Evening star., 1940-06-23
Support Urged
For Girls Camp
Fund Campaign
Committee Named
By Commissioners
Makes Report

Support for the campaign for
funds to give needy Washington
girls . chance to 60 to summer
camps was urged yesterday in a
report to the Commissioners by their
Committee on Leisure Time Activi-
ties, which was created some weeks
ago to search for means of expand
Ing girl recreational opportunities.
This was the first formal recon-
mendation submitted for the COM
mittee by Miss Siby! Baker, commit
tee chairman and director of the
Community Center.
The report, filed with Commits
sioner John Russell Young, in de-
scribing the first of three objectives
which 1t declared the city should
seek Immediately, said:
Emphasize the neeo at this time
of making every effort to give girls
the opportunity to go to summer
camps. Those parents whose budgets
can include camp vacation for
daughters are urgently advised to
arrange for this healthfM and char
acter-building activity for their girls.
All who have the welfare OF Wash
ington girls at heart are asked to
assist in the Camp Scholarship Cam
paigp now being conducted. For the
hot summer ahead, each girl should
have at least two weeks in a we'll
organized camp"
Other Objectives Listed.
Two other objectives listed by the
committee were:
Seek solution of the acute need
for additional trained personnel.
This means that funds are needed
to employ workers at public and at
private recreation centers. Various
methods of financing this program
have been proposed. Increases in
the public and in the Community
Chest budgets will be sought
THE Work Projects Administra-
tion now is assigning some workers
who are in training as girl leaders,
but it is recognized that these as
signments lack permanency. The
Lions Clubs have indicated a keen
interest in this aspect of the prob
lem and have given assurance that
they will endeavor to work for a
fund which will employ trained lead
ers. They are especially interested
in the situation in Georgetown. A
subcommittee is making special
study of this problem Of financing
the employment of additional
trained personnel to direct girls ac-
tivities.
Deserves Support Of City.
THE program of building expan-
sion proposed for the Northwest,
Southeast and Southwest Houses
deserves -tlae- hearty support of the
whole CITY," the committee says.
s"At the present time seven private
agencies and the public Recreation
Department are endeavoring to
carry on their program for Negro
girls under the handicaps of insult
ficient space, inadequate facilities
and limited personnel. The $500
girls who are reached (by present
programs) are about Is per cent of
the colored girls between the ages
Of 5 and 20 in the District. In or
der to carry out an adequate recrea-
ton program reaching all who should
be served, improved and increased
facilities are necessary"
The committees study, which was
started by Commissioner Young on
a suggestion for establishing Wash
ington girls clubs, is to be con-
tinued. Miss Baker reported there
was a consensus in the committee
that 1t is not desirable to establish
recreation centers, clubs and the
like which would be assigned exclu-
sively for the use of one group or
another. The report added: 1.-The
Boys Clubs already established in
the city are conducting co-recrea-
tional programs and are offering
facilities for the use of girls at spe-
cited times. The committee is
agreed that community clubs or
youth centers should be established
in every area rather than so-called
girls clubs or boys clubs
Members Of Committee.
Members of the committee, with
Miss Baker, are DR.. Thomas w.
Gosling, Mrs. Mary E. Gatlin, Judge
Fay L. Bentley, Mrs. Ernest H.
Daniel, Mrs. Henry Grattan Doyle,
Mrs. Smith Hempstone. Miss Eliza
beth Howry, John Paul Jones, Ray
Klomparens, Mrs. Frank A. Linzel,
Mrs. c. D. Lowe. Mrs. William C.
McNeill, Capt. Rhoda Milliken, Mrs.
Eleanor Patterson, Mrs. Gabrielle
Pelham, Mrs. Horace J. Phelps, Mrs.
w. A. Roberts, Mrs. Edward Sonne-
born. Mrs. Mary F. Thompson,
James s. Vance and Mrs. William
G. Van Week.