The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1894-01-24
CHURCH BOYS In BLUE.
Military Drill Among Sunday School
Youth
luo.ption and Growth Of the Boys Brig-
ads-Orer 900 Chicago Lads ALREADY
FnroIIed-DesIEnrd TO Interest the
Boys 10 Church Work

7, = dozen Protestant churches II
rhirsr, there are lockers containing
Yilcs IS deadly as tho effective Enncia
ar Remington, and regularly each
xv..eiy the boys attached TO the several
suudav schools go through the move
ments and manual Of the regular tae-
tics OF the United States army u Is
sase TO saw that 81 least twelve hun
dred Sunday school boys OF Chlcago
are embraced in these quasi military
organizations
I. i claimed that the boys are not
drilled with a view of giving them
martial spirit, but simply because II
has been found by experience that
notbing win interest them in church
work 50 much as 20 give that WORK
military aspect 4 well-known church
man. who IS greatly interested in the
movement. said recently;
The spirit OF Amerieanism-inde-
neudence or individual liberty-which
comes 70 every native citizen by IN
beritauce and is inhaled with every
breath. 50 that even foreigners are
soon infected with It, has borne IN
welcome fruitage in the restlessness
under restraint, the defiance OF dis
ciniine and the general irreverence
which children OF the present age
usually manifest This is particularly
"a vsth BOYS. The result naturally Is
that whether at home or at school, al
church or at college, the question 81
control is q perplcxing one
a careful student of child nature
discovered one form of discipline which
5s the most thorough conceivable and
which Is actually congenial TO the boy
nature. This was military organiza-
ton. for which boys have a natural
ATTITUDE. Instead Of scolding, or say
ing with an injured air, Now boys,
behave yourselves the command at
tention' Is given with explosive effect,
and the 'privates' are discipled into
rigid statues. The yOungster can be
kept marching, counteT1narchInS,
marking time, or performing other
eroIutions until the powers Of nerve
and muscle which incite the boy to
lawlcssrcss have been brought under
control and made - minister TO his
best good. When equipped with mill
iarv uniform. cap, and belt, the trans
formation is complete and the private
Is ready 10 be taught obedience, rever-
ence. and manliness without being con
scious OF il, and almost in the form Of
an amusement.
The first experiment in this direc-
ton in connection with Sunday school
work was made in Glasgow, Scotland,
fv ". 4. smith, OF the Lanark rifles,
in October. 1883. As result, the work
If one winter transformed the school
Discipline was perfect, manners were
acquired, the physical bearing was i'm
proved. the moral character was
strengthened aud the foundations of
religious principles were laid, and all
this was accomplished by boys of an
are in which the natural drift IS away
from. rather than toward, religious in
fuenccs. This success caused the
movement TO spread, and ten years later
there were 595 companies, with 2,025
officers and 25,033 members reported.
IN 1850 the first company in the United
states was organized in san Francisco
bv Rev. John Quincy Adams, and fifty
more We're soon formed in the imme-
diate vicinity. A national Organiza-
tion was then formed. and companies
organized in Kansas City, Chicago. Gin
rinnati. Detroit and other cities Since
then the growth has been very rapid.
Is a result, the boys have been elevated
and educated, and Sunday schools and
reading rooms hitherto empty have
been filed.
In July, 1892, there were 95 eompa-
MES in the United States, 8 per cent Of
which were Presbyterian, 95 per cent
Congregational, Il per cent. Methodist,
and Is per cent Baptist One year
Iater 222 organizations were reported.
In July. ls92, there We're only two bat
lions in the organization, composed
nf from two to ten companies One
year later there were twelve or thir-
teen fully organized battalions- The
average membership per company IS -.
The first organizations in Chicago were
formed bv Rev Howard Russell, at the
Armour mission. Since that time two
of the best drilled companies in the
country have been organized at
the Evanston Avenue Congregational
church. which Is known as the Church
al the Bedeemer, and a number Of other
companies have been formed.