Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1923-08-24
High School Boys Are Sadly in
Need of Place TO Keep
Them Off Streets.
FOOTBALL IS COSTLY SPORT
Basket ball VIII More Than
Pay Its Way.
NO PLACE FOR BASKET BALL
Superintendent Curtis Points Out How
a Gymnasium Can be Secured
For shoshone at
Small Cost.

or not the people of Shoshone desire
to provide some sort of gymnasium
for their high school. If they do it is.
Of course. obvious that operations
should be begun soon. This letter is
written in the hope that you will
ascertain. so far as possible, what
public sentiment is at this time in
the matter of supplying the much
needed room for basket ball and other
indoor high school recreational aetivi-
ties.
In brief, the situation as I see it
is as follows:
We attempt to play football for
two months in the fall. The sport
is costly. the townspeop1e cannot
leave their business in large numbers
to attend the games. and the enroll
ment of boys cannot be sufficient to
insure large interest and reasonable
success year after year in the sport.
From Thanksgiving on, when the
evenings are long. the boys have no
gathering place after four o'clock ex-
cent the streets II is more difficult
under such circumstances to main
tain the healthy interest in school,
but more Important still considerable
opportunities for fine social and
moral training are lost to the school.
Basket ball is form Of sport par
ticularly adapted to the small high
school Championships of wide areas
have been won by tiny high schools,
for example, Weston in southeastern
Idaho with a high school believe, Of
about fifty pupils. The sport is pop
ular with the citizens who can attend
games played in the evening. It is
self-supporting, or even assists in the
other lines of athletics. shoshone
formerly had high grade basket bali
teams. both boys and girls.
A canvass Of the town seems to
have proved that there is no build
ing which can be made over for
gymnasium. We must build or go
without
Assuming that the people OF Sho-
shone want a modest gymnasium, how
can its construction be brought about?
Four or five thousand dollars would
erect a suitable place. The trustees,
apparently, cannot appropriate this
amount from taxes, for though the
district has not a high tax rate for
schools. it is necessary to obtain the
consent Of the State Board Of Edu-
cation for any levy over ten mills
The sum needed Is too large to raise
by subscription, probably Bonds for
$1,000 would not impose an extortion-
ate burden on the district; but could
an issue be carried when the people
everywhere are frowning on expen-
diture in general and bond issues
particular? It is not for me to urge
even THIS slight bond issue; only
hone some one will see way to
solve the problem, for the need 3
yery great.
r. the main problem Of finance were
iettIed in the near future believe
hat the high school itself cou'd fur
fish real assistance in erecting the
,uiIding IN time for basket ball this
winter would propose 10 the stu
ents that football be dispensed with
on this year This would save st
.ast 500 000-probobiy considerably
iore to the school; then 7 would ask
be boys 10 work Oh fhe building 20
elD fhe mechanics on Saturdays and
ffer school hours The girls N The
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