The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-09-04
RECREATION FOR RURAL COMMUNITY
 STILL A PROBLEM

It is quite according to fashion to bewail the vanished social life of rural districts-thec orn huskings the quilt ing bees, the taffy pulls, the log roll ings, the military musters, the barn raisings, the tournaments, and camp meetings; all the community gather ings of earlier, simpler times. It has been demonstrated in many localities, that even with the good old days" so far beyond recall, a social life as rich and varied as that of the city is possible in the country. Many rural communities, with the school house or the small town as center, have shown that it Is possible to secure for the country, in addition to purely re- creational activities, the lectures, the concerts, the plays even the art ex- hibits that are so highly valued a part of city life.
 The recreation drive now being car ried on under the direction of the Chtldren's Bureau of the U. s. De- pertinent of Labor and the Woman's Committee of the Council of National Defense has as one of its chief objects to foster and encourage a richer so- cial life for all rural communities, particularly for the children of those communities. According to the Chil- dren's Bureau, country children are often worse off for recreational facili- ties than are children of crowded city districts. In too many cases the vil- lage that is the center of social life offers nothing for young people seek ing amusement but the cheap pool room, moving pictures that are often sordid, and the saloon. Children in such localities as these are not being given fair chance to develop. They are not only exposed to grave moral dangers, but are often inferior physic- ally to the city children whose bodies have been trained through games and sports.
 Many of the workers for Children's 1 Year are using the recreation drive to 1 emphasize the need for better recrea- | tional facilities in their own com munities. They are taking an inven- tory of what they have to offer boys and girls in search of amusements, and are trying to make that offering more varied and more attractive. Such organizations as the Boy Scouts, the Camp Fire Girls, the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Department of Agricul- ture, the School Garden Army, the Junior Red Cross, and the Young | WOmens Christian Association are helping the Children's Year workers to demonstrate that play in which a whole community can take part Is not only more healthful but more fun than the exploited recreation and passive amusements of the town. ant that a good deal of the play spirit can be put into useful leisure-time activi- ties that range all the way from gardening and stock raising to making bandages and helping mother"
 The climax of the recreation drive
 will come in September or October
 with a patriotic play week or a play
 day to be held in some cases in con.
 nection with county fairs or grange
 meetings or some other community gatherings. This week will be made
 the occasion for a demonstration o1
 the use to which children can pu
 their leisure time. There will bt
 songs and games and tests of physica
 efficiency of exhibitions of thing.
 made and raised. In some cases it i
 planned to give a patriotic pagean especially prepared by the executive secretary of the Drama League O America for use during play week 2 This pageant will emphasize the i'm
 portance of the part to be played b,
 young people in the fight for. democ
 racy-a part that can be we'll playet
 only if they are given a chance tt
 grow and develop healthfully and nor
 mally, with plenty of play, and no
 too much work.