The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-03-13

1 ball teams with bU regulars played q
| league series to the finish There
| was also a tennis tournament, girls
volley ball League, individual athletic
contests, Two large field days and
special activities for the smaller chill.
| dren.
During the winter regular ATHLETIC
work has been carried on for girls
over the NTH grade only due to the
lack of proper facilities. The aim
has been to provide healtfful exel
else and team games after school
hours. These have total registra-
tion OF 255.
The Campfire movement has proven
of inestimable value throughout the
country. Two groups are conducted
in Bennington with a registration Of
81.
Glasses in social dancing are now
being conducted in hundreds of cities
under the direction of the municipali-
ty and all kinds of social workers.
They are enjoyed by young and old
alike and are considered necessary
as conseryers of public morals. The
League has conducted three courses
of six lessons each during the winter
The director was sent to New York
for special instructions and the stan
dardized dances were taught al rate
within the means of all. The follow
ing figures will speak for the success
of the venture: Total registration
So total attendance 1923.
In addition to these regular activit-
les an effort has been made to bring
the entire village together several
times during the year and celebrate
certain holidays with real community
or family spirit. These occasions are
delightful in themselves and develop
public spirit and progressiveness as
can be done in no other way. The
Fourth of July. Labor Day. Hal
lowe'en and Christmas were all ceie.
brated thus and wave of sympathy
and brotherhood swept over the
whole village. The average attend
anco at each of these festivals was
between two and three thousand
The sleigh and automobile rides
and the Community Giving Christ
mas were made possible by the gen
erous sharing of all with all. and
the cooperation of practically the en.
tire community. They brought ma.
terial happiness to hundreds OF chill
dren who would not otherwise have
had il and as far as is known are
peculiar TO Bennington alone.
For the support OF this work OF Or
6an!zed recreation, the village If
Bennington annually appropriates
$500 that IS Sc per capita for the en-.
tire population of the village. Sprins.
field, Massachusetts approprates S24,.
zoe OF 20 IL per capita and Pitts
aeld, Mass, taking public and private
funds together has a recreation bud
get OF $4,000 or &c per capita. Few
communities appropriate so little as
Bennington and few receive so muc1.
To every dollar the village appropri.
Gtes the Civic League is enabled to
add $3.50 more so that for the origin.
al $500 the village obtains Sl7S7.65 In
actual money. In addition to this
hours of service of private individuals
have been unstintingly devoted to tie
public good
II Is therefore the hope OF the Civic
League that to every voter this 5000
will seem an investment rich in re-
turns not only in dollars and the pei
sonal service it commands, but more
in its worth to the health. education
and morals of our children and the
community feeling 1t has brought
among us all.