Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1953-07-09
Suffer Little Children


Rockville indeed is fortunate community The youth
OF this community has the advantage of excellent tennis
courts that among the best the East coast an inter-
ested tennis champ who is willing to devote his time
teaching the small fry and from time time brings the
really great of tennis here to teach and demonstrate their
techniques.
The outstanding thing of the setup is not that this
service is given the chldren-and the adus-of the
muny without tax fees but that the idea is just
provide fun for the kids and not to combat juvenile den-
quency.
Every recreatona feature that is put forth nowadays
carries the tag of combating juvenile delinquency until
to the belief that the whole world is made up of uve-
nile denquents instead of just boys and girls who want to
play and have fun.
Of course there are delinquents There always have
been and is very likely that in complex civilization
there always will be but this does not justify tagging every
kid who wants to play with being delinquent.
The fathers and mothers of today remember they
will that they not always paragons Of department in
those happy days of childhood If they don't want
to know them-because perfect people such a bore
Organized recreation with every step of the way laid
out by paid organizers and kid expected to fall into
set pattern appears to be the order of the day but still
remember those happy days when did things the way
wanted to do them just for fun and not because the rules
said this is how it is done.
1t is because of this trend toward organized recreation
that we feel the Barney Welsh system is refreshing.
The program is operated with minimum of effort and
without cost to the town and for the sole purpose pro-
tennis courts and baseball diamond provided The ball
diamond is the property of William Pate and has been
used by children for years.
The tennis courts have existed for many years and have
been played by members of the Davis Cup team National
champions and the best players of the Middle Atlantic sec
ton and all have been willing pass their lore to the
small fry and even adults of the community.
Rackets and balls provided for the children without
cost and hardly day that adult fails to pass
on his tennis learning to the children
In turn the children for the courts themselves
learning unconscousy the lesson that men must provide the
things they want through labor The children not only
tennis but how to shovels picks saws hammers splice
wire and generally take of tennis court They also
take care of the ball diamond lot
Who say what future benefit to the yards of Rock
vile may not from these kids acquiring knowledge of
how to weed and TRIM fertze and for the Some
of the kids would do credit themselves in pro-
fessional capacity.
One court is named Blood and Sweat" another Tears
and Toll and the children learn that these quotations are
from Churchill in the great moment of the British Empire
They call the grass court: 'Od Sour Grass"
And over the entrance is the quotation from Kplng
IF meet with triumph and disaster and treat these
two imposters just the same"
craftsmanship and the thrill of making the play the
thing instead of just winning these kids in their
play.
Only three rules enforced Players must wear ten
mis- shoes to preserve the courts players must the
traditional white dress and dogs not permitted the last
to protect the lovely old English box bushes.
Children of each generation learn curb their natura
to respect the premises the game of tennis
and themselves 1t surely is coincidence that there has
never been an incident of vandalism, on Halloween
for what child could harm that which he has learned tc
love?
Rockville should be proud of its unofficial play ground
and give heartfelt thanks to those who have given unstnt
ngy to the children of the community obedience to the
words of the Master:
Suffer Little Children -"