Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1906-11-19
JUVENILE CIVIC ACTIVITY.

the Rising Generntion and Their In.
terest In Municipal Affairs.
How shall we interest the rising
generation In municipal affairs? Is q
question more frequently asked than
answered satisfactorily. Educators,
publicists. administrators, reformcrs,
have spent their time and energy, but
not always with the best results. Day
light is ahead, however, and instances
Of successful efforts to interest boys
along civic lines are increasing. Here
is one account written by boy, AL
bert Gardner, who Is described as
president Of Select council, Boys
Civic club Of Scranton"
During the month of April 1905, the
officers of the Boys Civic club of
Scranton went to New York with Mr.
A. B. Dunning to attend the junior de-
partment of the National Municipal
league. Upon their return Albert
Gardner made the following report
upon one branch of the work. 1t points
the way to further work in the same
direction:
During our visit in New York with
Mr.. Dunning while he was Il delegate
to the National Municipal league, rep
resenting the Scranton board Of trade
at the leagues conference in New York
city, we met William Chauncey Lang
don Of the Pratt institute of Brooklyn,
who has charge Of the Juvenile City
league work. One afternoon Mr.. Wat
son, one Of Professor Langdon's as
sistants, took us to public school No.
81, where he distributed some cards.
This was after school, and the boys
We're playing and practicing for an ath-
letic tournament under the direction
Of the workers Of the league. 1t may
seem strange to you that so many boys
were staying around the school grounds
after school hours. and we thought the
same thing, but on inqr!irins found out
that this was the only chance these
boys had to play, and they certainly
did play, for they played and entered
into their athletic sports with great
enthusiasm.
Zone Of the things which greatly In
terested us was the distribution Of a
set Of cards among the boys.
Besides this set Of cards, they give
out small books, or pads, Of 100 leaves,
and on each leaf Is written: You are
violating the law against splitting. You
are subject to Imprisonment or fine, or
both. BY order Of the board Of health.
(SigneO Thomas Darlington, NJ. D.,
president On the back of this is writ
ten more about violation Of the law by
splitting on the streets. These little
pads are given to tho boys. who take
great delight in giving them out when
they see any one splitting on the side
walks. They also have cards which
say. Don't give consumption to others,
and don't let others give it to YOU II
tells how to prevent consumption and
how to cure 1t. It also gives list Of
hospitals that are free to people having
diseases Of this kind.
"Now, It may be easily seen from
what have read, how much good can
and will be done by the distribution Of
these cards. 1t tells the people how
much good they can do by complying
with the law. For instance, they can
see how the garbage and rubbish can
be made Of great use. 1t shows how
they can keep free from disease.
Scranton, on the whole, is a pretty
clean city, but don't think it would do
any harm, and 1t would do a great deal
Of good, II a few such cards as they use
in New York We're printed and dis
tributed around the city"