Scouting, Volume 48, Number 7, October 1960 Page: 5
40 p. : ill. ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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The schoolman pointed out that Flint already had ex-
cellent gymnasiums and athletic equipment and even an
occasional pool, but that all of them were dark and tight-
ly locked when the school day ended.
As they discussed the situation, Mauley suggested that
if only the money were available to hire instructors, hun-
dreds of youngsters would be able to play safely under
proper supervision.
Mr. Mott weighed the idea and a few days later gave
$6,000 to the Flint Board of Education to keep five build-
ings open each afternoon and evening from four to nine
o'clock. The trial run of this idea worked so well that a
few school shops were soon opened to give opportunities
for adults, too, many who were men out of work.
Manley and Mott observed and agreed that the chief
needs of people were the facilities with which they could
help themselves. They set up the Mott Foundation with
Frank Manley as its director to work closely with the
Flint Board of Education to help develop educational,
health, and recreational activities for the benefit of the
entire city. Thus, in the midst of the depression, the foun-
dation led the people of Flint to use their schools in help-
ing themselves.
Directors are key men
When a school building is open, some one needs to be
in charge. The spirit of this leader is of great importance,
Manley and others realized right from the start.
In the Flint plan the community school directors are
the key men. These men teachers customarily arrive at
their schools at noon, teach afternoon classes, and then
are in charge of after-school and evening programs in
their schools.
Each director (usually a member of the regular physi-
cal education staff) is carefully selected for leadership
ability, personality, intelligence, education, sincerity, and
enthusiasm. Under the guidance of his school principal
and with the assistance of school staff members and rep-
resentatives of the neighborhood, the director plans the
community program for his school.
Spirit counts
"Any school can become a community school. Mr.
Mott says. "The concept does not rest on the building but
on the spirit of the program and the way the men and
women of the community carry it out."
Years ago, for example, there were five acres of vacant
land in back of Potter School overgrown with weeds and
scrub brush. One evening the community council voted
to turn the area into a park—just like that.
A committee got approval from the city. The following
Saturday the men of the neighborhood and the Boy
Scouts of Troop 187 turned out in force to clear the land.
In the following weeks the Men's Club built picnic tables
and benches in the woodshop while the Women's Club
raised money to buy barbecue grills and playground
equipment. Potter School had a park without one cent of
tax money being spent.
Summertime use
The Flint Journal carries a 12-page section late each
spring entitled "Summer Fun for Everyone in Flint and
(Continued on page 36)
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Boy Scouts of America. Scouting, Volume 48, Number 7, October 1960, periodical, October 1960; New Brunswick, New Jersey. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth329289/m1/7/: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Boy Scouts of America National Scouting Museum.