The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-02-07
BOYS CLUB URGED I'm BARRE.
c. ]. Atkinson Tells Board Of Trade and
Vincitia Club of the Benefits.

| Some of the results which the boys
club movement is achieving in Barr,
since it was first taken up in earnest Q
little less than a month ago by the
| Woman's club workers was made mani
| fest last evening in the rooms OF the Vim
citia club when large gathering of the
Barre Board Of Trade and club members
assembled to listen to a lecture on the
Amusement of Our Boys" by G. J. At
kinson of New York City, executive sec
retary of the Boys Club federation, al
organization which has spread its
branches in nearly every state and terri.
tory in the union. Mr.. Atkinson's re.
marks included review Of the work
which is being accomplished by boys
clubs all over the country, and the bene-
fit which the boys are gaining in other
places and the gains which the boys
could have if such an organization was
established in Barre, giving many new
incidents which have occurred in the past
month since he spoke to the Womans
club. The speaker was introduced by thu
chairman OF the boys club committee,
Il. j. Dole, and for an hour and a half he
talked in very interesting manner and
answered questions to highly apprecia-
tive audience.
In opening his remarks, Mr.. Atkinson
said that "boys behaving badly battle
Barre's boobies" and "better behaved
boys benefit Barre's business" In Barre's
schools there are about $500 pupils and
presumably l,400 are boys The aver
age worth of boy is reckoned at $1,000,
with a total value amounting to about
S4, 100000, and there is not thing in
the place to protect the lad, while if
these business men had property amount
ing to this sum their first thoughts would
be to guard against all danger at the
outset Taking the club from an eco.
nomic standpoint he gave the sum OF
money which it is costing to keep the 20
boys who are in the reform school at
Fergennes at the present time as $4,000,
while If boys club should be organ.
lied in Barre $4,000 a year would pay
expenses for accommodating at least 500
youths, thus greatly warding off their
chances of going wild and landing in Yer
gennes; and at the same time, the youth
can have a chance to learn some trade If
he is inclined to. BY experience it il
found that one dollar put into a boys
club will mean in the end the saving OF
five dollars.
The speaker emphasized that boys
club is formed with the idea of doing
preventive work instead OF reformative,
as some might conceive the idea. Inyes-
tigating the juvenile courts Of the coun-
try, a record has been found where seven
boys to one girl 90 wrong; that IS per
cent Of the criminals in the country start
when they are boys, and the time to
start the boys on the right trail to man
hood is when they are in their youth. A
boy is a steam engine with steam always
up and good time" is the safety valve
which explodes if they don't have
chance TO let off steam; and with no
place to go when at this stage, the lad
Is apt to be led astray by leaders who
are apt to be of bad character.
In speaking Of the surroundings of the
boys club alr Atkinson stated that
cheap building was the best thing for
any community. A high.priced man j.
essential to supervise the work. which
consists in challenging the boys to &C
,omplish things, as the playing Of games
and studying until they are capable and
enough to take hold OF some
trade, such as working with wood iron,
or any OF 2l different occupations which
.he club teaches. He also stated that in
MS Al years of experience he had come
% the conclusion that the saying roll
ng stone gathers no moss" is not always
/ true one, as a boy in this stage of the
yame, should change If he finds that he is
lot satisfied in the work whicln he is do |
ng, after working for several months, to |
else that might fit into his life
letter.
In closing his remarks the speaker |
poke very emphatically upon the good |
which the club work is doing in church I
irclcs, as boys who have never been at |
ending church are in way challenged |
is they are in other departments of the /
hub; and results come from all clubs. |
Soys, no matter what their religion is. /
ret enthusiastic over their Sunday school /
nd church work and many commence to /
ttend the services who never have in the /
'ast. In most boys clubs the names OF |
he boys are sent to the different
hurches which they attend and the club
masters look after them and see that
hey 60, the names being sent to the diff
erent denominations once a month.