Evening star., 1939-01-29
New Club for Boys
In Southeast 10
Open Soon
PIons Announced BY
President Of North
RondIe Group

tions, Harry D. Wood, president of
the North Randle Community Citi-
zens' Association, announced yester-
day the association would soon have
the city's newest Boys Club.
The southern half of the block
between E and F streets, AnacoStia
road and Minnesota avenue Sc,
and the cottage on the tract, which
comprises three or four lots, will be
turned over to the association for
the club by the National Capital
Parks Office, G. Marshall Finnan,
superintendent of the parks, had
assured him, Mr.. Wood said.
Equipment Provided.
Playground and sports equipment
is being provided by several anony-
nous private firms and donors, Mr..
Wood said, and arrangements for a
club director and supervisor are
progressing.
Meanwhile, a board of directors
to organize and operate the club
will be elected by the citizens asso-
citation at its next meeting, Febru-
ary 8. Until then committee, be-
ing appointed by Mr.. Wood, is max
ing all arrangements.
One of the first acts of the board,
after the cottage is turned over to
it, Mr.. Wood suggested, will prob
ably be the installation of the basket
ball standards, swings and other
equipment, and possible alterations
on the building by removing un-
necessary partitions to make larger
rooms, which would be more suit
able for games.
Easing a long-felt need, the play
ground equipment of the club will
be thrown open to the children of
the two portable schools which lie
on the other half Of the block and
adjacent to the club during the re-
cess periods, accoding to first plans.
At the present there are no swings,
| slides or other playground facili-
ties on the school playground. de-
spite repeated efforts of the citizens
association to obtain them.
Eligibility Plans.
For the present, only children of
members Of the association probably
will be eligible to join the club, due
to the small size of the building
There will be no membership fee.
Girls nights would be a regular
feature of the club, according to
Mr.. Woods plans, but the club
would be operated primarily for
boys. 1t would be open from the
afternoon closing of school dur
ing the winter months to possibly
8 pm. and all day Saturday. The
schedule would be enlarged during
the summer.
The new club will be the tenth
in the city. four others being op-
Grated by the Boys Club of Wash
ington. Inc. and five being operated
by the Metropolitan Police The
Police Boys Clubs also have a 162-
acre summer camp at Scotland, Md.
where each year several hundred
boys spend one or more healthful
weeks.
Several North Randle boys be-
long to the 100000 Southeast
Branch of the Boys Clubs of Wash
ington, the largest and most COM
plete in the city, but find the club
too far from home to meet their
needs. Others are not able to use
it at all.
Boys clubs have had the unani-
nous Endorsement of civic leaders
since their inception. Mrs. Frank
lin D. Roosevelt, at a recent meet
ing with the Women's Auxiliary OF
the Metropolitan Police Boys Clubs
said:
Help for Youngsters.
The boys club gives youngsters
chance to feel heroic in athletic
competition. 1t gives them the ad-
venture they crave. 1t gives them a
good time 1t is wonderful for
them and their future. And what is
good for their future is good fol-
the future of the entire country
Her statements are borne out by
official police records, which show
that in 1893, before the first police
club was organized, there were 35;
arrests of boy offenders. In 1881
the number had dropped 10 o9.
Frank R. Jelleff, president of the
Boys Club Of Washington, likewise
says if the Nationwide boys club
movement had started 40 or SC
years ago on basis similar to that
Of today" America would never have
known it's public enemies No. L.
Alleged vandalism in Fort Dupont
Park is contributing factor In the
decision of National Capital Parks
officials to turn over the cottage ano
tract for the club, it was reported
The officials, who are whole-heart.
edly behind the plan for the club
are hoping it will direct the boys
energies elsewhere.
Boxing and Wrestling