Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-04-03
YOUNG AMERICA
WILL FLY KITES
THIS is ANNUAL TOURNAMENT
DAY FOR CHILDREN
ALL SIZES, SHAPES AND coLoRs
TO APPEAR
Boys Encouraged to Exercise lnge-
nulty and Originality in Construct
ing Exhibits to Be Flown
This Afternoon

Today is kite day for the school
children of Los Angeles.
Kites of all sorts, sizes and designs
will be flown at the kite tournament
which is to begin at O'Clock this
afternoon on the vacant tract bound
Hampshire streets. The tournament,
which will be directed by Charles
M. Miller, assistant supervisor of the
sloyd department of the public schools,
is an event which has already at
tracted wide attention in educational
circles for the benefits secured through
encouragement of kite flying.
Los Angeles teachers have found
that 1t encourages home staying and
keeps many active boys out of mis-
chief, and for that reason it has had
the hearty support of the parent
teachers associations. Through the
sport boys who could not be reached
in any other way have been interested
and the hold secured has materially
helped in making them better pupils
Kite making and flying, however,
are not made part of the regu-
lar manual training work, but are en-
couraged entirely as home occupa-
tions.
Today's tournament will be the third
annual event of the sort, and promises
to be more successful than that of
last year, which was watched by 5000
persons. There were more than 200
participants, and the air was full of
kites, many of unique design.
AS result of the interest developed,
the od-fashioned English boWkite,
with it's long tail, is losing popularity
and the modern boy is more or less of
a scientist when it comes to kites.
Aeroplane kites, and other modifica-
tions of the Hargrave box kite, kites
with tat1 ND l,n toll flo
ures from Foxy Grandpa" dragons
and owls, kites representing yachts,
banners and balloons, and other types
have been constructed for the tourna-
ment.
Boys Keep Kites Under Cover
1--WE may expect to see all sizes,
shapes, colors and most any qualifi-
cations says Mr.. Miller. During
the last few days before the contest,
the boys have worked under cover
down cellar, in the barn, upstairs and
in similar places. They do not want
other boys to get their ideas. Some
very clever inventions have been ex-
hibited at the former occasions, and
we expect many more Saturday after
noon. BY next year l look especially
for quite a development in the line of
aeroplanes.
kite flying is greatly encouraged
through the yearly tournament, which
gives the boys a chance to exhibit
their work. The occupation also al
lows them to try their own genius
on inventive problems, and 1t takes the
boys from the streets, enticing them to
healthful sport in the open air."
The kite tournament program d.
vides the kites into four groups. Each
group will have it's own set of judges.
The first of these groups is that de-
voted to exhibition kites, including
bird, animal, insect and man kites
and suspended figures, with prizes for
the most artistic and best decorated
kites. The second group is for feats
of skill, embracing strong pullers,
high flyers parachute displays, yacht
race and quarter mile dash. An anus
ing feature of the contests in this
group will be "kite antics"
special group is devoted to bal
loon ascensions, wireless operations,
photography from a kite line, tetra-
hedral and aeroplane kites, dragons
and the use of elders. Another group
covers the construction of kites, and
the judges will be-called on to inspect
the smallest plain and box kites, the
quickest construction of a kite, reels
and WINDMILL kites and kites with
parts that move. The best original
idea embodied in a kite will receive
attention.
The Western avenue cars run to the
tournament grounds, and the street
cars to Bimini baths pass nearby.