Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-08-14
WORK =
IN DC. ATTRACTIVE
TO 535,949 IN YEAR
Record Attendance Figures
EstabIished-Activities
Are Outlined,

4
! department of the public schools dur
ing the year ending June 30 estab-
iished new record. Figures COM
pia3 today by Miss Cecil B. Norton.
general community secretary, and in
serted in her annual report. which will
be submitted to the board of educa-
| tion September /. show that 535.949
persons attended the centers during
.ne year. an Increase of $4,000 over
the previous year. This record was
| established despite the fact that
many of the so-called war workers
ana the itinerant population of sol
the centers the previous year, had
left the city.
Outline of Activities.
activities and events that filled the
year at the various centers and the
policies pursued are outlined in de-
ton, which was submitted today to
! former Superintendent of Schools
Ernest l.. Thurston. The method of
organizing a community center and
the duties of a community secretary
also are comprehensively explained.
J Included in Miss Norton's report is
| special one on the Park View Com
munity Center, which was prepared
secretary Besides dealing extensive
~ with the activities at that center.
| Miss Farley specifically pointed out
that the attendance there reached
| 9l.439. the highest in any of the score
of community centers.
Second honors in attendance were
| taken by the general civic center at
Central High School. where $500
persons were recorded during the year.
| The East Washington Community Cen
| ter ranked third in attendance with
54.869. With an attendance of 44.352
Dunbar took first honors in the colored
centerS.
Numbers Show Fluctuation.
One of the interesting points of the
attendance record is the fiuctuation.
| Starting with 22.747 last July. the at
| tendance at the various centers grad
ually increased until January, when
| the peak was reached The attendance
that month was $3.50. Like the in
crease, the attendance then decreased
until the centers were closed in July.
The last record of the total attendance
| in June showed that 35,1O1 persons
visited the centers during that month.
AT this time. the end of the third
year of the community center depart
ment, as an integral part of the pub
lie school system of the District" Miss
Norton said in her report, 1T seems
fitting that the report of the years
work should be not so much the re-
cital of events and activities that
have filled the year as setting down
| of the policies ano methods that have
| now reached fairly stable state.
The term community center means
| public school property used by the
people of the local communities or by
the people of the city as whole as
| the center of community life, in it's
threefold aspect of the civic, educa-
| tional and social or recreational. In
| addition to the fundamental expenses.
| which are met through congressional
appropriation. the people of the va
rious communities have met other eX-
penses through private funds.
Division of Responsibility.
The method of organization as it
has been evolved here divides the
responsibility for the use of the pub
community centers between the peo-
pie of the communities and the board
of education and the officials appoint
ed by the board upon the recommen-
schools. This democratic community
| organization fosters the active par
| ticipation of the adults of the neigh
borhoods in their community affairs
| thus making for good citizenship in
action
In her special report Miss Farley
pointed out that the relation of the
community to, the school. and vice
strengthened. People living in the
neighborhood. having tastes in COM
mon, have come to feel more and
more that the schoolhouse is a home,
she said. land in consequence num-
bers of new organizations are hold
ing regular meetings there.
| Community and School Relation.
| The close relation of the community
! to the school. Miss Farley continued.
was "strikingly eXemplihed recently
when the need of Fairgrounds ADA
| cent to the school brought the com
| munity to it's feet, and so strong was
it's appeal that the Senate committee
! investigating schools recommended
! in it's brief report the immediate ac-
ouisition of the playground. On the
! other hand, the pupils of the school
took upon themselves the protection
of lawns and hedges, appointing COM COM
| wrote and distributed to the rose
growers of the neighborhood direc- /.
| lions they had learned at school Ior
Kidding plants OF aPh nif,i ane ot has
| resulted in marked improvement IN
the appearance of property through
out the neighborhood. ,s
while the Park view Schooi mas
meant much to the people as meet
ING place. it's most important func-
tion aside from it's distinctly educa.
| tional purpose, is its use as Unitea
| states postal station. with postal
trucks bringing to the community J
distributing agency connected VIII
| the post office products directly from
the farm to the consumer at farA
| View.
Innovation of Value.
II wish the value of the innovation
could be appreciated. Not only mas
| the post Office in the school served as
| a convenience to the public, but as an
educational factor in school me- anu
| it's value cannot be overestimateo.
The children attend largely TO the
nostaI affairs of the family; they
mail letters. insure packages. learn
weights and rates for different classes
of ,mail matter. register letters hahe
out money order applications. learn
about postal zones, ana SO are
brought into direct personal relation
with the greatest institution of
Tribute to E. J. Ward. founder of
the community center movement IN
the United States, was paid by MISS
Farley in her report. Thro~lns
his whole heart and tremendous en-.
she said, "Mr. Ward has worked
physically and mentally, by day ana
by night, if necessary. to make me
DEVELOPMENT at Park View model
Lauds the. Workers.
In concluding her report. Miss Nor
ton lauded the community center
worEers who gave their services
Voluntarily for four months during
the wear when funds were lacking.
This wear, however, she pointed OUT.
the community center department. nae
haar eranted an increased appropria-
t;on Of $4,000, and the community
cant.r workers will be paid for twelve
months' service. The increased APP
nronriation also has permitted MISS