Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-10-15


PICktRING
This week. a young woman
who used 10 like 90 dance, and
was very good at il. walked
into -AuhpFAPaanS Office How
would il be she asked. II she
went 20 school in her neigh
horhood and undertook 20 hold
one or TWO dances a week ?
Kids who wanted 20 dance could
20; she'd teach dancing 10 those
who couldn't dance,
That woman il on the right
track. She knows that she liked
10 dance. Therefore, give others
q chance 90 dance
Witherspoon sets a lot Of
store by sports His own three
boys like football Later IN the
year they like skating.
But there are a limited num-
Der Of Kinks. So, why not pro-
vide some more? Wiiherspoon's
brother for example. doesn't
have a very big hack yard, but,
last winter. he flooded II and H.
was bic enough for a rink AT
the kids in the neighborhOOd
skated there. Boys who are
skating aren't getting into trou-
bic f-ug problem is as simple as
that.
Other people have opened mp
their home workshops in the
basement and let the neigt,bor-
hood youngsters use them. Bob
yietig. who has altered Ia help
some of the churches set UP
such workshops, has found that
even the girls in the neighbor-
hood drift In and make trinkets
on the jigsaw or lathe.
The Boy Scouts and Girl
Scouts and kindred organiZa-
tons are swell. First Of ALL the
teen-agerS like them. That's the
most important part OF any OF
these things. Second, members
OF I hese organizations very
rarely become delinquent.
But there's a shortage Of
ScoutmasterS, both men and
women. If you ever belonged 70
either organization - have YOU
thought about volunteering as
a Scoutnaster or assistant
scoutnaSter or forming a new
troop?
Here's another. out In the
Dawson district last wear, the
hoys formed n gang. Presently,
defensive gangs sprang mp. Then
there was warfare. Along with
II came thievery, broken win
dOwS. smashed automobiles and
general wave of malicious
mischief.
From 30 10 40 policemen were
assigned just 10 combat the
gangs.
we couldn't afford 10 send
so men out every time n gang
hght started" WithcrSpoon told
me. I'VE haven't got enough
men. So, we found one man
who liked boys, patrolman
who knew how 10 handle them.
He found some vacant prop
eTty. He got permission from
the owner 10 use IL. The ground
was full of holes, hut the boys
thought they could hll in the
holes and level the field. II was
too big a job. hut thex- thought
II they had a bulldoLer, they
could do IL.
There was housing pro ieCt
near there. | called the nous
ing commission. The same dav
they sent over q bulldoycr and
leVeled the field
Anyway. they've got the
field for "A playground and We
don't have 10 keep 30 police
men up there"
There arc some sample ~
things that can hc done Wf'r-
erSp0on. r-cr as ho approves
Of parks and Playground.
doubts whether we can rst tHa
materials. trc labor or 'hc -up-
erNisors Not right now with
the var on But vacant iotS can
be turned into playrrOlnds n
somebody has The interest 70 go
after them How about YOUR
block? How about YOU dong
~
You don't have 10 Join any
thing. You don't have 10 ask
any committee. II Won cHn think
~ some way 90 give young pe0-
pie some ordinary, interesting
recreation. 90 ahead ami do n.
But we'd like 90 know what
YOU do, because yOu'H have
some new ideas. We'd like %
pass the ideas along 10 others.
or N Won Just copy some one
else's idea, let us know about
that. too.
Ned like 10 be- able 90 tell
the city that Detroit - doing
something % curb delinquency,
not just talking.