The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-12-15
PROBLEMS OF BOYS
WERE DISCUSSED
Continued NON Ilrst page.

who had the win power to rise above
his surroundings. Here, il Is said, that
we should try to cultivate the viii power
Of boys but 1 say that il IL impossible.
You cannot cultivate it, II d boy has
poor will power be has inherited it,
and you cannot change il, but you can
help To provide for a change in his sur
roundngs and influence him to better
life il that way.
Boys come to school unfit and unable
70 do their work, because Of their sur
roundngs They have not had enough
70 eat, Of they have not had sleep
enough. Their parents are too poor to
provide them with sufficient food and
there IS nothing in the home to attract
them, and they are on the street until
late at night
To aid Just this class Of boys, the
speaker said, be had formed a boys club
III Montpelier, and there was not boy
in the club who had not been arrested
for some misdemeanor He said that he
became interested In these boys through
the injustice they are oftentimes SUBJ
jected to. He cited case in Montpelier
Of some poor boys, who wanted 10 build
shack to play in, and they stole some
lumber with which to make the building.
They were promptly arrested
Some other boys from the best FAM
lies in the city did the very same thing,
cused as boyish prank These poor
hoys would have been put into Jail but
for the probation law, with which they
were able to get their sentences sus
pended
Another instance Of the injustice done
to these boys, he said. was when he
went to the Y. NJ. G. A. and got permits
sion TO let these boys into the building.
and the better class Of boys Immediately
became aroused and declared that they
would not 60 to the building il those
boys were going % be let in. So ne
provided room for them at the high
school building and fitted Il for d gym
nasium, with shower baths. They meet
twice week, elect their own officers
and conduct their meetings themselves.
He said he found Il better to leave them
70 their own devices He put them on
as much as possible Though they are
the ronghest kind Of boys. they always
stand for the square deal in their deal
ings with each other and have tried
TO help each other through the club
Through the influence AZ this club. I
have found that these boys have come
to be more polite on the street. attend
to their school duties better, and after
leaving school have gone TO work. The
whole secret IN dealing with boys 81
this kind Is trusting them and making
them feel that you are interested IN
them RI they for moment think that
yon are trying to help them simply be-
cause you think IL Is Your duty To do IL
you win he 4 llat failure in TIE work
As regards the high school boys. he
said that every boy around l0 or II
years 81 age always has poor rear In
school, simply because he il at the age
when be Is passing through q stage. and
while be is n that stage he is good for
nothing, in school or anywhere else
That is Just the time. he declared. when
the proper handling Of the boy counts.
RE needs To be dealt with patiently and
pulled through that stage Too many
parents let their boys SO by default at
this time Their education ends here,
as their case seems hopeless, and instead
Of being helped along they are kicked
down. Re declared that hoy or girl
should not by deprived of high school
educetion simply because he could not
pass in algebra The high schools are
not conducted for an intellectual few
but for all
m Montpelier, he said. the high school
Rad 4 division In it, class az the higher
and the lower class Of students Those
who were able 10 60 ahead faster than
the rest were put into what they call
the college class AT this point. he said.
one Of the best ways 70 help orr boys
was to give them the best teachers. and
the best way I'd yet good teachers was
70 pay them something more than the
starvation prices which they are now
getting He declared that 1t was not
right for the teachers To have to do the
hard work they do for the salaries they
are paid.