d civic
purposes should be encouraged. The school house belongs to all of the
people, and should be open to all the people upon equal terms,--as civic
centers for the free discussion of all matters relating to local and
city government, and for the non-partisan consideration of all civic
questions; as recreational centers, especially for the younger members
of the community, to include the use of the baths and gymnasiums for
games and sports, and other physical recreations, the use of class-rooms
and halls for music, dramatics, and other recreational activities, and
for more distinct social purposes; as educational centers in which the
more specific educational facilities and equipment may be used by
classes or groups of younger or older people, in any direction which
makes for increased intelligence, and for greater economic and
educational efficiency; as social centers in which the community may
undertake a larger social service in behalf of its members,--stations
from which groups and organizations of social workers may prosecute any
non-partisan and non-sectarian work for the improvement of the social
and economic conditions of the neighborhood, rendering any service which
may help to improve the condition of the homes, giving assistance to the
needy, disseminating information, helping to employment, and in general
affording the community in its organized capacity an opportunity to
serve in a larger measure the needs of the individual members." Here is,
indeed, a broad-gauge social school policy, to which the administrative
authorities of the Cincinnati schools are fully committed.

The movement for social centers in the schools is to be under the
direction of a social secretary appointed by the superintendent. Until
the organization is more highly perfected, principals are free, under
certain restrictions, to open their schools for classes, groups, and all
other legitimate community activities.

Mr. Condon's activities in the direction of socialized school buildings
finds a ready response. "There was already a large use of a number of
the schools for community meetings--for welfare associations, for boys'
and girls' study clubs, and for musical and social gatherings." The
program is a program of extension, rather than of innovation. It has
already won the approval of the citizenship.

Spontaneity must be the soul of such a movement. "It was my strong
conviction that the development of such a social movement shoul