Play Centre Reviews Year Of Progress

Chronicle (Levin), 29 September 1949, Page 4

Play Centre Reviews Year Of Progress

A year of progress and happy . co-operation between the parents and the committee, was reported •by the' president' of the Levin Play Centre, Mrs. H. B. Burdekin, in her statement at the annual meeting of the centre yesterday afternoon. The Mayor, Mr. H. B. Burdekin, presided and there was a fair attendance. The occupation of tne Salvation Army Sunday School room had solved a big accommodation worry and the centre was very grateful to the Salvation Army for permitting its use. The Levin Borough Couneil had presented the committee with a. pair of double glass doors and these had been installed by the boys of lite Training Centre, Levin. . Thus a dark room had been turned into a modern, airy and sunny play room for the children. Since moving into the new quarters the number of -children attending had steadily increased. Further equipment, including a slide, had been added, these being made by the boys from. the centre with materials supplied by the committee. With the increase in membership it had been found necessary to increase the number bf assistants, continued Mrs. Burdekin, and now Mrs. .Lovell and Miss Atack, the two senior supervisors, had three assistants, • Mesdam.es Hopkins, Martin and Bryant. Miss ' Colemam, of the Horowhenua College, had allowed two home science ij students to attend the centre on Wednesdays and Fridays for an hour and they. had given valuable serviee. The supervisors and assistant supervisors had attended lectures conducted ■ by the Palmerston North Play " Centre Association. „The annual Cliristmas parfcy had again been a great success and over 30. had attended: A talk on play centre work had been given during the year by Mrs. Somerset, director for the Federation of Nursery Piay Centres, and a very pleasant and instructive evening had resulted. The committee regretted having to raise the fees for attendance of child--ren at the centre, but this had been* necessary as the expenditure exceeded the income; The Levin fees were, neverthlss, still lower than those of other play centres. ' The committee's thanks were due to Mr. C. Wallace and members of the Levin Junior Chamber of Commerce for organising a f ashion para'de, the proceeds of j which were donated to the centre . and would be included in the cur'rent financial year. Thanks were j also due to Mr. E. J. Stanley and i the boys of the Training Centre for their help, the Levin Borough Couneil, the Press and the supervisors. In eonclusion, Mrs. Burdekin ex- , pressed pleasure at the large attendance of mothers at the meet- ' ings and thanked Mrs. Burnham, who had carried on as chairI woman during her absence, the secretary, Mrs. J. Rolston, I treasurer, Mrs. J. Corry, an-d committee, all of whom had given j loyal and willing assistance in the play centre's activities. Supervisor's Review. The job of a supervisor at the Play Centre seemed to combine , the duties . of ' mother, nurse, i teacher, organiser, diplomat and i psychologist, said Mrs. S. Lovell, , one of tne supervisors, in her re- ! port. It was just -over a year ago : since she had caken over the task and she had found it a very busy* I year. However, after a visit to i the demonstration . play centre at ( Kelburn, she and Miss Atack had felt they had something 'io work on and had endeavoured to put the principles used there into practice. The roll for the first term of 1949 had been 54 and there was often as many as 23 on one day. She thought the mother-helper idea was a good one and she hoped the mothers. would continue the wonderful interest they had taken in the centre. It was this support and the happiness which the play centre seemed to bring to the children that made -the job worthwhile. In eonclusion, Mrs. Loveil pai'd tribute to the committee, stating that it was a pleasure to work with members. "W*e have quite a large number oft new and interesting toys, including a train, which seem to take up most of the/ floor space," reported Miss E. Atack, the other supervisor. Dough had been introduced this year and- was quite a popular theme of an afternoon. A table was set up equipped with rolling pins and the children enjoyed this immensely. "Painting is also popular, but so far no one has shown any signs of becoming a Constable or Turner or any other' landscape artist, most being content to cover a pieee of paper with a plentiful supply of paint and leave it at that. House painting has been introduced; perhaps we will fin'd more budding artists in this direction." The supervisor concluded her report with the opinion that the centre had made great progress during the year. Both the above reports were received with pleasure by the meeting. New Officei's. The election of officers followed and resulted: — President: Mrs. H. B. 'Burdekin; secretary: Mrs. 3. Rolston; treasurer: Mrs. J. Corry; committee: Mesdames W. Hdcking, "C. S. Keedwell, N. Tilley, H. Harvejr, W. Neas, H. S. Walkiey, K. Wyness, V. E. Hudson, G. B. Stote-Rlandy, w. Fraser, G. Trotman, R. Antcliff, J. Campion, F. Croot and J. N. D. MacDonal'd. A vote of thanks" was accorded Mr. Hv 'B.- Burdekin for again ta,kirig the chair and for- his continued interest in the centre.