The Dickinson press., 1912-05-18
PUBLIC PLAYeR0UaDs
FAVORED BY MRs.I.D.cAsEY

Mrs. T. D. Casey was the speaker at
the regular meeting of the Suffrage
Club last Friday. her subject being
public Fairgrounds. Mrs. Casey was
one of a Grafton. N. D.. club which last
year did something tangible for its boys
and girls and she told in an exceeding
ly interesting way just how it was
doner
mo playground is a success without
the right kind of supervision and eve
raj colleges are now offering courses in
playground supervision. Young men
fitted for this work can be secured for
about SIS per month. The Grafton
club secured the cooperation of the
school board. The school grounds
we're used as the playground. the board
allowing the use of what apparatus,
tennis courts. etc.. were already there
and adding some $50 worth of new ap-
paratus which would be of a permanent
nature. The board also granted the use
of toilets, drinking fountains and the
gymnasium for rainy days.
The city council took a hand and
paid the salary of the supervisor. The
club then in various ways raised a
sufficient sum to purchase the remain
der of the needed apparatus. about 5000.
The success of the Grafton playground
last summer was very marked. 1t be-
came a social center, the older people
gathering to see the children play and
even to play themselves.
1t is needless to say that the whole
country is aroused to the necessity of
providing the right kind of activity
for its young people. 1t is high time
that something is done in Dickinson.
Of course the ideal play ground is a
large space set aside for that purpose,
equipped for summer and winter sports
with a physical supervisor in charge
throughout the year. But if that can
not be secured at once. a beginning
and a very good mi can be made for
the summer months by using what the
people already own and which should
not be useless three months of every
twelve-the school grounds and the
school equipment.
Following Mrs. Casey's talk and the
reading of the poem which follows, a
committee was appointed to interview
the Commercial Club. the city coun-
Gil and the school board relative to
taking immediate action for a public
play ground in Dickinson this summer
and the secretary was instructed to
open correspondence with supervisors.
GIVE THEM A PLACE TO PLAY.
Plenty of room for dives and dens (elit-
ter and glare of SIM
Plenty of for prison pens (gather
the criminals in;)
Plenty of loom for jails and courts (wil-
ling enough to pay.)
But never a place for the lads to race
nc never a place to play.
Plenty of room for shops and stores
(Mammon must have the best }
Plenty Of room for running sores that rot
in the city's breast;
Plenty of room for lures that lead the
heart of our youth astray;
But never a cent on playground SPENT
so never a place to play.
Plenty of room for schools and halls,
plenty of room for art:
Plenty of room for teas and balls, plat
form, stage and mart.
Proud is the city-she finds a place for
many a fad today;
But she's more than blind if she fails
to find a place for the boys to play.
Give them a chance for innocent sport,
give them a chance for fun,-
Better a playground plot than a court
and a Jail when harm is done.
Give them a chance. If you stint them
now, tomorrow you'll have to pay
A larger bill for darker ill: so give
them a place to play.