The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-04-03

LlC IOy5 Id lSdit Noih bN~' ~
deal toward developing this power OF
leadership. 1t would greatly surprise
any one not acquainted with boy nature
to see how quickly some boys develop
that peculiar personal magnetism which
enables them to control those under
them. And when added to this magnet
ism is strong Christian character, you
have the best possible endoWments Tor
our future leaders. We must not forget
that every boy is a possible president,
and it is for our interest that he be the
best president possible.
The fact that the work is done by
means of military rather than civilian
methods is an important point to be no.
tced. The military method is much
more flexible and thereby bends Itself
much more readily to any necessary
change that the movement may require.
Then again, the military appeals more
to the boys natural love for glitter and
glamour There never was healthy
boy who would not swap whole month
of Christmases for one day of Fourth of
July; and when that boy is told he is to
have an initial part in the glorious day,
his cup of happiness literally overtlows.
L VA may tGli u IVY W NC 6oOui " cp1S
his parents, and all that; and If he is a
perfectly natural boy he will likely tell
you he is good enough already and that
he always obeys except when he thinks
he can disobey without getting lick
ing" Give that same boy a uniform,
put a gun in his hand and he viii stand
at attention" for hours, do sentinel
duty, in a word do anything or go any
where he is commanded, and claim
that no one can thus accustom himself
to obeying his superior officer without 1t
having a good effect in teaching him to
obey parental and civil authority.
Another good thing about the military
method is that it gives the boy an OPP
poftunity for rapid and constant pro-
motion. A boy will not belong to COM
pany six months before he is made a
corporal; another six months will make
him a sergeant; and so on until he is
placed in command of a company. 1t is
the rule of the organization that all Of
ficers shall be free from bad habits; and
all commissioned officers must be mem
bers of some church. Here again we
have a great hold on the boys; we do
not seek to compel them to be good we
SiitBly lttu lItlil lIt lOlt anu iNdNV IL
to their own option whether they will
endeavor to be an officer or not. People
sometimes ask, How do you manage
with the unruly boys who join the COM
pany? We do not manage at all. Most
boys after they have been passed over
once or twice in an election for officers
either reform or else leave the organi-
cation of their own accord. Another
question that is sometimes asked by
pastors is, Why should we give special
attention and time simply for the pleas
ure of the boys? Our boys are in the
Sunday school; and most of them come
from homes of Christian influence: why
should we go to the special expense of
fitting UP a room, furnish them With
guns and uniforms, and giving them
| night to drill in? There are several rea-
sons why they should do all this for the
| boys. One of them is that it makes the
| boy feel he is of some Importance in the
| world The day has gone by when 1t is
wise to insist that a child. and especial
| ly boy, is to be always seen and not
| heard We are learning that even boy
| has some rights and one Of those rights
| is that he shall have an opportunity of
| We may seek to curb that energy; and
unwise parents do so, with the result
that the boy as soon as he becomes old
| enough to exercise his sovereignty does
so. much to the shame Of his parents.
| The Boys Brigade work gives the boy
just the opportunity he needs, and that
| in legitimate way. Another feature of
boy nature is that he is a natural insur-
gent, Il am speaking now of the normal
| boy, not the goodygoody sissy boy),
and is constantly organizing rebellions
against the home government. You
may spank him twice a day. and send
him supperless to bed, but If he is boy
of any spirit he will get up in the morn
| ing to plan more rebellion. All law is
to him tyranny of the worst kind; but
give that same boy a corporals chevron
on his sleeve and place him in command
of four of his companions, and he be-
| comes law personified, Then, too, it
| teaches him respect he is taught to sa-
| lutte his superior officers, and to defer
| to them on all things, | know that
some boys go home from the drill and
seek to form their sisters and brothers,
and even their parents into military
company of which he is to have SUI
prenle commando but he soon outgrows
| that fooishness and is willing to yield
| to proper authority.
! Another question that Is often asked
| is Does not this military training tend
| to make the boys rough? | answer
| most emphatic, no. How Is a boy to be-
| come rough when all such roughness
stands in the way Of his promotion 1
wish all those who ask such questions
could attend our English Hall drills and
see the reverential, gentlemanly conduct
of the boys during the religious eXer-
cises with which we close our drills. To
see them remove their caps and bow
their heads when the major steps for
ward to lead them in the Lords prayer
would inspire any one with religious de-
votion; and / will challenge any Sunday
school superintendent to show me fifty
boys who behave one-half as well.
Another feature of the military train
ing which ought not to be passed over
slightinsly is it's good results as body
developer Ex-President Harrison, in
speaking of the work. said, that while
| foot ball and baseball developed GER
tain muscles, military drill developed all
muscles gave grace to the movements,
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