The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-07-14
BENNINGTON CIVIC
LEAGUE SMALL
TOWN MODEL
Commended Ry Newspapers and
Magazines for Its Enterprise
ORIGINAL FEATURES DESCRIBED
Feature Writers impressed with the
Community Sleigh Ride and the
Community Christmas.

| Benningtons recreation venture,
now no longer venture but an estab-
| lished feature of community life, is
receiving no title attention from
metropolitan publications, both from
the newspapers and from magazines
which have been following the mod
ern tendency toward outdoor life.
A recent issue of the New York
Sunday Press contained two
column article descriptive of the pro
gress of recreation work that has
been made in Bennington. In its in
troductory paragraph this article
stated that the southern Vermont
town held a unique position among
eastern villages or less than 10000
population in that it had provided
recreational supervision and had thus
become affiliated with the Playground
Association of America.
The Sunday Press article was H.
Illustrated with two-column portrait
of Miss Mathilde Vossler, the recroat
ion instructor. and the larger portion
of ii takes the form of an interview
with that energetic young woman.
MANY youngsters are dating all
their events from the Christmas par
ty for the children" she says. II
had announced that there was to be a
party for the children below the fifth
grade, and | expected about seventy
five. When the afternoon came and
| saw the children pouring in | soon
realized that | should have to send
out for more fruit and more stock
ings. About one hundred and fifty
came and they had a splendid time.
One little boy asked, Do we have
to wait until Christmas to have an.
other partyY' He had only recently
come 20 Bennington else he would
have known hat we don't believe
Christmas is the only time for play
and fun.
In January we had the commun.
ity sleigh ride, when thirteen hun
dred children were given a free ride
and bag of candy to help make
merry. 1t was worth all the trouble
to see the bright rosy cheeks after.
ward.
"A community sleigh ride sounds
like a novel proceeding, doesn't it?
But in Bennington we are strong on
the community idea Our constant
aim is to adequately meet the physi-
cal and moral needs of all the chill
dren and young people and arouse
perfect community spirit among the
citizens.
What institutional features do you
have?" Miss Vossler was asked.
1--WE have an all-year-round pro
gramme. In the winter when we
are deprived of field days, such rs
we enjoyed on the Fourth of July,
baseball, basketball and all the regu-
lar activities of the playground
conduct gymnasium classes for
schoolgirls above the fourth grades,
and gymnasium class for members
of the Young Women's Club. There
are other organizations also-the
Fortnightly Club, literary society
for the married women; a basketball
club, first aid to injured course and
campfire meetings. The three series
of social dancing classes have large
registration and have done much to
establish spirit Of democratic inter
est and to promote cosmopoitanism.
F1IIr a. l,,
spring and summer months. and three
hours week are devoted to story
telling"
Upon inquiries as to sources of fin
ancial support it was learned that
while the work is done under the aus
pices Of the league the City Council
makes a liberal appropriation and
other expenses are provided for by
private subscription. The enterprise
has brought much fame TO Bennington
and. it has been advertised far and
near as a most progressive village.
In fact, Miss Vossler declares that it
will soon be necessary to have a
special secretary of inquiry to answ
er the many requests that come for
information from all parts of the
United States and even Uruguay, in
South America.
In the July issue of the Country
side Magazine" is an article entitled
"rhe YearRound Works of Little
Town Civic League" 1t is about
Bennington, of course, and reads as
follows:
Bennington, Vt, is a town of 1900