Evening star., 1934-02-15


the Winter season.
Many forms Of recreation and edu-
cation have been inaugurated In the
? Civilian Conservation Corps in order
to tighten the monotony of long Win
ter evening and Snowbound days
high in the wind -whistling mountain
ranges Of the United States.
Athletic encounters between teams
from the various barracks in each
& camp are carried on almost daily.
Camp teams then compete against
one another in leagues organized
according to the districts in which
they are located. Later, as teams
win championships in their small
sections. it is possible the best teams
will continue a tournament system
Of competition to select the best
teams in the corps areas and later
for the entire country.
Basket Ball Current Sport.
Basket ball is occupying the stage
at this time in Camp RooSevelt-the
first C. c. c. camp. Games are played
in nearby villages on kind Of COM
mon meeting ground. The school Of
ficials in the nearby town of Edin-
burg, Va. have offered the facilities
of their gymnasiumS for use OF the
adjacent camps on certain nights in
each week In some cases college
players are present in the camps, and
teams are developing which would
make many college teams look to their
laurels
nz,;,,- -.a+char ora daiIy events
Other sports include wrestling and
volley ball. These games are daily
struggles between pickup teams or
inter barracks teams.
Snowfall brings with it the usual
number Of challenges and SNOWFALL"
fights. Forts" are constructed for
these battles.
Indoors there is another type Of
recreation. Ping-pong tables clatter
and rattle to constant wrangling as
champions are made and dethroned
hour by hour. In some camps pianos,
donated by nearby villagers, rattle to
many tunes. Radios are in every rec
reation hail, along with the musical
instruments of the men. These halls
are large buildings with tables, cur
tains, chairs and plenty of reading
material, where the long evenings are
whiled away. Huge f1replaces deco
rate one end of them, where 4foot
logs crackle in competition with howl
ing winds
post Exchange" Busy.
The post exchange" q glorined
crossroads store for the men in the
sc faI iy, he hall
. fourishing business. "Canteen
checks" are issued to each man at
his request and redeemable on pay
day. These are the main medium of
exchange. There Is little money In
the camps.
Profits from the stores are used for
the benefit Of the c. C. C. members.
A camp may realize from 500 to $3.50
monthly from the post exchanges.
These sums are turned over to the
company fund and used for the well
fare Of the men; sometimes for ath-
1etic equipment, sometimes for beer
and skittles.
Libraries are provided each camp.
There are two okinds-permanent and
circulating. The permanent library
consists of scientific books and text
books, which are In constant demand
by the men interested in educational
programs. The circulating library
moves from one camp to another each
month. The recreation halls also are
supplied with daily papers from the
nearby larger cities. Card games.
checkers, chess and other indoor
games are kept busy at all times after
working hours,
Electric lights from self sustaining
plants flicker in FREELY fashion from
end to end of the camps until the
O'Clock curfew, which finds the ma
1ority Of the men already preparing
to "htt the hay" The recreation
halls generally are kept open until
10 o'clock but the majority of lights
go out at 9.
Glasses Hold Sway.
Educational activities have increased
rs the months have slipped by.
In many camps boys with high
school educations predominant. Among
them it has been possible to organize
classes studying commercial law and
kindred subjects which will aid them
in securing positions after they return
to private life.
Languages are taught in camps
where officers are available who have
studied them. Occasionally there are
members of the G. G. G. who have
taught classes
There are no compulsory classes In
the camps, although there is a tacit
agreement in almost all of them that
every lecture given by forest officials
shall be attended by all members of
the camps.
In practically all camps instructors
have eliminated illiteracy. Glasses for
persons unable to read and write have
been in operation for many months
in all camps where they have been en-
rolled, and at Camp Roosevelt four
men have learned how to write.
Other educational classes teach au-
fomobtle construction and radio send
ing and receiving, and other courses
for those Of mechanical bent.
Teachers are being selected now who
will be stationed in each of the camps.
These teachers will have sleeping quar-
ters and class rooms in the camps, and
Will supervise and teach the courses
for which the greatest number Of men
register.