The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-04-14
NTERS PROMOTE NEIGHBORHOOD ACTIVITIES

The community club provides the
"get-together rendezvous" for the ru-
raj neighborhood. A country club OF
this character is not only clearing
house of sociability and rural uplift
but, during the recent war, it sup
piled excellent quarters for emergency
work of the Red Cross, local branches
Of the Council of National Defense
and other war activities, as well as
fostering home, economics and farm
demonstration operations.
County communities in 100 different
localities now enjoy the community
club Rest rooms are provided for the
farmers and their families when they
visit town, while usually the county
agent and the local nurse have offices
in the building. The equipment OF
the building varies with the agricul-
tural prosperity of the territory; from
plain furniture and fittings of distinct
ly utilitarian simplicity to elaborate
furnishings, including moving-picture
machines, pianos and talking ma
chimes.
How Community Clubs Are Formed.
Not long ago the Rural Organization
Project of the Bureau of Markets,
United States Department of Agricul-
ture, conducted comprehensive in
vestigation of the community build
ings, their activities, organization and
| management. Usually the persons
owning stock in their community
building association organize an incor-
I porated company. Nonstockholders
desiring the privileges of the building
| are associated so social members.
both classes paying dues Generally
the control and management of the
| buildings are under the direction OF
| the board of trustees and various COM
| mittees. which centraliZe their powers
! in the authority delegated to the
| house secretary. In some instances
where the community building is Sc
cured through private or industrial do
nation, control is placed in select
board named by the donor and pos
sessing power to appoint his suces-
sors. Township and state buildings
are managed by the usual public Of
Gals.
AS a rule, the annual maintenance
expenses from 5 to 10 per cent of the
initial cost, being in the simpler
buildings chiefly for light and heat
| anu III tuc gel ouco ihNiuoifO Va
salaries for secretaries, physical di-
rectors, caretakers, and Librarians.
Funds to maintain the organizations
are secured through membership dues.
rentals, receipts from entertainments,
moving pictures, bowling, billiards,
and similar sources of revenue. Ac-
= cording to the report of the Govern
ment specialists, 80 of the community
buildings now in use are owned, con-
trolled, financed, supported, and used
by their respective communities.
Money is secured by issuing stock, as
well as by general contribution, this
income being supplemented often by
receipts from sales, games and enter
tainments. or by securing loans with
the building as security, the loan be
ing repaid later when sufficient funds
, accumulate for such purpose.
: Some Buildings Donated.
Twenty-nine of the clubs studied
are the product of local organizations
with restricted aims, such as wom-
ems club, athletic club, or farmers
club, which constructs building for
its private use of the community.
Twenty of the community buildings
| now in use have been donated by pri-
vate individuals, who generally oper-
ate and maintain them, while IL OF the
: clubhouses have been provided by the
; township or town which maintains the
buildings through revenues earned by
the buildings themselves. There are
seven Of these community buildings
, which have been erected as social GEN.
! tiers for the use Of the employees of
!. some local industry, as well as TOR
, the community in general.