The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1885-05-21
THE BOYS CLUB.
How 1t Is Carried~on, and the Good
Time It Affords It's Members.

How 1t Is Carried~on, and the Good
Time It Affords Its Members.
The Boys Club is not school nor q
lecture-room, nor any kind of meet
ing. 1t is only club for the East-side
boys. where every fellow can read, or
play games, or talk, or tell stories, or
do anything that is regular out-and-out
fun, and not mischief.
The Superintendent has one or two
boys to help him one to look after the
hats and caps, another to keep an eye
on the wash-room, and another to take
charge of the drawing materials used by,
the boys who are busted with the study
of drawing These officers, if you have
a mind to call them so, take turns, SO
| that every young member of the Boys
| Club has chance to make himself USE
| full, and may be promoted to the high
est position if he shows himself fit for
| that honor.
Every night at half-past seven, except
| ing on Sundays, the doors are opened
and the boys file in down the stairs to
the big basement where the club holds
its jolly meetings. Show your ticket at
the door, give up your hat to the gen.
tlemanly usher, aged nine. and take q
check fer it. Will you read the picture
papers, sir, or play checkersp VIII
you read story-book or indulge in
"Go-BangP" A game, ehp all rights
show your ticket to the librarian. He
takes it, punches a hole in it, and keeps
it while you have your game. Here are
a table and five chairs.
On the walls of the room are posted
the catalogues of the books in the
library. Half dozen little fellows are
reading the enticing lists, and off they.
| go to the librarian, and present their
cards for their books. Here's good
| quiet place in corner, where fellow
i can read in peace. There is a great
clatter of voices, with every one talking
as fast as he can; but your city boy can
read anywhere.
Every boy can talk and laugh as
freely as in his own home. Make all
the noise you like, within reasonable
bounds. It's good for the lungs Who
ever heard of a boy who could fold his
arms and be truly good all the time. In
the Boys Club every fellow can be as
lively as he pleases, provided he does
not interfere with any other boys fun.
Only, house fun is in order; and, if any
boy feels that he must race about the
| room, the fatherly policeman suddenly
! wakes up and Mr.. Race-horse is invited
into the street, where he can run to his
hearts content He can not come
again to the club till he learns how
young gentlemen behave in the house.
OF course there are rules of some
kind. To enter the club, the boy must
apply for ticket, and this ticket is only
good for a month. If, during the
mouth, boy behaves badly in the club
room, he will lose his ticket, and, per-
haps, not get another for a long time.
All the boys who show that they wish To
do the right thing, and treat the club
and each other properly. have their
tickets renewed every month. You see
from this that, really, the club is prac-
tically free to any little East-side fellow
who wishes to escape from the dismal
streets, and is willing to behave him
self for sake of the good time the club
affords him. Charles Barnard, in st.
Nicholas.