Norwich bulletin., 1914-06-17
FAIRGROUNDS IN NORWICH
Field Secretary s R. North Speaks Before Board of Trade Meeting-Sees Possibilities in Filled in Land in Yantc Cove-Paygrounds Should Last All the Year Round

i, ago MT. North was in Norwich and ] quainted himself with our playground movement through the local play grounds assQciation. He said Norwich l is passing through the same stage that 1 toward the perfection of the play ground movement and towards the stage of municipal responsibility. In {, 1907 there were less than 100 cities in the United States supporting. either publicly or by private subscription. playgrounds for their children. Today there are more than 500 cities who are supporting playgrounds. There are I some 80 municipalities in the country l realizing the importance Of recreation !; facilities enough to have someone l placed in charge 12 months in the year and these cities have as well as a su- perintendent of schools a superintend- ent of recreation. Why is it? We all have been children. and some of us have children. Childhood is a univer- | sal phenomenon that we cannot get away from. Our children, whether we 1 like it or not, are going to grow up. | They have a natural instinct for play, and this instinct for self expression has | to work its way out. If the streets only are available they will get their ! first impression of life from them. There is a tremendous significance Tn the playtime of our children that We haven't yet reallZeQ III Yonkers, N. T., over $50, 0,000 has been spent on a 13-acre lot because that city realizes the educational value of recre- ation. The first lessons in civil gov , ernment are learned in cooperation during playtime. Give the children ] playgrounds, and give them we'll regu- | lated Dlaygrounds. Some people say: Children naturally play" The truth l is that children do have the instinct l to play. but the form the play takes l depends upon environment. That is | why playgrounds, well organized, mean so much to a. city.
 Teach to Spend Leisure Profitably. Are we going to provide outdoor recreation for our children and then | deprive them of it when they get to J be 12 or 14 years of age? Economicai- l ly the great question is not or elght ! or ten hours of labor, but rather what the young people will do in their recre i ation hours MT. North said one of l the most important things in our l schools is to teach young people how | to spend their leisure time profitable. 1 He said he did not believe that a l playgrounds should be kept up only | three months, during the summer time l and then dropped. to be continued nine | months later. The playground should | be continued the year round. MT | North spoke of the playgrounds possf- 1 bilities on the newly formed land n 1 the Yantic river bed. and told what 1 has been done in other cities wlen | filled-in land.
 Mr. North concluded his interesting 1 remarks by telling of enabling acts | passe- in Massachusetts cities placing the playgrounds in those cities under
 the control of school commissioners and park commissioners.
 A vote of thanks was given MT North in recognition of his kindness
 in coming to Norwich to speak before the Board of Trade.
 Signs at City Entrances.
 MT. King then spoke of the matter
 of placing signs at the various en- 1 frances to the city for the conven
 fence of autoists and other touristI which was recently brought to his at.
 tention. and the matter was referred to the advertising committee witl Refreshments of strawberries, cream
 and cookies were then served by tht entertainment committee.
 l Booklets Distributed
 l At each seat was found a useful ana
 compact booklet issued by the Con necticut State Board of Trade and en- titled Industrial, Agricultural, Histor- ical and Other Facts Concerning (
 Progressive State. The frontispiece I: a halftone cut of President Lyman C
 Root, State Board of Trade, Stam'
 ford, Conn. On the next page are thu 1 Of11cerS the state OI ITdut and the next few pages are taken III
 with the principal products of tn, leading cities and towns in the state 1 There is also a brief historical sketch
 of the state and an interesting article on agriculture in Connecticut by How ard Elliott Industrial sketches oI
 Bridgeport, Hartford, Stamford, Nor
 wich and New Londcn and facts abou l Westerly, R. l.. follow. There is also ; well defined map of New London ant | harbor and a number of halftone cut of public buildings in the state.
 Canvass for Members.
 The canvass for new members fO , the Norwich Fairgrounds association
 is to start today "Wednesday. Sever
 or eight teams have been formed ant
 the Norwich citizens in general vii
 be solicited. The committee of ladie
 who canvassed the local schools la3 week with the object of raising hai mile of pennies has not yet been hear'
 from. but it is expected that their re , port will be very favorable