The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-03-10
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. lll1ll11ll1lll
PREPAREDNESS" AND "PLAY"

l
By Charles Frederick Weller, asso-
ciate secretary of the Playground and
Recreation Association of America:
Our break with Germany challenges
America to take stock of its physical
powers. or our patriotism there is no
question, but what of our eff1ciency
Are Americans as "fit'' as they should
be? Are they schooled to team play,
to follow leaders, to accept discipline
Military training is likely to gain a
great impetus from these unavoidable
Questions But, is military training
| the only way, or even the best way, by
which to develop in America strength,
team play and physical efficiency?
WELLINGTON said: 1.-THE battle OF
| Waterloo was won on the playnelds or
Elton and Harrow" Must not Amerl-
cas- winning powers depend manly
upon Fairgrounds, recreation centers
and vigorous activities for the leisure
hours Of all our people?
In Minnesota the Playground and
Recreation association Of America is
working to bring this timely message
to the forty nine communities or e.
300 population or more. BY generous
sacrifices Of time and money the as
ISOLATION is sending experienced work.
ers to each of these forty nine towns
and cities to tell them how they may
build up life powers by changing their
leisure hours from liabilities to as
sets.
Life Building in Your Community,
is the general theme Of this Minnesota
movement. It suggests that pubic
and parochial schools can be made
more widely useful. Evening recrea-
ton centers are Suggested-in school
buildings, library, armory or else
where. Physical education is advocat-
ed for every boy and girl. not for the
'tstar athletes only. Parks and va
cant spaces, WATERWAYS and the in
MIGRATING climate OF Minnesota may
all be capitalized by Astounding, JOY
Gus, character building activities.
Not apparatus, but leadership is the
Fundamental necessity. A playground
for recreation center without a lead
er is as futile as q schoolroom without
a. teacher, a church without q clergy
man. or a hospital without doctor or
nurse, Space alone does not make
play. In small towns and rural COM
munities, despite their open spaces,
leisure hours are often dead and dead
ening for lack of leadership which
would organize appropriate activities
and provide occasions, opportunities
and wholesome guidance.
Eminently practical are these expe-
rienced workers sent out by the Play
ground and Recreation association OF
America. They study each town and
suggest definite, practical local devel-
opments. They arouse the leading
men and women to a new vision Of
their community's needs and POSSIBLE
tiles. If some of the local leaders de-
sire to work out their suggestions, the
association shares the expense of
sending an experienced field secretary
to spend as much time as the COM
munity may require to get its school,
park, library and city forces united
actively upon an appropriate program.
No. financial or other responsibility
is assumed by local people In asking
the association to send representatives
to look over the ground, submit sug-
gestions and hold meetings and con-
ferences. The cost of this work is
met by contributors-in Minnesota
and in other states-who are working,
through the Playground and Recrea-
ton association of America, to devel-
op life more abundant throughout
America.
Minnesota headquarters Of the as
ISOLATION are with the Minnesota Civ
ic and Commerce association, 1245
Mcknight building, Minneapolis. The
six workers now concentrated in Min
nesota are under the immediate direc-
ton Of the associate secretary Of the
association.