Evening star., 1922-03-11
RUtESFOR THE USE
OF SCHOOL HALLS
Education Board Adopts Reg
ulations Governing Enter
tainments in Auditoriums.

tainments in Auditoriums.
Acting on the recommendations of
the District Commissioners, the board
Of education. at a special meeting
yesterday afternoon. adopted rules
governing the use OF the public school
auditorfums bys Pupils and the pub
lie and thereby paved the way for
the reopeninE of, these halls, which
have been darkehed fer. more than a
week.
The rules stipuiate that theatrical
performances Involving the use OF
movable scenery be barred; that
scenery and other .infiamlna De mate
rial be removed and that certain re-
ssrictions be placcd ON the seating
capacity. = II ~ihese rules are COM
pied with, 1t was declared. all the
auditoriums With the exception of
that in the ketcharn School would be
safe from fire hazards. Incidentally,
1t was pointed out that the Ketcham
School assembly hall has not been
used for years.
Production of plays in the Central
High School Auditorium IT, restricted
to those for school purposes. This
Will permit the holding Of the spring
plays of the various high schools,
winch are now in preparation.
Draft Follows COpference.,
The recommendations cover the use
OF auditoriums in the normal, senior
and junior high schools. They were
drafted following a conference be-
tween the Commissioners and a spe-
cial committee composed of members
OF the board of education and school
authorities headed by L. e. Graham.
In indoEsing the recommendations the
nd rnF -rk. u 4,
be taken to remedy the faults pointed
out in the school auditoriums.
The recommendation on the use of
the Central High School auditorium,
the largest in any of the schools, and
having "a seating capacity OF 1000.
Except when plays involving the
useA of movable scenery are to be
81 IN. use of the auditorium and gall
lery. ether by the school authori-
Plays Should be given only for school
purposes and then the use of NOV
able scenery should be limited to a
minimurh, under Instructions secured
in advanee from the chief of the fire
department. For such theatrical per-
formante extra fire. guards VIII. in
the discretion of the chief of the fire
department, be provided, but in view
of the limited. personnel of the fire
department. III is desirable to limit TO
these school theatrical performances"
Relattng to Other Schools.
Specific, Recommendations on the
use of OTTER school halls follow.
Eastern-May be used only by
school personnel TO full capacity of
$50: other activities can have no more
than 800 persons.
Shaw Junior High school-School
use permitted up to full seating ca
pacity of 500. Outside organizations
restricted to 500.
Miner Normal Schoo1-Use permit
ted in all respects. excepting the in
PRODUCTION Of scenery. to full seating
Western High School-Use of seem
cry prohibited. Without scenery the
hall may be used to- full capacity of
200, provided moving picture booth is
complied with.
Armstrong. Manual Training School
Continuance OF present use allowed.
Auditorium in gymnasium seating
500; no stage. So.
Rule for Normal Auditorium.
Wilson Normal School-Remove all
scenery from stage and use assembly
Mckinley Manual Training School
Remove scenery; use otherwise un-
restricted. Hall seats 200. platform
too small for Use of scenery.
Dunbar High School-Remove all
scenery from stage, clear away in
flamable material Use then limited
to capacity of Authorization seat
ing 1,025 and gallery $50.
Business High School-Remove all
scenery from stage, thereafter use
limited to seating capacity of $50.
Columbia Junior High School-Use
of scenery prohibited; school use un-
restricted, but outside organizations
permitted up to 800.
Gifts to schools Accepted.
Gifts to the Park View School of
two framed pictures presented by the
Public School Art League, and ap-
paratus for the Franklin Thomson
School playground at the Thomson
School, valued at $3.50, were accepted
by the board The playground ap-
paratus was presented by the Frank
lin-Thomson Home and School Asso-
citation.
A report on the convention Of the
department. of superintendent of the
National Education Association, held
recently in Chicago. was made to the
beard by ;Supt Frank W. Baliou. The
superintendent was elected first vice
president of the department CT super
intendence at the convention.
One of the salient features of the
convention, DR.. Ballou said, was the
exhibition of school architecture.
Plans of several Washington schools
including Central, Park View, Dunbar
and New Eastern, were among those
exhibited.
DR.. Ballou said that in virtually all
sections of the country comprehen-
sive school building programs are
contemplated or are in progress.