The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-10-12
Substitute for Home.


 "The Boys club is substitute for very poor substitute Those at the head of it stand in the places of the parents of the boys who take part in 1t. For this very reason, although most clubs are run by men, there should be maternal influence. When I assume the manage ment of the boys you have already sue ceeded in getting under your control, as well as hundreds of others I see on the membership roll, l hope there will not be any change in the present influence you wield. l also hope any plan I may introduce may not supplant any work or specific plan that may now exist. All want is your hearty co-operation.'
 Mir Melpolder then told of the boys he had studied since coming here and said he considered the outlook most encour- aging. He declared that the club should have all classes, not merely newsboys or messenger boys or factory boys, but all The supreme object, he said. would be to make them better. He then spoke of other clubs in Birmingham, saying that outside of probably a few church clubs siiSAO "o' OiiiJ tut I. M. 1. A. that aD- pealed to the ambitious poor boy, who would doubtless become a member of the Boys club because he could not afford to pay to join the Y. M. C. A. night school.
 And in this connection" he said, 'it must be understood that this club is for the good boy as well as the mealleable bad boy. The latter needs the influence of the former. Some of you may say the good boy may pick up the habits of the bad. Very true. And 1t is right at this point where our work must come in and be felt The good must predominate. and if we find boy so vicious that we can do nothing with him he must be elected, hard as it may seem. My ex- perience has taught me that the good influence of the best club in the world cannot overcome the worldly habits of some of the youths of our land
 Plans Drum Corps.
 Tn deciding upon the things that are necessary to attract the average boy and hold him I submit for your considera- tion the feasibility of organizing a drum corps. We will have to supply the in- struments, which will cost about $175. also contemplate working out the mu- ncipality idea of letting the boys have a city and elect their own mayor, coun- eilmen, police commissioners and other officers. This is organized club work, the only kind that is needed in Birming- ham, for the reason you have no slums where settlement work is necessary"
 At the conclusion of MT. Melpoder's talk Mrs. Jeffries told something of what the club had accomplished in the past and what it expected to do under the management of MT. Melpolder. She said that sixty-fve members of the club were in school and that forty were at work
 At the conclusion of Mrs. Jeffries re- marks the following resolutions were in- troduced:
 'Inasmuch as Mrs. G. A. Walkers work in the Boys club has passed into other hands. be it resolved by the board now in session.
 q. That this body is keenly sensible of the beautiful attention given to our boys by Mrs. Walker For more than two years she has associated herself with them, and the extent of her loving kindness and wis dom is attested by the affection felt for her by these friendless children Hers has been no small share of the difficult task undertaken by this board namely, the se-