The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1909-06-10
Our Boys Club.
Historical Sketch. What 1t Aims to Ac-
complish. New Quarters Next Septem-

Skowhegan has "Bops' Club af-
filiated with other organizations of
the same kind which have been estab-
lished under the direction of the
Maine Young Mems Christian Asso-
citation, which is one of the strongest
in the State. Not the largest, numer-
ically, but unsurpassed by any in
solid, steady work, in actual char
acter building for its members and
general uplift for the community.
About three years since, the State
Committee of the Young Mems
Christian Association became con-
WINGED that there was need of agrees
sive work among the boys of Maine,
and employed Cecil M. Daggett of
Waterville as State secretary to
establish Boys Department of Y.
M. G. A. work. Mr.. Daggett contin-
ued for two years, organizing Boys
Clubs and arousing interest in the
G. Robinson, the present State secre-
tary. Mr.. Robinson is Maine man,
formerly of Brewer, but for some
time previous to his appointment had
been doing similar work in a New
Jersey city.
The first Boys Conference in the
new movement, inviting delegates
from the whole State, was held at
Bangor in 1906. In succeeding years
/ they were held at Waterville in 1907,
Portland in 1908 and Lewiston in jan
uary of the present year. A delega-
ton of Skowhegan boys attended the
/ Waterville conference and, as direct
result, in February of that year, the
Skowhegan Boys Club, Junior Y M.
! G. a, was formed Hubert Crowell,
form erly of Old Town, then a sales
man in the shoe store of K. II. Merrill
& Son, was the prime mover in the
matter. Through his efforts a con-
! ference was held at the Bethany Bap-
fist church, one Sunday afternoon,
and committee appointed, under
whose direction a meeting was held
| at the Congregational Vestry, a few
weeks later, at which MIR. Daggett,
the State secretary had for his audi
ence about forty of the youth of
Skowhegan, all very much interested
in the Boys Club project. The
Skowhegan club was then and there
formed with Arthur Merriam as the
first president
A room was engaged for a meeting
place, on the second floor of the w.
B. Steward block and active work en-
tered upon at once. The quarters
have not been changed since the be-
ginning and the plan of work, adopt
ed early in the history of the club, has
been continued with little Interrupt
ton. Meetings are held on Sunday
afternoons through the fall, winter
and spring. This is the principal ses-
sion of the week and the original plan
of the State secretary was to have a
leader present, some one of more
mature years than the general mem
bership of the club, to furnish guild
ing mind in it's discussions. This plan
had been generally adopted in other
towns but the right man was not
forthcoming here and the young
men, from the time of Mr.. Crowell's
departure have conducted their own
meetings. So far from suffering from
lack Of leadership, it seems that the
responsibilities they have been thus
obliged to assume have been a potent
source Of development. During the
winter months about 80 boys, not
members of the club, who are en-
ployed in the factories during the
day, have been given the opportunity
for evening instruction twice week,
a class in arithmetic on Monday and a
class in bookkeeping on Wednesday.
A class for Bible study has met on
Friday evening and general social
session has been held on Saturday
evenings. Instructors have been
very generous in their services for
the evening classes. Elroy Seekins and
Walter Ennis have devoted a good
deal Of time to the Monday evening
arithmetic classes and the Friday
evening Bible study class has been
chiefly under the leadership OF Arthur
Merrill
Under the plan approved by the
State secretary of boys work, an ad-
visory committee exists for the pur-
pose Of aiding in the work Of the
club. This consists of the pastors of
the four churches, with Messrs. G. r.
Fogg, w. T. Seekins, N. S. Steward,
l.. L. Walton and E. @. Butler. OF
this committee, as at present consti-
tuted, Rev. George Merriam is chair
man, w. T. Seekins is treasurer and
Mr.. Butler is secretary. At meet
ing, held about three mont his since,
Messrs. Seekins and Butler were ap-
pointed committee to secure better
quarters for the use of the club. All
available locations, 80 far as known,
were considered and the apartment
on the third floor of the Williams
block, corner Of Madison avenue and
Continued on Third PageJ
One quarter part of the fair and
growing Aroostook village of Pressure
Isle, was destroyed by fire, Monday