A GAMES CLUB.

White Ribbon, Volume 1, Issue 8, 1 February 1896, Page 3

A GAMES CLUB.

When people come actually to live in a poor street they soon perceive ways, and get incentives, that hitherto escaped them, for doing helpful work. This fact has been, I believe, more than once affirmed by Mr W. T. Stead, and has probably led many to make homes for themselves in the poorer quarters of a city. In our case, however, we were led by other considerations than philanthropy, and had it not been for a happy epicureanism—adapting ourselves to our circumstances that infects 11s, we might easily have dropped into the common habit of looking for comfort in useless laments at our unenviable surroundings. One thing has of late impressed itself upon us, and that is the need of making mere neighbourshio a ground for sociability ano friendliness, h seems to us that the residents of a street should be united, both socially and for effecting improvements in the street; and, with this end n view, we are considering how to form a neighbours' Guild in our street, and how io get a healthy spirit among the boys and girls and young people. With

regard to the adults—always a stiff-necked generation—we have got nothing practical started, and with regard to the juniors, we have simply had recourse to theold time-honoured method of a games club. Any of the boys and girls in the street can join ‘bis club, the total possible being about twenty-five. Our best attendance hitherto has been eighteen, though two or three of these came from a neighbouring street. Our ground is no expense to us, as we use a spot in Hagley Park, distance a few minutes’ walk. Our good fortune in this particular is very noticeable, and it makes one wish everybody were within a few minutes’ walk of a Hagley Park. Our expenses for material have not yet l>ei n large. W e have bought a tennis ball and licrmwed a racquet, and thereby are well equipped for rounders. We bought a broomstick, divided it off in inches, and with the addition of a pit ce of rope find ourselves well provided with tespect to jumping. A well-known firm of builders ga*e us a couple of pieces of timber for vaulting poles, and a young professional carpenter in our street planed them down for us, providing us so well in this respect that several of our girls have already well-defined ambitions in pole-vaulting. The poles also sene for tug-of-war. Our racing consists ot two parts, the first part—a short sprint of sixty yards—forming the opening item of our programme ; while the second part comes laier on, ami comprises running for distance, the space hitherto covered ranging from 300 to 500 yards. We divide our attendants into classes, according to age, for almost every item, and try to arrange handicaps, so that the competitors will end up in a bunch. The firsts and seconds are recorded. With regard to our time of meeting, we finally decided upon 6 am. every Saturday morning. W e shall, of course, have to alter this hour when the football season comes on ; but during the present summer months it is very suitable indeed. The grass is, of course, more or less dewy in the early morning, but we surmount this difficulty by playing in bare feet We have had, of course, to suffer the enevitahle obstacles that proceed from ill will, and from class distinction. Some, very scrupulous in all points of chinch observance, deem themselves too supeiior to mix with the commonality of the street; others, again, members of families, between whom a feud has arisen, refuse to associate; and vet again, some are of opinion that boys and girls should be kept separate —that girls do not require out-of-door sports, and that running and jumping are immodest for girls of fifteen. Of course it was observed at the outset that the main obstacle to the success to the older girls was their style of dress, and this has become so very apparent that suitable clothing is now simply a

matter of money to buy material, and leisure ti make it up. So far, the general effect of the club has been to enlarge, perhaps, the thoughts and sympathies ol the residents in the street, and to help the hoys and girls especially the girls—towards better health. J. R W ilkinson. Christchurch.