Chath
am
Blanketeer
Vol. 2
OCTOBER 20, 1934
No. 9
IMMEDIATE NEED
OF RECREATION
Man Must Be Taught To Use New
Leisure Through Program
Of Play
Opportunity Beckoning
However, Only 30 Mill Employees Have Enrolled In Free
Textile School Classes; Courses Should Be Of Great
Value To Everyone Who Wishes To Get Ahead
CLUB HOUSE IS
GIVEN TO GIRLS
Man is conquering the hours of
the day, and is gaining what we
term leisure, and thus we realize
more and more an immediate and
extensive development of a well-
rounded program of play and rec
reation for all of America, regard
less of age, sex, location or social
stratification. "ITiis was the state-
nient of Dr. Harold D. Meyer, pro
fessor of Sociology, University of
North Carolina, speaking to the
Northwestern District Welfare
Conference at the Robert E. Lee
Hotel.
Dr. Meyer presented a 12-point
program, which he urged the con
ference to consider as a working
model for the future. From this
program Dr. Meyer stressed three
important items.
He spoke at the luncheon
meeting of the conference, at
tended by the Kiwanis Club.
Dr. Meyer spoke of “two star
tling and far-reaching statements
regarding the value of play and
recreation” as made by Luther
Gulick, father of modern camp
movement in the United States.
Gulick stated, first, that individ
uality is more completely revealed
in play than in any other way
and, conversely, play has a great
er power in shaping character
than has any other activity; and
second, that a people most truly
reveals itself by the character of
its pleasures and conversely the
manner of its pleasures is the
most character determining force
within a people.
“There is a growing belief that
what Mr. Gulick asserts is funda
mental in our social order,” Dr.
Meyer said. Leisure, he said, is
one of the most valuable products
of modern mechanism and mod
ern social organization. Too
often it is regarded as a negligible
by-product and often it is largely
wasted.
The first item in his 12-point
program presented was a definite
recognition of preventive values
in play and recreation. Chores of
children have practically disap
peared, errands are scarce, and
contemporary life is favorable to
creation of mental disturbances.
Recreation, he said, does have
desirable effect on lessening anti
social activity. Directed play and
recreation transform the ambition
from stealing apples to an ambi-
(Continued On Page Two)
By JOHN SAGAR
If there are any poor, unam
bitious souls in this mill who have
no desire to rise above their pres
ent position, and no hope of any
thing except to earn their bare
daily bread for the rest of their
lives, then they need not read any
further, for they will be wasting
their time. But to those people
who desire to climb and keep on
climbing the news contained in
this article should show them that
the opportunity of a life time is
about to knock at their door—
and don’t forget opportunity
knocks but once. As was an
nounced in the last issue of the
paper, Mr. Benson, with the aid
of Harold Lewis, is about to start
a Textile School for the benefit
of everyone in this mill, the cost
will be exactly nothing, as the
State and Company are bearing
all expenses.
The first class to be held will
be in arithmetic, for those who
were unable to get a good found
ation in this course in their youth.
After this course is over the school
will develop real textile courses,
which will be of inestimable val
ue to everyone in this organiza
tion.
The school will start with 30
members. Meetings are to be held
in the foremen’s room until the
classroom can be built.
So far from the A Shift, these
people have enrolled: T. G.
Gambill, Ray Russell, J. W. Wag
oner, E. D. Wall, John Francis,
T. H. Cockerham, J. B. Hutchins,
J. F. Roberson, Cleat Simmons,
R. G. Burchette, Ford Cothren,
W. O. Key, D. E. Armstrong and
J. H. Myers; from the B shift: C.
H. Layell, Y. B. Johnson, Vernon
Holcomb, Roby Reece, Thurman
Harris, Jonah Lyon, G. R. West,
P. C. Layell, Edgar Haynes, Hor
ace Vestal, Charlie Pardue, H. L.
Martin, Sam Johnson, H. M.
Burcham, Tom Sprinkle and E. T.
Yarboro.
Surely out of the hundreds of
people that work for such a pro
gressive organization as the Chat
ham Manufacturing Company,
there are more than thirty who
realize what a tremendous oppor
tunity is being offered them. Ev
eryone must realize that if they
know just a little more than their
fellow workers, sooner or ^ later
they will be given the opportunity
to fill a high and more respon
sible position.
So let everyone give this their
serious consideration, and if they
should want further information
just ask Harold Lewis and he will
be glad to tell them all about it.
Mrs. Lucy Hanes Chatham Shows
Her Interest In Club By Gift;
Is Now Under Construction
WINS REWARD BY
SUBDUING FIRE
Mr. Neaves Wins Glory And Other
Things By Extinguishing: To
bacco Fire On Winston Road
By ADAM ELAM
One day last week Mr. James
H. Caldwell of Philadelphia and
Mr. W. A. Neaves, our Genera!
Superintendent, were hurrying to
Winston - Salem o n important
business. Upon rounding a curve
in the highway they came sud
denly upon a furiously burning
truck load of leaf tobacco. A
pyramid of flame and sparks
piled with the smoke high into
the air. An elderly farmer from
Wilkes County with two younger
men were frantically but inef
fectively beating at the flames
with their coats and an old quilt,
and yelling for help. Quickly
stopping his car Mr. Neaves with
Mr. Caldwell rushed to the aid
of the panic-stricken men. Seeing
many a day’s supply of “R ’s
Sun Cured” being so unnecessarily
destroyed Mr. Neaves shouted to
the men to throw those blankety-
blank rags away and get some
dirt. Hastily scooping up hands-
ful of soil from the roadside they
soon had the flames extinguished.
,‘Well I never heerd of usin’ dirt
to put out a fire before”, said the
old gentleman from the State of
Wilkes, “but I won’t never fergit
it now.” The men were very
profuse in their thanks for the
timely assistance, and tendered
their “rescuers” their choice of
the many products for which
Wilkes has long been famous. The
fire-fighters were ably assisted by
Mr. Caldwell who held Mr.
Neaves’ coat during the excite
ment.
Mrs. Lucy Hanes Chatham has
again shown her vital interest in
the women and girls of the Chat
ham Manufacturing Company by
the gift of a club house to the
members of the Lucy Hanes Chat
ham Club.
The building is at this moment
under construction and will be
situated amid sylvan surroundings
above the Elkin plant. It will be
a frame structure consisting of a
large living room, a well-equipped
kitchen and, shower room. Parties
and all general meetings of the
Club will take place in this build
ing. Cooking classes will be con
ducted there for members of the
club as well as for the women of
the mill village.
The girls are looking forward
impatiently to the completion
of this club house, as they
are determined to make full use
of it and have a real good time
doing so.
Mrs. Chatham, we are at a loss
to know how to thank you fully
for your kindness. But perhaps
when you notice what good use
your gift will be put to, you will
in a measure understand how
much your generosity is appre
ciated.
MILLS PAINTED
BY THE FOREMEN
During Recent Short Time New
Paint And Thorough Cleaning
Have Made Big Improvement
Let’s go down into the dye
house and see what a difference
the foremen have made during
the recent short time. First we
notice it has been thoroughly
cleaned from the floor to the roof
then comes a perfectly level ce
ment floor in which has been
placed three new dye vats.
We miss the old warp dryer
which has been a sore eye to ev
eryone so long, and now it is at
rest somewhere in the old mill.
All of the machinery has been
painted black and aluminum, and
all steam pipes aluminum, cold
water pipes aluminum, sprinkler
system a bright red, hangers and
pullies are of a battleship grey.
The walls and ceiling are solid
(Continued On Page Two)