The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-02-14
BOYS CLUB AFFAIRS
BOARD OF DIRECTORS SUBMITS ITS
ANNUAL REPORT.
Statement of Work Accomplished
of the Club.

The board of directors of the Boys Club
and Employment Association, No. 81 East
Court street, submitted its annual report
yesterday to the friends of the institution.
The officers are as follows President,
Thomas c. Day; vice president, AIRS Edgar
j. Foster; secretary. Clarence NJ. Zener;
treasurer, E. n. Richards; superintendent,
Mary f. Dixon; assistant superintendent, S.
p Dixon; board of directors-M. V. Nc
Gilliard, W. H. Hubbard s. c. Gilman, Mrs.
Roscoe Hawkins, Mrs. c. B. Cakes. Mrs.
Winifred Miller, Mrs. a. NJ. Noe. Mrs J. HI.
Byers. Mrs. w. A. Krag, Mrs. George Mer-
ritz Mrs Caleb S. Denny, Mrs. j. II. Vajen,
Mrs. Arthur Jordan, Mrs II. c. Duncan.
Mrs. S. f. Mcintosh, Mrs. r. w. Furnas,
Mrs George Benton; advisory board-Hugh
H. Hanna. Professor w. f. Crowell, II. c.
Adams, Roscoe Hawkins, c. S. Denny, K.
G. Cornelius, Rev. d. j. Ellison, Rev. J. A.
Rondthaler and Rev. L. l. Coltas.
The report shows the average enrolment
of the Boys Club is pa, with an average at
tendance of 60 during the year. Through
the winter months the average mas been 70
and 80. The aggregate attendance for the
year was 1920 The CLUB has clothed l0o
the rule that the tnma ties must either work
pay some thing, il ever so little, for the
to clothing, SO they could attend school.
Fifteen were clothed, and, with the help OF
their parents, were placed in school. others
were frightened into attendance by being
threatened with the Board of Guardians.
Thirty of these boys were contributing to
the support Of families: the rest We're little
lease from Police Court for nine boys. and
was rewarded with good results in seven
cases. Three boys, through the influence of
the club. were released from the Criminal
Court. Permanent employment was found
for eight boys and fifteen youths were put
to work temporarily. The report laments
that the night school had to be abandoned
for lack of teachers. there being too many
pupils to have anything but a few general
exercises in arithmetic, spelling, geography
and history. Before the holidays Professor
Olds. of the indianapolis Art School, gave
the boys number OF lessons in drawing,
and boys congress, numbering twenty-five
of the larger lads. has been organized.
The rules of the Club are reasonable, the
most important looking toward order and
cleanliness No boy can touch book or
game without clean hands and face and no
one is allowed to remain in the room ifh-
out a book or game Something is found for.
every boy to do. Corporal punishment is
never resorted to in the club. but Kindness
and firmness alone maintain discipline This
is found much more effective than harsh
ness and severity. When a boy needs dis
ciplining he Is dismissed from the room for
various periods of time, according to the ma
ture OF the o1fense. During the month of
October, 1894, there was opened a gymnas-
ium. which has proved source of great
pleasure to the boys, as well as aiding their
physical development. The boys brigade is
composed of thirty of the lads, who are very
salute taught them by Wallace Foster the
donor of the. beautiful flag that adorns the
is not extensive as the officials might wish,
it is feature of the club. The books are
old, both in thought and language. A num-
Der of the boys cannot read, but enjoy look
ing through the illustrated periodicals that
have been donated in large numbers.
The penny savings bank, as a means of
giving the boys practical instruction in econ
ony and systematic saving, has been found
successful by the management Each boy i
n
of deposits made from, time to time. The
board of directors deem the custom of call
ing on the boys at their homes most i'm
portant part of their work, as in this way
they become acquainted with their environ
ments and know better how to meet them
when they come to the clubroom. These
visits also arouse the interest and sympathy
of the parents, who welcome the beneffcient
influence The club has enjoyed IA visits
from parents, some coming from a long dis
lance Many of the visitors are profuse in
their thanks for what has been done for the
boys. In the last year the club has taken in
seven boys who We're sleeping on the streets
two of them being tramps. One returned to
ened at the thought of going to the orphan
asylum that he left the club. The others
We're neglected children whose parents either
did not care for them or had lost control OF
them. The board attributes this vagabond
condition of youth to neglected childhood.
The report shows that the clubs members
do not all come from homes of penury and
want. Many of the boys come from COM
Daratively comfortable homes, but are un-
ings in the streets. where they subjected
to numberless temptations. They must have
resort and they are welcome to the club
rooms. About one-fourth of the clubs pa
irons belong to this class. Those boys who
are not jews Catholics are invited to at
tend Sabbath-School. which is held in the
club rooms every Sunday at $50 o'clock. AS
many as are willing to go are taken to
church on Sunday morning. The superin-
tendent of the institution feels that more of
the waits would attend religious services if
they had better clothes. The, management
is grateful to the friends who have con-
tributed time and money to the eleven enter
tainments given during the year. Special
thanks rendered TO those who have do
mated books and games; to the faithful work
of the Sunday-school teachers; to Mr.. Nc
Gilliard for his encouragement and aid. Also
to Mrs. Charles Cakes and Mrs. George Car
ter. who contributed carriages during the
spring and fall to assist in visits to the
homes. The needs of the club are more
monthly. quarterly or annual subscriptions.
bathrooms, mats for gymnasium, more
equipment for the boys brigade. more iuv-
emile books and more Sunday-school teach
avg