The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1891-10-16

| ganizations, while seemingly benevolent and
broad minded, are nevertheless exclusive, only
admitting to their number certain classes or
conditions, and the restrictive basis OF their
| membership may be social, financial or physical
| rather than Is ours moral. These organizations
| have neither time or place for the boy not de-
signed to meet his special requirements, no
special department in which his boyish inclina-
| lions and tendencies are consulted, where Is af
| forded the sympathy which oftentimes his boy
| ish difficulties and peculiar temptations seem to
| require. For this he must seek elsewhere, and
we'll for him that II Is so, for, as before stated
without Christ and his love as the central figure
| and inspiring motive TO pure thought and earnest
endeavor, there could be no reason why such
| young mems association should engage in such
| work.
But we can conceive OF many reasons why we,
| as Young Mems Christian Association, whose
| supreme aim to uplift young men spiritually,
educatonally, socially and physically should.
retrospective glance over the years OF our
| lives will convince us OF the rapidity with which
| our boys are becoming men, and again the ques-
| tion appeals TO US, what kind of meng
The boys of q few years ago are the young men
OF the present, about to enter upon the realities
and responsibilities of life. Are they, as the re-
suit OF proper training, prepared to stand the
| test of true manhoody They have developed as
ii were, in passing hour into the stature at
least of men, with many habits, good or bad,
firmly established.
deed for as the twig of youth is inclined so will
| the tree of full manhood stand, either straight,
tall healthful, or knarled, knotty and bent.
| Youth Is the formation period for mind and body
both may easily be moulded and turned into
desired channels. Even the misshapen body
may be given It's proper contour 90 not 1, dis
| gard the influence of mother-the love which q
| mother can bestow upon child is almost beyond
finite comprehension, and only is 1t surpassed by
| Gods infinite love.
Thomas G. Diggs, speaking of boys, in the Era
| OF some months ago. says, Boys are very imita'
| tive-they will follow something and somebody
| and do something they have seen some one else
| do If one boy has top, that makes some other
boy think OF top; II one boy has apenny blower
| n ipRra1ihlu oh hoy In xyn
| becomes possessed of one-of desire to vie with
| each other as regards quality and volume of
| vices of a similar nature and while not in the
| same proportion, yet to some extent is this true
| with regard to virtues. One boy may influence
| another to discard and avoid these things, may
| influence him to attend Sabbath schools, boys
| meetings, and thus lead him to accept Christ.
II this is accomplished, 1t must be the result of
| well directed effort, careful thought, wise plan
nings and other means leading up to this climax.
| This is part of the work which the boy cannot
do; older and more experienced heads must
| furnish the plans, enlist the SympathieS and di-
| rect the effort; in this lies our responsibility
1t Is during Just this period of boyish activity
| and susceptibility to influences, good or bad
| that special effort must be made in his behalf
| when he needs careful training, kindly counsel
| and correct ideas of true manhood instilled into
his heart and brain. From the time first trous-
ers are donned and red topped boots experienced
until the stern realities of life engage his mind
the boy in SO far as may be is the counterpart of
| the man. IL you are store keeper and have q
| boy, you will speedily find the whole back yard
or possibly the dining or drawing room trans.
formed into huge store, and soon there will
| come a time as in the life of the older,
| when organization in its various forms appeals
| to him; he wants to join something and isn't
very particular what: Sister Is no longer com,
| know what boy needs or wants, which amounts
to the same thing in his Judgment, and father
has no time to devote to his boyish freaks and
| fancies. Now this is the boy who claims our
| time and attention in part; by no means bad
boy, but nevertheless in need of companionship
| proper, organization moral and helpful. If we
| would preserve the distinctive feature of our
work. its preventive feature, we must think
OF these things, we must provide for our boys.
| 1t is not only important, IL is imperative.
1t is true that many OF our young men at the
early age of sixteen or seventeen years are sadly
in need Of reformation and that radically So,
which condition might be obvated largely by
careful training and proper associates in earlier
life. 1t is a well known fact that by far the
majority who fill our jails, reform schools, peni-
tentiaries and prisons are young men, proving
that the work of prevention II begun at all, must
begin early in the life Of the individual. Cur
own state and others are realizing this fact and
actingin accordance with it, in the establish
ment of our State public school for dependent
children, and while these have their humanitar-
ian and philanthropic phase and aspect, so they
have financial consideration and very i'm
portant one 1t is too. Yet we must not forget
this nor the reformatory while considering the
preventive. This ought we to have done and
not to have left the other undone."
In the course Of correspondence with secre-
taries in this ana other states, have asked the
question: what are you doing for boysy'
Nothing, lack of room, time proper facilities, "
have been the various answers given and If these
are valid and can be sustained, and are impossi-
bilities that cannot be overcome then we must
concede the impracticability of conducting work
for boys. However II these are only seeming
impoSsibiliteS that by earnest effort and earnest
prayer may be overcome or removed, and as we
love the boys and value the best interests of the
association in its work for young men, let us
supply the facilities and take care of the boys.
Our best workers may be developed from this,
legitimate source. Christ, in his busy three
years of public ministry, found time to think
about the little ones to utter words of COM
mendation and encouragement. 1t is my con-
viction that we are inclined to underestimate
the value of the boy as compared with the grown
up boy, forgetting meanwhile that the years in
his life when possibly he receives the least at
tention Mt home and abroad, are most telling
and trying, the most impressionable ones in his
youthful life. BY the grace of God let us do
not less for young men but more for bows
Sec'y A. l.. Parker, of Detroit. conducted
an illustrative Bible Glass" to the satisfac-
ton and profit of the delegates.
The reports from the secretaries of the
associations in the state showed nearly all
of them to be i'm hourishing condition, in
creasing i'm membership and working ability.
The Bay City association reported an in
crease i'm membership of 142 since April
last, total membership $50. Ypsilanti, 10
members; Saginaw, east side, 800 members,
an increase of 40 i'm the last quarter and
newly IurnlSneu rooms ana S4, 5UO Tor cur
rent expenses; Marquette, 34S members, a
gain of SO within year; Menominee, organ
lied in January, secretary called in April,
SO, 500 raised for current expenses, IS men,
bers; Alpena, organized in January, opened
rooms in April, membership 2l7; Coldwaler
has 243 members, a gain of IS i'm the year,
Is conversions; Detroit association is -four
ishing in every branch. Kalamazoo has
collected $4,000 during the year for new
building and still has $40 due, So 800
raised for current expenses; Battle Creek
organized one year, has membership of
2O4, work prosperous; Flint has new
building costing $1,000 and has paid debt
of S700; Saginaw, west side, has 155 MEM
bers. The reports for college associations
Alma, Hope, Kalamazoo, Olivet, Adrian
and AlbOn-were encouraging, showing
what is being done for the young men who
are students.
The afternoon session opened with STIR
ring address by e. Z. Dyer, of Minneapolis,
on the ''Relation of American Associations
to Young Men in Foreign Lands" Mr..
Dyer also gave an encouraging report of the
work i'm his city and st. Paul.
The balance of the aftprnOon was piven tO