Letter, Bertha Rhodes to Franklin Roosevelt

acad 6/4/29 6108 Pine Ave., Maywood, California. May 29th, 1934. President Franklin D. Roosevelt Washington, D.C. Dear Mr. President: I wish to bring to your atten- tion what seems to me a most serious menace to our children. At a time when our Government is legislating and fighting against banditry and kidnaping, Movie, Radio and Funnies vividly pic- ture these crimes, and, working upon the emotions of the children, leave impressions and suggestions which will lead to untold harm. The enclosed clip- ping is from one of our best funnies. I am enclosing a folder of the Play Right Club, a mass movement among children for right and fair play and against the playing of crime. Respectfully and sincerely yours, Bertha m. Phodes Zos Angeles Times MAY 28, 1934.-[PART П.] 11 GASOLINE ALLEY Propositioned By King HAVEN'T NOT A THING, DOGNAPPED YOU GOOTCH, SINCE YOU MEAN. IT'S A IF U WANT 2 GET YOUR HEARD CORKY SAW HIM LOOK! NOTE OR DOG PAL BACK ALIVE ANYTHING BEIN' KIDNAPPED. WHAT'S A MESSAGE PUT $2.50 IN A TIN CAN OF PAL THAT? OR SOMETHING. UNDER THE SHACK BY YET, WED. NITE. SKEEZIX! Sali King- 6-29 Reg. U.S. Pat. Off. Copyright, 1934, by The Chicago Tribune. PLAY RIGHT CLUB UCH is being done these days to played circus, band, school. He expended M promote playgrounds, vacation his energy sliding down the hay mow, outings, and improved condi- skating, hiking, fishing. Wide spaces and tions on the streets where the freedom were his. Today the child in the average city child necessarily spends many city has practically no place for free ac- hours. But even with these great im- tivity. He must consider windows, cars, provements in physical surroundings, the autos, lawns, unsympathetic landlords, fact is unescapable that this is only a and the policeman. Under these changed part of the play problem of today. This conditions children still reproduce their is the external side. The P.R.C. (Play- environment as they perceive it. And Right Club) approaches the need of both what is it they see? Movies picture crime; the child and the city from another view- newspaper headlines announce more point. The ideals and the spirit of P.R.C. crime; but yesterday the radio was broad- are furnishing better children for the play- casting a comic song about Jesse James grounds and open spaces allotted to them. holding up the biggest bank in town; All our large cities need better people to highly colored funnies resort to portrayal live in them, and the P.R.C. begins with of kidnapping, dishonesty, forgery, un- the hearts and the minds of the children. happy home life. The child of today is The P.R.C. movement embraces a familiar with these things. system of children's play clubs, primarily Let me illustrate. Two brothers, six designed to meet the needs of children of and eight, were considered the fighters of urban communities. The immediate op- a not overly peaceful neighborhood. One portunity for the working out of the plan day the younger child said, "Mother why was provided by the Chicago Congrega- is it that the bad man has so many people, tional Missionary and Extension Society, and the good man SO few?" When asked which looks forward to its spreading into just what the child meant, the mother whatever communities might be benefited explained, "Billy goes to the movies. He by it, without regard to creed, politics, knows all about crime, runs away from or race, providing only that the P.R.C. the policeman and is afraid of the kid- name and character be preserved and nappers. Just lately, since attending the maintained. P.R.C., he hears a different kind of story The traditional life of America was ex- and wonders why there isn't more of good pressed in the play of a generation ago. in real life." Surely it remains for those The child reproduced his environment. working with children to build up a con- He was the father going to work, the ception of better things in the child's mother caring for her children, the minis- mind. ter, doctor-and in larger groups the child My first idea was to tell stories to chil- dren which would counteract the wrong sion in mind when he wrote the following: concepts of characters which children love "Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; to impersonate and thus lead them to bet- and the streets of the city shall be ter ideals and more constructive play. It full of boys and girls playing in the streets was found, upon questioning them, that thereof." younger children consider the policeman P.R.C. Mothers and Parents' groups a man to be teased and at the same time stand ready to provide play ideals and dodged, who makes his living by arresting interests for the children, and also to pro- people and making them pay him money. vide worth-while social life for adults, At our first meeting the story of a police- based upon faith in one another, friend- man was told. At the completion of the ship, and co-operation. Their watchword story a boy exclaimed, "That policeman is "Altogether." was a real helper." The children wished P.R.C. consists of regular groups, cor- to be helpers also. It was decided to or- relating groups, such as Chicago Boys' ganize a club, and the name "Play-Right Club, P.R.C., co-operating groups. A Club" was chosen by the children with single helper is a P.R.C. star. the explanation that they were going to "play things right." The club therefore MOTTO became the P.R.C. Right playing leads to right thinking; In the P.R.C. the idea of fair play takes Right thinking leads to right doing; equal precedence in the child's mind with Right doing leads to right living; right play. Children learn quickly to carry Right living brings health, friends, success this idea from one situation to another. A and happiness. child of three talking with her playmates AIM said, "The paper man did not play fair with my father. He left a paper with part Our aim is good and happy neighbor- of the pictures torn out." Then laughing hood play for every child. to herself, "I guess Miss Rhodes wouldn't SLOGAN cheat." The Game's the Thing. The threefold purpose of the P.R.C. 1. We will obey the rules of the game. may be stated as: (1) The teaching of 2. We will play fair. ideals through stories which will build up 3. We will not quit playing when we be- the child's confidence and faith in people gin to lose. and in the world in which he lives-stories 4. We will not play for money; we will with a religious background which present play for the fun of the game. in a natural way a right idea of God; 5. We will not always want to be "it" stories which teach right attitudes toward (leader). characters which interest children and 6. Because our motto says "right thinking which they like to portray and toward leads to right doing," we do not believe other nations and races; stories which pre- that playing with guns, bandit, robber, sent beauty, joy, and happiness. (2) or anything that is not right, is good These ideals are made definite through neighborhood play. mottoes, slogans, songs, yells, etc. (3) 7. We will play only jokes and surprises Practical applications of the P.R.C. ideals which cause happiness. are made in periods of free contact with others. Recognizing this fact the P.R.C. P.R.C. SAYING especially emphasizes the constructive "The best play-fair slogan I ever heard is side of play and the value of right, spon- the Golden Rule." taneous contacts. YELL The P.R.C. works back into church, home, and community. The play and We play right social life of church groups has often been And we play fair used as a bait for luring young people and Here and there and children into the church. It has only re- Everywhere! cently been used for educating people in Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah! correct social attitudes. Why should not the attitude of love SO clearly expressed Further information may be had by by Jesus and made the center of his reli- writing to the Play Right Club, Chicago gion, be carried into our play as well as Congregational Missionary and Exten- other places? sion Society, 19 South La Salle Street, Zechariah evidently had some such vi- Chicago, Ill.