The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1917-04-05
COMMUNITY PLAY CENTER NOW
VALLEY CiTYiS GREATEST NEED

enterprises that will make for munich
pal strength and prestige. Conven-
tons are invited to town, shows and
chautauquas are put on, public i'm
provements are instituted and bust
ness enterprises are courted, all with
the thought that a bigger and better
city will result. There is good in all
this, and such action in the main ought
to secure large cooperation. Most
cities, however, have not sensed the
thing that will eclipse all these in put
ting town OH the map of human pro.
gross. The greatest asset in any COM
munity is the quality of life in it's
citizens, and the greatest opportunity
for bringing growth and prestige TO a
town lies in the children and youth of
the same. To save the boys and girls
| of a town from the pitfalls which
dwarf or paralyze the ideals and am
billions Of youth, without which the
mature life must be forever impOver-
ished and the community deprived OF
the genius and spirit which make for
moral and material greatness, is the
greatest opportunity and need lying
before its people.
Valley City's greatest need at this
hour is community cooperation, and
community program that will sup
plement the home, the school and the
| church in their efforts to build up life.
The complex social system under
which we live today increases the re-
spCnsibility that rests upon every in
dividual of community for helping
to preserve the conditions which will
not drag down life, but steady and
save it when it is moving in circles
that are more inclusive than the home.
II the boy or girl moving out from tho
home, finds an environment of the
kind that exploits the life for gain or
makes undue appeals to the instincts
that as yet have not been fully under
stood or mastered, the nobler is al
most sure to succumb to the base If
it does, great as is the homes res
possibility, still the public have their
part to bear, and their loss to endure.
The greatest loss to modern life is the
ruthless destruction of the higher and
nobler aspirations and ideals that are
budding in youth, that is allowed to
go on without any constructive at
tempt to check it on the part of the
pCOpAC oo NuOlc. 1ucSc are Tue
most vital things about life. All else
sink into insignificance in comparison
with them as factors that make for
worthy achievement in life.
The time is here when the people of
this fair city should enlarge it's pro-
gram and attack this problem of say
ing our youth to better manhood and
Womanhood in avery definite and con-
structlVe manner Realizing that
most of our youth lose out through
the pleasure and social instinct, which
too often finds expression in an at
mosphere that is polluted, we should
resolve to bring the play life of the
town under wholesome supervision
and provide proper facilities. Moth
ing but community play center will
Suffice. There ought to be a large
building erected for this purpose,
equipped with gymnasium, ball courts
a plenty, bowling alley, swimming
pool, game room and large auditorium
for public entertainments. Build this,
and secure wholesome supervisor Of
play and set him to work on the prob
lem OF directing the play life of the
town for old and young on a high
plane and within reasonable hours and
the thing will have been done that will
mean more to Valley City than any
thing else that could be done at this
time. The possibilities of this pro-
gram If so managed as to care for the
life on plane that would secure the
support OF all classes, are beyond de-
scription. Here we will have as the
chief ambition the preserving of an
atmosphere and environmental condi.
lions that are helpful, rather than the
getting of a financial return, and this
is the key to the salvation of many
man. Coupled with this of course
should be a system of outdoor play.
grounds for good weather, and en-
closed skating Kinks for winter, all of
which would come if once the vision
were seem
Young people go out from their
homes to meet others of their age.
Some pleasure is loved by them. It
is not ours to sit back and complain.
These are God-given impulses that are
clamoring for expression. It is the
business of those of us who are older
to direct and protect Indeed it is
our duty to lay hold of the problem of
caring for these instincts as much as
it is to care for their developing in
tellects. In our town there are 1866
youth and children of school age
whose lives are shaped as much by
what they find in the community that
affects them uncOnsciously as all that
is done for them in the school. The
fact is that home, school and church
too often see all their effort trampled
under foot never to function in a wor-
thy manner, before institutions and
indences all of which the community
allows to prevail.
Nearly one fourth of our population
all the time are in the formative peri.
Cd of their lives. What glory would
come to our city if we could join the
homes in building and preserving
ideals that make men strong and cause
parents to rejoice? 1t would indeed
be city set on hill seen from afar.
Parents seeing it would come to think
of it as place where children can
be reared in safety. Our population
would increase, our efficiency rise with
life not sacrificed but glorified.
This idea may fall upon other minds
who would like to see such a move
made. A free expression through the
papers might secure a public meeting
for consideration of the same Some
already have declared their readiness
to support such a plan to the writer
after hearing the matter discussed