Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-28
Copyright. 1909. by Herman HapEood.)

OpPsrlgnt. leVs. by Herman HapEood.D
BUFFALO, n. Y, March 27-Unher-
aided by even the church press, there
has grown up within the past five years
a phase of religious work for boys that
has come to be national in extent and
one of thhe most striking forms of pres
ent-day Christian effort. 1t has had con-
spicuous success in Buffalo, Washington.
New York, Boston, Grand Rapids, Port
land. Cleveland, Philadelphia, Toledo
and other cities.
This is a movement for the voluntary
organization Of high school boys. in con-
nection with the Young Mems Chris
tan Association, for Bible study. social
service. and moral uplift. The interna-
tional committee Of the Y. NJ. c. A. has
made this high school department its
latest feature" and has put at the head
Of 1t Rhodes scholar with a remarkable
record. The results already reported in
dictate the widespread need for some or
ganization Of this sort.
A New Problem in Religion and
Education.
The rapid increase Of high schools in
America, and Of the number of students
therein has created several serious prob
lens. The high school boys are prone
to ape the college students in the lat
ter's delinquencies as well as in their ex
cellences. The sudden growth Of the or
ganization Of fraternities in high schools
has created q problem that has divided
the educators. Some states have officially
put these fraternity organizations under
the ban. Educators are investigating the
organizations everywhere and the general
tendency seems to be toward the elimi
nation Of the frat.
The passing Of the study Of the Bible
from the public schools Is by some said
to have relation to these other prob
lens of practical morality. The new en-
terprise of the Y. NJ. c. A. is to intro
CARNATIONS Of the students. The sue
cess that is attending the special work
in high schools and preparatory schools
is shown by the report of organizations
cities of the country. In some cases
there are hundreds of boys meeting
weekly in voluntary Bible classes for adj
vanced study. Special phases of this
work have been reported as follows:
Toledo has a Social Service League
which has helped lobby an anti-cigar-
cite bill before the Legislature. Boise
City, Idaho, has formed its Bible classes
into federation. Most of the churches
in this city have classes composed ex-
N. Y, where NOR. than 80 per cent Of the
high school boys are enrolled in the Bible
classes. they have featured the promotion
Of high scholarship among the members.
In Washington, d. c.. college club
has been formed to induce boys to go to
college and to purify school life. In Port
land, Ore, the Bible class groups meet in
the school buildings OF both high schools.
In New York city for the boys alone of
five of the high schools monthly speakers
oh
boys have undertaken club work for
poorer boys, with a transformed beer gar
den as their center. In Grand Rapids the
pastors of the city have all met in con-
interesting incident of the movement
there is the meeting weekly of group of
leading boys with the editor Of daily
newspaper at his office for Bible study.
In Boston a college night is held for the
high school students. representatives of
various institutions presenting the char
acteristics and claims of each. An edu-
catiOnal authority in New York is re-
sponsible for the statement that this high
school work has simplified the disciplin
ing of the schools 80 per cent"
How It Works in Buffalo.
For twenty-five years the Young Mems
Christian Association at Buffalo has spe-
cialized on boys work. 1t has three
buildings with special provision for boys.
including gymnasiums. and it enrolls in
its membership thirteen hundred boys be-
tween the ages of twelve and seventeen
years.
But it is in this new Bible class work
among high school boys that most pro-
hundred high school boys. chiefly upper
cIassmen, are enrolled with the assocfa-
ton in Bible classes. Each school has
Bible study club. bearing the school name.
and manned and differed by the boys
The meetings are held in the association