The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1914-08-29

THE IRISH
sad to relate that they themselves
have been the arbiters Of their OWL
fortunes. the judges of their educa'
tional destinies and their own self.
constituted advisors. They have de-
cided for themselves the college
which they wish to attend because
perchance, they had heard that it at.
forded a better opportunity to salts.
fy their social inclinations, as If so.
ciability was the one thing necessary
They attend, perchance. because II
affords an opportunity in athletics
not found in school more desirable
The decisions made by young people
just out of high school, or Just leav.
ing the grades. for that matter. to
attend institutions of learning, are
matters of grave concern. They
should be the subject of serious fam.
lily conference, and should be guided
by every possible motive that has its
source in the moral and physical
well-being of the young. Ideals are
far more important than mere sourc-
es of information and the guiding
spirit of those morally fit to govern
are of more consequence than frivol-
Gus social companions. Many a
young person with a frivolous
desire to be away from home has,
through proper college discipline and
moral guidance. been changed to a
home-loving person subject to paren-
tai authority. This matter was given
attention by the educational commit
tee of the Knights of Columbus at
their national convention held in St.
Paul.
The following. from the report of
the committee, Is Of particular inter
est:
cat the present time one of the
difficulties that Catholic colleges en-
counter to reduce their numbers is
the tendency of the American family
more and more to be ruled by its
children. A writer in the Atlantic
Monthly said not very long ago that
there is just as much obedience as
ever in the American family, only
now the parents obey the children.
When young folks under twenty are
allowed to pick out their own college
the motives impelling them are not
always such as would stand the test
of rigid examination. All sorts of
reasons impel, but very seldom is 1t
because they will have better op-
portunity for hard work and plenty
of it. It is we'll known, however, that
success in education depends on hard
work. Neither West Point nor An
napolis has been subject to the criti-
cism so freely dealt out to other Sec
ular institutions of learning in this
country. and the reason is that their
watchword in education is discipline
| duu udIu WOAhs dAO tAOA0 40 Ao
question of the effective system Of a
good time. They turn out educated
gentlemen Of whom we are all proud
ITO your committee, then, il
seems regrettable that young folks
are often allowed to have their OWL
way in the matter Of selecting their
colleges. instead of following older
heads who have their best interests
at heart. The yielding in this matter
is very often regretted. Not infre-
quently the young folks who are
most insistent on having their own
way in such matters are exactly those
who most need the discipline of Cath
Ollie education. II they are not given
the example of insistence on making
a sacrifice in this matter-if it is
ever really to be considered sacri'
fice-for the sake of proper religious
training, it makes a distinct loss In
their mature years to their incentive
to what is best in life.