The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-23
MRS. VICTOR PROWELL, PRESIDENT OF
 THE BOYS CLUB, TALKS ABOUT TAG DAY"
Ky DOLLY DALRYMPLE

I club has come to be looked forward to with genuine pleasure by the good clti- zens of Birmingham. for on that occasion they have the chance to contribute to one of the best philanthropies that has ever been established in this district l The boy. upon whom all our future cit izenship depends. is the beneficiary of
 this worthy work, and surely in no better cause could humanity put it's faith and extend it's practical helpfulness. i Boys are just boys at the best and
 when they are growing up amid all sorts of temptations and embarra ssments they need more than ever to be protected, to be sheltered, to be influenced for good. The adolescent period is specially sen sitive to outside influences. Love, hope and ambition are in the ascendency: the mystery of the future weaves It's romance around every object, the emotional and spiritual natures are ready to respond to any influence for good or evil. The subconscious self is more active than at any other time of life
 On the other hand, mental balance is often lost. Youth is sensitive and brood | ing. with keen fear of ridicule and sus- l ceptble to every passing influence. Un- , consciously, the boy takes as an ideal some man whom he admires and, even 1 If he possesses traits which are naturally dfstasteful to him, he often makes them his own Such a one, like a chrysalis, trying to free either from it's entangling to lean upon-to depend upon. 1C i sins of youth, and most of the sins of youth are because of lack of ideals
 It is only in recent years that the pe- riod of adolescence has received the at tention that it deserves. Youth has not had the care and protection it needed at that period. But more and more is scien- | tihc research teaching us vital truths which throw the light of intelligent study upon this period, so vital to the future welfare of the individual.
 Mrs. Victor Prowell who is president of the Boys club, is a worthy successor to Mrs. W. D. Nesbitt, whose splendid work is always pointed to in this connec- tion as one of the most unsetish and one Of the most beautiful examples of kindness of heart that has ever been man ifested.
 Mrs. Prowell is deeply interested in the result of Tag Day. which has been named for next Saturday, money is very badly needed to carry out the plans 1 that are proposed for the coming year plans which necessitate more money be- cause of the tremendous growth of the work and the territory over which these activities extend.
 In speaking of Tag Day" yesterday, Mrs. Prowell said
 "The Boys club comes before the peo- pie but once during the year, and from the generosity of our citizens on that day we depend largely to carry us through the whole year financially, except for few private donations that are made The Boys club has done some splendid work during the past year, and to MT. Burr Blackburn, the capable and efficient superintendent, too much praise cannot be given. His influence over the boys his 1 tremendous talent for coping with situa- tons. and his undaunted courage in everything connected with the work is very commendable and it is entirely l through him that our splendid progress 1 has been made"
 What primarily are the plans that are to be carried out this year?" I asked 1 The community work which MT. i Blackburn and his associates have ar ranged for the year of 1914" said Mrs Prowell, lis briefly outlined in the an nuai repor, of the Boys club. The idea 1 is
 '1. To keep in touch with the boy sit nation in Birmingham, and through per- | sonai friendship to encourage the work ing boys as much possible. l ''2. To cooperate to the fullest extc It with volunteer boy workers where Ter they may be found
 ''3. To hitch up 1O0 big brothers to boys l paadino friaDda al, md
 "A. To assist in the conduct of an inves. 1 tiSaticn into child labor conditions and | co operate with the child labor coInan;I- tee.
 ''5. T serve the Playground associa .ion,
 the Y ld (. A., the juvenile coerr ard the public schools. through an active in- terest in their problems from the angle ! of the needy and working boys with poor homo conditions.
 ''6 For the unemployed: To conduct an employment bureau. To give every boy a chance, and to fit square blocks into square holes. To keep the boy in' school when his circumstances do not require that he should work. To furnish a tenn porary home to homeless boys, find them work. supply them with clothing and To-
 cate them in good homes. Supply cloth ing and books to other needy boys. ''7 For the Boy Scouts: To furnish an | assistant to the scout commissioner on half time. To furnish complete camp equipment and assistance at the summer camp. To organize new troops and as- | sist in general scout work
 l ''S For the Sunday schools: To assist in thoroughly organizing the men teach CTS of boys, and the older boys coun. ell. To assist in conducting a summer
 training camp for leaders. To assist in conducting a training course, weekly, fol
 older boys, training them for leader
 ship among younger boys. To assist ir
 conducting a state older boys conference To otherwise cooperate with the Bir- ningham Sunday School association and | the local schools in working out their boy
 problems.
 | g. For the News Boys. To furnish
 high school boy as inspector of badges
 giving half time to the newsboys. T,
 lower the number of newsboys appearins
 before the juvenile court to minimum
 To give the newsboys free camp for Il 1 days. To give the annual dinner for 9 newsboys for the newspapers of Birming
 ham, and to conduct the annual Whit
 Gibson barbecue as well as other socia
 occasions for the boys To make tn
 Newsboys' Republic, and the Newsboys
 court real influence In the lives of tn
 boys"