Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-26
LONESOME LADS
GIVEN A HOME
PLAY A BIG FACTOR AT THE
VACATION SCHOOLS
LOS ANGELES CAN BOAST OF
UNIQUE INSTITUTION
Mischief for Idle Hands Warded Off
by Splendid Summer School Now
In Session on Beautiful Los
FeIz Road

Vacation schools! The name hath a
dry feel on the tongue-one is reminded
of Huck Firms Schools so dismal de-
cent and REGULAR"
But the point about Los Angeles va
cation schols is that they are not just
| schools, but homes-with plenty OF
play, a little wholesome work and
| study, and all the good, fresh air and
sunshine these little boys, with the bad
little, sad little "pasts," can assimilate.
| In point of fact, Los Angeles claims
to be unique in its Parental Vacation
| school-that 1t is the only one of the
! kind in the United States. The school
| department rents the Parental school
property to the county, and the JuVen-
! lie court committee, cooperating Win
Judge Wilbur, provides the home fea-
lures for this school, while the board OF
| educati furnishes the teachers.
Out at the Parental school, on the
| Los Feliz road, is a home-Just like
any other home-its pretty brown tints
an picturesque lines silhouetted against
background of green-timbered hill,
| sheltering it from the California sun,
overlooking the river and valley, with a
view of purple mountains beyond.
AS we entered the paved court-the
house is built in the mission style-a
| dog, two of them, the boys dogs, rose
and wagged friendly tails-they didn't
know anything about their beloved lit
tie masters "pasts"-and dozen voices
burst out with cries of Mr. Lickley!
Mr.. Lickley!" as they crowded round
the supervisor of compulsory education
when we opened the school room door.
Boys Given Freedom
One calls it school room. because
there are a teacher and benches and
til ill.,, IF
fact" are here reduced to very few
pnts inded Here are happiness and
freedom; the boys walk about and talk,
after they have finished their lessons,
or work on their Indian baskets and
hair-chains. And there are books and
magazines scattered about a table,
which they may read when they will,
and Mr.. White, their teacher, often
reads to them as they do their basketry
work.
But the boys are still clamoring round
their beloved chief: "A mitt-a mask!
We want a mask! We must have a
mask" and they stretch out fearless
hands, as though he were their father
eternal little divers asking for
morei" But it wasn't treacle or por-
ridge or any other mere tiresome neces-
sity they begged. There is always
plenty f food in the white, flower
decked. COOL clean dining room. But
they clamored for their boyish rights
far baseball masks and mitts.
you see," explained Mr.. Lickley,
there's a tournament on for baseball
championship. The boy who wins goes
to Bimini baths for a swim; so you can
| see it's serious"
"I'm on the winnin' side!" announced
a hazel-eyed youth, with wriggle OF
delight.
Just Wasn't Wanted
A pretty little fellow with blonde
curls. hardly more than baby. wan
dered past us. why's he here?" one
gasped. ooh, his parents are dead;
he lived with his sister-and she didn't
want him." was the answer. That was
all. He wasn't wanted anywhere, and
being too small to "move on fast
enough for the policeman in his dis
trict was rescued by the vacation
school.
There is special and kindly effort
made at these schools to develop any
particular talent the boys may have.
THAT boy Is an electrical genius"
said Mr.. Lickley, pointing out a tall.
red-headed boy "Ie goes about with
his pockets bursting with batteries, and
has fitted up a wireless instrument"
Another, little oX-eyed Italian, is a
wonderful dancer They let him do It.
too, on long winter evenings, to the
music of the piano, when Mrs. Thurs
ton plays, and they all gather about
the piano and sing.
do any OF the children play the
piano." was asked. Harold does"
burst from half a dozen enthusiastic
boys, indicating a sheepish youth with
big musical bumps on an otherwise
rather narrow forehead.
And fame echoes yet the praises OF
a certain wonderful little negro boy of
loo i
marvel to all who saw them.
Boys Decorate Rooms
Over across the court are the pretty,
light, airy bedrooms-furnshed each
with it's white iron bed, its bright bit of
carpet, and sometimes tables made by
the boys themselves. I saw one made
by a boy of IL which was a marvel of
neat, tasteful workmanship. And such
pictures as the boys furnish and frame
themselves Incongruous, some of these
latter, .-et making a good showing in
their wooden frames of MANY designs.
In one room an illuminat ted Love one
another" hobnobbing with an auto adj
Vertisement of lurid design: in another
an innocent but many-hued picture of
Christmas cherubs side by side with a
football scene
DR. Moore, SUPERINTENDENT, with rare
tact and insight and understanding his
man. has given Mr.. Lickley a free hand
in all matters pertaining to his depart
ment. with the result that Los Angeles
has built up a system Of special and
vacation schools not euualed elsewhere
in the United States. 1--WE should like"
said DIR. Moore, ''to be able to empha-
size more strongly still the home fea-
lures of these schools: but Mr. Lickley
has made of them place which the
bows love, which is, indeed the great
end to be sought for in this work"
Play Is What Counts
"But the plays the thing"" said
Mr. Lickley--"the outdoor sports of the
boys. If boy misses his play when a
child he will play later on and society
will pay for 1t. I used" he went on.
"to ask the board for teacher who
was an athlete. Now ] ask for an ath-
lete who is a teacher" The reason is
obviousv-companions and its result
ant confidence and good fellowship.
In fact, there are no bolts and bars
at the Parental Vacation school Win
dows and doors are wide open. The
boys do not care to leave, except in
rare cases. Indeed, more often than
not diplomacy has to be used to get
them to go; for. alas! according to law,
as soon as a boy. under these happy
influences, becomes a good" boy he
must leave. One tall fellow they showed
us had wept at being turned loose, and
they allowed him to come back
While these schools are truant-Vaca-
ton schools. yet applications are fire.
quently made by other children for en-
trance to them during vacation, and
these are never denied
"The point of It all is" said Mr.
Lickley. that the vaca ton schools
save q large per cent of the boys"