Evening star., 1937-06-27
D. D.C.RECREAT|0NAL c.
PLAN IS UNIFIED
TO START JULY |.
Activities to Be Grouped
Around II Centers by
y New System.
DECENTRAL|ZED PERMIT
SYSTEM TO BE USED
Officials Hope to Point Way to
Economies-Free Swimming
Hours Are Extended.

A new, co-ordinated recreational
program, embracing the Welfare and
Recreational Association, the Dis
trlct Playground and Community Gen.
ter Departments and the National
Capital Parks, will be launched July /.
Grouping activities around II ma jor
recreation centers, following the lines
laid down by the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission, the pro-
gram for the first time will weld the
several agencies into a unified force.
Lewis r. Barrett, co-ordinator of
recreation, said yesterday in announc-
" Ing the plan.
As an experiment, permits will be
Issued for the Taft Recreation Center,
Twentieth and Otis streets northeast :,
Banneker Recreation Center, near
Howard University; Palisades Play
ground. Sherrier and Edmunds places,
and the Takoma Recreation Center,
Fourth and Van Buren, streets, at those
points. Hitherto, they have been pro-
cured for tennis. base ball, soft ball
and horseshoe pitching contests at the
permit Office of the National Capital
Parks, at the Eighteenth street
entrance to the new Interior Depart
ment Building. Officials made it clear
that permits for all other activities in
rl-c
recreation centers mentioned-will
continue to be issued at the permit
Office.
In addition to the modified decen-
tralized permit system, the co-ordi-
nation Of the recreational program all
over the city into harmonious whole
through the cooperation of the
agencies concerned and the extension
Of free swimming hours for children,
oficialS hope that the plan will point
the way to economies.
Commitments to Stand.
Permit commitments made during
the coming season for base ball
leagues will not be disturbed. Barrett
said. Due to the Boy Scout Jamboree,
many recreational facilities in the
Washington Monument grounds and
elsewhere have been temporarily sus-
pended.
The new plan is the outgrowth of
extended deliberations on the part of
the District Recreation Committee, Of
which Frederic A. Delano, chairman of
the National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission, is head. Serving
with him are Commissioner George E.
Allen, Henry I. Quinn, who represents
the Board Of Education, and c. Mar
shall Finnan, superintendent of the
National Capital Parks. A program
Co-ordinating Committee was organ
lied to whip into shape the diversified
program of recreation in Washington
long considered unsatisfactory to the
people as a whole.
Barrett is chairman of the Program
Co-ordinating Committee, and serv-
ing with him are DR., Harvey A. Smith,
assistant superintendent of schools;
DR.. Garnet c. Wilkinson, assistant
superintendent Of schools; Mrs. Eliz-
abeth K. Peoples, director of the Com
munity Center department; Miss Sibyl
Baker, supervisor of the Districts
Fairgrounds; Richard Tennyson, as
sistant supervisor Of Fairgrounds for
the District; Miss Maude N. Parker,
director OF girls and women's activi-
ties OF the District playground depart
ment: Winfree johnson, representing
the Welfare and Recreational Asso-
citation Of Public Buildings and
Grounds, Inc; Edward J. Kelly, ad-
mmistrative assistant to Finnan, rep
resenting the National Capital Parks,
and T. c. Jeffers, representing John
Nolen, jr., director of planning Of
the National Capital Park and Plan
7 ming Commission.
Permits at Grounds.
Under the new plan permits for
the use of tennis courts, base ball dia-
monds and athletic fields located on
junior and senior high school grounds
may be secured from the community
secretary at those grounds, Barrett
said Permits for the use OF other
facilities under the control OF the
Board Of Education may be secured
through the Office of the Community
Center Department at the Franklin
Administration Building
The shops located at the Mac
3arland Junior High School and East
ern High School will be open for
hobby work throughout the Summer,
and trained leaders will be in charge
there.
The major recreation centers at
which the new program will be carried
out are Reno, Georgetown, Takoma
Roosevelt-Macfarland, Johnson Powell
BAnneker, Dunbar, Francis Junior
High School, Mcmillan, Taft, East
srn High School, Brown Young -Phelp.
gin Benning, Hoover, Randall, Anacos.
tia Park, Anacostia and Barry Farms
Playground and Buchanan
In the new program, activities te
BE- included are swimming. physical
activities. including those for chill
dren and adults and the encourag-
ing Of leagues and tournaments, arch
cry, tennis, track, soft ball, base ball
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