ithout any special equipment. The main point is the growth of community
ideals and a willingness to work together to attain them.

The plan should be the result of careful study of community needs by the
social survey method, and a more or less definite program of constructive
propositions to work out as conditions allow. It may be a thorough-going
plan from the start, or a gradual growth as the vision enlarges; in any
case it should embody and stimulate the community desire for progress. The
first result of such a community effort will be a natural reaction on the
local institutions, tending to encourage them and help them to function
normally; bringing a finer spirit of cooperation into the church, new
efficiency into the school and a revival of responsibility in many homes.
The beautifying of public and private grounds, the establishing of play
grounds and possibly a lecture or entertainment course, the stimulating of
the local social life in an infinite variety of ways, will be suggested in
detail by the local needs.

_The Gospel of Organized Play_

"A new gospel of the recreative life needs to be proclaimed in the
country," says J. R. Boardman. "Rural America must be compelled to play.
It has, to a degree, toiled itself into deformity, disease, depravity and
depression. Its long hours of drudgery, its jealousy of every moment of
daylight, its scorn of leisure and of pleasure, must give way to shorter
hours of labor, occasional periods of complete relaxation and
wholehearted participation in wholesome plays, picnics, festivals, games
and other recreative amusements. Better health, greater satisfaction and a
richer life wait on the wise development of this recreative ideal."[27]

[Illustration: A game of stone hustle at a one-room school two miles from
railroad; the teacher and boys and girls of all ages participating.]

[Illustration: One of the leaders' corps at work during recess time.]

[Illustration: London Bridge and graded games. Home-made bean-bags and
balls help give expression to the spirit of cooperation.]

[Illustration: The county committee of the Orange County, N. Y.,
Associations is cooperating with the public schools for play on the school
grounds. Bullying, fist fights and bad manners have given way to the
spirit of courage, endurance, chivalry and helpfulness.]

Very slowly people in the country are coming to believe that play is a
necessity, not merely a luxury, for children and that it