RURAL COMMUNITY BUILDINGS. 5 



sites are often provided witli baseball diamonds, tennis, volley-ball 

 and basket-ball courts, tracks, and athletic fields, and equipped with 

 playground ap])aratus. Many buildings, both in town and country, 

 have horse sheds or garages on the premises. 



MAINTENANCE. 



In case of the simpler buildings, maintenance expenses range, in 

 general, from 5 per cent to 10 per cent of the initial cost of the plant, 

 the expenditures of the less expensive being chiefly for light and heat, 

 while to these are added, in case of those involving larger maintenance 

 expenses, water rent, telephone, and similar expenses, and salaries 

 for secretaries or physical director, caretaker, and librarian. 



Funds for maintenance are secured through dues, fees, assessments, 

 rentals, receipts from entertainments, dances, moving pictures, 

 bowling and billiards, and, in case of publicly constructed buildings, 

 by money voted from the public treasury. 



OPERATION AND MANAGEMENT. 



The persons owning stock in community buildings generally 

 organize and constitute themselves a community building associa- 

 tion. They frequently take out articles of incorporation giving them 

 power to buy land, borrow money, and erect and control such build- 

 ings. Nonstockholders using the building are associated as social 

 members, both classes paying dues. The stockholders, and in some 

 instances the social members, elect a board of trustees of from three 

 to nine members, who control and manage the building. Either the 

 same body or the board itself elects the usual officers, such as presi- 

 dent, vice president, secretary, and treasurer. Committees with 

 various duties are either appointed or elected. Immediate duties of 

 management are often delegated to a house secretary, physical 

 director, or caretaker. In a few instances, in cases of buildmgs 

 presented by an individual or an mdustrial concern, control is placed 

 in a select board, nominated by the donor, and possessing power to 

 appoint its successors. Township and city buildings are managed 

 by the usual public officials. 



USES TO WHICH BUILDINGS ARE PUT. 



These buildmgs have become the centers of their communities for 



recreational, gymnastic, athletic, social, and welfare work, and often 



for political, cooperative business, and religious work. The following 



list indicates the more important of the specific uses of buildings. 



Economic: Canning demonstrations, boys' and girls' club work, 



domestic science, agricultural society meetings, fairs, cafes, 



cafeterias, farmers' institutes, and cooperative purchasing and 



marketing activities. 



