The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-03-18

gold whereby to raise the school
walls; for this reason they call
scholarly men ana women to guide
and rule; for this reason have the
book presses been groaning in labor
this many a year; and for this rea-
son are eager searchers of enlight-
eDment going down to the sea, and
into the earth, and up in the sky,
seeking new truths to bring back for
their betterment.
Yet while doing all this we have
been largely forgetful of one thing OF
vital concern to the young. Dr. G.
Stanley Hall, president of Clark Uni
versity, expressed it, when in an ad-
dress this November before the TWEEN
10th Century club of his home city,
he said: children today could submit
bill of rights to their elders as
strong as was the Magma Charta of
the barons to King John at Runny-
mede, and foremost in their demands.
would be blazoned their right to
play" To play is the natural right |
of the child. God makes it the or
/ binary medium of his physical devel- |
| opment, and, If 1t be true, as the |
scholars say, that the child in his |
play goes again over all the history |
of his race, God makes It, under wise
direction by the child's teachers, in
large measure the medium of his men
tai and moral development as well.
The playground, as in church and
school, God makes mighty work
shop wherein He fashions and builds
character.
The word playground as used in
this article does not mean simply
place to play where children can
gather and follow their own sweet
will. 1t means a place where play is
under trained and wise direction,
where a game master, as skilled in
his line as a grammar master in his
or high school teacher in his, con.
trolls. This game master or director
. must Of necessity be a man of at
: least as high character as the school
teacher. Indeed at times higher
qualities may be asked for In him
: than in the ordinary good teacher. He
y deals with boys in their tensest hours
- when the blood is leaping when
: every enthusiasm is flaming, and to
direct them in such an hour for the
greatest good. superior man is need.
ed. He must know games and II an
y. athlete himself, so much the better,
= but this is not the half Of II. He
= must be a real man, clean, truthful,
:. firm, fair, gentle, enthusiastic with
;, imagination and with kindly heart.
y Any other will be q failure with the
Il young whose vision Is clearer than
u that of their elders where goodness
= lies.
= The promoters of the playground
y idea had in mind at first only the
~ physical and moral dangers of the
- streets, and wished to take the chill.
= dren from these dangers. Every sea
l., son the possibilities for good in the
- Fairgrounds widen, become more
% surely defined and now we look for
Ideals not only in conduct but in ed,
ucation advance as well. DR.. Curtis
= says that six things are sought In the
u playground:
20 First. The promotion OF physical
=, health OF children in the open air
y Second. The development OF ply
= steal strength.
= Third. The development of vital OF
~ organic strength.
y, Fourth. The establishment Of right
~ habits.
:, Fifth. The development OF energy
" and enthusiasm.
" Sixth Pleasure.
~ The open air Is the breath OF God
~ and Il heals forever. The German,
~ look upon the open playground as IN,
"a iirst and best OF sanitaria and ilnt
~ IL cheaper and wholesomer than hos
-. pitfalls. The study OF the great whit,
go plague has made Fairgrounds In tn,
~. tatherland a multitude The child n
y. the city has little chance for exer
~ else, He has no work, and few
~ minutes each day In school under
~ teacher OF gymnastics Is all tina
"o keys him up to the muscular measur
-. required for a vigorous manhood. III
W Is deeply wronged when not give
N chance Tor play. Most games OF chi
dren have 10 do with running an
leaping wherein their feelings hav
~ vent In shoutings. All this strength
~ ems the lungs and heart and other v
al organs. To this end they mus
'.' have place to play The finer side q
81 the child nature has small chance 10
an development when the child is alon,
ne He should have his sense of loyalt
ns and friendship awakened. Team
ws work, the glory OF his playground 1
NV every contest, does this. and IN
,ss greater glory OF love for country
10 70 not far away Loyalty and enthus
w, asm are near akin and both are 200,
o The JOY that comes from play make
os tho heart sound. and victory beget
w hopeiulness and courage. The pla,
nv ground hours even more than m
~" school hours are the very best see,
ing time for all OF this.
le directed play begets energy an
as' seriousness. Children. whoieson
a'e children, are always in dead earne,
20 at their play. All they have or M
me depends upon the outcome. and nm
iiaau Tor them at that hour has rosy slri,
lns or gloomful night, Just as the vfctb,
'In- comes home TO them or flies fro
res them to their adyersaries. The vour
'e'r baseball or football captain has hl
much at stake Ia his boys world. ,
lelr afterwards that same boy. generS
err Continued on second page)