The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-12-04
RECREATION HELPS.
Some Phases of 1t in Relation to Pub
lie Schools.

Next in Importance to what work 4
person shall do is what play he shall
do. There was time when work was
so stringent that to some the word
play was almost meaningless. That
time has passed away. The develop
ment of machinery, the equality of OPP
portunity that has followed political
democracy and the restrictions placed
upon hours of labor have made some
form of recreation inevitable.
What shall it beg That question,
which has long been of Importance to
the individual. is now seen to be fully
as important to the community. The
difference between good citizenship and
crime often resides in the use of the re-
creative hours.
Again, this question links itself with
the use of public buildings, such as
schoolhouses. just as there are many
church members who believe that the
use of some church buildings Is not
continuous enough. SO there are in
creasing numbers who have the opinion
that the doors of schoolhouses, eXpen-
sive buildings as they are coming to be,
are closed for too long periods Natural
ly enough, the inference is drawn that
if the schools are 10 be used TO assist
in the work of the community, they
should also be used to assist in that
other important function of the people,
play, And just as the work of com
munity must have systematic prepare
ton and competent supervision, So
MAST the play of the people be care
fully regulated and properly super
yised
The development of the situation in
this city is interesting. Several years
ago the Public Schools Athletic league
was formed in Troy by teachers and
citizens who believed that intellectual
training without physical exercise was
topheavy. Through the individual con
tributions of citizens teams of pupils
were organized and athletic exhibitions
were arranged Among the promoters
of these activities were the present SUI
perintendent of schools, Arvie Eldred,
and non teaching citizens as the late
William NJ. Keenan, and the late w. W.
LOOMS. The good results on the men
tai and physical morale of the schools
were so apparent that the city authori-
ties could not resist the appeal TO sta
billie the work by putting gymna-
sum in the new school on Seventh ave-
nue. and, as a necessary result of that,
installing a physical director
The new school Il will provide OPP |
portunities for extensive recreation.
The present facilities of the high school
are opened for community recreation |
and the physical director Of the schools,
c. r. Mann. now offers the free use of
the high school gymnasium in the eve
ming to the citizenry for properly SUI
pervised physical exercise.
This is getting in line with the coun-
try-wide development Of the idea that |
recreation must not be allowed to run |
wild, and that the community has its
interests to safeguard as well as the in
lividual. While America, as the 0lym
pic games show, stands at the head in
specialized and individual development
81 the body, there are some countries
hat lead our own in the general par
ticipation in athletics. The result can
nowhere else be so efficiently promoted
as in the growing facilities provided by
he public schools, added to those of
Fairgrounds The churches
ong ago decided that, as TO music, "the
levil should not have all the good
unes" Morality is now contending,
md wisely. that his satanic majesty
las no right 20 be eX-ofiicio chairman
# the committee on recreation-Tr
Times.