LC UC-NRLF ^B 301 Sib 4r :- .y. -: ; >. * .V LIBRARY University of California. Qass Educational Activities FOR BOYS il educational Activities for Boys Reprinted from Association Boys, a magazine published bi- monthly in the interest of work with boys in Young Men's Christian Associations, by the International Committee of Young Men's Christian Associations, New York City. The subscription price is $i.oo a year in advance. New York Young Men's Christian Association Press 1907 CONTENTS Educational Work for Boys - - Walter T, Diack Public School Manual Training and the Association H. W, Stone A Boys* Summer School - - - W, B. Ferris Observation Parties and Educational Tours Charles R. Scott The Demand for Vocational Training - Rober* "^ "•''/ Practical Talks — Their Operation and Secret ol their Success . - - . Cecil M. Daggett Manual Training for Association Boys Philo R. Brooke Problems of the Working Boys' School C. C. Robinson Training for Office Work - - - L D. Show Physical Education - - - George J. Fisher Notes CorrBioHTtD. 190Y. Intbrmatiomal Committsb s or YOUMO MBM'S CK«I«TU» AMOCUTIOIft O- H.. UNIVERS! ^ OF Educational Work for Boys Wftlter T. Di&ck, General Secretary. West Side Branch, New York City The small percentage of boys who are really equipped for their life work when they enter business appalls one. In Greater New York alone there are 280,000 boys be- tween the ages of twelve and seventeen, of whom only a small proportion are in school. There are more boys ten years old in school than of any other age. Thou- sands drop out between the ages of twelve and fourteen, and at sixteen years of age ninety per cent of all of them have left school. One investigator reports that by the time boys of this country reach the age of fifteen, fifty per cent of them have become workers. One of the greatest opportunities of the Young Men's Christian Association to-day is to help fill up the broad gap which indicates the difference between the instruc- tion offered in the public schools and that which is needed by men for their life's work. Weakness of Public Evening School Instruction So far we have had in our evening educational classes about 5,000 boys and most of them have simply studied mechanical drawing or the commercial branches. There are those who maintain that because the night schools offer opportunities along this line the young men should be compelled to go there, but it is a difficult problem to persuade them to attend such schools, 1 (u^i^r; EducationAl Activities for Boys Futhermore, after they have enrolled, their attendance is very irregular. In one of the large evening schools in New York City 2,000 men were enrolled to attend four class sessions a week during this winter. Ten per cent of them failed to return for the second session, and thirty per cent of them dropped out within three months. The public evening schools fail to attract students for certain definite reasons. (i) The students var>' too greatly in ages: young boys and mature men work side by side. (2) Primarily because of the size of the classes, there is a lack of private instruction. (3) The instruc- tion is too theoretical: it is modeled from the day school plan. A yoimg man enters the evening school for specific knowledge that should be given him in the very shortest time and as practically as possible. To ask a man to spend weeks in preliminary study before giving him the thing he really wants is discouraging. Tub Association's Opportunity If the schools and colleges are not ready to give voca- tional and industrial instruction, is not this an oppor- timity for the Association? Can we not just here fit into the great scheme of instructional organization and make it possible for yoimg men to have more of these schools for which there is such a great need ? Proper education is becoming a question of vital interest to whole communities and cities. Massa- chusetts has recently appointed a commission to study the industrial situation of its young men, looking toward their better training. Industrial concerns are studying the problem. The General Electric Company at Lynn, Mass., conducts a school for the young men in its em- ploy, in which 400 students spend one hour per day in 4 Educational Work for Boys study on company time. The company does this because it believes that in time these young men will be sufficiently trained and developed to assume positions of responsibility as foremen, superintendents or man- agers. Employers are demanding and will demand better preparation and competency on the part of their em- Ikployees and young men now see the necessity of improv- ■l^^-' OFFICE boys' class, WEST SIDE, NEW YORK ing themselves in their various vocations. But how can they improve themselves without an opportunity to do so? Things Important to Consider It is a high aim to help boys fill up their leisure hours and make such use of them as will count for their future happiness and advancement. In doing so, however, I believe that we should follow the inclination of the boy. One of the greatest privileges is to discover boys to themselves and to help them find that for which they 5 Educational Activities for Boyi are best fitted. In reaching them we must hold out the prospect of increasing their wage-earning capacity. For this reason there should not only be more illustrated and popular practical talks in the Association buildings, but in shops and business houses. Correspondence schools employ large forces of men to solicit students through personal interviews. Should not the Association also do more of this, which in all our work has proved the most effective . way of reaching nit-n ' That all educational work cannot be made self-sup- porting must be emphasized. No college students pay the full cost of their instruction. Many of them pay less than one half of that cost. In some state institu- tions they pay none. Why, then, should we expect working boys to do that which we do not require of the man who is favored and who could easily pay the full price for college training? We must have endowments to develop our educational work. What Can Be and Is Being Done There will always be need of instruction in the ele- mentary branches for some boys and in the business or commercial branches for others, but by far the largest number will be attracted and held to some kind of edu- cational work which involves the use of the hands. If to this we can add the club idea we will have some- thing that is worth while, for work and play will be properly combined. The work that is bcmg done by tlic iioys' Club at Avenue A and Tenth street. New York City, proves this. In that club 15,000 boys are grouped into many small clubs. These groups of boys h^ve become so 6 Educational Work for Boys numerous that the evening time schedule is divided into sections so that the different groups can use the same room at different hours. The Holyoke, Mass., Association has made a success of industrial work in its club, called the "Boys Busy Builders." The New York Society for Ethical Culture conducts practical work by taking out groups of boys to inspect bridges, who then return and construct with their own hands miniature bridges after having exam- ined those braces and beams which are the strongest and the way in which they are used. Th^y study derricks and other constructive devices in the same way. il The boys at Springfield, Ohio, rebuilt and refurnished their own rooms. They made the furniture and put in the fireplace. They construct their own game tables and make their own magazine covers. The boys can and want to do all these things when the work is attrac- tive, and especially when it is competitive. il 'Another very important line of educational work that the Association can advance is that of encouraging young men and boys to enter college. Why cannot the Association organize college clubs having for their motto, "Every man to have a college training?" If this were done and under the direction of such a club life talks on various occupations by prominent men were arranged, could not a desire for something higher be created in the lives of young men ? When we learn of the remarkable cases of men who have attained positions of influence and honor because they were given an opportunity and because they had it in them, does it not make us more eager to take hold of our work to develop manhood with the earnestness which it deserves? Our greatest task is to inspire boys and make "indifferent boys different." 7 Public School Manual Training and the Association If. W. Stone. General Secretary. Portland. Ore. About five years ago there was not a single manual training school in Portland or in the state of Oregon. To-day the public schools of this city are thoroughly equipped to train the hands as well as the head and manual training is a part of the school curriculum. The local Association was partly instrumental in the introduction of this work into the schools of the city through the successful operation of its own work, through a campaign of education which was carried on, and by the Association management going before the school board and showing the importance of manual training for the schoolboy. The actual work done at the Association carried the greatest weight. About ten years ago the educational and boys* departments united in equipping shops with about $2,500 worth of tools and benches and employed a man to devote his entire time to the promotion of manual training. Classes were held in the afternoons after the public school hours. As many as six diflferent classes per week, lasting two hours each, kept the in- structors busy. On Saturday mornings the class com- bined shop with g\'mnasium work, many boys spending half their time in the training shops and half in the gymnasium. This co-ordination was ideal. The same shops were used at night for the carpentry classes, and 8 Public School Manual Training and the Association s were unoccupied for only a small amount of time. Economies in time and space can as well be obtained by maximum use of equipment and hours as by cutting down actual expenses. Manual training in the public schools was first estab- lished at five different centers and the former Associa- - tion instructor became principal of all that work in the I city. All the teachers under him received their train- ing in the Association shops. As soon as this work » became a part of the regular public school instruction the Association classes became smaller', but this did not occasion any unusual concern. Our experience and judgment leads to the conclusion that where the public § schools of a city make manual training a part of their regular course of instruction and thereby restrict and narrow the field for the Association, still we are justified in equipping and running shops for the sake of the smaller number of boys who desire more of this kind of work and who show special efficiency in handling tools. Acting on this basis we have sought to specialize along particular lines and have given boys with peculiar aptitudes opportunities to develop in that direction in which they are particularly interested. In addition, also, to using the shops for these purposes we still have them for the extremely important shop work at night. rr A Boys* Summer School W. B. Ferris. Educational Director. Cincinnati. O. ff No other feature of our work for boys has evoked such hearty expressions of gratitude and pleasure from parents as the last year's summer school, nor in any other feature have I seen the boys themselves manifest such intense interest and such a bubbling over of en- thusiasm. One boy, particularly, who seemed to have been mis- understood by his teacher, who h^d had difficulties during the year and whose mother was all but discouraged, came into the school and quickly awakened to the possibilities within himself. He expressed the keenest interest and pleasure in his work. He was regular in attendance and brought in four other boys before the end of the term. A woman came to me just a few minutes before the opening of the school. She had left home before 8 o'clock that morning and gone from one end of the city to the other, stopping at four or five places where she had been told she might get the desired help for her boy. She came to the Association as a last resort, not know- ing that we were conducting such a school.' Her in- tense interest in her boy's education and her look of gratitude upon finding that we would instruct him during the summer were enough to repay much of the effort in its organization, and have spurred me on to more thoroughly advertise this school another year. 10 w A Boy^' Summer School A business man residing in a suburb, whose boy had apparently lost all interest in school during the last few weeks before its. close and who had found it hard to get up in time to reach school only a few blocks away Bby 8:30 o'clock, brought in his boy to see if we could help him get ready for the high school. In a few days, he came in again and asked what we had done to the H^boy. He was up and ready to leave home before 7 / U Kf\' ^2^ m bUMMl.k bCilOUL CLASS, CINCINNATI o'clock in the morning without a second calling and was eager to get to school. The boy passed the entrance examinations to the high school without difficulty. Our boys' summer school was practically forced upon us in 1905. We were conducting a day commercial school, together with some work in the common school branches for those who needed it in preparation for the commercial work. Several business men in the city urged us to take their boys during the summer and help Educatioiuil Activities for Boyi them make up for time lost during the school year or improve in subjects in which they were deficient and conditioned. We accepted a few boys at the regular tuition fee of $io per month, but found that, in order to give them the help they needed, it would be necessar\' to obtain a special teacher. This was done and the boys got along nicely, while their parents seemed more than satisfied. That experience was sufficient to lead us to investi- gate the matter and to plan definitely for such a school the next year. The superintendent of our city schools was consulted, as well as the principals, many of whom I found were much opposed to schoolroom work for any boy during the summer. They all were willing to admit, however, that there were exceptions; for instance, those who were behind on account of sickness, the mis- fit in a grade, or any who were conditioned in one or two subjects. Very few of these principals thought a boy ought to study more than three subjects during the summer, preferring that he take the same grade an- other year. We advertised the school by informing principals and teachers what we expected to do. This was done chiefly by personal letters and interviews. Blotters with pictures showing scenes in our swimming pool, camp and school room, with a few lines giving date of camp, opening of school, and tuition, were distributed to the pupils of the sixth, seventh and eighth grades of the intermediate school and to the first-year students of the high school. A folder giving definite information was sent to those whose names were given to us by prin- cipals. Several of these folders were sent to different principals and teachers to be handed out by them. One or two advertisements were put in the daily papers. 12 h A Boys' Summer School At the last meeting of the Principals' Association be- fore the close of the public schools, I presented an out- Hne of our plans and asked for any suggestions. While no particular comment was made then, a number of principals later on heartily endorsed the scheme and, at our request, sent us names of those in their classes who might be helped by the summer school. One feature to which we called attention in our announcements was the boys* camp which began on the Monday after the close of school and lasted for ten days. We suggested that the boys who expected to take t)ie summer school course go to this camp or get out into the country for two weeks and then come into the school. We expect to make the camp better known this year. Fifty-one boys came into the school last summer, only two or three of whom did not continue in regular attend- ance and their leaving was caused either by sickness in the family or by departure from the city. I do not know of an instance where a boy dropped out of the class because he tired of it. The class hours were from 8:30 to 11:30 o'clock, with an intermission of ten or fifteen minutes, during which the boys adjourned to the adjoining game and reading room. They seemed to enjoy the rest period intensely. On Tuesdays and Thursdays the boys were taken to the gymnasium immediately after the class where, in "gym" suits, they had a short calisthenic drill, a tug of war, or a few rounds on the running track and a game of indoor base ball or volley ball, and then took a plunge in the swimming pool. The first day in the "gym," the boys lined up and the question was asked, " How many know how to swim?" Only three or four of the thirty or more boys knew how. The physical director offered to teach them and went into the plunge with them twice Id Educational Activities for Boyt a week for two weeks or so, by t^^hich time nearly all had learned to take care of themselves in the water. This feature kept the interest of the boys stirred up. They were also given the privilege of using the g\^mnasium and swimming pool on Saturday mornings. A day or so before the school closed we went out to Burnet Woods for a general good time. A generous limch — water- melon was the feature — was provided and I am sure the boys will long remember it with pleasure in connection with their summer's work here. Reports were issued to parents every two weeks. If a boy did not seem to make the expected progress, we sent for the parents and talked the matter over with them carefully. At the close of the term a statement of the exact work done was issued to each student with recommendations for his promotion, if de8er\ing. Upon enrollment each student was required to bring 14 A Boys' Summer^School his report from the public school, that we might know his standing and the subjects in which he was deficient. A course was then laid out for him covering these par- ticular subjects. A personal interview was held with the parents to learn as far as possible the boy's difficul- ties and short-comings. The answers to our questions were noted on a blank, together with the name of his teacher and school, his school grade, the work he wished to take up in the fall, and how he had learned of our school — through what medium of advertising. This blank was filed, and at the close of the -term his progress was noted, also whether he was promoted or not. He is followed up from time to time during the year. This gives us valuable data for another year. The boys were not exhausted at the close of the term, as was predicted by some teachers, but were in the best of health. They had enjoyed their work and regretted to see the term close. I think they considered it a pleasant vacation. 15 ^ERSITY Observation Parties and Educational Tours Charles R. Scott. State Secretaiy Boys' Work. New Jersey Observation parties and educational tours should not be confused with outings. Their object is to develop the observation habit in boys and to educate them through the eye and ear. This may be accomplished through a strong committee, one that will keep before boys on a tour their opportunities to learn, rather than for mere fun and frolic. The term observation party has been used when visiting a local factor)' or institution, and educational tour when spending one or more days on a longer trip, visiting a score or more of places. At first these privileges were planned for by the outing or social committees, but in recent years this work has been assigned to the educational work committees, which have done faithful work in many of our Associa- tions by arranging for tours of inspection and observa- tion. New Jersey boys have made educational tours for several years. They have gone to Washington. Phila- delphia, Old Point Comfort, Hampton, Alexandria. Mt. Vernon, New York, Boston, Portland, the White Mountains, Lake Champlain, Lake George, and many other places of historic and modem interest. The tours have attracted the attention of all classes of boys. Superintendents and principals of schools have encour- f Observation Parties and Educational Tours aged the boys to go and later read essays about their trips to their classmates. While the trips have been instructive and the educa- tional idea has been kept uppermost, the boys have had great fun. In a crowd boys manufacture entertain- ment just as naturally as they watch out for meal-time, so it is seldom a serious matter to provide amusement on the trips. They are quite too busy in "seeing things" to be overcome with ennui. The trips have been the main subject of excited conversation for days at a time and each one of them has gone down in each boy's life with special memories. In fact, the trouble is not so much in keeping the boys interested as in preventing them from becoming so "interested" that they allow their enthusiasm to get away with them; but even that is not to be condemned provided it does not carry them too far. The boys, however, have always seen that and have "caught on" to the idea of always being gentlemen. That solves most of the problems. A definite policy has been followed which is given here briefly as suggestive for the organization of similar trips elsewhere. The policy for the year, the number of places to be visited, and the number of parties to be conducted should be settled early, so the boys and their parents may know exactly what to expect. The boys can then choose the trip in which they are particularly interested and so get ready for it, if they wish, by reading on the subject or in any other way. As far as those who have the tours in charge are concerned, system solves many difficulties. The places which may be visited are almost inexhaust- ible. There are manufacturing plants and large stores with their complicated systems of handling their huge 17 Educational Activities for Boys amount of business or their actual production of goods. There are the government offices from the city hall, the poUce stations and fire departments, to the court house and officials, and the state capitol. Then there are museums, neighboring colleges and universities, news- paper offices and plants, telephone exchanges, parks, and so on indefinitely. Permission to visit factories or other establishments should be secured at least one month in advance, and it is important to again notify the firm to be visited about twenty-four hours before the visit, so that there may be no misunderstanding or embarrassment to either party. Some firms will not grant permission because they think the boys are young and will interfere with the employees. As a precaution it is necessary in every interview or letter to state clearly the object of the visit, give some idea of the number in the party and just how it is to be conducted. The boys should be warned be- fore every trip not to ask questions of employees or in any way hinder their work; all information desired should be asked of the guide. The boys should not touch any machinery or articles manufactured unless told to do so. They should act as gentlemen, for their example will largely determine whether another party may have similar privileges. Usually not over fifteen boys should constitute a touring party, so that every member can see and hear what the guide has to explain. In case a larger number is taken divide into two or more groups, arrange for a leader for each group and endeavor to have more than one guide. It is a good plan to arrange for compositions or essays on every visit. These can be read at a members* meet- ing, and besides being instructive will help show how ]8 r Observation Parties and Educational Tours profitably hours can be spent in this way. Each com- position should be written on the same size paper and later bound in a. loose leaf binder. This will serve as a record for the committee of every party or tour. Several jBrears' experience has shown that it is difficult to '"secure a composition from every member of a party. The best results have come when two boys have been appointed to do this work and then encouraged to have it finished at an early date. A copy of the best one should be sent with the letter of thanks to the person in charge of the place visited. This ,will reveal in a practical way what the Association is doing, possibly attract interest and prepare the way for a later visit by another party. Previous to the trip to Old Point Comfort in April last year the announcement of the essay competition with its rules was published. It produced good results. It is given here. Essay Competition The boys of the party are invited to participate in a friendly competition by writing a descriptive essay of the tour. A committee of three has been appointed, who will examine all papers. The boy writing the best will be presented with an autographed photograph of President Roosevelt, neatly framed, with the letter accompanying the picture. The terms and conditions of the contest are: (i) Open to boys between the ages of 14 and 19 years of age inclusive. (2) Must be written by hand in black ink, on paper 8x11 inches, leaving a margin of one inch at left. Use only one side of paper. (3) Not less than 800 or more than 1200 words. (4) To be written as if it is to be published in a magazine. (5) Spelling, punctua- 19 EducAtional Activities for Bo]rs tion and neatness will be considered. (6) Include state- ment of each place \isited. (7) Draw simple outline map of the route and mark places vnsited (see map on announcement). (8) Each essay must have mark or nom-de-plimie on same. Also in a sealed envelope your name and address, with your mark or nom-de-plume on the outside. (9) Essay must be in hands of the com- mittee not later than May i. (10) The committee re- serves the right not to award the picture unless the majority of the boys take part in the competition. Study the history of Virginia and Washington so as to better enjoy the tour and be prepared to take part in the competition. Good books may be secured from your public and school libraries. The following may be suggestive : Century Book for Young Americans, Eldridge Brooks. Among the Law Makers, Edmimd Alton. Histor}' of Virginia, R. B. Smithey. Virginia, A History of the people, John E. Cooke. Washington, the Capital City, Rufus R. Wilson. The Standard Guide of Washington, Charles B. Reynolds. Pictorial Guide to Washington, published by Rand, McNally & Co. 90 The Demand for Vocational Training Robert T. Hill. Educ&tional Depeirtinent of the International Committee The American boy, on the average, spends about four years in school, and those before he is twelve years old. In Massachusetts eighty per cent of the boys fifteen years of age have dropped out of school entirely. In spite vof the magnificent system of public schools in America only about one-third of one per cent of all the boys and young men between fifteen and twenty-four years of age receive any form of instruction in the sciences and arts which bear directly upon their occu- pations. More than fifty per cent of America's skilled mechanics are bom and trained in foreign countries. There is a wide difference between the instruction given in our public schools and the demands that are made upon a boy or man when he engages in active industry. The need of fitting more young men to better meet the demands of commerce, manufacture and civilization's progress is greater than ever. On the other hand, the actual work of fitting and training men is proceeding relatively much more slowly. The very definite reasons why the Association should meet the above needs are significant. The opportunity for ser- vice is stupendous along educational lines. Practical instruction in the elements of applied science which broaden the industrial intelligence are increasingly de- manded by: (i) The employed boys from twelve to eighteen years of age. (2) Those wishing to enter a trade. (3) The men already in the trades. (4) The industries them- selves. 21 Educational Activities for Bojrs The Association in this great work must meet the demands of all men, employers and employees. Com- petition and the board of directors and stockholders require each employer to look at everything from the standpoint of increased and better output with cheaper production. The employer, therefore, will judge the Association by what it does for his men and by that which helps to solve the problems in his particular business. The workingmen think that they are not having a fair chance in life. They are seeking to im- prove their conditions of living. They will judge the Association by what it can do to mnlro them capable of earning more money. It is important that a man be so helped and trained that he can rise from one employment to another in which greater ability is demanded. It is equally im- portant for him to increase his proficiency in the occupa- tion in which he is already employed. So far attention has chiefly been paid to offering technical education of a scholastic or professional nature for the few. The present demand is for vocational training, that broader, more practical training, to make the many more in- telligently skilful in their own particular line of work; for a closer co-ordination of educational work with industry, in the interests of both the men and the in- dustr>'. The output is sure to increase in consequence, both in quality and quantity. Higher wages and alao larger dividends will be the result. The Association must keep abreast of the times in the demand for more industrial training. The agitation for more definite industrial instruction in public schools has finally resulted in the recent organ- ization in New York City of the "National Society for the Promotion of Industrial Education" and the re- 22 The Demand for Vocational Training markable sessions in Boston of the Social and Industrial Congress. Apparently this is thought to be a new idea in some quarters. As a matter of fact, however, the Young Men's Christian Association is a pioneer in indus- trial education, and today is a leader. Now, in order to be of largest service to men, it remains for the Associa- tion to hold the position it already occupies, and from this vantage ground to advance further into the indus- trial field. "Study the field" is the watchword for success. A leaflet has already been issued showing from Association experience how an <3ducational direc- tor or general secretary may investigate the local con- ditions of his community. It would certainly be putting the cart before the horse to arrange an educational pro- gram of classes, clubs and talks without a careful survey of the situation. This problem of industrial education is not one of the continuation school alone, but of the public school sys- tem as well. There are plenty of splendid technical and engineering schools for the men already toward the top of the ladder. What we need is elementary instruc- tion for the training of a broader intelligence among the workingmen and boys already engaged in the industrial processes. The rapid development of machine industry has put a premium upon automatonism rather than upon indi- vidualistic work. All-round ability is disappearing. To contend against this trend, questionable in nature, we must add to the knowledge and ability of machine tenders that training which will develop more vision, greater imagination, hence wider usefulness. We want to help men to become better producers and better wage- earners in such a manner that a higher and nobler standard of life will follow. 23 Practical Talks— Their Operation and the Secret of their Success. C. M. D».ggett. State Boys' Secret&xy. Maine A careful definition of terms employed should precede a discussion upon any given subject. A common meet- ing ground is thus provided, and a basis for treatment established. Hence, in the present instance, we must be absolutely sure just what Practical Talks are before we attempt to discuss their operation or the secret of their success. In a questionnaire — that time-worn but useful means of gathering information — recently sent to a number of boys' work directors, this question was asked: "What is a Practical Talk?" The answers received were all interesting. Some were amusing. No two were ex- actly alike, and a variety of opinion was expressed. One man thought that a Practical Talk was "An informal lecture" on any subject — evidently; another said that they * 'could not be classified as religious or educational." One would call every "inspirational talk, practical;" another would niake them "object lessons." Some would confine them to ' ' scientific and professional sub- jects" while others would have them consist only of "Life Problem Disctissions." Still others would have every so called "talk" end with "an appeal for deci- sions to lead the Christian Life." Only twelve out of the forty men who replied seemed able to state clearly what a Practical Talk was. The remaining twenty- * Practical Talks — Their Operation, Etc. n^ eight gave the impression that the matter was not clear in their minds, although they all said that they i»were conducting "Practical Talks" in the Boys' De- partments of which they were in charge. How it is possible for one to successfully conduct a thing when he does not know what that thing is, is beyond com- prehension. However, that does not concern us here t now. Of the twelve commendable replies received, the following three seem to be the clearest: (i) "A Practical Talk is an interesting address of edu- cational value." ' (2) "A Practical Talk is an address on an educational subject presented in a practical manner." (3) "A Practical Talk is an address designed to have a practical bearing upon the physical, spiritual, intel- lectual, social, business, or home life of the boy." In our judgment, all three of these definitions are good and substantially correct. Each states in different words that "A Practical Talk" is a useful talk. And after all, does not "practical" mean "useful?" So much for the definition of the subject. Assuming that our definition is the correct one, we may now ask, "How shall these 'Talks* be conducted or operated?" This question also appeared in our ques- tionn aire . Here are quotations from some of the answers : "In connection with group clubs — not big crowds." " Under auspices of some club, other boys invited in." "Not over twenty boys invited in." "On Saturday nights for older boys, alternating with socials, entertainments, etc." "-Once a month," "In combination with musical, gymnastic, or other entertaining features." "As a separate feature." 25 Educational Activities for Boys **After Bible classes." "Before g>'mnasium classes." *' On a special night." *' Dignified — as any other lecture." "As informal as possible." " Educational committee in charge." "Managed by boys." "Questions asked after address." "One-half hour talk with questions following." "In series, for boys of an age, occupation, and inclina- tion." There is a difference of opinion expressed in these answers, but a number of valuable points are brought out nevertheless. (i) The "Talks" should be "managed by the boys" with the "Educational Committee," of course, "in charge." Here we touch one of the basic principles of boys* work. Perhaps the disregard of this principle ex- plains why so many boys* work directors fail in the effort to conduct Practical Talks successfully. Is it possible that some of us have yet to learn the difference between • 'Work for boys" and "Boys* Work > (2) The majority of the men think that the "Talks'* should be held "in connection with group clubs — not big crowds" and that age, inclination, and occupation ought to be considered. Instead of herding together high school boys, grammar school boys and office boys for a talk by some man on the subject "Why I am a lawyer," in which only a small proportion of the boys would be vitally interested, they should be divided into three or more groups and listen to as many talks suited to the needs and capacities of each group. (3) The "Talks** should be conducted "in series." arranged so that one leads to another, and so on to a 36 Practical Talks— Their Operation, Etc. climax. The hit-or-miss practice of having a Practical Talk whenever the right man comes along, or whenever nothing else suggests itself to do, is a poor, short-sighted policy and accomplishes nothing. If a "Talk" is held simply for the sake of having something going on, and if it is not planned to definitely afifect the lives of the boys who hear it, it had better not be given. The secret of success in conducting Practical Talks has been discussed somewhat indirectly in the preced- ing paragraphs. But to quote from our questionnaire again, the secret of success is in: "Having interesting subjects discussed by men of abiUty." " Use of demonstration and illustration." " Short, snappy, pointed talks." "Making talks popular as well as instructive." "Having well planned program." Some of the causes of failure stated in the questionnaire were: "Getting a miscellaneous crowd." "Poor speakers." "Subjects too deep or uninteresting." "Lack of care or thought in selecting topic and speaker." " Failure to get co-operation of the boys in the plan." "Not enough demonstration and illustration." These statements of the causes of failure are valuable, but only inasmuch as they represent just so many pit- falls to be avoided. They need not worry us, for after all there is one secret to success. It may be stated in a single sentence. If the right boys are gathered together to hear the right subject discussed by the right man, no one need worry about the success of any Practical Talk. 27 Manual Training for Association Boys Philo R. Brooke. Boys' SecreUry, Toledo. Ohio The success of any venture in one Association is not a guarantee of its success in another unless similar condi- tions exist. Particularly is this true of manual work for boys. By way of illustration permit me to cite instances in two cities with the conditions of which I am familiar — Springfield and Toledo, Ohio. Springfield has no equip- ment for manual training, either in the grades or in the high school, other than certain elementary instruction in mechanical and free-hand drawing. A boy with a procHvity for working with tools must either supply himself with the necessary equipment and materials or apprentice himself to a mechanical trade. Consequently, the Springfield Boys* Department, either by wisdom or accident, has a fairly good equipment for a limited manual training work. Toledo, on the other hand, has one large central high school with an almost ideal manual training school equip- ment and offers to any pupil, boy or girl, as a part of the curriculum, instruction in mechanical and free-hand drawing, clay modeling, wood carving, joinery, forging, beaten metal work, machine work, and cooking and plain sewing for girls. So thorough is the instruction that the boys are enabled to step into positions requiring certain mechanical expert knowledge ^nd manual skill and to advance rapidly above the boys who have not had the advantage of their superior education. In addition, a8 Manual Training for Association Boys boys in the seventh and eighth grades receive elementary instruction in joinery and sloyd. No great wisdom is necessary to see the ditierence pre- sented by the two situations. Neither case is at all unusual. There are many cities with as few of these facilities as Springfield and many with facilities as good or better than those afforded in Toledo. In the first case there is almost a demand — at least an opportunity to supply a need in the normal boy life and development; in the second there is a possibility of providing an oppor- tunity for those boys who have been ti^able to continue in school, or to establish a centre among boys of esthetic culture and craftsmanship. From the Industrial Standpoint A trade school is an essentially different proposition from the foregoing idea. With the increasing demand for skilled workmen and the failure of the present indus- trial system to develop them rapidly enough, there pre- sents itself to the Association the question, "How may we make our contribution to the solution of the prob- lem?" The recent agitation and movement for manual train- ing for school boys has its tap root in this economic need. It is indeed "quite the proper time for us to contribute what we can." The automobile schools, office boys' schools, courses in steam engineering, et cetera, as offered by the educational departments of many asso- ciations have shown the desire to read the signs of the times and to come forward with the things most needed. Some Common Fallacies Because occasionally there appears on the side streets a boy with a soap-box cart and improvised dog harness, 39 Educational Activities for Boyt or a hand-wrought juvenile edition of a wooden auto; or because the neighbor's boy tampers with the electrical appliances and has the house strung with a complicated mess of wires and batteries; or because your wife's cousin's boy ingeniously furnished his den in the attic with regenerated store boxes, you conclude that all boys are mechanical geniuses, awaiting an opportimity to express themselves in some material form of ingenious creation. Nothing can be further from the truth. Not one boy in ten, without some external influence, is really interested in manual training or cares to make things half as much as is usually supposed. Experience has demonstrated the truthfulness of this assertion. In schools where the manual work is elective, were it not for the credits for graduation allowed on manual work the boards of education would not be justified in con- tinuing the manual training departments for the number using them. Boys view manual education with little more enthusiasm than latin and algebra. I would not for a moment wish to appear to minimize the value of manual training. I have always been an ardent sup- porter of the movement and shall continue to be, but it is desirable to clear away all the rubbish before attacking the job. It develops then that the boys who will be served by manual training facilities in the Association will be in one of these three classes: the boys who like to do the thing itself and find personal enjoyment in their own recreation; the boys who wish to avail themselves of an opportunity to learn a trade or to increase their wage earning power; and the boys who come because they are obliged to do so by parental authority. The latter two are practically identical. Whatever has been done by the Atsodatton has, with but few exceptions, drawn from the first clan and hat 30 I w Manual Training for Association Boys been calculated to do so. The classes and clubs for electrical construction and experiment, clay modeling, yrography, wood carving, embossed leather, sloyd, setting and printing, and the dozen other manual educational subjects that have been undertaken with more or less success in many Associations have been conducted almost entirely from the standpoint of esthetic education and recreation together with practical utility. If the scope of work can be broadened by adapt- ing it to the industrial education or trade school require- ments it is clearly within our province to do so if it can be done without violence to the former consideration. A Practical Experiment The very practical value of manual training work planned from the recreative and esthetic standpoint may be illustrated by the work of the boys of the Springfield, Ohio, Boys' Department in putting to practical advantage the few months of training they had previously received, by working out and erecting the interior finish in their club rooms. The story of this experience briefly is as follows : In the late fall of 1902 a workshop for carpentry was fitted up in the attic of the Association building, which could only be reached by climbing four long flights of stairs and up which all materials had to be carried. Here work-benches and tool-cases accommodating classes of twelve were installed and soon the two classes started were full to the capacity. These lads were instructed in elementary joinery and permitted to make what they most desired and for which they would furnish material. Sleds, pressboards, magazine racks, tables, stands and bootjacks resulted. Less than three months passed before the building was partly destroyed by fire and 31 Educational Activities for Boyi work in the shop suspended. Fortunately, that part in which the shop was situated was saved. Hardly had the insurance been adjusted before the boys were in the shop busily engaged with emery and sand paper cleaning away the stains of smoke and rust. While they worked they planned and discussed how they could help repair their loss. As a result of this planning, when the specifi- cations for the new structure were finally approved, four spacious rooms on the main floor were to be left unfin- ished. The woodwork was to be supplied by the boys. Rough oak was at once secured and dressed and ripped into the required stock at the mill. A workshop adjoining the building site was provided and the boys set to work cutting and smoothing the panels and casings and seats and beams for their new home. From some old pulleys and shafting saved from the ruins of the building a sanding machine was improvised which did good work and which is now installed in the workshop in the basement of the new building. By the time the contractor was done and gone this material was ready for erection. How those boys did work! The end was in sight and they were anxious for the goal. In due time everv'thing was done and the rooms were resplendent in their cosy high wainscot, massive ceiling beams, and inviting seats built in all the possible corners, all stained and polished by the enthusiastic youths. But best of all was the great fireplace and chimney, the stone for which the boys had selected and carted from among the moss-grown and weather-stained refuse cap rock in a quarry near the city and which they transformed into a thing oL beauty and good cheer. Here a great gas log fire flickers invitingly on many a winter evening or chilly afternoon, and the boys gathered around recall the experiences of the summer's camp or 3a f Manual Training for Association Boys rehearse the baseball and football games of the last season. When finally they were eady for the opening, after the rooms had been furnished by the same motheris who a year and a half before had equipped the workshop, the proudest boys in all that line who stood ready to receive and entertain those mothers and their associates were the lads who had worked the hardest and longest to make that event possible. When with pardonable pride they heard the words of praise and commendation and ex- clamations of admiration from their parents and friends, they felt repaid for the aching muscles and perspiration of those weary summer days' labor. 33 Problems of the Working Boys' School Cla^rence C. Robiiuon. Bojt' Secretary, SaJein, N. J. Not long ago a student of our educational work put this query to educational directors and boys' secretaries: "Should all employed boys who join the Association be expected to take some form of educational work?" By many the idea was considered preposterous, but the question is really one of great moment. Stated some- what differently the question is, "If we draw employed boys to the Association to spend their evenings, is it right to absorb their time and attention without giving them the things which they most vitally need?" Working boys should have educational, religiotis and physical training, and especially the more definite educa- tion termed schooling. For the benefit of those who plead that so marked an emphasis on educational features will interfere with Bible study, or g\'mnasium, let it be said that the opposite results have been obtained by leading boys, otherwise unreached, into those very things. At least one Association is definitely prepari to try the experiment next season of requiring employed boys to carry some educational work. The recrea- tion rooms will be closed during school hours, and any member who comes to the department between 7.30 and 9.00 o'clock, must either be in the school or in an edu- cational club. When our night schools for boys are undertaken in this comprehensive way, they will become just as good a drawing card as the gymnasium. They will give the n Problems of the Working Boys' School iation a constant grip for moulding the boy. This kind of work appeals strongly to parents, to employers, and to those who conduct the frequently over-worked public night schools. It will lend dignity and perma- nence to our boys* work that directors and supporters of the Association can view with satisfaction. So much for the department; now about the boys. When it is realized what a working boy's evening means to him through relaxation and recreation, we will see that it is idiocy to put up a tame class in arithmetic against the attractions of "The King of 'the Wild West" which is holding forth at the theatre in the next block or around the comer. Until we can make our night schools so absorbing that to miss a night would be a misfortune in the boy's mind comparative to the loss of missing the evening at the cheap theatre, we will have to satisfy ourselves with small attendance and meagre results. What must be done first, last and all the time, is to challenge the attention of the boys, even though it is not an easy task by any means. We can set up the most elaborate curriculum, pay high salaries to teachers, have the finest equipment, and fail. Someone must put life and ginger into the work. Someone must study as hard to hold the boys' attention as the managers of the shows do. When a boy rises at 6 o'clock on a winter morning, walks from one to two miles to his place of employment, works hard all day, eats a cold lunch, goes home again, and then walks another mile to our building to attend night school, and, moreover, keeps this up three nights a week from October to April and does not miss a night, he is acting on some stimulus other than a consuming desire and passion for geography and spelling. The writer has known many boys working near the Associa- 35 Educational Activities for Bo]rt tion, who^ on account of the long distance from home, would come to the night school and then go home for supper at 9 o'clock. When we protested, they said that it was too far home and they did not wish to miss a night. Some agency, besides the public schools, must grasp this tremendous proposition of determining the Hfe direc- tion of tens of thousands of boys too old ever to be touched by child labor legislation, and yet young enough to be reached for a higher life and for the Christ Ufc while their minds are yet plastic. They must have general education and then technical industrial instruc- tion perhaps similar to that of the continuation schools of Germany. To develop interest strong enough to hold boys to the necessary routine and fatigue incident to study when the body is weary is problem enough, but when the school itself is in operation, it is next to the im- possible to put the finger on the particular feature or influence that created and sustains it. From the ex- perience on which much of this article is based, those in charge, the teachers, secretaries and educational directors (there having been two boys' secretaries and two educational directors during the time) believe that there were at least six leading factors which counted sufficiently to be considered in yielding success. (i) Grouping the other features around the night school. The time a working boy spends at the building is limited. To do all we want for him, his attractions must be grouped around some one feature. If we can gain his attention for the serious things first, our gymnastic and social privileges will have more lasting effect. No matter what is said to the contrary, there are hundreds 36 b Problems of the Working Boys* School of boys in families absolutely indifferent to religious ap- peals, and we cannot hope to enlist large numbers of boys every season from Catholic, Hebrew and indifferent homes directly into religious work. It is only after parents and boys of this class have come to have implicit confidence in the Association that we influence them most, religiously. On the other hand, it has been dem- onstrated in various places, that by its educational features the Association can attract crude factory boys in large numbers by interesting them and their parents in general education; it can enlist them in Bible study, and see them come out boldly for Christ, joining the church and doing definite Christian service. (2) Organization of the school as a whole instead of in separate classes. This entails, of course, strong centralized control and an assembling of the school in a sort of chapel exercise, which would include singing, scripture reading, prayer and announcements of general interest in the depart- ment. Opportunity is afforded for brief remarks on current topics by the educational director or some other man in charge, in this way doing much to correct the false ideas of men and things picked up at the store or factory or from the newspapers during the day. (3) Athletics, tramps, etc. These are arranged in co-operation with the physical director. It is well to provide contests and games among the classes and clubs and occasionally a large event with the public school boys or some outside organization ac- cording to the custom of the local Association in such matters. (4) The Association ideals upheld. It is suicidal to let the school get away from the As- sociation spirit and work. The school should have its 37 EducAtionAl Activities for Boys Bible classes (voluntary, of course), its clubs, banquets and its representatives at camps and conferences. Vari- ous committees should be made up of the school's boys for visiting the sick and for other purposes. The ideal of uplifting the boys of the city and of bringing as many as possible to a decision for Christ, should be kept uppermost in the minds of the leading boys all of the time. (s) Continuance of at least one-fourth of the bovs from year to year. Night schools seem destined to be shifting in their personnel, but courses can be so arranged and interest so kept up through the summer as to hold a valuable rem- nant from year to year. This is equally ser\'iceable to the men's school, when the boys pass on into the men's department or when special courses are arranged in con- nection with the men's classes. (6) "A man with a mission, not with a job." When boys' educational work is taken up in this way, someone must give minute attention to handling the school. There must be personal interviews innumerable ; the boys must be guided in employment matters, in which they can do much for each other. There is always the boy with trouble at home, trouble at the shop or the factory, trouble with his teachers, subject to tar- diness and absence, etc. All these things must be dealt with wisely and with sympathy bom of a knowledge of each boy's employment and, if possible, his home condi- tions. The right man may be the educational director; he may be the boys' secretary; or possibly a hired teacher, able to assume the principalship of the school. Whoever he is. he must be the man with a mission. His opportunity for usefulness will be unexoclk^d in the whole range of Association activity. 38 I ■^K Training for Office Work HFiTd. Shftw. Asibt&nt Cducationail Director, West Side Branch, ■I New York City "^ The problem of training the office boy has been a per- plexing one to business men. The instruction received by boys in the public schools does not seem to give them the power of application. When they enter upon office work, they must be trained from the very beginning, and the duty of training the boys has devolved upon and has been a severe tax on the office manager. After many suggestions had been received from employers and a careful study of the problem had been made, the West Side Branch opened a course designed to train boys and young men in office work. The outline of the course was based upon the requirements in large offices, ques- tions put to candidates for positions, examinations where such were needed, and all other similar matter which was obtainable. The work is divided into two parts: one a course in business arithmetic, spelling, letter-writing, business English and commercial geography, special emphasis being placed on the geographical situation of New York with its main commercial centers and its transportation lines. Practical work constitutes the other part. It consists of lectures and talks, and office work. The lectures deal with the boys' personal appearance, clean- liness and general demeanor. The office work involves the use of office equipment, much of which was loaned by different firms, and includes the use of the telephone, 39 Educational Activitiefl for Boys switch-board, various copying de\'ices, indexing and fil- ing systems, and other office appliances. In addition to instructing boys and young men in the elementary studies given in the first part of the course, the object is to train the present or prospective office man in routine office work, whether expensive and up- to-date appliances are used, or those of an older and less elaborate type, so that the boy can find his place immediately and pursue his work from the very start, OPPICB TRAINING, WEST 8IDB BRANCH without requiring any great amount of the manager's W time to settle him in the traces. From time to time business men stimulate the boys by talking to them on matters of everyday interest. These talks help to keep the boys alert, and foster a spirit of progressiveness. Every boy is urged to spend at least two nights a week in the g>'mnasi\mi because his effidencv will be increased by a good physical condition. The opening of the course produced considerable news- Office Work Training paper notoriety, and the press all over the country made all sorts of comments. Everybody was interested. "If the traditional office boy can be trained and made into a useful adjunct of business," said the editors, "the idea is a good one, and if the course is successful, the office managers will have a large burden removed from their shoulders." The Association immediately began to receive calls for office boys until the employment secretary was ready to throw up his hands in despair. Three times the num- ber of boys enrolled in the course could have been placed in positions, so large was the demand. One of the diffi- culties which arose, however, was that many employers did not seem to see that the trained office boy is worth more than one without training ; this in spite of the fact that many of those in the class who were already in business were able to better themselves and others who came in as green recruits were placed in good positions. Forty boys were enrolled in the classes the first year and many of them returned for the second year's work. There is no question that this work has been and is of a beneficial character, and it can be developed further so as to render a real service to the commercial public in the training of reliable, efficient and promotable young men. But there must be co-operation on the part of employers which is not always easy to secure as too many of them only seem to look at the office boy in one way. However, the outlook is hopeful and in the course of time the efficiency of the office assistants* course can be increased so that trained office boys will be recognized by the employers more than they are today, and the lat- ter will use their influence to persuade boys in their em- ploy to carry special work so that they will be better fitted for promotion. .^ 41 Physical Education. George J. Fisher, M.D., Secretcuy Physical Department. IntemationaJ Committee Physical training is not so much muscle making as muscle training. It is not only health producing, but habit forming; not only tissue building, but also brain organizing. Dr. Hartwell has said, "the main field of education is the nervous system, and the principles of all forms of education into which physical training enters as a factor are based upon the power of the nervous system to receive impressions, and register them or their effects; in other words, upon its ability to memorize the part it has played in acquired movements, and on occasion to revive and repeat such movements." There are three fundamental educational prop>ositions with reference to physical training which I desire to submit in this short article. First. Mind and Movement grow together. The one operates upon the other. Without movement there is m no mind. Movement is an index of mentality'. Tests I of muscle precision are used as a means of determining ■ mental ability. The scale of intelligence in animals! I rises in direct relation to the number of possible muscle | f co-ordinations. When a new movement is made, **it stimulates the motor brain cells to throw out processes; these processes relate the cells to their neighbors, the larger the variety of movements, the greater the inter- 42 Physical Education relation of brain cells. This provides a wider range of activity. Each new act adds a new piece of furniture to the mental household." Thus motor training places at the disposal of the individual a wider range of mental activity. This motor training also stores away energy which can be drawn upon when needed, and makes for intellectual endurance. Other things being equal, the individual who has had motor training will last longer in the conflict where intellectual endurance is required. Second. Some muscles have a higher educational value than others. The larger muscle groups belong in what might be termed the lower brain levels; to this class belong the muscles of the back, abdomen and thighs. The smaller muscle groups belong to the higher brain levels and make more demands upon the will, the atten- tion and the judgment. To this class belong the move- ments of the fingers, the elbow joint and the more skilled movements. The effect of exercising the larger muscles is more hygienic, of the smaller more educa- tional. Third. The development of the nervous system in re- lation to the muscles is from fundamental to accessory. Thus some muscles ripen in their nerve adjustments before others and consequently must be developed first. Injudicious training may reverse this law with grave results to the nervous system. For illustration, it is not wise to have a child attempt to play the piano at too early an age, because piano playing requires the use of the finer muscle adjustments which ripen later. To do this would cause nervousness, irritability, and if pushed too far, hysteria. If we study the play life of children, we notice that they play certain kinds of games at certain periods in their development. Simple games at first involving simple movements of the large muscles, 43 Educational Activities for Bo3r8 and later more complex games invohing finer muscle movements and greater precision of movement. The kind of games a child plays may be an index to its de- gree of mentality, and conversely games adxnsedly plan- ned may prove stimulating to mentality and self-control. Scientific physical training is based upon these fund- amental principles, and thus proves a great and essential factor in the intellectual development of the individual. The advantages of a large social room for boys is well demonstrated in the boys' building at Duluth, Minn. The building occupied by the boys was originally built and used by the German Turners, but has been leased for a term of years by the Association. The chief room on the second floor is the auditorium, and beneath this are the g>^mnasium, baths, locker rooms and bowling alleys. There is a large stage at one end of the auditorium, and a galler>' at the other end. This galler>^ has been enclosed with a glass and wood partition, and the space is used for manual training. A large room under the stage is used for general social purposes, while various ante-rooms are used for committee and club purposes. The Asso- ciation thought it wise to experiment with the large social room before going to the expense of dividing it up into the regulation reading room, game room, parlor, etc. The floor space of the auditorium is about 35x50 or 40x60 ; one comer has been separated by a coimter from the rest of the room and is used as an office. The reading tables and the game boards are placed about the room in a carefully arranged disorder, and this, with the decorations, helps to give the room a cosy appearance. There has been something really funny about the tenacity with which Associations have clung to the idea that Boys' Social Room "boys wanted a quiet room in which to read." As a matter of fact, if there is one thing above all others which the boy does not seem to want it is a quiet room. Secre- taries have found that boys would go into the quiet reading room, pick up a magazine or book, and go out into the noisy game room, sitting down where there was something going on to read it. When a boy is interested in a book, any amount of legitimate noise will not disturb him a particle. One of the wisest and most successful men in North America in handling boys calls attention, to the difference between noise and disorder, and shows how legitimate noise in a social room of this kind is better order than absolute quietness. He likens the noise of his game room to the steady hum of machinery, and says, with a twinkle in his eye, that the regular rhythm of the various sounds does not disturb him, but the minute the machinery begins to speed up or slow down he is immediately on the alert, for something is likely to happen. The Duluth experiment has been satisfactory, and if they were to erect a new building for their boys, they would certainly have one large social room in which the reading matter and games should be placed. This is in accord with the idea of the large reception lobby for men which is so marked a feature in the newer Association buildings. It should not be forgotten, how- ever, that in addition to the large social room, a number of small class, club and committee rooms should be pro- vided. A few years ago, very few Boys' Departments had more than two or three boys' Bible classes, but to-day it is not uncommon to find ten or fifteen such classes, and in some cases, already, certain Boys' De- partments have upwards of twenty Bible classes, and it is found convenient for a number of these classes to meet 45 Educational Activities for Boyt simultaneously on the same afternoon or evening. The growth of the small club in the Boys* Department also calls for the simultaneous use of several small rooms. When it was discovered at Bar Harbor, Maine, a year or more ago that there were older boys in the Associa- tion who were not interested in any form of educational, NAPHTHA LAUNCH BUILT BY BAR HARBOR BOYS physical or other kind of work then carried on, a manual training class was organized under the super\'ision and direction of a local school master who was also a skilled mechanic. The basement was pressed into service for w ■Fthe accoT Manual Training the accommodation of the shop and each fellow who joined the class was obliged to supply himself with tools. The first work done was the building of the work-bench which each fellow was required to make for himself. Each boy became intensely interested in this first bit of work and there was considerable rivalry and personal pride in this first effort and in the erection of the bench upon which each would later have to work. After the work-benches were completed the real work of the class began and enthusiasm held the boys from the start. They began by building comer seats in some of the Association rooms, by mending chairs and doing other general repair work. Then they took up more difficult work as, for instance, the building of a front, enclosed porch with a glass door in the center. Several local mechanics inspected the work and admitted that it was a creditable performance. This porch was so constructed that it could be taken down easily in the spring, laid away in sections, and replaced in the fall. With careful handling it ought to serve its purpose for several years to come. The boys then began to build double runner sleds, small closets for use in their homes and other useful articles which were ordered of them by friends. Later, they attempted boat building and three small boats were constructed. The one which sailed imder the Association pennant last summer carried as many as eighteen passengers. The physical director acted as skipper and Association members used it many times during the summer for outings. This launch was equipped with a five-horse power engine and traveled eight miles an hour. The total cost to the Association was very small and more than offset by the work done in repairing and so 47 Educational Activities for Boyi on throughout the building. Over a car load of lumber was used by the boys. This was paid for by each of those in the class as it was used for making all articles for private use. The boys manifested a good interest in the class, which they maintained. Even after the season was over the shop* was more or less used by the boys. Separate classes for employed boys are conducted in the Cincinnati Association. Those working in offices and who wish to enter offices are in charge of one instructor and are taught arithmetic, penmanship, principles of bookkeeping, filing, copying letters, indexing, office etiquette, etc. In the other division the common school branches are taught. The teacher in the latter class has been very successful in holding the interest of the boys. His plan of teaching history and geography is somewhat original. A state, for instance, is taken up. Its location is discussed. Perhaps an outline or map is sketched on the board. The principal cities are located, the points of historic interest noted, the date of settle- ment and so on. Men of historic note from the State are also mentioned. Grammar is taught chiefly through composition work. Another feature to which is attrib- uted much of his success with the boys is the grading of the class. He speaks of them as of Class A and Class This division is made according to their previous school mg. This gives the bright boy, whose early educati has been limited, an opportunity to make as good standing as the boy who has spent two or three years in school. Reports are made out at intervals showing their grading, based upon effort, deportment and class work. A series of practical talks on live subjects follow- ing their evening's work in the "g>'m" is proving ver>' popular and secures regular attendance. The first four of H The Harlem Boys' Department Orchestra of a series of six talks averaged above eighty boys in attendance. The Harlem Boys* Department Orchestra has been in existence three years, meeting regularly for rehearsals. It has a membership of twenty-two. During the past two years it has had a number of engagements at church HARLEM BOYS ORCHESTRA concerts and other like occasions. The money received for outside engagements about covers the expense of in- struction. The members also assist the Association work materially by providing music for the Sunday Club. The Savings Bank in the Boys* Department of Provi- dence is interesting more and more of the boys. They can deposit any amount from a penny upward, though the upper limit is not high. The Association holds the 49 Educational Actiyities for Boyi money in trust and deposits it in a local savings bank to the credit of the depositors when the required amount is reached. The card system is used in entering depos- itors. A boy must give a week's notice before he can draw on his deposit. During this time he has a chance to change his mind so there is less opportunity of his spending money foolishly as in many cases he will con- sult with the Boys' Secretary before drawing. Many of the boys have been consistently depositing their extra coins during the winter, with the special object of provid- ing for camp expenses this summer. One enterprising "chap" marched in one day and deposited $5, annoimcing that he had made it by clearing the snow from the side- walks. No one account is high, but each one indicates the desire on the part of the depositors to observe more thrift, to cut down unnecessary expenditure for things of fleeting pleasure and fancy, and to save for the prover- bial "rainy day," though it may be the Fourth of July or circus day. Let people know more about what our boys are doing. I have come to the conclusion that we do not tell enough about our boys' work. The public these days are apt to discoimt statements and claims. I often think it divides them by two or four. Let us at least tell all we are doing in detail. Use plenty of good cuts. I believe we could, arouse a much greater interest in our work on the part of business men if we told them more. Pictures will help not only to interest the boys but their employers as well. — W. B. Ferris. An Easter social was held last year in the St. Louis Boys' Department. Any members under fifteen years of age were admitted by the doorkeeper upon the payment 50 rd boiled eggs with his name written on each. Other boys and parents were cordially invited to come at the rate of ten cents each. This carnival took place at ten o'clock Saturday morning and the events were as follows : 1. Crowing contest. 2. Rooster fight — bantam and shanghai. II 3. Egg tug B 4. Egg turnover race. I 5. Egg race. I 6. Set the hen. I 7. Chew the string. I 8. Chase the feather. 9- ^S^ passing contest. 10. Relay race. Dr. H. S. Wingert, Physical Director, was in charge of the performance. If the reader desires more informa- tion he will know where to get it. Libraries for Boys' Departments. Hardly a Boys* Department has not in the past or at the present time does not face the problem of keeping an up-to-date library in the department on the small budget which is provided for books. An experiment has proved very successful at the Harlem Branch, New York City. The secretary of the Boys' Department called on the librarian of the public library at 190 Amsterdam Avenue and found that the library officials were quite willing to establish a branch library in the Association, allowing to them the selection of the books. They agreed to pay all the exf)enses of transportation, etc., and only asked in return, a monthly statement of the number of books used, the Association being held responsible for damage and loss. Thus the Association has been able to provide SI Educational Activities for Boyt the best books for their members at no cost to the Branch. The result is a library of 400 well selected boys* books with a supply of up-to-date books whenever the Asso- ciation wishes them. A library for parents in which are books dealing with the adolescent boy has also been established in the same way. Following closely the question of providing good books for the boy is the problem of directing, as well as cultivating, his taste for good reading. A record system has been worked out in which every book that is read by the boys is noted and at the end of the month, if the record shows that Harry Smith has read Alger's books entirely, or that he reads nothing but history, the ques- tion of his reading is taken up with him and his likes and dislikes in regard to books are discussed in a free and friendly way, and an honest effort is made to broaden the scope of his reading. "If we secretaries," says Secretary Ritchie, '*stop and ask ourselves how much we know about what our mem- bers read, I am afraid the majority of us would have to confess that we know very little and yet we all recognise the fact that the reading of one book has often influenced a young man's life. I believe that the library of the Boys' Department offers a field, full of possibility, that h been practically unexplored." RETURN CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT TO— » 202 Mom Library LOAN PERIOD HOME USE AU BOOKS MAY BE RECALLED AFTER 7 DAYS nr LC. '"* •' ^^'^^ TO DUE OA . E. DU E AS STAMPED BELOW NOV 15 1 9 87 ,rNOV3 0l9>7 ^^iim ^tnr ^ i£: C\BCV3^^ UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA. BERKELEY FORM NO. DD6, 60m. 1 /83 BERKELEY. CA 94720 LD ll-I0Om-T.*40(6930i) U.C. BERKELEY LIBRARIES i CDam2033S nj^:-.^'^^ "i*^- ■/ ..•-i'l .^'■^•^" .?■'•' f ^''