St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1905-12-06

last annual meeting of the church, at the
request OF the boys, the club was received
as an associated organization. At the
present time the club has membership
of twentv-nine. The purpose has been
to adapt the club to the needs OF the
boys, to insure permanency OF organ
izarion and to fix responsibility in the
| bows themselves.
The constitution is simple, yet COM
prehensive, the result OF several years OF
actual work. The object of the club is
| citiz nship and to cultivate manllness.
Any boy between the ages Of ten and
nineteen is eligible for membership and
on reaching the age limit becomes an
honorary member. The duties of all
| officers and the authority for rulings in
the club are such as are ia accordance
with those laid down in Roberts Rules
OF Order. The pastor holds the per-
manent office of chaplain and counselor
and in this position exerts his personal
| influence and indirect leadership, that
which is BY far the most effective in the
lives of boys. The bylaws provide for
meetings once in two weeks held on
Monday night, which are well attended
and very helpful. In these meetings such
decorum is insisted upon as is customary
in parliamentary bodies. The entrance
fee Tor member ship is fifteen cents, the
annual dues $1.00, payable quarterly,
but any member unable to meet these
dues is excused.
1t has been the purpose to make the
club permanent organization Work
with boys will not amount to very much
in state like this where there are such
frequent changes in the pastorates unless
the churches establish clubs as part of
their work. There is no more reason for
a new pastor to drop a good work
carried on among the boys by pre-
ceding minister than for him to give up
the prayer meeting, for in either case he
might give the insufficient reason that he
was not as adapted to the work as the
man preceding him. There are always
boys in community to be reached and
they are of too much value to be lost
through insufficient organization.
THE Work.
The work Of the club is of general
character, but definite enough to be of
practical value. There are four stand
ing committees which have charge of
this work, namely, the program and en-
tertainment, the printing press, the
gymnasium. and the reading room and
curio committee. A marked feature of
the club has always been the regular
meeting when there is a fixed order of
procedure. 1t is remarkable the time
which is often required to transact the
business OF the club, during which the
keen interest of each member is aroused,
a facility gained in speaking and a gen.
eral knowledge of parliamentary law
acquired. The election OF officers is a
valuable experience and one much en-
joyed. Perhaps one OF the most essen
tia things in the work is the ability
acquired for doing committee work,
which means effective individual effort.
The special program OF each meeting is
Of variable character to which is to be
contributed much of the success of the
work. And here is where the general
club is oil great advantage. for there is
change giving the anticipation which
boys require. The boys have given sew
erai EN- ertainments or special evenings !;
one was an open meeting at which the
club convened on the stage before large
audience, when in addition to the regular
NEE ing there were historical addresses,
patriotic songs and a debate. In the
general program there are the following
features: addresses by citizens OF the
own, debates and selections from cur
rent literature. And certain amount
of interest and work centers in the
printing press, punching bag, cabinet,
and reading table.
INFLUENCE OF THE CLUB.
Now the result of the work in general
is far reaching influence, and only a
part of which is visible at present. 1t is
an influence which is noted by many in
the community and which is manifested
in various directions. 1t is the influence
of the work accomplished by the boys
themselves and also by the indirect leader
ship aud support OF all those who are
Interested in the welfare of the bows who
in another decade are to be citizens of
this country. Observe that the influence
of the club is general. First, the boys
are acquiring that knowledge which will
be practical tor them as men; they learn
that which is necessary according to the
words of Plutarch, "That which they
shall use when men," In our club there
are boys-so soon to be men-who can
preside at meeting and to whom it is
very easy to address the chair and to
express themselves in public. And l
have reason o believe that this influence