The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1944-01-25


Award Night was celebrated with
q party to the champions at which
time suitable awards were presented
the winners.
Our sixth annual Naugatuck VAL
| Icy Basketball tournament was held
with fifteen teams participating.
Dancing held after Varsity games
! during the year.
| Our regular annual Halloween
and Christmas parties were again
held with large attendance at both.
| weekly motion picture shows
opening in the fall and carried on
into the spring were held with an
average attendance Of about $50
boys. This activity is also open to
| the sisters and younger brothers of
our members and has become a
community program for this age
group.
During the past winter we suffer-
ed a severe break in our f1ltering
system for the swimming pool. An
early freeze caused two valves to
crack belond repair. Application to
the War Production Board brought
quick action in allowing us re-
placements, but the difficulty of OBJ
tanning them held up the operation
of the pool for several months
During this shutdown, we complete
~ reconditioned the filtering system
with new sand and spray equip
ment. Activity in the pool was re-
sumed with real enthusiasm after
the long lay-off.
The Service Club continues to
| offer real assistance in their efforts
at all social events. They are now
organized to conduct their own
| activities as well as assist at club
functions.
After holding up our camp pro-
| gram for one year, we resumed this
activity on a weekend basis at our
old site in Middlebury. One hundred
and twenty boys attended over a
period of six camping sessions. We
| converted the mess hall into a
screened bunk house and built an
outdoor fireplace to do our cook
ing. Real outdoor camping expert
ence was offered because Of these
! conditions. and was thoroughly en-
joyed by the campers. We are very
thankful to the Kelly estate for the
use of their property over these
many years.
The income from our Home De-
partment has helped our financial
situation to a great extent This,
with the assistance Of the Commun-
ity Chest, of which we are a mem
Der agency, has enabled us to make
many needed repairs. Pointing of
our building which began a year
ago has now been completed, box
ing room walls in the basement
have been rebuilt, parts of the roof
was repaired, rooms in the annex
and others in the main building
were papered and painted, the cell
ing of the gymnasium with its
struts and braces received it's first
coat Of paint in about ten years.
Many other small repairs were also
made during the year.
During the past few years, we
carried properties that were financ-
ed through our endowment fund and
were passed on to US during the de-
preston. These have been sold and
we are now relieved of their main
tenance. We have also received in
come from other property that was
willed to us and had not been pro-
ductive for some time. The value of
our endowment can readily De ap-
praised from these examples. Be-
quest made by our good friends
bear fruit in the future and help
greatly to continue our work.
Our personnel situation has had
to undergo many changes during
the year. We found ourselves at
several periods of the year very
short-staffed and resorted to boy