Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1912-03-14
( Y. NJ. C. A. NOTES i

I
Much is known of the work of the
Y. NJ. G. A. in our great cities and
among certain classes of men, but a
! knowledge of its work for the boys
and young men of the smaller towns
and rural sections is limited. That
/ here is a great field, none can deny.
About one-half of all the boys in the
4 United States live in the country, but
not until within recent years, has any
effort been made in tn way of char
acteri building service, such as is
rendered the city boys. With the
exception of the village church, dis
trict school and home influences,
I they have been left to their own in-
genuity, for moral instruction and
for mental and physical recreation.
Within the past few years great
movement has been inaugurated in
the interests of the boy in the small
er town, and country centres. The
Y. NJ. C. A. has undertaken this,
and is meeting with remarkable sue
cess. The avowed purpose of this
work is in it's contact with the coun-
try boy, to develop the manly traits
/ of character, and to awaken a new
large, intelligent interest in country
/ life by enriching it with some of the
attractions of city life and to pro-
/ duce better, more contented, mora
successful farmers and village resi-
dents.
The Young Mems Christian Asso-
citation recognizes the small town
and the rural community as the we'll
spring of the nation-the place in
which in the past, great men have
come-the place from which i, the
! future many of our great men must
be obtained. 1t was the late Sena-
| tor Dolliver who said, every man
who rises high enough to be seen IN
public life to-day, has been country
bred" He also said: Il went to New
York and l made a further discovery
that eighty per cent. of the success
full business and professional men of
/ that great city, and of other big cities
were country boys.
If we would safeguard the future
! of this State and this Nation, we
must look well to the sources of sup
ply, the sources from which in the
past we have secured our great
leaders. The country life problem
therefore becomes one in which we
are concerned. This problem is not
to be solved by sending families from
the cities to live in the smaller
towns. 1t is to be accomplished by
| taking conditions as they exist and
remove the isolation of the boys and
young men by fostering interests OF
a social character, which will tend to
keep them contented, and give them
/ a larger vision in their present re-
lationShipS. The Association in the
projection of this Department is net
/ SO concerned about building up a
new organization, as it is concerned
about the great fundamental agencies
the home, the church and the school
shall properly perform their respect
/ i've functions; and it is concerned
that in every community there shall
! be established a common platform
upon which these institutions can
come together, one upon which diff
ferences may be federated and unit
/ ed.
1 The machinery for conducting this
work is this: The International Com
mittee of the Y. NJ. C. A. has it's
county and rural departments. Each
state has a similar department and
each county, its committee, County
Secretary and volunteer leaders or
workers. In the last analysis, it is
+! the lay workers who like the private
soldier in the army, bear the brunt
of the business and insure success. !.
Mr.. James R. Garfield prominent
1 in the Conservation movement, and
/ who is active in this department of
i Y. M. G.. A. work, in his home
county, in Ohio, we'll expresses HIM
!! self on the movement in the interests
of the boy from the country:
I The Young Mems Christian Asso-
citation is undertaking country life
work in trying to supplement the
newer educational movement, giving
to country boys opportunities for So
cial, intellectual and spiritual asso-
! citation similar to those enjoyed by
j the city boys This work is part of
the work of conservation. The hui
man side of conservation is of great
er Importance than the material side.
The country boy, exactly like his city
brother. craves association with 9TH
ers. The isolation of country life
] has made such association difficult,
/ anu the result Is tudJ tAC SOu1lA
bows either have no associations, or
at intervals he goes to the nearest
town, and too often engages in
amusements not calculated to be Of
any benefit to him.
The Association is bringing boys
together in groups in the different
townships, organizing them into
clubs and affiliating them with all
the other boys in the country. These
clubs give the opportunity for the
right kind of social intercourse, of
Ehealthful amusement and the recrea-
ton that comes from fellowship with
kindred spirits.
At an informal luncheon held in
Philadelphia Central Y. NJ. G. A..
Building, at which there were pres
ent representatives from Woodbury.,
Wenonah, Glassboro, Pitman and
Franklinvi1le il was evident that