CHILDREN'S GAMES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23860, 10 January 1941, Page 10

CHILDREN'S GAMES

.TWO CITY PARKS SUPERVISOR RESIGNS 19 YEARS OF SERVICE After spending the past. 19 years as games supervisor in .Myers Park and Victoria Park, encouraging underprivileged children to play team games and create new interests for them, .Miss Gertrude S. Armstrong has resigned from the post to which the City Council appointed her in December, 1921. She spent yesterday in bidding farewell to her young charges, to many of whom she had for some time been guardian and counsellor. All of them, are children of poorparents. Some of them are children whose mental development makes if difficult for them to play the boisterous games of youth. With iuliiiile patience and understanding, Miss Armstrong has taught them all to adjust themselves, and she said yesterday she felt tho effort of 19 years had not been wasted. Every afternoon during the week and all day on Saturdays and public holidays poor children whose sole playgrounds are Myers or Victoria Park, and whose parents cannot afford to send them to beaches or the country, have sought the friendly guidance of Miss Armstrong. One or two whose mothers were hospital patients for a month or so found shelter at her home. Miss Armstrong said it was astonishing to find how many of Auckland's poorer children did not know how to play games, and interesting _ to see what in Hue nee games had in later years. In spite of poverty, many had made excellent citizens. Miss Armstrong was educated at the Auckland Girls' Gramma; School, where she {rained her diploma for drill and games, as well as first aid, and she went straight from school to join the City Council's service. 'I lie Parks Committee of the council will shortly consider filling the vacancy caused by Miss Armstrong's resignation.