The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-02-28
HIEFLY FOR THE
EYES OF THE FEM.
100 mime SEX 444@
On Social Center Work.


Social life ia one Of the first Of u
instincts. Tho first thing a baby wan
is air: the second thing is a friendly
hand. The social center Is one of the
hnest expressions of the new demo-
cracE that is growing mp in this coun-
trH-a democracy thai is founded on
real human. relations" said Mrs. I.
.. Winter. president of the Woman's
J of Minneapolis. addressing about
500 women mt tho mid-wintor program
OF tho NJ. r. w. Mrs. Winter was the
lrst apostle to preach 'social centers
In public schools" in Minneapolis and
so she had hecn selected to he the
speaker on the topic. Social Ccnters."
In brief Mrs. Winter said:
I've are coming to realize that
good citizenship has its root in love
OF country. n tina, love of country
springs first from love and trust of
those among whom we live. The social
center says. let US know each other
and like each other better If you
have a good time with people. they
and the city II the state in which
while. worth working for. and worth
living and dying for. So the social
center builds citizenship.
We make a great mistake when
we ignore or underestimate social re-
lations. or when we leave them to
grow h~aphazard with no fostering
care. There is NJ use in trying to
crush out the social instinct. 1t must
be turned into healthy channels and
given healthy opportunities. Vice is
not Inherently attractive To human he
ings. but the saloon and the gambling
don mean warmth. color. and friendly
fellow men. Surround delights with a
sweet healthy atmosphere II the re-
suit is amazingly transforming. The
bold. drifting GROVE of girls, the gang
of street boys, the sodden mother With
hcr dull routine, the man longing for
legitimate pleasure and stimulating
contact after days work-all these
find a second and better home in the
social center. This is not IL theory.
hutfa fact. as thousands testify. The
street bully who went into clean put
a social center and, failing. stayed to
watch. was lurcd into new interests.
began tn study. took civil service en-
~aminations and is POW q government
clerk. is a single instance. Again, in
New York. $50 Young people We're
found dancing in q school house.
where fathers and mothers sat about
and chatted. while across the street Il
notorious dance hall gathered only
fifteen couples.
Q curse. the. settlement and the
institutional church are doing fine So
cial center work. hut after all the
school house is its legitimate home.
The school house belongs To tho pco-
pie. 1T was built by their money. In
it they are no recipients of other l,ro-
pies bounty. with a subconsciousness
of dependence. They arc proprietors
of their w public building. which
tn" school proper uses less than forty
per cent of its available time. and
which therefore can we'll he turned
"Ncr for some hours i'm the afternoon
md evening to this larger service. We
ought To sec to il that every school
building that is hereafter erected has
social center work i'm view. Auditor
i'lm. gymnasium, kitchen. baths. play
grounds. reading room, ought to br
considered n part of Il fully equipped
school. and IN every communicates
already in many cities-the school
should he - nucleus where anybody
can find what he wants club. lectures,
choral work. exercise. good reading.
but best of all. cnmradeship. a good
time II a better understanding with
his ncishbors. AS one woman put il.
! never realized before that people
that are SO different arc 50 much
alike"