The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1910-07-26
PLAYGROUND
AIDS KIDDIES
[coNrINUED FROM FIRST PAeE.l

Mrs. Vasta has as her particular
flock the Bee Hive Sewing club, to the
members of which she teaches stock
ing darning and other mending. The
officers have not yet been chosen, be-
ing competed for. the best stocking
darner getting the presidency, the
second the vice-presidency and the
third the secretary treasurership. This
club has become favorite with the
mothers of the youngsters, many of
them having personally thanked Mrs.
VaSta for her work in teaching them
how to sew.
Mrs. Vasta also conducts a kinder
garten class for the Riddles from two
to five in years.
These classes of girls, with the ex-
ception Of the two last, are in person
al charge of Miss Scharendorf = and
each class is given special instruction
in some particular branch of athletic
sports, track events, drills and dane
ing. On Labor day will be held con-
test for banner. The girls of any
club making the best showing in what
ever they undertake will be awarded
the banner.
| Next Thursday afternoon the Grape
Vine club will give party to the
Columbia club, it being the idea of the
instructors not to allow the club idea
to generate into class or race preju-
dice.
Mr.. Fairlamb and his assistants are
making strong effort to teach the
children to be clean and how to keep
clean. Hardly day goes by that Miss
Schnarendorf and Mrs. Vasta do not
have group of children showing them
how to wash themselves and then line
the youngsters up before Mr.. Fair
lamb to meet with his approving eye
in their unaccustomed, to many of
them, cleanliness.
Mr.. Fairlamb and Mr.. Savage are
teaching some of the boys how to
swim. They have constructed small
dam of stones and logs across the
Whippany river. making depth Of
three feet. Next season it is hoped
to have concrete dam of greater size
erected and a trolley installed to hold
up the youngsters while learning to
make the proper strokes.
Many mothers come to the play
ground with their babies and to watch
the older children at play. The Ital-
ian parents give the instructors lot
oftrouble in that they do not know
how to care for their babies. Mrs.
Vesta has often taken away from ba-
bies less than year old half loaf of
bread, tomato or huge piece of
cheese, given by an Italian mother to
the youngster to, quiet the cries.
These women are taught to give their
babies proper nourishment, it being
the experience of those in charge that
the Italian children are not given
proper food. No bad language is toll
Grated among the boys in the play
ground. If caught using any profanity
or obscenity the culprit is banished
for the day.
That all this is meeting with the
approval of the parents of the children
is manifested in many ways. Those
in charge when going to and from
their homes are greeted with pleasant
words by parents of the children,
many Of them thanking the instruc-
tors for some special thing done to
make their own children happier and
healthier.
Mrs. Vasta's young son, Louis, who
attends military school in New
York, is frequent visitor at the
playground and whenever he comes
he has at once band of volunteers
who wish to be put through military
tactics.