South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-01-02
What Recreation Department
Has Accomplished in 1918
BY f. L. Wolfe. Recreation Director

that in the future more emphasis
will be placed upon the products Of
adults from home gardens than
heretofore.
Conservation Dep Ftment.
In January following several
months OF planning and preparation
/ the conservation department was
begun with Miss Leila c. Ogle. fed
eral home demonstration agent. in
charge. This department is con
Quoted by the extension division of
the United States department of ag-
riculture, through Purdue university
The salary OF the federal home dem
onstration agent is paid by the ma
tional government The local ex-
penses being borne locally. II is
] Necessary FOR some local organiza-
ton to guarantee $500 per year for
the carrying on OF this work. Up
to this time the work has been car
ried by the municipal recreation
committee and the civic federation.
Like the garden department this
should be made a permanent activ-
itv and specific appropriation
made by the city for carrying 1t on
Devised at first as a wal emergency
throughout the nation il has shown
it's value and the government is
taking steps TO make il permanent
During the year the federal home
demonstration agent has given SO
lectures. attended by 2.2Ss people
She has given 113 demonstrations at
tended by 9,63S people. She has
made SO professional visits TO homes
and has conducted IS community
exhibits with an attendance of H.
574, making the total number OF
people reached by her work 26,415.
Bulletins as follows have been dis
tributed: State. 1850; federal. p
42O; local. 10000.
Community Center Work.
South Bend has now Is organized
community centers. the purpose or
which is TO make il possible for the
people of the community 10 discuss
together the things that concern
their local welfare. Fres't Wilson
says: These centers when organized
throughout the nation will be the
means of welding this nation to-
gether as no nation has ever been
welded" They are therefore an eff
ficient instrument in making De
mocracy safe for the world" De-
spite the handicap of having been
closed down under orders of the fuel
administrator and again by the "hu
BAN" and not meeting throughoui
the summer months while schools
were not in session. 90 meetings
were held by these clubs with an at
tendance ranging from % TO 300.
making a total attendance of APP
proximately $4,000 people. These
clubs are amalgamated into the civic
federation. which meets once a
month in the recreation directors
office where movements Of city-wide
significance are discussed. This or
ganization has undertaken a num-
Der OF important movements among
which may be mentioned the dis
semination of information with re
gard 10 increased food production
and conservation; the War Savings
campaign. Liberty loan campaign; il
collaborated with the Rotary club
and brought congressman John r.
Miller to the city when Is. 900 people
were brought together for a COM
munity sing service, and to listen to
an inspiring address Of a patriotic
character. IL had charge of the mu-
! nicipal celebration at Rum Village
on the Fourth of July, the Liberty
sing on Thanksgiving day. and the
municipal Christmas festival.
Social Center Activities.
Ten OF the community centers
have enlarged the scope of their
work to include social activities such
as gymnasium work, folk dancing,
indoor ball, basket ball, volley ball.
etc. There are now 40 groups which
meet once a week These groups
are organized as adult men. senior
and Junior boys; adult women, senior
and junior girls. No group is or
ganized for less than 20 persons
The municipal recreation committee
provides for each building where
there is sufficient demand for this
work a social secretary who has gen.
eral supervision OF the work and
corps OF directors who are qualified
TO conduct the physical activities
Like other activities. this work has
been seriously hampered this year
by the fuel and 'hu" bans, but the
attendance has been 1205O.
The activities of the recreation de-
partment this year have thus affect
ed more than 800. 900 people. CON
tributing to their lives and influence
for good. One OF the great lessons
of the world war has been the need
in our social life Of more attention
TO the physical well being OF our
people. The recreational activities
are the means of building up tho
physique of our people. The scope OF
the work should be much enlarged
and broadened Additional funds are
needed TO make possible this en-
largement
Both the municipal recreation
committee and the civic federation
realize that for the coming year
there lies waiting great response
bility in the period OF reconstruc-
ton. They go into the work with a
desire to accomplish and the will
ingness 20 be the instrument in the
hands OF the government both ma
tiODal and local 70 aceomDIfSh for