The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-10-26

way he should go, and when ne is OLD
he will not depart from it," has special
application to the boys department.
The association provides means for
the boy to grow physically and intel
lectually along wholesome lines. If the
association should train boys more
along the line of good citizenship, it
seems as if much good would be done
for our cities. The spiritual side of the
boys work is carried on by Bible
! classes and Sunday services. Here
the speakers should be men of ability,
for the first question a boy asks about
a speaker is rs he any good?"
This paper was received with hearty
applause.
Norman Cole of Newport, following
on the same subject, outlined the
model boys department, showing what
such a department might reasonably
be expected to do for a boy.
On What a Boy Can Do for the
bridge and William E. Leonard of
Salem read very creditable papers"
A discussion followed the boys pa
pers, which was generally participated
in. At it's close, E. NJ. Robinson of
New York city gave an address on
Our Obligation to All the Boys of the
Community" He claimed that man
hood begins at the dawn of adde's
cence, at perhaps 70 years of age.
why should an association that
works for men begin at 16 years, when
manhood begins at 1872" he said.
Then begins the most critical period
of life, and if the association is to
work for men it must begin then. The
association that neglects that period
between u and is years of age, neg
lects the strategic point in its work,
not for boys. but for men. The greatest
number of conversions come at the age
of 16 years. There are more changes
going on in this period, therefore the
work must be graded
Mr.. Robinson compared what might
be done in Y. NJ. c. A. work to the
fraternity life in college. He suggested
that the Y. M. c. A. work might be
divided into societies, which would So
licit new members, and have the pow
er of election. He said he did not urge
such a radical step, but merely threw
| it out as a hint.
He then showed a chart of the mem
bership in the Y. NJ. C. A. at different
ages, in SO leading associations. He
showed more members 16 years old
than at any other age. He said he had
noticed that associations which have a
large number of members at IL years
of age have few at 16; those which
|
men of 20. The reason, he said, was on
account of LACK of grading and pro-
! gression in the work
IF" he said, you are running an
association for children make the key
note play; if you work for men, make
the keynote work. Games are not all
important for the children and boys.
There is a tendency among some ju-
nior departments to make adult chill
1,a1 n Ia
boys at night Therefore the boy who
has to leave school at IA and go to work
cannot be reached by the association at
all. He cannot come in the daytime
and is debarred in the evening. Thus
the association does nothing for the
most needy of ALL"
In conclusion, Mr.. Robinson said he
when the Y NJ. C. A would have to
readjust its membership.
A discussion followed. Mr.. Robin
son was asked whether he would adj
wise putting boys of IA or 16 years of
age in the mems evening classes when
there is no other way to accommodate
them? He said the question must be
settled locally. The grouping must be
spontaneous, by natural selection.
The fraternity idea was subjected to
some criticism for the same reasons
for which the system has been criti-
cized in some colleges as taking away
democratic spirit and causing a too
keen rivalry between the organizations.
Mr.. Robinson closed the discussion
by saying he had only thrown out sug-
gestions. He advised that none Of
them be adopted hastily, but that the
associations feel their way along.
The last address of the afternoon
was by Frederic H. Fuller of Provi-
dence, r. l., on THE Boys Depart
ment as a School for Association
Workers" He began by emphasizing
the Importance of the boy problem.
There is a decline" he said, "of
religious interest in the homes. EN-
ployers cannot look out for the boys
ployers alike turn to the association
to do what they themselves cannot
do.
1T is men that the association needs
now rather than more money or bet
ter equipped buildings; men whom the
secretaries can depend upon to go out
and teach the men of the place. Where
are the men coming from? Not from
the church, much as the pastors would
like to furnish them They must be
educated, and this education cannot
be gained in mature years. L believe
the solution of the problem is to be
found in the boys department. We
may regard it as a school for reli-
gious workers.
Il hope the day will soon come when
the boys will have separate buildings
and that we learn to treat the boys
as seriously as the men. 1t is harder
I sometimes think, to find a secretary
for the boys work than for the men,
because the boys look upon him as
leader copy him, and he must be a
model fit to be copied.
The discussion reverted to Mr.. Rob
inson's address. The question of group
ing seemed to attract the most atten-
ton.
At $50 o'clock supper was served in
the vestry of the church, and was fol-
lowed by an Around the Table" quiz,
conducted by w. D. Fellows of Fall
River.
The evening session opened at 730
o'clock with the usual praise service.
The principal speaker was James Lo-
gan of Worcester, on THE Brother
hood" He said in part:
Il have been asked to speak tonigh to
the text THE Brotherhood"
I'm our use of a word we sometimes
clothe it with a narrow and con-
Itracted meaning, SO that it never comes
to have in our thought its full sig
nificance
when we use the word Brotherhood,
do we give to it its largest meaning?
do we give it definition large enough