The Community House of soldiers
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Title (Dublin Core)
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The Community House of soldiers
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Article Title and/or Image Caption (Dublin Core)
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Title: The Community House of Soldiers
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Subtitle: An experiment in democracy conducted by several war organizations and financed by the people of Ohio
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extracted text (Extract Text)
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AN army representative of the
highest type of American de-
mocracy cannot be turned out
by military machinery alone. We
have come to regard the contentment
of men in training as vital.
To the American Recreation Associa-
tion, operating in their war work under
the name of War Camp Community
Service, fell a difficult task. Making
sure that the men find available the
best, and only the best, that the
particular community affords, has
been their task. Into more than six
hundred towns and cities the W.C.C.S.
has sent trained workers. In stimu-
lating each community to utilize its
own resources in the most effective
manner, some unique institutions were
evolved.
A Unique Community House
The first Community House was
built at Manhattan, Kansas. The
most interesting one, structurally at
least, is at Chillicothe, Ohio, near Camp
Sherman. It is in the form of a great
Maltese cross. The. people of the
State of Ohio were asked to furnish
the funds for its construction and
equipment.
The Camp Sherman Community
House has become the Mecca of people
from all over the country who come to
be near their sons, husbands, sweet-
hearts, and brothers in the camp.
Here, too, the townspeople mingle
freely with the soldiers; and the com-
munity activities, the musical life of
the town, home talent entertainments,
and social life generally is conducted
on a scale heretofore impossible with
small-town facilities.
An Experiment in Democracy
The lounge, occupying the entire
central space of the building, opens
on one side into the restaurant and
on the other into the auditorium with
its stage extending across one end;
and when these three rooms are thrown
into one, as can be easily accomplished,
their seating capacity is fifteen hun-
dred. A large reading and writing
room occupies the fourth wing of the
house, and from it open women's rest
rooms and small parlors.
Built on the curved driveway lead-
ing from this central building tothe
main thoroughfare, are the other
hostelries of the “community” —each
a model lodge in itself, harmonizing
in color and architecture with the
main structure. These provide sleep-
ing-rooms with baths, writing-rooms,
smoking-rooms, and women’s parlors.
The Community House was an ex-
periment in democracy. The results
are gratifying. There is noticeable be-
tween the officers and men a cordiality
that old-time military authorities
would have declared impossible.
The change in the attitude of com-
manding officers in regard also to
bringing women into the camp en-
vironment is interesting to observe.
A Contribution to Communily Life
It was General Glenn who did most
to hasten the building of the Camp
Sherman House, and to make sure that
every comfort was furnished the fami-
lies of the men coming there. The
Community House means the re-
establishment of the normal social
relations of life for the service men,
and I am sure that every dollar which
Manhattan, Kansas, or Junction City,
or any other town has raised by bond
issue, or the State of Ohio or the
Rotary Club have pledged, will con-
tribute not only to the soldiers’ need,
but to attaining the ideal town life.
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Contributor (Dublin Core)
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Raymond B. Fosdick (Article writer)
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Language (Dublin Core)
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eng
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Date Issued (Dublin Core)
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1919-01
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pages (Bibliographic Ontology)
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47
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Rights (Dublin Core)
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Public domain (Google digitized)
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Archived by (Dublin Core)
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Davide Donà
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Marco Bortolami (editor)
Popular Science Monthly, v. 94, n. 1, 1919
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