Evening star., 1939-03-05
Northeast Boys Club
Plans Developed
AT Mass Meeting
Committee Under Rover
To Press for Funds
For New Group

FOR New Group
The first boys club in Northeast
Washington north of Florida avenue
may result from tentative plans laid
at mass meeting last week COM
posed of more than 100 prominent
businessmen and citizens from the
Michigan Park, La Sale Park, Uni
versity Village, Woodbridge and
Brookland areas.
A committee under Craftsmanship
of Leo Rover, former district attor-
ney, was selected at the outset of
the meeting to act as soon as pos
sible towards obtaining necessary
funds, supervision and construction
plans for the club.
According to the trend of opinion
at the meeting last week, the pro-
posed club would be unique in that
the administration would be vested
in the hands of the committee alone,
representing the adjacent neighbor-
hoods.
Turkey Thicket Site.
The site of the undeveloped Turkey
Thicket recreation center, located
on Michigan avenue NE, near Tenth
street, was prominently mentioned
as the probable location of the club.
A building similar to the Palisades
Field House in the Northwest Sec
ton of Washington near Conduit
road was contemplated by the COM
mlttee with the exception that a
gymnasium with complete locker
and shower facilities was deemed a
necessary accessory to the building.
Other facilities the club should
have, in the opinion of leaders in
the movement, include playrooms, a
small auditorium, expert super
vision, complete set of athletic
and educational equipment and out
door Fairgrounds and facilities.
The idea of forming a neighbor-
hood boys club in the section, not
under the authority of municipal
departments, originated February %
when group of small boys from
the Michigan Park section formed
a temporary boxing team and staged
a team match with the team rep
resenting the boys club of the fourth
police precinct.
Father Paul Grace, assistant pas
tor of st. Anthony's Catholic
Church, called the meeting, which
was held in the parish hall of the
church.
Other members of the committee,
along with Mr.. Rover, are Capt.
Sidney Marks of No. II precinct,
vice president; James j. Lynagh,
treasurer; George Heider, secretary,
and Col, Harry Coope, financial sec
retary.
No Affliation Planned.
According to ideas brought forth
at the meeting by experts among
youth and social work. who included
Forrest Benswanger, director of the
Police Boys Clubs in the District.
and j. P. Collins, principal of the
Anacostia High School, the club
would be non-sectarian and affili-
ated with no existing body.
1t was emphasized that the club
would be neighborhood organiza-
ton, restricted to boys residing in
the immediate area; no definite linn
its have been set as to the territory
the proposed club will administer.
Persons attending voiced the be-
lief that funds for the financing of
the club would come from many
different sources. Mr.. Rover said
subscription lists would probably be
circulated throughout the neighbor-
hood in an immediate attempt to
raise funds for the club.
1t was also hoped that appro-
prlations could be obtained from
some of the municipal departments
OF the District to aid in construction
OF the club house and defrayment of
the costs of equipment and super
vision.
Immediate action will probably
consist in a movement to hasten
the construction of a temporary
leld house on the Turkey Thicket
premises to last the summer out and
give the Boys Club Committee time
to get organized. BY fall it is ex-
pected sufficient funds to start con-
struction will have been gathered.
Meeting Tomorrow Night.
Plans call for a close collaboration
between the committee and the Ma
tional Capital Parks. Mr.. Rover said
the part of the Park Commission
would be to develop the Turkey
Thlcket center, at which time the
committee would handle the boys
club assignment.
Mr.. Rover said his committee
would meet tomorrow night to work
out details of the organization and
formation of the club.
John j. Hurley, president of the
Michigan Park Citizens Association,
said juvenile delinquency in the Sec
ton was extremely low and that the
purpose of the club would be to keep
it so.
Technical Endorsement of the club
has been given by the Michigan
Park and Brookland Citizens Asso-
Citations.
Subcommittee assignments and
more complete details are expected
to be worked out later this week.