Norwich bulletin., 1914-05-12

The executive committee of the Norwich Fairgrounds association held
 8 meeting Monday afternoon at 5 o'clock in the Board of Trade rooms in the. Shannon building. President J. B. Stanton presided and Field Secre- tary Francis R. North of the National Fairgrounds and Recreation associa- ton gave his report on the local play
 grounds. His report was in part as follows:
 The Local Playground Movement The successful summer playgrounds conducted by the Norwich Playground association, have not only brought health and happiness to large num- bers of children, but have constituted the beginning of a much larger enter prise for civic betterment. This is eyi-. dent from the immediate needs appar-. ent. and from the growth of the re-. creation movement in other cities; similarly situated. The citizen inter est in this community movement is, necessary for it's support, and 1t has additional value because this is a com mon enterprise, city-wide in it's scope. Norwich must soon recognize what SaS been an almost universal development elsewhere, that eventually public playgrounds, and recreation centerS need to be supported at public ex- pense.
 A Recreation Superintendent for Nor wich.
 The operation of the playgrounds for two months each summer has made it necessary for the movement to be reorganized each year. But play is an activity which seeks expression twelve months in the year. and in any case an enterprise so important should not lose the ucmulative effect of continu ous growth. Norwich needs a per
 manent recreation secretary or super
 intendent. just as numbers of other cities have,
 Among the immediate and possible duties of such an official, would be the operation of the summer system of
 playgrounds with their directors and assistants, the extension of organized play so as to cover the after school hours in spring and fall, the institu ton of winter sports, physical educa- tion in the schools Gncluding hygiene, and exercise, organized play. school athletics, etc) holiday celebrations, festivals and pageants; in the conduct of indoor recreation in public build ingS; the supervision of bathing and swimming. and possibly the mainten-
 ance of standards in the commercial recreations of the city. In some cities the children'S gardens are under such an official.
 Standard Recreation Facilities. Thus far the work of the Norwich Playground association has been linn lGro lO lilC OPSIdIAOI Ol playgrounds in schoolyards. and on a few other spaces. The best way to se- cure permanent results, playgrounds that will best serve the needs of all the children and youth, is to estab fish in the near future typical, stand
 ard play and recreation centers, which can be duplicated as the movement is extended The "children,s playground" for children of not more than ten or eleven years of age is 8 neighborhood prop osition, drawing from an area of not a mile from the ground. Small chil- dren ought not to go further from | home than this. It is natural that the 1 schoolyards should be used for such
 grounds, but ether more parkltke spaces are frequently used, and be- come excellent playgrounds, provided | they have on them facilities such as are afforded in a school building. The | first essential on this kind of ground l Gas on all '-playgrounds'O. is good l leadership.
 In improving children's play ground, the following essentials should l be kept in mind: good surfacing shade,
 plenty of open play space, drinking
 water, and toilet facilities An indoor
 room ought to be available for rainy
 days, and such activities as sewing,
 manual training. folk dancing, etc. The
 apparatus on a well equipped chill I drens playground usually includes
 sand boxes, children's swings. baby
 swings, see-saws. travelling ladders l and giant strides. Slides and other ap-
 paratus are popular. Plenty of play
 material Is necessary. When the l ground is located in a we'll settled district a good fence is an eventual
 necessity. All playgrounds ought to
 be, made beautiful by a good planting 1 scheme. and the improvement of their surroundings It would be good policy
 to improve some of the childrens | grounds in the city. with this standard in mind with the idea of bringing the others up to it when means allowed L Several of them need to be enlarged not only for use as playgrounds, but for ordinary recess uses.
 ~. PIayfieIds.
 The "playfields" for active boys l youths. and adults, are necessary part of a city's recreation plan. Active lsboys and youth do not mix we'll with ithe smaller children. and must not be allowed on the ehildren's playground or on the children's part of @ larger ground. 4 A good director on an or ganized field, large enough for base
 ball, tennis. basketball and large
 number of other games requiring space, will attract to t"ithe young people and adults of a district covered by half mile radius. There ought to be at least four such fields available in a city of the size of Norwich. A I standard field ought to have on it a field house. Proper facilities of this kind will more than double it's use l At present sites available for such fields are Mohegan park and the Falls
 are rather too far removed for a con- siderable daily use as organized fields
 I Sites for fields need to be obtained or
 the West Side, in the central part oi
 the city and in Greeneville. One field
 equipped and organized under a live director will demonstrate the useful ness of this type of center.
 Boys" or girls playgrounds" car
 often be organized on spaces that are
 not large enough for a playfield. The
 ground on Lake street is a case ir point, Children's apparatus and play space can be put on one part of the
 ground. leaving the rest open for field