The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-09-27
DIR. EDMUNDS
ENDORSES
AnaIizes What Communit,
Service Would Mean to
! Sumter

AS the mdlISIs @Ol d SSoiiiiiu1 1tteS
Service for Sumter is now being
considered by our citizens. it is in
teresting to note the comprehensive
program of community recreation
which was carried on during the
past year, the second in its history,
by the Greenville, S. c., Commun-
ity Service. Three; Fairgrounds
were operated the year around
and also one SKINNER play ground.
all with trained leadership. Among
the playground activities were
Playground Leagues, games and
athletic sports, story telling, folk
dancing. handicraft, sewing. city
wide tennis tournament, picnlcs.
and hikes. Two hundred and sey-
enty volunteers were enlisted for
the community's service through
four training courses as follows:
Play and game institute, song
leaders institute, story tellers' in
stitute, dramatic institute. In hol-
iday celebrations, special pro-
grams were given for Valentine s
day, Washington's birth day, East
er with two egg-rolllng events for
the kiddies: July 4th, Hallowe'-
en-. Armistice. Day and Christmas,
with city community Christmas
tree.
In music s5 twilight organ re-
citals were given, besides music
lectures. community sings. In dra-
MATES the work embraced chill
eIren's neighberhood dramatics, a
players group, and eliminated IN
the magnificent pageant, The
Keowee Trail" with a great cast,
chorus. hand and orchestra. Grow
ing out OF the historical interest
s:roused by the pageant, the His
storial Association of upper South
Carolina was formed.
Among numerous and varied
other activities mention may be
made OF. the formation of a story
tellers' league, assistance rendered
the civic and social clubs in their
recreational programs, the organ
tization OF the Girl Scouts, the giving
of grown-up play parties for the
churches. clubs, neighborhoods and
rural districts, maintenance of a
yseryice bureau that answered S56
out-of.town calls for information
in one month, and cooperation
with the churches. schools and all
the civic agencies.
As so succinctiy stated by DR.. s.
n. Edmunds, the reverea superin-
tedent of Sumter's schools, as well
as the president Of her Y. NJ C..
a. and Rotary Club, the Commun-
ity Service idea is that Of the COM
munity serving itself through its
own recreational committee an6
director. affording opportunity to
all the people for healthful. eX-
pressive play. DIR. Edmunds' let
ter. given us today in response to
a request for his opinion of Com
munity Service for Sumter. will be
read with great interest. 1t, is as
follows:
City Public Schools,
Sumter, S. G.
With all Of her loyal citizens, !
am, of course, interested in any
thing that is for Sumter's welfare.
I have listened with great interest
and much pleasure to what AR.
kluttz has had to say about the
work of Community Service It has
me that Community Ser
vice would be of and for Sumter
and its whole policy would be di-
rected by Sumter men and women.
It has impressed me also that it's
function is not to usurp, but to
not to hamper. but to
In other words, Com
munity Service not only has dis
tinct mission. but every welfare
agency now at work in Sumter
will be stimulated to greater use
fIllness and more effective service
through the presence of Conimun-
ity Service in our city.
have been pre-eminentIy i1n-
pressed with the fact that its chief
pbi PoSS lS ~ ltii1iASlSl " play
instincts of our children and thus
to enable them wholesomely to
spend their hours of leisure. While
this is the outstanding purpose. it
serves at the same time to bring
ali the members of our com1nun-
lty into closer fellowship and great
er friendship.
Since this is SO, it seems very de-
sirable. especially at this time, to
have an institution of this sort
functionins effectively within our
city.
For the sake therefore of the
whole city, especially Of the chill
dren, l trust thar it may be prac-
ticable for US TO procure the ser
vices of an expert who will direct
our minds and purposes into these
activities that scientific experience
has shown are best for conlmuni>
ties like ours.
Cordially submitted.
tSigned) .'S. Fl. Edmunds."
Sept. %. 1922