Evening star., 1936-07-12

which Is soon to celebrate its twenty,
FIRST year of existence.
1t was Mr.. Quinn's idea that at six
OF these centers, three for white and
as many for colored, clubs for young
people should be established, chiefly
for the benefit Of those who have
gone forth from school and are not
yet employed. The outlay in money
has been a modest one, but the gain
in civic welfare immeasurable. In
certain instances. the principals and
faculties of the school buildings, where
they have been located, have volun-
teered their own services in a super
visory capacity. Two notable exam.
Piles of this are at the white MacFar-
land Junior High School and at the
colored Terrill and Randall Junior
High Schools.
Mr.. q. S. Wormley principal of the
Randall Junior High School in the
southwest section of our city, whom
Mrs. Peoples considers a real leader
among his people, has. in her opinion,
correctly stated the situation in re-
gard to such a club in this statement.
1T Is true, the wear and tear upon.
the building has been considerable,
but the moral upbuilding and civic
consciousness engendered by these
clubs are beyond our power to measure
them"
Similarly has very high grade Of
excellence been attained among such
colored Community Center clubs and
groups as those located at the Birney,
Burrsville, Deanwood, Dunbar Senior
High, Francis. Garfield and Garnet
Patterson Schools.
Many Centers Operate.
Among the white Community Gen.
ters, where neighborhood activities
for boys and girls and adults of both
sexes have been very successful are
those at the following schools: Cen
tral Senior High. Chevy Chase. Powell
Junior High, Eastern Senior High.
Gordon Junior High, Mckinley Senior
High, Langley, MacFarland Junior
High. Park View, Paul Junior High.
Roosevelt Senior High, Hine Junior
High and Buchanan.
During the last three depression"
years the Community Center Depart
ment is one of the public agencies
which has had assigned to its prof.
ects numerous workers under c. w. A.,
F. E. R. A. and w. P. A. administra-
tions of funds. Believing, however.
that projects for the unemployed
gain in usefulness when they are not
so labelled, for thereby is class con-
sciousneSs obviated among those who
find it necessary to receive them, the
community centers have so mott.
waited their endeavors that those re-
ceiving subsistence compensation were
not so stigmatiZed.
The director of the community CEN
ter's theme song is, The modern school
plant is natural recreational center
because of its gymnasium and its as
sembly hall with its piano, its stage,
its moving picture equipment and its
movable furniture" Her dream is
for a budget sufficiently large to per.
NIT of the establishment of a COM
munity center adjunct in a central
location in every section of our city
within walking distance of its homes.
1t also is Director Peoples belief
that the work of the community CEN
ter is constantly growing in the pub.
lie mind as an increasingly valuable
part of the educational work of the
public school system, but it is her
personal conviction that its name
would be more truly indicative Of the
scope of its work if it we're changed
to that of Recreational Extension
Service. One of her tenets is, "Edu.
cation and recreation should 60 hand
in hand, conviction which is being
more and more generally adopted by
the educational world in general, for
| it is possible to so plan recreation
| that it can be purposeful without los
| ing its chief and primary function,
and so fulfill that old slogan, There
! is work that is play and q play
that is work"
AS I sat one day this last week at
| Director Peoples desk on the top
most floor of the old Franklin School
Building, with the chimes from near
by Epiphany coming in sweet and
clear upon an Office that had been
the class room where both Of us had
received a portion of our training in
the old Wilson Normal School of our
girlhood days, said. Granted your
enthusiasm, aren't there any limita-
tions to this community center
| work? Yes" came her instant reply,
but only those consistent with ones
physical limitations and the number
Of hours in a working program" Still
I queried, Well, doesn't it ever be.
( come an old or a trite story?" Her
/ mo" couldn have been a more em-