Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1918-05-01
RECREATION AND WAR

Cities no longer look upon NUM-
cipal recreation as q fad; today, on
the contrary, providing play facili-
ties is considered quite as much q
function of city government as pro-
viding educational facilities. In fact,
education and recreation go hand in
hand, for play in its deepest signifi-
canoe may be made a most important
educational factor in community life.
Because wholesome recreation
exerts the strongest sort of influence
upon the health and the morale Of a
community, during the period of the
war, authorities consider it Of great
Importance. The was is not going to
be won by the strength. of our armies.
alone;. to a great extent our military
strength depends upon the stamina of
the people at home. Utmost efficiency,
the efore, is required of every man,
woman, and child; each individual
must try to fit himself in body, mind,
and spirit by living normal, we'll
balanced life. To this end we must
capitalize leisure; that is, instead of
spending play time in ways that tend
to tear down rather than to build up
efficiency, the community must see
to it that each individual not only has
the opportunity, but is encouraged to
spend his, leisure hours in ways that
will make him better fit to do his bit.
A system of municipal recreation
must be community wide in its scope.
it must provide opportunities for
young and old throughout the entire
year. Fairgrounds for children with
adequate leadership are vitality essen
tial, but they do not solve the entire
prnhlQr,1-o ona Y,hacn IF ~ Tharo
must be seasonal sports and athletics
for the older boys and girls and $oung
men and young women. In the win
ter provision must be made for in
door play as well as for outdoor
sports. Various groups should be or
ganized; dramatic and debating clubs,
musical organizations such as a
chorus, band or an orchestra, gym
nasium classes, stury clubs, classes
in the manual arts. A definite at
tempt should be made to interest the
entire town in some community wide
activity such as pageant, a great
community chorus, or community
Christmas tree. Such activities bring
people together in true neighborly
spirit. They find that they have
many interests in common; they for
get their prejudices; they learn to
pull together better by playing to-
gether, and the whole town benefits
by this new spirit of cooperation.
In the matter of recreation, Beld-
ing has not taken the forward step
that many much smaller towns have
already taken. 1t has facilities in
the shape of park areas and public
buildings that are suitable for COM
munity purposes, but until it has
leadership necessary to get people in
the habit of playing together, these
public facilities represent just so
much idle capital.
What is needed in Bedding is man.
power-a municipal department Of
recreation and a trained, experienced
community leader. There is mo time
like the present for launching the
movement. During the war, it is
true, municipal as well as personal
expenditures must be curtailed; but
we must Judge carefully whether it
is wise to consider as unnecessary an
agency that so vitality effects the ply
steal and moral welfare of the.city.
When one realizes how closely the
misuse of leisuresis association with
the faults and failure Of society as a
whole, and that large part of dis
ease and poverty and crime has it's
beginning in lack Of proper play and
recreation, a plan for a municipal
system that provides facilities for
healthful play and recreation, SUBJ
stituting constructive for destructive
interests, certainly deserves the sup
port Of the public.