The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-11

learned the value of recreation early
In my own life, sufficiently to realize
what 1t means. During my college
| course | always managed to get in
several hours day for recreation and
can truthfully say that / have not
| spent one day In bed on account of ILL
ness or indisposition of any kind since
was 10 years old, and / attribute it
all to regular and systematic reerea-
tion"
TO make long story short" Mr.,
settle continued, when L was 20 years
old | went to a little mining town in
| Virginia as principal of the school
there, and | began to put my ideas
INTO practical use with the miners and
their families. Not only did 1 advocate
+, recreation for the children, but adults
as well, using the school house as a
center. soon had everybody in the
camp interested in exercise and recrea-
ton and found that Ii worked won-
ders with the families of those hard
working people who had no amusement
or recreation-only work day in and
day out"
| SO 1t seems that 1t was sort of
fatality that led you on to do the
work that you are now interested In
| suggested
Yes" was the reply, "it has followed
me up-or rather / have followed II.
Tor few years later when l was an
pointed superintendent of rural schools
IN virginia my chance came to enlarge
the work had begun and IL was large
| iy through that work that the National
Fairgrounds association found me and
made me their secretary for the SOUTH
| birmingham Is a bit deinquent," I
suggested, IN the matter of Fairgrounds.
is it not?"
Up to the present time, the first of
july, when the Fairgrounds were opened
mere birmingham WAS about the only
city of over 100000 population that was not
equipped with Fairgrounds. Now. we'll
your city commissioners have been very
liberal and kind In their interest as well
| as the provision they have made for this
! system. When | was loaned a short time
ago by the National Playground associa-
tion to Birmingham to look over the field.
made survey of the situation located
the places | considered best for play
grounds, the neighborhoods where they
were most needed and submitted a report
which called for IA Fairgrounds in and
about the city OF these seven are now in
full blast and equipment and plans for
the others are under headway."
l "Will you have swimming pools. ar
rangements for basketball and all sorts OF
diversions in the Fairgrounds, under COM
petent instructors?' / asked
| Mr., Cannon an experienced and cap
able gentleman who is we'll known for his
excellent work in New York and other
places, has charge of the Fairgrounds for
the summer" said Mr. Settle, "and each
playground has a supervisors man-with
an assistant--a woman to teach the chill
| dren and manage things scientifically The
swimming pools and other equipment will
grow as the Fairgrounds grow. For. in
| stance, we have now a wading pool in
II
we hope to have them at all of the play
| grounds. In addition to the Fairgrounds
under the city's appropriation the citizens
! of the Sixty-seventh street neighborhood,
between Woodlawn and East Lake, under
DIR. J. M. Hankins, have raised the money
to have a playground of their own. At
| their request our association has named
| Miss Stillwell to take charge of It, and
over at Neghborhod house they have ar
ranged equipment for another playground
| In that vicinity with Miss May Rumph in
| charge. So you see how the idea has
caught fire and how popular it isl
| "You understand" Mr.. Settle continued
that in establishing the Fairgrounds
movement in Birmingham my work does
| not stop there. 1t is my idea to establish
| the all year ronud~ recreation movement
and that eventually Birmingham will have
a superintendent Of recreation (analagous
to the educatiOntlOnai syStem) correspond
ing to the superintendent of schools. and
the year round the recreation system will
be conducted. The results from such con-
ditions would be unlimited. In the first
place the trained workers in the recrea-
tiOn movement, as much as the teacher in
the schools, form the child's character.
/ They teach him good manners, comrad-
ship. Kindness and hospitality. They keep
him out of mischief and do untold good
In forming his character and moulding his
life when he's out of school,"
During the winter months. what would
be usel in lieu Of the Fairgrounds for
lrecreation?" asked
"Ususally the churches and the schools
are very liberal in offering their services
said Mr.. Settle, land every form OF recre-
alton is included in the curriculum, as It
were. The fostering Of civic movements,
chidren's gardening, beautifying vacant
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