The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1920-10-21
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their communities for recreationa gymnastic,
athletic, social and welfare work. and often for
political cooperative business, and religious work.
Among the specific economic uses of the buildings.
for instance, are canning demonstrations boys
and girls club work, domestic science, agricui-
tura society meetings, fairs, cafes, cafeterias'
farmers Institutes, and cooperative purchasing
and marketing activities. Among the educationai
and recreatioRal uses are lectures, moving pic
lures, night Schools entertainments. BILLIARDS,
pool, bowling, table games, reading room, ana
library.
The Matinecock neghborhood house, Locust
Valley, Long Island, New York, is an excellent ex-
ample of the way in which community buildings
come into existence and are managed.
About eight years ago boy came to the sec
retary of the Matnecock Nelghborhood associ-
alton and asked him to start boys club, saying
there was place for the boys to go for good
time except to the saloons to the neighborng
town with its questionable amusements. The sec
retary, who had but recently arrived, made
survey of the situation He found that through
economic changes, farming was gradually being
given up and the section was becoming resi-
dental one. The population was shifting, and
neghborhood spirit and community recreation
was at a low ebb.
He found also that there in the village
a private unsupervsed young mems athletic club
which met in a blacksmith's shop. Being man
of vision he determined to make this club
nucleus of a general system Of supervised recre-
alton for the village with community house as
. n center.
He pers,laded the athletic club to sign petition
for the Neighborhood association to take them
in as members payment of the regular dues,
81 per year. and then to commission them
recreation department to furnish recreation for
the whole community. The Association complied
and appointed an executive committee, composed
OF two of its directors and five young men, to
have charge of the arrangements Twenty-nine
boys were appointed on committees In order to
give them n share in the constructive work.
Temporary quarters were secured In an old
barn which was fitted up through general con-
tributons including graphophone piano. pool
table stoves, dishes, an indoor baseball outfit,
sl37 in cash, and subscriptions for many maga-
zines Boy scouts and band were soon organ
ized and other organizations were formed.
AS result, II was soon found that 14S young
men were governing themselves, financing their
own enterprise through various entertainments,
and providing social opportunities and athletics
for their fathers, mothers. brothers, and sisters
At the same time they were members of the Neigh
borhood association, with votes on all questions
pertaining to It.
The barn soon became too small for these va
rious activities. This brought TO the front ques-
tion which had been under consideration for some
time-the erection of a community building II
was finally decided that building should be
erected which would be the headquarters OF the
Nelghborhood association with Its membership of
400 men and women, representing 235 famIlies
together with its boys recreation department. and
also be a general social center
The completed building, together with the land
represents an outlay of $4,000. The community
nature of the work in the raising of funds and
the method of construction is indicated by the
fact that the land the labor of 40 members and
contributions from so per cent Of the families In
the village were all donated.
The building is situated n rise Of ground
in a grove of trees and comprises one story aad
a basement. The auditorium can be made to seat
500 people, and was especially designed for mo-
ton picture exhibitions. for dances and for bas-