The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1914-03-07
rrELp SECRETARY OF NATIONAL
PLAro1ouNDs AsSocI-
ALTON HERE
Advocates Properly ptrsetsa Pay az the
o1cst Tor Abundant EnsrEy ana
Enthuaiann OF Youth

Enthustann OF Youth
Fairgrounds and Recreation Association
the Interest OF the playground move
directed play a. the outlet for the abunt-
ant energy and enthusiasm % youth.
r.sg S'1s,S = properly Sifee,sd BY a
erNision will d. Kept over the children
20 Euard them against mischief. ne says.
The advantages 90 recreation arr cum-
meuted on inter.stinEiy. ~ Mr. settle
IN the following interview.
recreation center OF a play ground
without proper leadership - an Injury
20 our young people. when n ought -
be Tor many thu great Influence Tor good
~, = perhaps the most Important
lem-thc need OF a rerson endowed not
only with the spirit Of play. but with
a keen social sense. who snail rightly
direct ten energies and Impulses OF
children and young people. when many
children are PLAYING together, expert
necessary n We are 20 Keep the play
ground from becoming a public nuts
ance through noise and disorder EN-
perience has also shown that many
more children will come 10 n play
Eround. when once a good play leader
II secured. There were In one OF our
large cities two playgroundz -on with
good play leaders was used by about
looo children n day. the other manned
reality only caretakers) though much
Z larger and better equiprcd. had an at
{ tendance OF only -NW.
AS far as any moral effect upon
youth Is concerned. bars. posts ana
swings are neutral No one questions
the statement that were A successful
school OF crime T. organized. a person
atty IL at its center who skillfuliy
draws out the evil and benumbs the
duct successfully trained to prey upon
1t II I tnot also true. that n the good
- TO be brought out and the evil be-
sary and must be added 10 the neutral
material equipment Of a ground. n Its
balance l. 70 be turned Ia favor OF a
desirable citizen product
Opportunity 10 Help.
y one he's a finer opportunity to
help an the physical and moral develop
ment OF children than the play leader.
though quietly bringing into leadership
the right kind Of chii1ren and keeping
the bully In the background. Where the
play leader IL really successful the chill
dren ere conscious OF her presence only
when she IL absent. but the impression
made by her personality h. a very last
ing one. and the principles for fair play
and a square deal which she ~instills will
BE- remembered long after the game
and folk dances she teaches and the
stories she tells a rcforEottcn. The
argument is brought forward however.
that under leadership spontaneity and
individuality are often killed. UndueS-
t~tonable. play should b. free: but ~ does
not make for a decrease In personal
freedom or s~pontancity to participate in
group games or TO submit ones mind to
an Influence which. in the Cuise OF
play. transforms IL from a free-booting
"indivtdualistic trend To one which il
orderly end Social-horizoned
Joseph Lee tells US that the play
ground and the home are very closely
related. and that the playground can do
more TO build up home life than any
other force. The effort OF the play
his home ct night in a better condition
TO take part In the home life than ~
found him. IL must make him a better
player. a better listener. a better loser.
a better comrade. And this can be done
only through the direction. suggestion
and example OF men aud women OF the
Need TO BE Trained.
The theory that the play instinct. in
nate In every child. and the desire and
volition to play. make II necessary FOR
"A child TO be taught how to play. Is an
eSpi4ded one. George Y. johnson. OF
herits the game OF baseball than he in
herits the Lords prayer. What the hoy
does inherit is an instinct for throwing
Just as a bird iuherits the instinct for
singing. but not the song. when this
instinct IL not supervised. what hap
pens some Pittsburgh boys were ar
rested and brought 10 the juvenile court.
They had thrown stones at moving pas
senger cars In the ravlne below them.
In common with other boys they had
the instinct FOR thrg wing. hut ~ was not
supervised. II IL had been these boys
would have been In a baseball Held and
place of stone-throwing.
The records Of the Juvenile courts
the country furnish number
less records Of instructed Instincts and
energtes-mtsdirectcd because there may
be made to count for team work for
honor. for life and efficiency. \ 'sauare
deal FOR the children. even NJ the cN-
pense or time. money and thought Let
us have Fairgrounds and let W. have
over them the personalities. which viii
make the Instruments ana machinery at
hand "a means to an end. not an end in
themselveS-which will transform the
whole system into something vital. and
translate II into terms Of life"