers, ninepins and similar games amused
a score or two of the less strenuously
| inclined. Beach pals. -jingling reins,
brooms and bean bags were an unfail-
/ ing source of amusement. The swings
| were never idle, boys and girls i'm
patiently waiting their turns. The
| hammocks were a constant diversion.
| Some of the girls discussed serious
! questions of the day, the boys talked
/ sport a few devoted themselves in
sistently to the pages of story books
drawn from the circulating library
which the women established this year
/ in the school.
| There were no sewing classes on Fri
/ day, but the work of the week was dis
| played with simple pride. Dainty but
! terfiy bows and frocks for the dolls
/ whose wardrobes will be made entirely
| by the little hands OF the vacation
| school students were shown by Mrs.
| Jean Williams. who has charge OF that
! department. The dolls are to be sent
to sick children in the hospitals. The
| tiny tots were also excused from their
singing classes. but every day the shrin
| baby voices may be heard in the new
songs which they are learning.
SCHOLARS FROM AFAR
At the vacation school nothing is en-
forced except obedience and thought
| fulness. Learn to play and play fair
] is the motto. The number enrolled is
double that OF last year. Three young
sters are sent each day with their
luncheons from Elmhurst by a woman
who has planned this vacation for her
| children. Two boys who last year were
in the school come over from San
Francisco. They cannot both come
every day, so they take turns, dividing
their time between the Fairgrounds
and the position which they hold on
equal shares.
A group of playfeIlows walk each
| morning from Thirty ghth street with
/ their lunches and are joined by another
party of small boys at Twenty first
street.
They are Iovable lot, these children,
and give their affection as freely as
the air. Jimmy" is the character of
| the yard and has made friends with
! all. He wears his first oyeralls and
sees that his two younger charges are
| treated fairly. None is happier than
'Newsboy," a mischievous lad of six,
| who is veteran on Broadway. For
two years he has cried Extra" to the
| theater crowd.
A number of the girls whose duties
In the canneries give them uncertain
| hours spend what time is left from
housework and cooking for the family
in the playground. There are tears.
oceans of tears, but they are quickly
| dried and after all are a part of the
| fun.
FEAST OF GOOD THINGS
Half past two was recorded on the
4 20
| Across the yard a rope was stretched
and the youngsters were excluded from
the inclosure. The big boys saw that
4 order was maintained. Those who did
not go willingly were lifted over the
rope with determined hands.
| Then Mrs. Chamberlain, Mrs S. F.
Mikel and score of Oakland club
women set forth the good things on
the buffet, which was covered with a
| snowy cloth. Such quantities of whole
some food. but then there were $50
guests! and ii was barely enough. The
menu included:
so pounds OF sausage Il gallons Of milk
600 sandwiches boxes of soda crackers
| 40 cakes 20 pounds Of cookies
The dishes were brought from the
clubhouse and were of the daintiest.
When all was in order the word was
/ given and the children took their
places around the fence. Quiet? Not
1 bit of 1t! Was 1t not party and
had they not waited two hours?
/ The sausage and other. good things
! disappeared as though by magic. There
was not a crumb left in evidence, save
that secreted in the apron of some lit
tie maid who remembered the others
at home. or in the pocket of the lad
whose mothers careworn face haunted
his pleasure. And then the day was
done and all the chilrren went home
reluctantly with only a memory OF the
hour and the sustaining thought oil
three weeks of coming joy which was
to be theirs.
EVERYONE MADE WELCOME
On Friday of next week three car
|. loads of vacation school scholars will
be taken on an outing TO East Shore
park.
only organization in the state con-
Quoting a summer playground. The
success of the undertaking made the