Newark post., 1920-02-25

HOUSES PROVIDE FOR
COMMUNITY NEEDS
Experiment in Many LOCAL.
ties Has Proved Entirely
Successful


Is experiencing a new era of
neighborliness. It began score
bf years ago, but received it's
greatest impetus during and since
the war. Well-housed rural clubs
something almost unheard of
few years ago-are springing up
all over the country. Because they
mean so much to their neighbor-
hoods, and because this neighbor
hood movement contains so much
of promise for the 5O,OOO,OOO A
mericans who live in the country
or in villages of less than $500,
the United States Department of
agriculture has sent representa-
tives to learn frst-hand the his
tory of nearly 800 of these club
houses. The results of this in
vestigation have been recently
published in a bulletin, Rural
Community Buildings in the Unit
ed States," which can be had at
10 cents copy by addressing a
request to the Superintendent of
Documents, Government Printing
Office, Washington, D. C.
This publication tells the ex-
tent of the rural club movement,
the character of the clubhouses,
the uses to which they are put,
how their erection was financed,
and how they are managed. In
addition, details are given regard
ing eight different kinds of COM
hnunities. How each solved it's
particular building problems is
Explained.
The majority of the structures
visited were erected by popular
subscription or by the sale of
stock in a community organiza-
tion. In some cases the projects
were financed by local manufac-
turing concerns. Other buildings
were the gifts of public-spirited
individuals. A few were erected
by public funds raised through
Taxation or the sale of bonds. In
all cases the structures are the
centers of great variety of
wholesome activities such as COM
munities without central meeting
places can not enjoy. One even
ing building may be used for a
basketball game, the next night
for neighborhood dance, later in
the week for a political gathering,
and on Sunday for union church
services or union Sunday school.
Amy rural or semirural district in
terested in erecting a clubhouse
whether it is to cost $4,000 or $780,
p00-is expected to find helpful
suggestions in this publication.
Many Amusements Provided
Many of the simpler structures,
lOcated in the open country, con-
tain an auditorium with movable
Beats which permit it to be trans
formed into a dining room, an
athletic room, or a dance hall.
Usually, also, there is a stage and
well-equipped kitchen. These
features make possible banquets
bnd entertainments which mean
much in the life of rural communi-
ties. In the club houses in smaller
towns, in addition to the rooms
mentioned, there are often a H.
brary, a reading room, women's
rest room, and meeting place for
Earious organizations.
The club houses in the county
seats and larger towns are more
= bretentious, some having special
banquet rooms, gymnasiums,
swimming pools, billiard rooms
and Offices for the county agent
and for local commercial club
Secretaries. The following is a
partial list of the varied uses to
which these buildings are put
Lectures, night classes
home talent entertainments, dane.
es, banquets, socials, politica
meetings, elections, indoor athle.
tic games, welfare work, boys and
girls club work, domestic science
tlasses and demonstrations, agri-
cultural society meetings, farm,
ers' Institutes, and cooperative
purchasing and marketing activi.
fies.
How Buildings Are Managed
The persons owning stock in g
community building generally
constitute themselves a community
building association and frequent
V take out articles of incorpOra