Newark post. (Newark, Del.) 1910-1969, 1916-09-06
UNCLE SAM ISSUES
INVITATION
continued from page i

lOG lnelI lSlSult Illllc, DCiiS' AiiS
the ideal method to be a form Of
work or the farm. After twelve
years the idea developed to a
point which led to the purchase of
a farm, so that the plan might be
tested in earnest. The plan was
based upon the idea that the
greatest peril of the city boy is
his idle hours. Mr.. Stanley says,
"When one considers that the city
boy has three times as many wax
ing hours as he spends in school
and that he costs somebody HIM
self or a parent-$1OOO a year
for his food, clothing and play,
surely some provision to take care
of this time is worthy of consid-
Grafton. The boy is content to
play only for so long, then he
turns to some creative activity. II
work is not at hand, the latter de-
velops into mischief. "The coun-
try boy" Mr.. Stanley in an inter-
view this morning said, Jumps
from the school to his fathers
farm, and raises corn all summer
the city boy jumps from the city
schools to the city streets and
raises Cain all summer. 1t isn't
the fault of the boy, however, but
of the system of education. Until
our cities realize that the idle
hours of their city boys are their
greatest handicap, they will con-
tinue to build reformatories and
prisons, for criminals are made
in the process. 1t is true in every
state in the Union that the bulk
of all criminals are city born; the
great majority Of our leg ders-
ministers, physicians, tc,,.chers
and foremost business men-are
country born, fact due not to the
difference in the quality of the
boy; not to his inheritance, but to
his environment
Mr.. Stanley's work in short
time extended beyond the limits
of the city, to embrace the entire
county. Boys and girls not on y
of the city but Of the country
also, took part. All alike were as
signed some practical task to oc
cupy portion of their idle hours.
At present there are thousand
boys and girls enrolled in club
work in Mr.. Stanley's own county.
The original club, still leading
in the work, conducts a farm of
fifty acres, located near the city
Here trucking is carried on eX-
tensively, among special features
being beans, peas, berries. The
income goes to the maintenance
of the farm. Membership in the
club affords a four years course
for each member. The boys are
paid for the actual labor given tC
the farm; the Senior members be
come the managers, this season
the affairs of the farm being il
the hands of a superintendent six
teen years old.
The club also affords activities
for winter time, when the boy
spend time in practical shop
During last winter they made fiv
thousand potato crates, beside
many other articles of artist
and commercial value, from RET
cedar, which they gather on tn
cliffs.
Although primarily every bo
who wishes to become member i
eligible, the purpose of the clu
is to afford AN opportunity TO
boys whose parents fail to affor
desirable environment. AS
result of the success of tn
scheme the two clubs known a
the Omega Club of Working Boy
of Elmira, N. Y, and the Achieve
ment Club of the adjoining coun
ty, have been adopted by the gov
eminent. Mr.. Stanley, the direc
tor, is being sent by the govern
ment to the various states to &C
operate in the extension of thi
type of work. Mr.. Stanley ha
also recently been made directo
of extension work for the publ
schools of the city of Elmirs
probably the first Office of tina
kind in the United States. TIL
club work has thus been incol
porated in the public school sys
TEN of New York state, a goal tC
ward which the originator of tn
movement has been working fo
many years.