A NEW DEVELOPMENT

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 115, 26 January 1940, Page 7

A NEW DEVELOPMENT

YOUNG PEOPLE'S RECREATION j Recently the Labour Department, through its Youth Centres, conduct- I ed investigations into the leisuretime activities of youths and girls in New Zealand. This inquiry showed a most marked deficiency in hobbies, reading and wholesome social activities. Of the 1157 youths and girls interviewed a large number of them indulged in no wholesome recreative activity whatever. The Physical Welfare and Recreation branch, following on the moral of this report, has made the organising of recreation clubs one of the main planks in its platform. The pioneer effort in this direction is the Boys' Club formed in Invcrcargill by the Southland Recreation Officer. It is reported that already thc physique and health of the boys have shown noticeable improvement. Boys who found themselves with nothing to do in the evenings now occupy their leisure hours with recreation in various forms at the club. The branch does not intend to compete with existing organisations and as every person engaged in social w T elfare knows, there is an unexploitcd field large enough to occupy all the attention that can be brought to bear for years to cony:.