Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-12-31
BRIGHT FUTURE.
FOR new CLUBS.
Tri- City War Camp Community
Service Executive Confident
of Success in Coming Years.
By WILLIAM PADGET
Executive Secretary. Tri-Cit,

! tELAttuIlN6 DE[' NidL Il-NJAIS
Var Camp Community ServiceD
My vision for the Arsenal Work
/ ers' clubs Jf the tri-cities extends
far into the future The work done
! by the war camp community SER
vice is just the beginning OF great
{ things, which | hope may be real
lied within the next few years. Al
/ though plans for our clubs have
| been greatly interfered with, by
reason of the FLU" epidemic, still
the membership Of these clubs is
I convinced. beyond question. of the
wonderful fecreational and social
possibilities of these organiza-
tions. The game rooms have been
the incidental feature. the social
gatherings, the pleasure and in
struction derived from good lee
lures, the joy given by the musical
entertainments and the happy and
comfortable times they have had
at their social dances have given
the membership an inkIing of what
the future holds for them and they
are determined to keep these or
CARNATIONS going. And not only
that, they have planned to extend
the membership to others than ar
senal workers and thus evolve in
to community clubs with definite
program Of recreation, general in
struction and democratic social ac-
tiyities.
a budget for number of thou
sand dollars for tri-city needs has
been o. KID by headquarters office
of the war camp community ser
vice and We have plans of work for
a season extending to November
of 1919
When the commission of the war
camp community service has been
accomplished and this organize
ton shall cease to be, ii is my hope,
aye, more than that. it is my belief,
that a definite institution. formed
probably by the combining of the
chief workers of the war camp
community service and the lyceum
and chautauqua the American
platform Workers-intO one organ
ization will take up this work and
carry il on 10 the everlasting bene-
fit of every community in America
The leading lyCeum and chautau-
qua bureaus of this country met in
Chicago in early December and
signed articles of agreement. look
ing forward to the formation of an
institution not for profit that will
furnish lectures. musicals and en-
tertainment courses at cost to all
the cities and towns in America 7
who wish to take advantage of this /.
service. Such an institution COM
bined with the Recreation Associa-
tfnv, ~
ed community workers, could with +
out question. form community clubs (
in half the towns in America dur {
ing the first year and have trained .
visit these towns .
monthly to confer with committees
and aid them I'm the conduct OF their
programs. their recreation. their
organized play for both children
and grown-ups, their social dances
and lectures and entertainment
courses, and best of all, to aid them
in practicing through great com
center clubs. social demo-
crazy.
II wars are to be no more. we
must have a league OF citizens. as
we'll as a league OF nations; We
must come together on common
ground and understand each other
better Our daily activities takes
us in different directions, but If we
may institute broad social actiyi- 1
ties that will bring us together OIL
a basis OF one interest, We shall
discover that there is much OF
good in the worst or us" We 4
shall broaden our minds by our en-
leavor to enrich the lives of ali our
fellow citizens and democracy
shall become an established. oper- 1
alive fact.