The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1915-08-19
H BOYS LIFE
WHAT 1T NEEDS
A Chance For Expression Instead
Of Repression

DON'T contributed a bit Of humor
and philosophy to life far beyond his
own knowledge or comprehension.
Don't this, or don't that continu-
ally drummed into a child's ears is a
silly nuisance, and accomplishes
nothing. If a boy is not doing a
thing right. gently and kindly show
him the correct way. He does it
wrong because he doesn't know any
better.
An interesting article upon boy
life is found in the Sioux Falls Argus
Leader. It is worth any parents
time to read it:
There are many good ways of
building up a city, and they are all
praise-wortby. But none of them is
more vital to the welfare of any com.
munitv than the betterment of boy
life. For when one thinks of the
prosperity of the community. of
healthy growth, of real progress. he
must think of all this in terms of hu-
man folks. Fine buildings. great
industries, comfortable homes, inan-
cial prosperity do not mean very
much unless you have the right kind
Of people back of them all. For in
the long run what tells the most for
the good name and sure growth of a
community is the character of its
people. Talk as we may about the
absolute power of business. of big
business. of money, Of Land, cattle
and bank accounts they are not of
much value in community building
unless you have some pretty decent
folks to handle those things. And
character is not born, but acquired.
And it must be acquired in youth so
as to give its owner the full ability to
make the best of his Younger years.
Therefore, anything done to better
boy life must be placed at the fore
front in dealing with individuals.
Boy life cannot be bettered only in
the school room. Six hours a dav
for nine months in the year, are not
sufficient to develop fully true man.
hood, It is a great help. but it is not
the whole thing. Boys need to real
ize first their own latent possibilities
and, then, to feel that some one cares
to develop them. The old method of
dealing with the boys. and sometimes
with the girls-is best described by
the word repression" Boy life
was canned; and sometimes when the
pressure vas too strong, the boy
nature would explode. And some.
times there were hardly any pieces
left that were worth saving. In New
York city they used to put in jail
boys who were playing a harmless
game of baseball in the streets, be
cause a stray ball would occasionally
break a window. And the boy wa.
put among the vilest of adult prison
ers. No wonder he felt Jail ''tough.'
But an awkward, gawky Dane came
along. and said this was all wrong
The boy did not intend to break tina
window. He was playing ball in tn,
street because he had no other place
to go to, and a boy ought to be some
where and to play ne where. Ant
thus Jacob Rits succeeded in having
the city of New York establish play
grounds on the site occupied by fou
tenements. Instead Of repression
came expression and direction
The boys energies were taught tt
find expression in the right direction
The community that does not car
for it's boy life. and will not TAX
pains to help it along is not wortl
very much morally, or otherwise.
This is suggested by the fine recor'
made for four years by the boys
camp at West Sioux Falls. it ba
proved a great thing for the boys
1t has taught them the value of out
door life; they have learned man,
useful things. They have been takel
away for a while from the hopeless
humdrum Of city or town life. ant
placed face to face with nature an,
with-themselves. They have hal
time to think; new ideals have BEEF
presented to them. How far tn
wholesome influence of these shor
weeks in camp will 90, no one cal
tell. But it is all good"