Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-05-13
Good Health Is Keynote W.
of Fairgrounds System
Model Instructors Trained for Months in
Every Phase of Child Life.

instruction is being carried on with
thoroughness.
No other city in the country main
tatns such a service as this i'll its recrea-
ton department, Superintendent of Parks
James H. Lowry said. In way it
parallels the activities of privately oper-
ated social service organizations but it is
the aim Of the department to work with
and not counter to such bodies. The
playground directors are in a position to
observe many more cases Of children and
families needing assistance than any
other set of men and women, because Of
the thousands Of children. with whom
they come in daily contact. 1t is ex-
pected by the department that the recrea-
ton workers thus can gain "leads" into
many families which may be turned over
to the various private organizations
which may be better able to render the
particular kind Of help needed.
INDIANAPOLIS RANKS
AT TOP OF LIST
indianapolis ranks at the top of the
list OF principal cities of the country in
the activities Of it's recreation department
and success in the new line of rainy day
endeavor would add new laurels. to the
splendid records of the past two years.
az pam department, Dy OIL
an act OF the Legislature, took over the
recreation department. from the board
OF public health, two years ago. There
were only eighteen Fairgrounds oper.
ated before the transfer This season
there will be fifty.
"Our great problem when we took over
the recreation department, said Mr..
Lowry, was In connection with the per-
| sonnet of our workers They were fine
young people, bue we found that they
were not getting the full perspective on
| their work, chiefly because of lack Of
| training. We found that 1t was the gen
eral disposition to look upon the play
ground as nice place to spend a sum-
mer vacation. Many workers were ap-
pointed for political reasons.
INSTRUCTORS CHOSEN
VERY CAREFULLY.
THE first season we had the work
we started to pick our workers with as
much care as we could exercise, choosing
: them for their character, personality and
training along this particular line This
gave us better results, but we still found
that some sort Of special work was
necessary to give US standardized i'm
struction on all Fairgrounds. Naturally.
when we added directors who were grad
yates Of the North American Gymnastic
Union schools Of the Teachers College
OF Indianapolis, Indiana University and
other institutions, we had just as many
different types Of work on the play
grounds s there were graduates Of the
different schools. So we came to the
conclusion that We would have to oper-
ate our own schools. The classes at the
Lauter Memorial have been the result
/ We are expecting great things to come
Of 1t and the other schools we hope to
inaugurate aext winter"
The recreation workers are being taught
among other things. the teaching Of cal
isthenics, playground games, aesthetic
fdancing. group singing, poster painting
and industrial art, including bag max
Ing, bead making, stenciling, sewing
basketry and china painting.
/ START LECTURES
4 ON FIRST AID.
| Starting this week DR.. Herman G. Nor.
San, secretary OF the board of public
health, Is giving a series of lectures upon
first aid When the Fairgrounds are
( opened, which probably viii be around
June 10, each one will be equipped with
stand first aid kits for use In emergen-
cies. Tommy and Mabel are bound "a
sprain wrists or scratch knees and ell
BOWS, being regular little Americans
brimful Of energy and red blood, and the
recreation department wants to be fully
prepared 10 prevent such unavoidable
minor injuries from becoming serious.
Part Of the care exercised to prevent
injury to children this season will in
clude rule requiring every boy or girl
who takes part in the more strenuous
sports to undergo a physical examination