New-York tribune., 1915-03-27
Board of Education Dis
cusses Question of Its
Responsibility.
L. c. BARCLAY
TELLS OF p. S. 63
Has Social Centre Association,
with Many Active Commit
tees and Clubs.
By HENRIETTA RODMAN.

There was q lively meeting at the
Washington Irving High School yester-
CAY.
MIR. Thomas Churchill. Miss Martha
Drapcr. Raymond Fosdick and other
members Of the Board of Education
were there. Louis Pink presided.
The problem under discussion was
tho responsibility of the Board OF I'd
ucation to provide opportunities iGr
wholesome recreation for the people
Of New York.
A large order, but not an eXtraVagan'
one. according 20 Mr.. l.. G barclay
secretary Of the Social Centre AsSoe'a-
tion.
MIR. Barclay said:
"The problem Of public recreation
IN this city is so big that II is imam
cial imrossibiity Tor any admlnlstra-
tion to provide funds to carry on the
work. Partial self-support is an an
solute necessity if recreation is TO
reach any great number OF people ana
10 be Of anv great service TO the city.
"The use Of public school buildings
rs community centres offers solution
Of the problem.
"The community centre is not prl-
marily q building. or set OF actlVl-
ties. or staff of teachers. but is a
centre for organizing the life of the
reighborhood and of the community;
Whereas formerly the Board Of Ed
ucation gave permission 10 people to
use school buildings and then restricted
their rights and privileges, under the
community centre plan tho Board OF
Education will not only give permis-
sion to use the building, but Will en-
courage and organize people TO use the
building with the great educational
value TO themselves.
"NeighborhCOd cooperation and IN
torest is fundamental TO democratic
community centre work
"Tlis neighborhood cooperation to
be effective must be well organized.
Promoters should be furnished, giving
all their time TO the study Of the needs
Of the neigh borhood, and under the
guidance of these promoters the neigh
borhood should work out its own prob
lens.
"P. s. 63 has social centre assOcia-
ton with a number Of effective COM
mittees.
There is the street cleaning com
mittee, which co-operates with the
Street Cleaning Department; the NOV
ing picture committee. which carries
on the moving picture shows IN coop
Grafton with the day school teachers
FOR the children, illustrating, as far as
there are pictures available. work IN
geography, history, nature study and
literature; the dance committee, which
carries on dances for the community;
the magazine committee, which pub
fishes a neighborhood periodicals.; the
street play committee, which conducts
and paws for the supervision OF street
play in East Second Street. Then there
are the regular administrative com
nittees, such as finance, rules and reg
ulations, executive clubs, lectures and
forums.
Eugene Gibney, principal Of the
recreation centre at p. s. 1873. said that
in his opinion self-government Is I'M
possible.
"Unless there is authority backed by
the Board Of Education he said, the
tough element will control.
I'VE teach citizenship in our basket
ball and other games. Boys learn that
they must obey the rules implicitly or
be eliminated rom the game. mus
they learn submission to authority
W. j. McAuliffe agreed that the
only way to make good citizens Of bad
bows was by the use of authority.
The recreation centres differ from
the community centres, in that they
are supported by the Board Of Educa-
tion. The teachers employed have the
same authority over the groups which
they direct as have teachers Of classes
in the day schools.
The meeting was adjourned until
March 81 at / p m. The hearing will
be public, and viii be held at 500 Park
Avenue