Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1917-03-23
FOR COMMUNITY RECREATION
C4IAS. F. WELLER EXPLAINS IT'S
PURPOSE OPPOSES CoMPUL-
SORY military TRAINING

| SoRY MILITARY TRAINING
Charles F. Weller, associate secretary
OF the Fairgrounds and Recreation AS
sociation of America, addressed large
gathering of people at the high school
auditorium Monday evening on the
community recreation movement, it's
purpose, the results and the cost. The
meeting was held under the auspices Of
the Commercial club and President
! Charles Sylvester introduced the speak
| In his opening remarks Mr.. Weller
stated that he supposed there were
many people in Little Falls who think
it as foolish to teach the children to
play as it would he to teach fish to
swim. Some say it is Stiffness to talk
Fairgrounds when there are vast ex-
panses Of vacant ground where the
children can play, he said.
On an average the individual in a
l'city like Little Falls has 35 leisure
hours per week, which means that there
are approximately 100000 hours per
week Of leisure in Little Falls, Mr..
Weller said. In these 100000 hours Of
Of leisure the people have the disposal
of their civic problems. The working
hours are we'll organized and PRACTICAL
lV as good as can be expected and the
hours of the school are well regulated.
1t city is to make and rapid advance
this advance must come from accom-
plishments in leisure hours.
Mr.. Weller said that it is mistake
to spend money for apparatus. Appa-
ratus does not make play; space does
not make play; it is leadership that
makes play, he said. AS to recreation
for the older people, Mr.. Weller said
that he had not seen enough skating,
hiking, etc., in the thirty-seven
towns in this state which he had visit
ed to justify one town the size of Lit
tie Falls, and he gave this city credit
for being more advanced along these
lines tnan most towns. By apply lead
ership, he said, there would be not
only one baseball team or one basket
ball team in town, but thirty; there
would likely be city team leagues and
everyone would take part instead of a
few. He asked why we could not have
baseball clubs in the different church
organizations, and in the winter hik-
ing clubs, etc., instead of hibernat-
ing as we do. He asked why the
school should not be made more of a
social center, where the young folks
could get wholesome recreation under
the best Of influences.
Opposes Compulsory Military Training
in Schools ~ - :
Mr.. Weller stated that he had been
Informed through his colleague, Mr..
Robinson, who visited Little Falls lest
week in the interest Of the community
recreation movement, that there were
two keen parties here, the one strong
tE favoring compulsory military
training in the schools and the other
emphatically opposing it, and that he
had been told that if he should say
anything on this question one way or
the other it might start something. He
said he was going to take jolt right
at the middle Of this compulsory train
ing proposition. He explained that the
strained relations between this county
and Germany have caused great en-
phasis to be placed on the need Of COM
pulsory training, to put it in the high
schools. He said he believed the basis
of it was to develop a more whole
some and vigorous citizenship. There
is a growing demand for increased
vigor and the question is how are we
going to meet the demand, he said.
Even in Germany, where militarism
has been the national ideal, they do
not have military training for the
boys under 10, Mr.. Weller said. There
they start to develop the boy with
what is called the "Father Yahn'' sys-
TEN, which consists Of cross-country
hikes, etc. If school in Germany has
no Fairgrounds it has certain allotted
playground in the public park. Chill
dren cannot graduate from school un-
less they know some games; they mast
learn to swim. eco ahead and develop
your children, but don't do it with the
musket way. Do it the gymnastic way,
a system which will bring to all an in.
spring development physically as well
as socially. Don't do it the military
way; don't train the young man in
shooting and killing,'' he said. He
expressed himself as absolutely oppos-
ed to compulsory military training FOR
boys under Is years Of age.
The speaker remarked that he had
heard the talk by Val E. Kasparek,
chairman Oh Tile park board, at the
Commercial club meeting, and he said
that evidently he was doing a great
deal to help the city and the people
should appreciate his efforts. Mr..
Weller said that the vision the people
here need in park development is not
the vision of 20 years ago, that of
making the park merely beautiful
place, where one could sit down and
view this beauty, not merely park of
fine driveways, cement walks, beauti
| full flowers, shrubbery, etc., but the
vision Of holding up the thoughts Of
the future to activities. Why not uti
lie all the utilities Of the park by ap
plying a good share of the money tc
leadership and make it PARK which
builds life in Little Falls?' he asked.
The place to start community recre
alton, the speaker said, is in the home
neighborhoods. The leader would &C
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