The Semi-weekly leader., 1919-07-26
"A COMMUNITY HOUSE
Is A GREAT THING
Would Undoubtedly Work AS
Wen Here as it Has in
Other Places.


who is spending the season in New
York writes: ut is a great thing
to boost for Brookhaven; but IL
would be greater thing for Brook
haven to do some of the things that
other places are doing. We are so
devoid OF pleasures and real amuse-
ments. This is the reason our peo-
pie have to go away to New Orleans
and other places to get recreation.
When we enlarge our views we will
surely enlarge our community"
There is nothing like getting a.
way from home to see ourselves as
others see us. Some Of us need to
get away to profit by touching ell
bows or ideas with other people who
have made life worth living through
a broader vision than can be had in
a beaten path that has become irk-
some.
The Leader has so often boosted
for prospective enterprises similar to
the one suggested by our friend in
New York, and then seen them fade
away in thin air after assurance that
they would certainly materialize that
we are a little wary of mentioning
this subject again. But we are graf
ified to be reminded of the Com.
munity House" we have in our minds
eye for Brookhaven.
Here's the story of how it was
done in Brimfield, Illinois, a town
of 900 inhabitants. The town and
country community building was a
theatre and community house in one.
1t was built by a community stock
company with two hundre d
and sixty-nve stockholders. The
shares are limited to four shares Of
$25 each for any one person to pre-
vent the control passing into the
hands Of one person or any small
group Of individuals who might have
a community ak to grind.
The theatre has an auditorium
that will seat 1900; it has floors for
dancing. basketball games, skating
rink; gymnasium, bathrooms, ban
quet rooms; parlors, reception rooms
and committee rooms.
1t was built with the purpose of
making it a house of service for both
town and county and farmers held
stock in it. A new spirit of local
pride grew with the enterprise.
Every one who uses 1t pays for the
use made of it. Even the bathroom
tickets sell at the rate Of ten for 50.
The hescommunity theatre was dedi-
~ ~. rt.i1 -1aat- ,RrimfleId took
a WEEK #oli. T5k the g sVsb5ation, and
the prodeeds for tlSes week Of enter
tainment netted the house $4,000.
The month Of May brought another
$500 to the treasury. and the month
of June promised even more than the
month of May.
Every stranger passing through
inquires:-
What building is that over
there?"
THAT is our community house.
Would you like to see it?" the an
swer will come back proudly.
OF course the traveller would de-
sire to see the community house, and,
of course, the Brimfleld citizen likes
to show it to him.
Here" he explains, "is the au-
ditorlum and we have had 1t crowd
ed to it's full capacity. The audito-
rum is used also for basket ball
games and for community dances.
The galleries there are large enough
to seat the spectators at the basket
ball games and the dances. The stage
is large enough for a first class show,
and next winter we expect to book
some of the best attractions that
come to Peoxia. We have scenery.
dressing rooms and all the modern
stage equipment to be found in any
theatres.
"Just now we are giving picture
shows each Tuesday and Friday
night and our children are as famil-
lar with all the movie stars of the
first magnitude as your city children.
Nov, we will take a look down
stairs. This big basement room is
used as skating rink for kids
and yes, some of the older ones, too,
have the habit. 1t is big enough for
allsin Brimfeld to skate II they want
to.
"Our gymnasium is fully equipped
with apparatus and after exercise in
the gym or after the basketball
games the boys go into big bath
rooms for showers. On the other
side are the baths and showers for
the women. These bathrooms also
are used by the people Of the city.
Anyone can run in here any time in
the day for bath or shower. We
keep attendants here all the time.
ION one end of the basement room
are the kitchens, with cooking
stoves, dishes and dining rooms. You
see, we have it arranged so that we
can have two big "doin's" going on
at the same time, If necessary, one
downstairs and one on the upper
floor. without either disturbing the
other, and we could provide q ban
quet or dinner for both at the same
time.
& Come up stairs here, up the front
stairway" the citizen invites. into
the big entrance hall. Take look
at the large reception room on this
side. Here we can provide a ban
Quet for a good sized company. or