The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-04-14

Then, too, being neighbor to a
noisy bowling alley on the south, u
swimming pool on the west and
storage room on the north, has proved
to be little sport. Glass meetings are
nearly impossible when all the adjoin
ing rooms are in use.
Departments Equipment.
The equipment of the department
included one cueroque table, in the
middle of their main game room.
Along the east side are two tables for
checkers, chess and other table
games. A globe. map of the world
and a half dozen chairs complete the
furniture of this part of their quar-
tiers. The reading room, in the very
southeast corner of their department,
is cozy and comfortable, but-entirely
too small. A reading table, two
davenports and four stiff chairs fill
this space To use this section of
their quarters as class room, the
bows are lined up the north side
of the reading table, a blackboard is
set up and their work begins. Only
rs can be accommodated in each sec
ton. The office adJoins the reading
class club room.
/ The office, too, has been outgrown.
| Heiligsted, secretary of the boys de-
partment has unlimited difficulties
in attempting to serve the members
in this branch of the association.
His room was improvised by erecting
a wooden CulOHS OlI liiS
northeast corner of the department,
making the original boys department
still smaller and at the same time not
giving enough space to the secretary
for his work.
Membership of $50.
In spite of all this, the boys de-
| partment is a success. 1t has grown
and grown. The present membership
is $50, and new members are taken
in each week. Conditions are the
! quarters are getting more and more
cramped, and there is no other room
| available for their use. No wonder
they ask What will we do for our
/ bovs?" At present six clubs and
! classes have been organized, accom-
| modating $50 members. These clubs
can hardly meet at their department.
| More than twenty-five persons in the
room at one time makes the whole
| situation on the verge of unbearable.
| Gymnasium classes have been or
ganized caring for $50 boys each
month One member this month
| brings two new ones before his mem
| bership expires. At the present rate
| of increase in membership applicants
| will be turned away within a year.
| To put on a membership campaign,
| in the face of the meager equipment,
would be foolish. What the depart
ment must have is new rooms, with
| lots of light and far away from the
damp basement
The coming campaign will raise
| enough money to remodel the whole
building and to move the boys up on
| the first floor, buy new equipment
and then a new membership cam
paign will be reasonable and assured.
| of the S35, 900 to be raised next week.
SIS 500 will be devoted to remodeling
| and equiping the whole institution.
Move to Gemmel Hall.
Under the present plans. the whole
| east side of the first floor will be
given over to the boys and to their
work. Gemmel hall will be moved
to the second floor and the billiard
! room will be moved into what is now
the secretary's office. The cafeteria
will be enlarged and the lobby will
be refinished.
The boys department will have a
separate entrance on the east side of
the building. A whole room will be
devoted to games, another to reading
land class work and a third will be
| given over to caroms and pool.
The campaign will open next We'd
nesday at noon and will run for ex-
actIy a week. If more than the re-
| quired amount is raised, additional i'm
| provements will be made in the gym
| nasium department and in the dormi-
| tory. According to George H. Hoyes,