The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-21
Education of Youth to
Become Good Citizens
Attributes to Be Cultivated Include the Personal Vir
tues Such as Honesty, Uprightness and Purity, and
Respect for MISUNDERSTANDING School
Life Great Asset.
BY RALPH X. BEARCE.
Headmsster Powder Point school, Duxbury, Mass.

tiers, n that more and m1re OUNCE
boys arc looking 20 him for help, and
50 he becomes awake to the RESPONSE
bility OF his personal character. and
mere is no longer any question as to
Whether ne VIII lie or whether he will
De In any way double In his dealings.
He has acquired the habit of right liv-
ing. and he has acquired more and more
Independence IN thIs habit until the
nab for rightness IL ger than any
other appeal, and What is true OF hon
esty Is equally true OF any other per-
sonal virtue that might he M med. II
the schooi is u good. one. 1t Is very
rarely possible for any boy to go
through the school and be graduated
without the ability to stand ~squarely on
MS own feet as a man with a strong
sense or responsibility b maintain his
place In the world as a mar OF virtue.
IN boarding school too a hoy lives in
a real community There are all OF the
activities OF real community life I'm the
days work. Each boy has his own work
To 10, FOR which he knows that he will
receive an agreed recompense. according
10 the quality Of his work. and during
those work hours the boy must learn
TO keep about his own business and TO
handle his own business in such "A way
thst no other boy shall be hindered
" hhNc'itIcu Wllns outside OF work
hours there are at least as many lines
OF activity as enter into the life III an
outside community. Some boys take UP
az their special outside interest the
school paper. In that work they try
10 reflect the spirit OF the schoo to
SHOW what the school can do in a liter
airy way. to encourage the student body
To "A stronger effort along all lines Of
endeavor' and at the same time to bring
into the school life some reflection from
other schools. The work OF the school
paper IL not simply the work OF the few
boys who are editors. Many boys b. -
IN one way or mother to make the paper
a success. and since the paper reflt Is
the life OF the chool many boys come
10 reel that they mus make the III,
something that can be reflected to the
schools credit. The musical clubs at
tract other boys. Their work is more
restricted. but It is distinctly a group
'enor In which those who are more pro-
hcient must help the less confident, and
IN which individual abilities must he
blended for a general result. The de-
batting society opens to It's members OPP
portunities 10 hear themselves express
their personal opinions Ia the presence
OF their peers. Their opinions are an
swercd ana criticised their manners OF
speech are overhauled. and they pass
through the stages from timidity and
embarrassment to confidence in them
selves In the presence OF their Contem.
poraries and learn not only the power
OF public utterance but TO dare to have
and to express opinions, and, best of
all. learn to have opinions on all sorts
Of subjects. The Y. VI. e. A. has a
branch In many Of our boarding schools.
In school life the work OF this associa-
ton is somewhat broader than the
church work Of the community because
Il has learned not to limit itself entirely
to religious service, but through this
organization an appeal IT, made to the
religious side Of "a boys life. and
through its agencies many forms Of
social service are worked out In the
school community. and the student body
ere aware thai there is working in their
mi st an activity that has for it's pur-
pose distinct moral Improvement. Prob.
ably the most general form of COM
munity interest IN the boarding school
Is what is termed athletics. The ath-
l-tic association. AN organized student
body. supports and carries ON work Ia
the various forms OF athletic contests
under one central ]orCanizat. ol. There
II a team ia each Of sev,ra! sports, each
team mad up OF It's own adhcrtuts
working for the physical hettcrmegt Of
It's members. bat always working cou-
scious OF the fact that physical better
ment comes only US II - accompanied
by mental keeuness and moral po.se.
There are always more candidates for .
team than there are members, and edch
boy has to learn that only through %
greater efficiency cau he WIZ his spurs
lie must learn 10 acquire efficiency with
cut cgutism. 10 endure" disarpo. utmeut
without bitterness He must learn not
to get discouraged at his mistakes or
oyerconfdent with his successes.
Here is real community life, life into
which a hoy enters with all the serious
ness OF maturity, life In which every
boy must md his place. Mistakes are
bound to be made. but over IL all are
the watchful ey.s OF the masters, men
who have been through the experience.
men who know the dangers. and who
know how TO help the boys feel their in
dependence because each activity Is
carried on by its own student o~rganiZa-
ton. but each organization Comss under
the advisory powers Of the masters, and
so, instead of being wrecked by mex
perience. II IL guided over Its difficulties
to suCc ~. The boys thus learn how to
manage their own affairs and to de-
velop their own powers and go out into
the world with experience in community
life, because they have rubb d shoulders
with their fellows They have served
on committees, they nave ben officers
and members OF different sorts of or
CARNATIONS, they have learned their own
rights and how 10 respect the rights OF
others, they have learned the value Of
work hours and Of play hours. and they
are nj 20 become not only members OF
society but leaders In their commune
ties.
Working through all OF these orEaui-
cations, there is also being developed a
real respect for authority, which is the
third elem.nt OF our citizenship. Too
many people o~vervalue the respect that
a boy should feel for the authority Of
his masters. This respect is nee. ssary
and 1t Is the business of the school 10
see that its masters are such men as
Its boys CAL respect, and II is the Ousi-
ness OF the masters to see that their
work is conducted IN such a way that
the respect will endure, But that form
OF authority is not the form for which
We are most concerned In the process
OF developing citizens the authority Of
"A master over his boys has the danger
of becoming monarchical. What We are
seeking TO develop Is respect for au.
thorIty whsn the person in authority is
placed there by the boys themselves,
Here is where the student organizations
can play their part, Each organization
Is useless without It's onic RS, and the
officers are useless Unless they can do
their work with "A real sense Of their
own authority and the confidence that
their authority will be respected by the
members of their organization.
In these organizations OF student life
there are reflected many of the difficult
ties that enter lnto real government,