VOL. XXII. No. 2

Gifts for Boys' Work.-Harry E. Burroughs, founder and sponsor of the Newsboys' Foundation, Boston, has bought the former Elks' Home on Sumner Street, Beacon Hill, Boston, for $200,000. It is expected that this building will be used by some 4,000 boys. Mr. Burroughs has set aside $100,000 additional to provide for the carrying out of the educational program of the Newsboys' Foundation.

The Boys' Club of Bridgeport will receive approximately $33,000 under the will of Mrs. Clara Louise Baker of Bridgeport. Frederick D. Baker of the same family has previously bequeathed $15,000 to the club.

Mrs. Kenneth F. Wood of Pawtucket, R. I., has recently financed the improvements made in the swimming pool and natatorium at a cost of more than $25,000.

The number of men and women making large gifts for the boys and girls of America is increasing.

For the Boys of Pittsfield, Massachusetts. -In honor of the late Zenas Crane of Dalton, Mass., his son, Z. Marshall Crane, has given $150,000 for an addition to the Zenas Crane Memorial building, which houses the Pittsfield Boys' Club. The new building, which was dedicated on March 16th, contains a swimming pool 75 feet long and 35 feet wide and an auditorium. which seats 668 people.

A Bequest for a Band.-The will of Charles A. Jones of Keene, New Hampshire, provides $1,000 for a municipal band.

Joseph Lee Honored.-In celebration of the opening of the one hundredth playground in the city of Boston, and to honor Joseph Lee, President of the P. R. A. A., and formerly a member of the Boston School Committee, a dinner was given on March 12th by the playground workers.

MAY, 1928

More than 250 people attended. Miss Julia Murphy, Supervisor of Playgrounds, was in charge of the program and Frederic J. O'Brien, Associate Director of Physical Education of the Boston School, was the toastmaster. Dennis McCarthy read a poem which he had written for the

occasion.

Hamilton Receives More Play Space.-As a Christmas gift to Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, C. S. Wilcox has given to the Playground Association a piece of property necessary for the extension of the Wilcox Playground, previously given the city by Mr. Wilcox. The value of the property is $2,400; of the original playground $3,400.

Following the announcement of this gift, two friends of the Association each offered $500 toward the installation of a wading pool on the playground.

A Memorial Community House in Salem, Ohio. Some time previous to 1919 W. H. Mullins of Mullins Body Corporation, Salem, Ohio, donated to the citizens of the town a site for a memorial community house and $100,000 for its erection. Because of the high price of labor and material, the building was not constructed at that time but in 1922 interest in the project was revived and the community house-a memorial to the veterans of the World War-became a reality in 1923.

Five years later, in 1928, the house is reported to be filling an increasingly important place in the community and giving recreational leadership in the community at large. The director of the community house was recently instrumental in securing the building with two tennis courts in the city park by the Kiwanis Club and in arranging the community Christmas celebration. A gift of two acres near the memorial building for playground purposes was recently made by the donor of the building. This property is valued at $5,000.

Bozeman Benefits by Gift of Building.The first recreation center of Bozeman, Montana, a community of about 6,200 people, has been made possible through the generosity of Mrs. E. Broox Martin, in presenting to the city a building at Beall Park. The dedication exercises were particularly interesting through the presence not only of Mrs. Martin, who made the presentation speech, but of Mrs. W. J. Beall, whose home-the site of the new building-for many years occupied the block of ground now used as a park and playground. Tribute was paid Mr. Ottinger Romney and Miss Eva Pack of the Montana State College and former members of the Salt Lake Recreation Department for their part in making the recreation program possible.

Old Farm Becomes Park.-George Detweiler, a resident of Peoria, Illinois, has recently given the city for park purposes the old Detweiler farm of about 200 acres containing the most beautiful hills, vales and brooks in that part of the city. From the hills the ground slopes down across about a half mile of level fields to the banks of the Illinois River. The old Detweiler homestead, a fine type of southern colonial architecture, occupies a splendid location at the end of a long driveway back into the property. For eighty or eighty-five years it was a center of hospitality and a famous landmark. This beautiful

old mansion will be preserved as a museum of pioneer days, remodeled to provide necessary

facilities.

The Commonwealth Fund Reports.-The expenditure of $1,100,000 last year by the Commonwealth Fund in an effort to improve the physical and mental health of the American children is described in the ninth annual report of the General Director, Barry C. Smith, which has just appeared. The report tells of the health work demonstrations which have been conducted, of the support given child welfare and health work in Austria, of the development of child guidance clinics and of visiting teacher work in public schools, of educational research activities and of the development of rural hospitals. Copies may be secured from the Commonwealth Fund, 1 East 57th Street, New York City.

A New Service.-Berkeley, Cal., has just published a leaflet entitled, "Where Will You Spend Your Vacation?" It lists and describes in detail all the camps in that vicinity under the supervision and control of the Recreation Depart

ment.

Traveling Playgrounds.-Chelsea, Mass., is having made swings on wheels which, together with small teeters and other apparatus, including

slides, will be moved from street to street-5 sets will cover the town. Streets are roped off on regular time schedule and supervisors move about. with apparatus, thus affording playgrounds for all the small children who do not attend scattered playgrounds.

Clubs Develop Program.-Mr. Roy Schlenter of Plainfield, N. J., has an interesting development in handling his program in the form of clubs. He has a Golf Club, Lawn Bowl Club, and Cricture and Nature Club. The clubs are virtually autonomous and self-sustaining; they elect their own officers and plan their own programs.

The advantage of this is that with a minimum. of time there is a maximum of program in these activities.

More Facilities for West Orange, N. J.Approval has been secured for a $25,000 recreation shelter house on the Lafayette Playground; for $18,000 for the preparation and equipment of the Jenkins Playground and for the purchase of 31⁄2 acres at a cost of $30,000, for the Woodhull Playground. (This was part of a new development and in a neighborhood where building lots. are worth from $3,000 to $5,000.) Four new concrete courts will be put in at Colgate Playground.

New York University Opens Summer School. The 1928 Summer School at New York University, with thirty-four years' expe-" rience behind it, offers many inducements to the student who is seriously interested in the learning process. Four hundred and two courses in fortyeight different subject groups, presented by a faculty of two hundred and sixty-one specialists. will be offered from Monday, July 9th, until Friday, August 17th.

Work will be given largely at the Washington Square Center of the University, which possesses facilities for 15,000 students. Courses in Physical Education at camp site Lake Sebago, near Bear Mountain, N. Y., and Education courses at Oswego and Chautauqua will be offered. There will be a special course in educational play production under Professor Somerville, conductor of the Washington Square College Players, and a practical course in Journalism for High School.

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The Allegheny School of Natural History. -The New York State Museum and the Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences in cooperation with the Allegheny State Park Commission has announced the second season of the School of Natural History to be held from July 9 to August 25. The school is located within the Allegheny State Park at a point accessible from Bradford, Pennsylvania, eight miles away, and from Salamanca, New York, about twenty miles from the school. Special buildings have been erected for the school, including a small outdoor museum. Courses will be offered in field zoology, field botany, field geology, natural history of birds and nature study. Inquiries should be addressed to registration office, Allegheny School of Natural History, New York State Museum, Albany, New York.

A Training Course for Industrial Recreation Leaders.-The Los Angeles Playground and Recreation Department recently conducted a training course, designed to develop leaders capable of carrying on program activities within industrial firms. In connection with these courses, the Red Cross provided specialists for a series of lectures on nutrition and diet, personal hygiene and personal aid. The Physical Education Department of the University of California assigned members of its staff to give talks and demonstrations on phases of the recreation program.

A Playground Handbook.-In the new edition of "Rules and Regulations," governing the operation of the municipal playgrounds maintained by the Chicago Bureau of Parks, Playgrounds and Bathing Beaches, the Bureau has issued a most useful handbook for playground workers. In addition to the instructions to workers on the subject of report blanks, duties and similar matters, there is a suggested program of special activities for each month of the year. Another helpful and practical section is that dealing with suggested events which may be promoted in each playground at the option of the director. These events are outlined in some detail. The directions are given for playing a number of games such as modified soccer, football, touch ball and others.

Recreation workers will find this booklet exceedingly helpful and it is suggested that any one desiring a copy write Theo. A. Gross, Superintendent of Playgrounds, Room 1004, City Hall, Chicago, Illinois.