The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-10-10
Boys Boarding School
Trains for Leadership
Patience Breadth and Poise Cultivated Through
Student Government, Results in Greater Steadi
ness, Manliness and Sounder Moral Tone
ny the late r. quincy BROWNE,
PRINCIPAL

| IN lne conduct pi tnelf a1alrS. III many
institutions the councils or committees
have only advisory powers This is the
first step. however. and serves TO gain
the interest Of the students.
Yet little that IS vital is accomplished
until some executive responsibility is
assumed Where officials are elected
instead Of appointed more is gained,
because the thought. interest and self
activity of the rank and file, as well ms
that of the leaders. are enlisted. The old
adage ito rule well one must first learn
| TO obey" might be modified in this case
to read: "ln order 10 lead effectively
| one must first learn to follow intelll-
gently" The American plan has the adj
vantage over the English system Of af-
| fording a better preparation for leader
| ship, as well as being more in keeping
with the spirit of democracy.
The boarding school has greater
scope and larger opportunity for
/ all around training than the day
school because pupil regulation and
Government may extend into more
! phases of life. In our own school the
spirit of interest and helpulncsS and
the sense Of dignity bred OF response
! hility has spread into nearly every phase
of the daily life. one Of the most un-
! forcseen effects has been the viv!fying
of Sunday chapel. The order OF develop
ment there was first choir guild.
which gradually brought up the stand
ard in singing, then "A committee which
assumed the care and ordering Of the
chapel and finally, in large part, It's
| financial administration. hut the most
marked transformation has been the
! change from an apathctiC group Of
boys, who were patiently submitting to
| the traditional SUNDAY observance 81
/ their ancestors to a crowd OF !ntelli-
gent listeners, who somehow fcci that
/ the chapel service is q thing OF their
! own creation and thoroughly worth
| while for its own sake.
Il IS only fair To add that other
causes have contributed to this rad
! ica.,y improved condition, notably
change in the hour OF the service to one
Joss traditional. but more in accord with
| the natural impulses of boy nature.
and more potent stlll, a change OF pan
/ by which a different clergyman breaches
each sunday. The life experience and
I the intellectual outlook of boys Is too
limited for any one man TO hold their
attention sunday after sunday unless
he be an Arnold. \ new personality
gives novel presentation even to an
| old theme.
/ Able intelligent. high minded leader
ship is important in all countries. bu.
doubly 50 In a democracy, for there the
/ tendency 10 DO what is popular rather
! than what Is right is douhly strong
/ In monarchy IN" best training for
rulers IL different in kind from the best
/ training for subjects; theoretically. the
on" should he taught to command. To
. take the initiative, the other to follow
4 hlindIy. In democracy, fortunately,
he training for leadership and for citi-
/ Zensh!p may better be the same. for the
, leaders are ap: to he chosen from the
| peopic and perfect understanding be-
between governor and governed is es-
sential The idea that the best trainin-
/ Tor citizenship and leadership alike con-
sists in guided self-actlvity is rendered
/ even more important through the fac,
/ that fate has already thrust into our
hands the responsibility for guidance
/ OF N" Philippines and Cuba and the rule
| OF the sandwich Islands and Porto Rico
! not to mention the million Immigrants
mat yearly flock to our shores. our
'ask Is stupcndous and surely NOT ono
= 10 ne urd"r"stimatcd but To be actively,
prepared for from childhood tho most
FIRST in our sch0,is ~ mature manhood,
later in civic oseoota,,. 'n'' eyes and
eminent clubs r,r ' ,H anu Eood gov
individuals for WV ASSOCIATION OF
mos, notion, ,,com ',I,o' purpose is
Periodicals and hno,,n w., l." activity.
think and to crit,ciso h,, ', ., US 10
critical faculty is aIroad,. Wv "ln'r'cah
yoloned a,d o,,- StlTnuN 100 well de-
J
/ la SIS Of fac, t>,,..t.-.-- 7''''''' Ut