Evening journal., 1914-02-27
THE GYMNASIUM Project.


T>HE public meeting held In the New-century Club
Building Wednesday evening in support OF the
movement for a gymnasium Tor the Wilmington High
School, enthusiastic and edifyng but Il by
means what il deserved to be. That was because OF
the lack Of active interest displayed by the parents Of
the High School boys and girls by the members OF the
Board Of Education and by the city officials Not
than twenty fathers and mothers the trouble go
there and array themselves n behalf Of the physical
interests of their children Only Of the thirteen
members Of the Board Of Education manifested
interest 10 respond TO the call and those two
members arrived when the meeting almost
Other city officials were conspicuous by their alb
1t Is pity that the three cassos Of persons
referred 10, who should have been among the FIRST 70
respond TO the call for such an important meeting,
failed TO do their duty and left the faculty and the
boys and girls OF the High School to bear the bur-
den With tho physical training and welfare Of thou
sands Of children Of schools going age at stake In the
gymnasium issue. the auditorium Of the New Century
Club should have been filled to oyerhowing and there
should have been demonstration OF civic spirit OF
magnificent proportions That it failed to materialize
was not due to the fact that the fathers and the moth
crs Of the boys and the girls not in sympathy with
the gymnasium project but merely because they fail
appreciate the prime importance Of a public demon
stration Of that sympathy
Tho High School faculty and The boys and girls who
attend that institution turned out magnihcently and
not ail feel the dampenng Of the inexcusabe
absence Of the older folk who after all in the matter
OF the creation Of a compelling public sentiment
stitutc the important element in the nght for
much-needed gymnasium.
The meeting productive Of much good however,
in at least important aspect. Il served to clear
the atmosphere and TO let the boys and tho girls
exactly where they stand in the gymnasium matter.
II was brought out that the Board Of Education is
without the funds which would be needed to build and
equip such physical training department. Il cannot
get those funds without the aid act Of the Legs
ature authorizing the sale of city bonds The Lcgis-
aturc will not meet until next January and IL perhaps
would be February March before such bill could
be put through IL is altogether unlikely that the Leg
slaturo would pass such bill all unless it
approved by City Council of this city and by the Board
OF Education. II also is altogether unlikely that
either OF those municipal bodies would couutenauce
such bond Issue unless it had back Of strong
and opeuiy-dcclared public sentiment
Samuel H. Baynard president of the Board Of Edu-
cation made 70 clear at the meeting that n his opn-
ion the board would not favor the OF the plot Of
ground the Of the present High School buld-
ing because the land will be needed a site for
add ton TO the High school Io suggested however
agitation in favor OF large High School addition
in which he fayors placing the gymnasium II. other
words that the advocates OF physical training shall
get their gymnasium by helping the Board or Educa-
present High School building MIR. Baynard did not
pretend speak FOR all tho members the board In
outlining this you-tckc-me-l- tcke-you plan for the
board to get large High school addition in exchange
FOR gymnasium quarters in that building. He said.
however lac thought that what he said expressed the
,iows Of his associates
As the situation now presents itself il would seem
that the logical course for the High School students to
pursue Is follows:
Firs-To have the members Of the Board OF Educa-
ton pledge themselves TO provide properly ly-equppod
gymnasium in the High School addition in for
the students developing public sentiment in behalf OF
such addition.
second-To work energetcay to arouse public
tment in favor Of such a High School addition and
gymnasium
Third-ro line up the members of City Council and
other officials in favor Of legislation having those
desired ends in view, and to induce them agree to
support such bond bill Il it be to the Legis-
lature for passage.
Those are tho really important steps that be
taken II is to the laudabe efforts the
gymnasium advocates. The sooner they begin work
along those necessary lines the better it WIN be for
their project