The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1934-01-23
Sanction To Alter.
Building Given At
Meeting Last Night
Youngsters Lobby and Recreation Room to Be Placed
on First Floor - Annual Report Reveals First
Deficit in 40 Years.. S. Chase Is President


along this very desirable change.
To me It offers a big thing to the
Boys Club and feel that 1t can
not be delayed too long. We
need this change and 1t will offer
a great deal more Of a club-like
atmosphere to our boys. 1t will
eliminate the dark and gloomy pas
sage between our two buildings
numerous people to stay away from
our affairs. All in ali It will help
to make us q modern building and
allow us to offer to our boys equal
ly desirable quarters as can be Of
fered by others.
We opened the new term with a
local man as our physical director.
He was selected because Of his
great experience in athletics and
his popularity throughout the
state. Indications point to a very
successful year and real interest
among the boys for their leader.
AS have stated before, the ply
steal director is the handspring of
the activities and around him
Is built the greater part Of the
work. He has inaugurated an
every day program for all boys
allowing them swimming privileges
on days that they are not on the
class work.
With the new arrangement
hoped for in our layout, we will
increase our space for boys work.
1t will provide better locker and
dressing room facilities and easier
control of the groups. We hope
for basket system to take care
of numerous smaller boys groups
and thus insure better protection
for the boys-this being much
less expensive arrangement than
providing new lockers for this
group.
The large numbers that travel
up and down stairs to and from
the locker rooms and the constant
scuffing of feet has worn the back
staring considerably. We are
installing new safety stair treads
with the desire to Withstand this
wearing traffic.
During the year we were FORUM
ate in obtaining the services OF
very able leather finisher
at little cost to US. He recovered
all of the rings used in the gym,
repaired the other leather appara-
tus and did considerable repairing
of the mats. We found 1t neces-
sary to do considerable patching
Of the gym floor and hope that
sometime in the future we will be
able to lay an entire new floor on
the gym. The hot water tank was
entirely emptied and scraped be-
cause OF the sediment and corro-
sion In the tank.
Our week end camp situated on
my property in Cheshire has had
very successful year. Under the
leadership of older boys these boys
spent their time playing tennis,
pitching horseshoes, hiking, SWIM
ming and in other ways. The ten
mis- cou..t was in first class condi-
ton and provided excellent times
all through the playing season.
AS can be seen from my opening
paragraph we have felt the depres-
sion to a greater extent this year
than the previous years. 1t caused
us to be exceptionally careful in
all our expenditures, but various
repairs and work was entirely nee
essary. Several rooms in the annex
had to be painted and papered, q
small roof over the gym entrance
had to be recovered, our elevator
and kitchen equipment needed re-
pairing, oil burners have had sew
eral pa s. replaced to give proper
satisfaction. We had to replace
linens, dishes new vacuum
cleaner and meat slicer were pur-
chased. For the lounge room we
purchased writing desk from
equipment sold by a closed local
hotel. The fire marshal on his in
spection thought 1t necessary to
install exit lights in the dormitory
and gymnasium and this was done.
To keep expenses down we used
one of our men to paint the win
dow frames and all wood structure
on the Inside of our main build
ing. All the windows were puttied
and repaired and put in first-class
condition. This ought to keep them
In shape for some years to come.
When the presidents call came
to help carry out a program of
recovery. we enlisted in his ma
tional recovery setup. Our kitchen
and dining room personnel had
been curtailed because of necessity
and the decrease in revenue from
this source and 1t required us to
shorten hours of these people and
add another to our help in this
department. This department has
always carried itself and was one
of the real sources OF revenue to
! the club. Our policy of offering
both board and room to our guests
kept our kitchen and dining room
running to capacity, but with the
necessity OF Offering rooms without
board our revenue from this de-
partment has decreased. But 1t has
shown its value because 1t has pro-
Vded board for all kitchen help
and before we flew the Blue