Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 February 1914 — THE SOCIAL CENTER [ARTICLE]

THE SOCIAL CENTER

Idea Has Come to Stay Says Clarence A. Perry.

Compiler of Russel Sage Foundation Report Declares Actual Results of ’ Work Is Effective in Getting Public Support.

New York. —That the socialj-center idea has come to stay is indicated in a report just compiled by Clarence Arthur Perry of the Russell Sage foundation, New York City. Mr. Perry shows that in places where the movement has already started the rate of growth is much higher than the rate at which it spreads, in new localities. In other words the actual results of the social center are more effective in getting public support than the words of its qaost enthusiastic champions. The work is getting on a more solid basis. Seventy-one cities had, during the winter of 1912-13, paid workers for some form of social-center activity, as opposed to 44 the previous season, and the amount expended in the maintenance of school centers has grown from 1139,535 in 1912 to $324,575 in the past year. There are 1,927 paid workers reported. This, with the volunteer workers, brings the number of persons engaged in social-center direction considerably above the 3,000 mark.

. That the general social and recreational possibilities of the “wider-use-of-the-school-plant” movement are making a constantly greater appeal may be seen from the fact that in 981 schoolhouses there were public entertainments and lectures; in 496 school buildings there were open meetings of adults to discuss local problems; athletics or folk dancing in 474 schools; and social dancing in 190. A notable development of “wider use", in 1912-13 was for election and other civic purposes. Balloting during elections took place in 529 school houses; 259 buildings were used for registering voters, and political rallies to the number of 481 took place in school edifices. Mr. Perry reports great difficulty in

obtaining exact statistics of socialcenter activities. Little uniformity of agreement exists as to what constitutes a social center. Even .the name itself Is not constant —the institution is variously reported as “recreation center,” “civic center," “social and recreation center," “evening center," “community center,” etc. Some cities have social-center activities going on six nights a week; while others open their school buildings once or twice a month.

We should, however, look beyond the mere figures in judging social centers, says Mr. Perry. “Centers of individual growth and reflnment of civic and social integration—that is what these places are, and no system of numerals can ever be devised that will convey an adequate notion of the vitalizing influences which radiate from them.”