The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-08-26
GIVE THE BOY A CHANCE
THE THEORY OF A SCHOLASTIC
INSTITUTE WHICH RESOLVES
THAT CHANCE INTO A PRACTl-
CAL cERTAINTY-THE WORK OF
THE CHRISTIAN BROTHERS.

llIluS IAHucllCcS, HOI 10 lASI0 any SOII
of doubt that the minds of the same
boys have to be whetted for the sharp
conflict of life by men, says "Reedy's
Minor" of St. Louis, Mo. And the
transition from the primary influence
to the finishing method should be made
as easy for the boy as possible, to the
end that the earlier impressions may
not be dulled by contact with the world
while the youthful sensibilities are
still acute. A mans man is what the
world considers, in the long run. If he
is mans man he will still have live
and living appreciation of the softer
aspects of life that he obtained at his
mothers knees but he will also be
equipped to give and take hard knocks
that are ncidental-indeed, a part of
the work of life. Hence in the
scheme of education, all kinds and con-
ditions of educators have subscribed
to the necessity for the masculine DOM
nance in finishing a boy for sending
him into the world. The boy and his
sisters go in a confraternity up to that
age when there comes parting of the
ways; they drink at the same fount of
acknowledgement with equal eagerness
up to that point when the man-child
comes, unconsciously, to the assertion
of his masculine ambitions.
It was in recognition of this all-per-
vading truth that the Christian Broth
ers were organized for the teaching of
the man-child. The principal idea was
to receive the boy fresh from that
motherly and feminine restraint which
his nature prompted him to escape
from, at that period of his career when
he most needs control and to SO direct
his studies as to fit him for conflict in
the battle of life-to equip him men,
tally and morally with that grounding
without which it is practically impos-
sible for boy to make a success of
life. In it's conception the Christian
Brothers was recognition of the fact
that the training of boys should be car
ried on by men vocationally fit, who
could and would enter into sympathy
with the ambitions of the boy, as a
boy, and who could have no other-as
they could have no higher-reward
than the education of youths who
would shed luster on their teachers.
And the order of Christian Brothers
has been conducted through all the
years of it's existence on the same ex-
allied lines. The members of the
teaching order have never been men
ha nf
material reward; on the other hand
they have never been men who could
not make a business success of the
practice of their profession. 1t is this
practice of a vocation rendered into a
profession by training and inspired
by the desire to finish men for the
work of life that has made the Chris
tian Brothers pre-eminently success.
full in the teaching function. Other
men have been equally successful in
individual cases; great schools have
even been built for boys by teachers
who had the same inspiration with
out the association of the Christian
Brothers. But there has generally
been lacking the same high aims be
cause of the primary object Of making
their work compensatory in materia
way. The work of this world has not
been done-in those things which
have to do with the advancement Of
the race-by men who have to dea
with a per diem; it was and is the
men who do not have to look forward
to the pay envelope or the salar!
check who have done the big things
for the betterment of mankind. So i
is that the Christian Brothers-merg
ing the individually of the member
in carrying on humane and Chris
tian function-have been enabled t.
attain the great measure of success
in the sending out into the worlt
; young men and boys who have neve
, contributed to that class described b.
notable American as 'mollycoddles.
J Their boys have the punch that i
essential to success in life; they hav
it inculcated in them by men teacher
: who instill knowledge into them b,
, example as well as by preaching.
Viewing the life of today, with it
| energetic crowding, its assurance o
| reward and it's certain pushing of tn
wall of those who cannot make tn
fight by reason of lack of training, on
! of the most astonishing of its aspect
is the number 70 men and youths VIII
, went into the business world through
, the channels opened by the Christian
Brothers. It may be the thoroughnes
of the grounding that is given thei
boys by the Christian Brothers whicl
, is largely responsible for the successe
that their boys attain. But it is yer
} certain that, in the professions tina
j have most to do with the welfare an
I progress of man, there is a trement
: GUS preponderance of successes anon
{ those who received some part o
their education-or the whole of it
: from the Christian Brothers. Othe
I things being equal, professional ma
> is pretty certain to be a better doctor
or lawyer, or architect, II he wa