19^0.] 



Social Service in Rur.\l Areas. 



147 



" The institute should be the headquarters of organised local acti- 

 vities of all kinds. Trade union branches, friendly societies, pig clubs 

 and bee clubs, and agricultural and horticultural societies of one sort 

 and another, adult schools and classes arranged by voluntary organisa- 

 tions, women's institutes, schools for mothers, chess clubs, and so forth, 

 should be encouraged to use the institutes ; and one or more rooms, 

 as may be necessary, should be provided for the purposes of their 

 meetings. The institute should contain a hall large enough for dances, 

 cinema shows, concerts, plays, public lectures, and exhibitions. At the 

 institute there should be a public library and local museum. If arrange- 

 ments can be made for games and sports, so much the better. The 

 institute, in a word, should be a centre of educational, social and 

 recreational activity." 



This passage expresses fully and forcibly the primary aim of 

 the Village Clubs Association. The Women's Institutes, 

 although th'ey were formed, as their name implies, for only 

 one sex, and did most admirable work during the War when 

 so many of the other sex were absent from the villages, are 

 now co-opetating cordially in the effort to extend the principles 

 which they advocate, so as to embrace all the members of the 

 community. 



The difficulties of providing buildings where they do not 

 exist are at the present time very great. The suggestion of the 

 Committee just quoted, that village halls should be provided 

 out of public funds, is one which has obvious attractions, and 

 unquestionably a very strong case can be made out for the 

 adoption of this course. A building in each village, held in 

 trust for the benefit of the whole community, and free from 

 any restrictions as to its use, other than those necessary for 

 order and decency, would be a public advantage, and it would 

 provide facilities for carrying on pubhc work, such as, for 

 example, continuation schools, which may often be hampered 

 by the lack of such accommodation. A village hall is as 

 necessary a a town hall, although the purposes which it should 

 serve are more varied and comprehensive. Its design would 

 be different, and its accommodation proportioned to the needs 

 of the population, but it should be essentially the centre and 

 focus of the active life and social interests of the community, 



Local authorities have at present certain powers of rendering 

 financial assistance for the erection of village halls. 



District Councils can, as part of a housing scheme and 

 subject to the approval of the Ministry of Health, provide a 

 Public Hall, and in such a case the financial assistance given 

 by the Exchequer to Housing Schemes would be available. 



Parish Councils may levy a Rate not exceeding ^d. in the / 

 (or, with the consent of a Parish Meeting, up to 6d. in the f). 



L 2 



