The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-12-20

spaces near the entrances. There was no physical training department in the school system.
 The children's game resources were surprisingly meagre. The investigator found that "the only activities report ed by over 20 per cent of the boys were baseball, motion picture shows, reading and kite flying, while the old standard games that American boys have been
 brought up on, such as prisoners base 1eapfrog, blind mans buff, bull in the ring. hare and hound, and duck on the rock are reported as played by less
 than half of 1 per cent of the grammar school boys Most of these standard
 games were mentioned by only one
 tenth of l per cent, or about one boy in 1000. ~
 "In the case of the girls, motion pie
 ture shows, jumping the rope, roller
 skating and hide and seek are the four
 most popular means of recreation The
 standard games which should bring
 girls together in safe, happy, co-oper-
 ative play, such,a as I spy, London bridge,
 fox and geese, button button, and blind
 mans buff, are at the bottom of the list. indicating that they are played by comparatively few girls" =
 Movies Crowded-Schools Empty
 The high school has an impressive
 situation but its students have no gym
 nasum or athletic field. Their club and
 society meetings may be held In the
 high school building but dancing par
 ties therein are forbidden so that for
 all functions which include social
 dances the boys and girls are forced
 to resort to public halls and hotels
 Over 40 per cent of the boys and 30 per cent of the girls attend the
 movies" seven times or more a month
 In 61 per cent of the boys homes and
 fr, a<t.&
 ties for young people are not often
 held, but over so per cent of the youne. people attend the theatre once a week. and in the majority of instances with persons outside of their respective fam flies.
 Most of the 20 public school build 1ngs have accommodations where even ing entertainments are feasible, but they are used for such purposes only
 once every nine or 10 weeks. There are
 no social centers in Springfield The 10 "movies," on the other hand. are filled twice a day and their amusements cost the people over $2000 a week. The
 churches provide little recreation for | their people but the theatres and movies run Sunday afternoons and evenings, as well as week days. to crowded houses. Springfields popula- tion Is only about 5S,600, but it Is es timated that they spend about $6000 a week at the movleS' and theatres Of the four theatres only one offers any thing more series than vaudeville and in that one, out of IS offerings only two were devoted to straight drama while in another theatre conditions were found which no community could afford to tolerate. Such are some of the things which were found in a city where the young people were consId- cred SO fortunately blessed that they needed no attention at all
 Community Plans Recreation If recreational standards of the up- to- date type had not emerged in Spring | field they were nevertheless potential | ly present. Hardly had the recreation | al survey been completed before the people began to change things. The | minister's association got after the vi- cious theatre and the glaring red lights. l The local Y. M. c. A. was reorganized | and the school board established a de- partment of physical training and play. These things were all done before the report was made.
 The findings now published are &C., companied by constructive recommend ations upon all the points at which re- l creation becomes matter of commun- | ity concern They include model lay | outs for school yards, suggest meth | ods of developing recreational acttvil
 ties which will touch all classes and provide for a city committee on recro- ation to see that this side of the city | life shall have adequate and proper ex- pression.