Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-02-14
SCHOOLS AS SOCIAL CENTERS

In the brief article that contribute
this week on Community Needs" I
shall endeavor to point out what
feel is duty that I feel that the
community owes to the individual
Aside from providing ADEQUATE pro
tection--a primal prerequisite for So
ciety's we'll being-a still greater OBJ
ilgation Is imposed, by we'll regulated
effort to foster the things which will
bring untold good not only to the in
dividuals benefited but also to So
ciety itself. For the community owes
duty to all who contribute to it's
maintenance. This applies to those
who share the burdens of it's mate
rial and spiritual welfare.
The movement toward making the
Schools as Social Centers" is SEEM
ingly an innovation of recent years.
Yet an acquaintance with American
history brings up the pleasant infor-
nation that former generation made
good use of the schoolhouses by not
confining the use merely for the in
struction of the young but for any
purpose whereby the community was
benefited.
To-day we figure things in dollar
and cents values And when school
property is estimated, it is learned
that the schools do not pay adequately
for the investment made. There must
not necessarily be retrenchment but
greater use of the school buildings.
TO be explicit in several directions
the move is now on foot for the use
of school buildings as polling places.
No better use could be made in get
ting citizens to fulfill one of the duties
of citizenship-the privilege of the
ballot Decent, clean surroundings
should replace the makeshifts hith-
erto utilized, and use Of the school
buildings would be an instrumentality
to get adults occasionally to visit the
places where "the guardians of the
community" the children, are being
equipped with the weapons for future
citizenship. The schools belong to the
community and the cost of rental of
polling places could readily be saved
to the Taxpayers consideration
worthy to be thought. Of
Again the parent-teachers organi-
cations have locally been called into
existence. The purpose of their for
nation is extremely praiseworthy.
/ They are voluntary organizations. The
way is shown how boards of school
directors can keep the school build
1ngs In constant use. AT the evening
| meetings there could be lectures on
civic duty, the care of the body and
sion for the instruction of the adult
immigrant. The move Is on foot al
the present time to stamp out litter
, acy in this country, and one of the
| best agencies would be by using the
schoolhouse constantly, at night as
! well as in the daytime.
Another most excellent use of the
| school building whereby they can be
made to pay on their investments to
use some Of them in rotation in the
summer time. There are children who
are backward and who would well
| come the opportunity to overcome
their deficiencies. Again there are
other children who for one reason or
other would be glad of an opportun-
ity to advance more rapidly. Besides
there are teachers who would gladly
serve during. the heated season, teach
ing at least half day and not rem
dering themselves less efficient for not
taking the entire time of the usually
long vacations, so that they might add
to their earning capacity. Our school