Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1920-07-22
EazzAzuf Buza1y -Mvsesyee

their communities for recreatiOnal, gymnaStc,
athletic, social and welfare work. and often TOT
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, agrlcui-
tural society meetings, fairs, cafes, cafeterlas'
farmers Institutes, and cooperative purchasing
ana marketing activities. Among the educauohai
and recreational uses are lectures, moving pic
lures. night schools, entertainments, billiards,
pool, bowling, table games, reading room, anu
library.
The Matinecock neighborhood 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 a boy came to the sec
rotary of the Matinecock Neighborhood associ-
alton and asked him to start a boys club, saying
there was no place for the boys to go for a good
time except to the saloons or to the neighboring
town with its questionable amusements. The sec
rotary, who had but recently arrived, made a
survey of the situation. He found that through
economic changes, farming was gradually being
given up and the section was becoming a resi-
dental one. The population was shifting, and
neighborhood spirit and community recreation
was at a low ebb.
He found also that there was in the village
a private unsupervised young mems athletic club
which met in a blacksmith's shop. Being a man
of vision, he determined to make this club a
nucleus of a general system of supervised recre-
alton for the village with a community house as
a center.
He persuaded the athletic club to sign a petition
for the Neighborhood association to take them
In as members on payment Of the regular dues,
81 per year, and then to commission them as a
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 a share in the constructive work.
Temporary quarters were secured in an old
barn, which was fitted up through general con-
tributions, including a graphophone, a piano, pool
table. stoves, dishes, an indoor baseball outfit,
s137 in cash, and subscriptions for many maya
zines. Boy scouts and a band were soon organ
lied, and other organizations were formed.
AS a result, it was soon found that 148 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 II.
The barn soon became too small for these va
rious activities. This brought to the front a cues
tion which had been under consideration for some
time-the erection Of a community building. It
was finally decided that a building should be
erected which would be the headquarters Of the
Neighborhood association, with its membership Of
300 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 80 per cent Of the families In
the village were all donated.
The building is situated on a rise Of ground
In a grove of trees and comprises one story ana
d basement. The auditorium can be made to seat
500 people. and was especially designed for mo-
tion-picture exhibitions. for dances and for bas-