The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1910-10-27
CONSERVATION Of
THE AMERICAN BOY

iii Am1(lUM bUI
(Supt. S. Henry Wolfe, Minot. pres.
. llent Of the Department of Second.
ary Education, N. D. A. E.)
During the past few years we have
heard a great deal about the conserva,
uon of our natural resources-ouI
soil, our forests, Our coal mines and
Waterways; the whole country has
been awakened and reused to the
need CT conserving our agricultural,
mining and forestry resources. Con-
ventions have been called by COVER
Tor the purpose of discussing these
great questions; much has been done
to quicken the public mind and to
make it realize that if We do not
want to exhaust our natura resources
in another generation, we must pay
immediate attention to conserving
what we have at the present time. I'm.
portant as these things are to the
physical and financial welfare of a
state and nation, still more important
than all these, is the character OF
our future citizenship which is now
in the making amoung the boys in the
schools of today; for in ages to come,
as in ages past, true greatness in
state or nation will always be meas
ured by noble manhood.
A noted thinker and writer on this
subject has recently said: In our
eagerness out here in the middle west
to herald to the word with the mag
nitude of our corn, wheat and fax
crops, the superiority of our beef cat.
tie and thoroughbred swine, and the
tremendous productiveness Of our do.
mestic hen. We are prone to lost sight
Vf the real issue, namely, the splen.
did crop of strong sons and fair
daughters that the country ID produc-
ing. In their Joyous natures we be.
hold at once the bright sunlight Of
hope and the beautiful bow OF promise
Of our future greatness and glory.
'Drouths and deluges may destroy our
growing crops, disease and degenera-
tion may play havoc among our cat
tie On a thousand hills, and our treas
ured porkers in the alfalfa fields; yea,
all these calamities might conceiv.
ably come upon us, each in its turn,
and yet our glory not be dimlned; pro-
vided only, that our growing boys and
girls be SO trained and safeguarded in
the home, so educated and disciplined
in the school! the church and other
institutions of the country that they
will develop into we'i-rounded, mag
wCmanhood.'
The greatest question then before
the American people today is not how
shah we maintain our natural rcscurc.
es of soil, mine and forest, but -:,~'
shall we conserve the greatest re.
source of any age or nation, viz: the
American boy. For of what use are
mines, fertile soils, great forests and
limitless water power, unless we have
a physically sound, morally upright
and mental" Intelligent manhood
to make use of these? Why conserve
the wherewithal for mans work, mans
subsistenee and happiness, unless he
for whom such conservation is plan
ned, be himself conserved and i'm.
proved in strength and efficiency.
The boys in the schools of today
are the citizens of tomorrow. II these
boys shall go out into lite stronger
in body, keener in mind and intellect,
hrmer In moral tone and purpose than
were their fathers, then the schools
which are moulding their characters
must take a decided step forward in
their means and methods Of educa
tion. II the Arst plaoe. ~ nust -
prove the boy physically. We must
provide compulsory system Of medi.
cal inspection, suitable Fairgrounds
and gymnasiums. Boys are BY m.
-ture gregarious, and unless the schools
and the homes provide a place whsrs
boys can meet and let of some pent-
up steam and electricity in physical
exercise, it Is the most natural thing
for them to meet in caves, dug-outs
the streets and in the pool rooms,
wAsro tAsy become physically and
morally corrupt. When q boy teIla
me tnat there is no other place fol
him to hang out" than the public
pool room. I do not blame hin tof
going there, but do blame condi.
ton of society which makes such a
thing possible! Verify, we are toe
short-sighted, for We take care Of our
horses, cattle, sheep, nogs, chickens
and dogs-in fact, everything except
Tho hov and tf he goes wrong we