The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1921-05-07
WELFARE CLOSES
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{ ENTERI AINMENTs
Community Gatherings Proved
Unusually Successful
AMUSEMENT FOR ALL AGES
Monthly Parties, Weekly Dances
and instruction Enjoyed
By All Who Attend

The series Of community parties that
have been held at high school hall
during the winter by the Public We'll
fare associat on closed Friday even.
ing with a special program OF games,
marches, and old fashioned dances.
There were fully a hundred in attend
ance, the larger portion, of course,
composed of young people. but with
generous mixture Of grownups who ap-
peared to derive fully as much enjoy
ment from the festivitie,, although
unable to stand the pace set by some
features Of the program
Now that the series of parties has
come to a C.ose, the members OF the
Welfare associat on who have been
actively interested in the different So
cial gatherings during the winter and
early spring feel confident that some
thing really worth while has been ac-
complished The original idea was
ser.es OF gatherings in which the COM
munity as a whole, and individually.
might experience feeling Of actual
ownership, social meetings that should
recognize no barriers and which should
be hedged about by no restrictions
further than good conduct while in at
tendance.
That there was real need OF this
nature has been amply demonstrated
by the attendance and the interest that
has been shown from the very begin
ming. Persons of all ages have been
in attendance. They have not sat at
the side lines" but they have gotten
into the game" and have realized that
the intervening line between happy
childhood and gray hair, in many cases
IS only imaginary.
Since its organization the Benning-
ton Public Welfare association has
hung up many records of achievement,
but the faithful workers who have car
ried the larger share OF the load feel
that no feature of the organizations
activities has come closer to carrying
out the fundamental idea of the asso.
citation than the community gatherings
at high school hall during the season
of 1920-21.
Not only have the parties been sue
ces 1ful socially, but they have showed
balance on the right side of the led.
ger. The net income has not been
-money-mak 'ng did not figure In
the original plan but the gate in
every instance has been larger than
expenses.
In connection with the parties Miss
Ann Wa lace, the recreation instruc-
tor, has held three dancing classes.
The children have been taught folk
dancing Saturday forenoons with an
attendance of 3S2 The high school
students classes have had an attend.
ance for the season OF 533 and fully
two thousand tickets were sold to
those who attended the weekly classes
for adults on Wednesday evenings,
The community parties have been
held monthly and the program has
consisted Of folk dancing, floor games
and other features and have been arge-
ly attended. Every gather ng has been
chaperoned and care has been taken
to prevent the entrance Of any inhar
monious feature. Up to the time of
her last Illness, the presence OF Mrs.
Anna s. Carpenter was a guiding and
helpful influence which has been con-
tinued by Mrs. Arthur j. Holden Mise
Maud Belden has been at the head of
the department of dane ng and the
features have devolved upon
the instructor.
The seasons work has proved that
it is possible to bring the people OF
Bennington together in the carrying
out of an idea embodying no limita.
tions other than decorum and prop
er consideration for others, and 1t
has undoubtedly paved the way for
a more extensive and popular pro-
gram in the future.