Evening star., 1941-06-12
D. T.. Recreation
Bill Revised
By House Unit
New Draft Creates
Board of Control
Of 7 Members
By JOHN w. THOMPSON.

By JOHN w. THOMPSON.
A House District Subcommittee
today completed rewriting a bill to
establish a recreation board for the
District and planned to report it
to the full committee Monday.
The measure is revised edition
of an earlier bill, calling for es-
tabllShment of nine-member
board, introduced by Chairman
Hunter at the request of the Pres
ident's Committee on District Rec
reation.
Changes made by the subcommit-
tee cut the membership of the pro-
posed board to seven by eliminat-
ing the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission member and
one citizen representative. The bill
now provides for representatives of
the Commissioners, the Board OF
Education, the Office of National
Capital Parks and four citizens to
The subcommittee felt the nine
member board would be too un-
wieldy.
Control Clause Revised.
Today's revamping by the sub
committee in executive session in
cluded elimination of clause leav-
ing control of so-called supple
mentary educational" activities un-
der the Board of Education. The
members replaced this language
with comprehensive definition of
recreation over which the proposed
seven-member board would have
authority.
In addition to such activities as
games and sports, the new draft
gives the recreation board author
ity over arts and crafts, hobby
shops. music. drama. speech, nursery
play, dancing, lectures and forums
for informal discussions. Supt. of
Schools Frank w. Ballou had told
the subcommittee he considered
many of these activities would be
conducted by the School Board be-
cause of their supplementary edu-
cational nature. Clarification of the
responsibilities of the proposed
recreation board had been asked
by the Federation of Citizens Asso-
Citations in anticipation of a conflict
between school officials and the
recreation board.
Funds to Be Merged.
The new draft also provides for
consolidation under the recreation
board of all community center trust
funds into which goes the income
from fees charged for certain ac-
tivities. 1t is understood this would
enable the recreation board toNturn
back into golf courses and tennis
courts, should these come under
the board at the termination of
present leases to private operators,
the fees collected, instead of hav-
ing the money go into the Treas
ury and require specific appro-
priation in the District budget.
Although the bill does not con-
template interference with the out
standing leases, it does authorize
the recreation board to operate golf
courses and tennis courts should
the Parks Office, the lessor, decide
to turn the operation over to the
board when the contracts expire.
Under the new measure the
Recreation Board can enter con-
tractural relationships with the
Commissioners, School Board or
Parks Office for the maintenance of
recreation areas which might be-
long either individually or collec-
lively to these agencies.
Open Meetings Provided.
Another change would incorpo-
rate in the bill provisions for open
meetings similar to that in the law
setting up the Board of Education.
1t is understood the rewritten bill
has been submitted to Thomas S.
Settle, chairman of the Park and
Planning Commission and secretary
of the Presidents Committee, and
has received his informal approval.
Acting Co-ordinatcr of Recreation
Milo F. Christensen has submitted
to Chairman Hunter, at Mr.. Hunt
er's request, an explanation of a
list compiled by high school prin-
cipals of recreation activities cur
tailed at their schools. In some
cases, it was understood, docu-
mentary evidence was presented to
youch for the conduct of some ac-
tivities allegedly discontinued, and
in some others it was explained they
had been transferred to larger
schools nearby, where better facili-
ties existed.