South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-01-02

More~than sOO.O0 people for the
past year is the record OF the ae-
tivities OF the municipal recreation
committee. These people have been
affected by one or the other OF the
various lines OF work undertaken
by this organization They include
social. economic AID athletic
phases. Community centers. social
centers. Fairgrounds, a garden de-
partment, a conservation depart
ment and athletic groups for men.
women. boys and girls have helped
10 make the work OF the recreation
department a big success during the
year OF 1918.
Fairgrounds.
During the season OF 1918 10 play
five were located on property ada
cent 10 school buildings, three on
park property especially designed
for playground purposes, one on
property owned by ]. >. Oliver and
loaned to the city as a playground
and one on the grounds OF the st.
Adalbert's parish and also on lots
donated by public spirited citizens
owning property along W. Division
ST. The playground season opened
with part time work at Perley
Haley and ]. ID. Oliver playfield on
May II. BY part time work is meant
that these Fairgrounds were open
after school hours. Full time work
began June Il. The ]. d. oliver
playheld is kept open all year round
trained directors being in charge.
however. only during the summer.
The remainder of the year it is in
charge OF a caretaker. who also
exercises supervision over those who
come for recreation. Nineteen play
directors supervised and directed the
activities of both old and young who
visited these Fairgrounds during
the summer. The season closed
full time work-Aug 81. Part time
work was continued at J. d. Oliver
playield. Haley, Perley and Wash
ington Fairgrounds until Sept. IS
The attendance at all Fairgrounds
for the summer was 1851.
WINTER at O1Vcr Blayuelu.
Included among the winter sports
are: Skating and tobboganing. As
soon as the weather per mits a large
ice-rink will be constructed and kept
in condition. The immense tobbogan
is already in place and only awaits
the fall of snow TO make it available
for the use Of our young people. The
y,
availed themselves of these facilities
since last January.
Organized amateur athletics was
very materially interfered with dur
ing the past year by the fact that
the young men and women who or
dinarily make up the league teams
had entered either the government
service or were employed for long
hours i'm the factories taking the
places OF those who had gone. How
ever leagues were organized for men
and boys in baseball, playground
ball and basket bail. for women and
girls in volley ball, basket ball, play
ground ball, and bat ball, and a
series of championship games play
ed. Beside these inter playground
contests. each playground had it's
own local leagues and various forms
of athletics
other activities engaged in were
singing games, folk dancing. hikes
story-hours. and junior Red Cross in
which the domestic economy depart
ment of public schools cOoperated
Two track meets were held and at
the close OF the season a play festi-
val was staged at the ]. d. oliver
playfeld participated in by repre-
sentatives from all the Fairgrounds
and pennants were awarded to the
winning league teams in all events.
About five thousand people attended
the festival.
The recreation department cooper
ates in every way possible with the
athletic activities Of the public
schools. In the spring there was or
ganized a school playground ball
contest in which IL teams were en-
tered coming from 10 OF the public
schools in the city. These games
were played after school or on Sat
urdays. The entering teams were
divided into three leagues which
played off a championship series
the winning teams then competing
for the championship.
Garden Department.
Representatives from all organiza-
tons i'm the city were invited TO at
tend a meeting in the recreation d.
rector's office in February for the
purpose Of organizing the South
Bend war garden commission. The
organization was effected with ROlio
G. Page. chairman, Mrs L. S. Flick
enscher. secretary; with a member
ship consisting Of a nun Der Of tech
nically trained workers and with
two delegates from each Organiza-
ton in the city interested in the
great work OF Increased food pro-
duction in this community.
The garden department Of the
municipal recreation committee
founded in 1915 has come TO be a
very important part of its work. Be
ginning with $50 homes entered the
first year. the scope OF the work has
increased by leaps and bounds unt.!
in 1917 there were 5000 homes en-
rolled in the competition put on by
this department With this mo-
mentum back OF il and with the SEN