The San Francisco call., 1909-10-03


lively. little living problems. must be
presented the case of the self-willed.
mischievous, misguided. disease tainted,
morally warped child, the one who
must be scientifically as well as hu-
namely handled. Such child should
not be placed in a home unless it be
that OF a specialist. nor should 1t bss
placed n any institution unless it be
one where there is ministration for
the mind, the body and the soul.
Nothing short of a sort OF clearing
house can handle these difficult cases
with justice to the dependent child. to
the home open to him and to the insti-
tutions which strive ever TO keep the
latchstring on the outside. San Fran
cisco Is fortunate in having two such
pIaces-the YOUTHS Directory. founded
by Father Crowley. who suggested this
review of the good work of the instf-
tutions and wrote Che foreword for it.
and the Boys and Girls aid society.
the subject OF this article-the sixth
in the series
The Boys and Girls aid society has
celebrated its thirty-ffth birthday a
milestone which finds it model of its
kind. It has made an axiom of the
motto it adopted: 1t is wiser and
less expensive to save children than
70 punish criminals"
This institution-fo that it must be
designated in the worlds elassifica-
tion of philanthropic movements
stands primarily for the home train
ing agency of the Associated Char
sites. contributing $500 year toward
its support. II keeps no boy who can
be placed in a good home by the
agency. but il also recognizes and
deals with the bows whose interests
are best served by remaining directly
under the military discipline Of the
society.
The home Of the Boys and Girls aid
is one Of those open at any hour of
any day for inspection by those inter
ested in its work; it is a place where
rules are as few and far between as
possible. and where boys pom my
honor is virtually accepted as his
bond Although still retaining its
original corporate name, which indi-
Gates that girls as well as boys are
handled. girls have not been cared for
by the society for more than eight
years Limited accon1modations as well
as the fact that institutions have come
into being for the care of girls have
made this elimination both necessary
and advisable.
A Consistent Development
As this organization stands today it
IS historically interesting. because it
represents a consistent. development. 1t
did not come into being full hedged-
1t has grown into rs present condi
ton Of splendid service for the delin-
quent and dependen, children because
OF its great need. There were years
ia the past when the superintendents
could not see their duties as other
than those of the keeper of juvenile
Jail They were faithful and kindly
men, but unframed in the work of
handling young delinquents 1t is one
thing to have sentence suspended and
take the child but it is quite another
TO know what 10 do with him when
you have him.
But this work commenced to come
into its own " hen Herbert w. Lewis
took charge He looked for the good
in every one OF his boys and fostered
that: he gave them new interests and
standards and helped them until they
could stand alone and understood that
it paid to be honest and industrious.
Lewis was foremost in every move
ment that made for the protection and
development Of dependent children, and
he has applied the principles he stood
for in public to the big family he pre-
sided over. When Overwork and none
too robust health sent him to new
field in the southern part of the state,
his broad gauge. level headed work
was taken up by the present superin-
tendent George c. Turner, himself
trained sociologist. who has carried lit
10 such splendid fruition that the state
viii be the gamer through the fine
brand oe citizens that he is making out
of the mischievous boy material that
could so easily deterIorate into dere-
Iicts-burdens to the state.
The Boys and Girls aid society was
IN the beginning a sort OF uelSuDoIucOu
club II was opened in June, 1874, in
a rented house in Clementina street
There were books and baths and a gym
nasium for the children; classes and
clubs for the boys, in which they
learned many things that interested
them. and classes for the girls in which
they were taught sewing and all the
s=SaSs that were good for girls to
~-aS~. No boys or girls lived at the
rome. For the most part, the workers
~ere volunteers, and conspicuous
among them were Miss Mcdowell, the
daughter of General Mcdowell. and
Miss Harriet Crocker, daughter, of the
safe Charles crocker, now Mrs. Alex
ander Of New York.
Interest in the movement became
widespread and the idea of a permanent
location and al enlargement of the
field Of usefulness induced the late
James G. Fair in 1885 to purchase the
present location at the corner of Baker