Evening star., 1936-06-23
SWIMMING POOL
BRINGS SOCIAL AID
ChiIdren's Entire Outlook on
Life Changed by Sum-
mer FroiiCS.

II a swimming pool could talk, the
pool at the Y w. c. A., GA E street.
would have plenty to say. Its chief
theme would be the happiness 1t af-
forded several hundred children last
Summer and its desire to serve them
again.
It had ben dry for eight years" 1t
would say. What good am I when
I'm dry? I was being used as a re-
ceptacle for old chairs, tables and
broken toys, to be patched up later
for charity distribution at Christmas.
Then things began to stir all OF
sudden. The junk was cleared out
the showers outside my rom we're
fixed up. and began to have ieel-
ing that I was going to work again
for the first time since the Y. w. c.
A, opened a new pool at Seventeenth
and K streets and abandoned me be-
cause there was not enough money to
run both tanks That's the way-the
young. new things get all the breaks.
But 1 wasn't through yet. My
suspicion was confirmed, for the next
I knew was given a thorough scrub
bjng. my basement room was lighted
I'D. and several tons of water began
to flow into me.
BOYS Squeal in Showers.
"One day in the last week of July,
1885. I heard the shower and locker
rooms outside ringing with children's
shouts and whoops and laughter. l
could hear boys squealing in the
showers as if they had not had bath
In weeks. Some of them hadn't. as a
matter of fact. Poor kids, their tene-
ment-like homes had no bath tubs
and as for showers-well. the only
ones many had known we're those on
an outer wall of the Boys Club at 230
c street.
The Red Gross man, Mr.. Gam
mage. blew a whistle and that flock
Of boys came sailing in and Splashed
into me as if they had been shot from
a gun All but few-that is. the
few who did not know how to swim.
Some of them looked pretty pitiful.
can tell you. You could count their
ribs and the ridges in their back
bones and their knees were sort of
wobbly. l don't know much about
social work, except that, in a way, I
was doing it then, but I could read
in those boys bodies a case history
of bad housing in a crowded, hot
neighborhood, Summer after Summer
of inadequate recreation, playing in
the streets in danger of being run
over by automobiles or trucks, tempta-
tions to petty crimes which might
grow dangerous, hazardous dips In
the treacherous, polluted currents of
the Potomac.
About rs boys came in that day.
They came in groups of 25 and each
time it was the same story. Girls
used me the next day and then boys
again, and so on throughout the
Summer
Outlook On Life Changes.
when those children went back to
school, I'm told, their teachers were
astonshed at the improvement. They
we're bigger, brighter and there was all
the difference in the world in thelI
outlook on life. Cramped and distorted
before by the unfortunate economic
circumstances which were forced upor
them, their outlook was entirely re-
modelled by the chance for wholesome
play that was given them when was
opened again.
The boys and girls who didn't
know how to swim were taught, ano
by the time was closed in the Fall
several had won certificates from the
Red Cross.
I'm wondering whether I'm going
to be given the chance to help the
children of this central area again this
Summer. I'm as dry as I was before
that memorable July day last year
The money raised by the Central
Neighborhood Council and The Star
to keep me going was nearly used up
I'm in pretty good condition, though
and less is needed to put me in trim
for swimming days. When The Star
fund has reached about 5000, I'll be
ready for action, but $500 must be
raised if I'm to keep open all Summer
Meanwhile, thank Mrs. Louise H
de Sieyes for a So gift received by
The Star today. Mrs. de Sieyes is a
loyal friend. She gave to last years
fund too"