The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-01-11
BOYS CLUB WORK IN BARRE.
Speakers Aroused Considerable Enthusi-
asm at Public Meeting.

A fair.sized crowd assembled at How
land hall last night to listen to the lee
lures on the movement of the Boys
Clubs" by c. J. Atkinson of New York
| City, executive secretary of the Boys
| GLIB federation, national organization
which has become popular in nearly every
state and territory in the union, and
William P. Jackson of st. Adams, super
intendent of the Stranahan Memorial
club of that city. Both speakers came
to Barre spirited with the success of the
previous evening by having made a good
start on the movement in Rutland, the
people of that place taking a good deal
of interest in the work.
Mr.. jackson was the first speaker of
the evening. He was formerly pastor
in the Congregational church in St. Al
bans for seven years, but gave up the
pastorate to accept the management OF
the Stranahan Memorial club, made pos
sible by a gift of $4,000. In his open
ing remarks, Mr.. Jackson said that il
the people don't start something for the
boys, the boys will start something for
themselves. According to his figures,
Barre and nothing in the town for boys.
Reports 60 to show that 70 per cent OF
the criminals are made when they are
boys and in order to prevent the youth
from going wrong, there must be some
thing in the community to protect them,
Adults protect themselves by the means
OF unions; so must the parents protect
their sons from the courts and places OF
bad entertainment.
Mr.. Atkinson opened his remarks with
the results of his Investigations through
the Juvenile courts, where he has found
that seven boys go wrong to one girl.
According to his figures, every foreign
boy who has landed on our shores is
worth $1,000, and figures as given by col /
lege professors. show that every one of
the 200 boys in Barre between the ages
of 10 and is years are worth to the COM
munity $4,000 apiece, which would make
their value in dollars at the smallest
calculation s3,6o0,000. He stated that
the 20 boys in Vergennes to-day from
Barre, in reality, were costing the city |
rs much as it would take TO support two
boys clubs; that il was merely busi-
ness proposition and ought to be put up /
10 the business men of the community, /
md voiced as such, and that he has found /
BY experience, one dollar put in boys
Tub means the saving of five dollars.
In illustrating the work of the club he
rave as the first and most essential thing
% be considered that of selecting man
ger who has the faculty of handling
'oys. Il is better TO start slowly and
Tot invest money in a building until
fter the project has been given thor
ugh trial, and then If il is found sue
essful, erect a building at moderate
ost in fourishing part of the town.
lie said that the club should teach boys
he art of sewing buttons and cooking, so
hat later in life, while on camping ex-
editions. they would realize the benefits
nd appreciate the good which they OBJ
aimed. He extended his statements by
aging that each and every boy should
e taught something useful which would
clip him in later years, such as trade,
a garden or any line Of work
-hieh a boy finds interesting and 10 his
king. lie said that in his own expe-
enee in his club work in New York
ity he found IL advisable for the boys
, make a change If they did not like
ne work which they thought at first
iey were 20 make use Of in later life
is first thoughts were that rolling
one gathers no moss" but that IN
orking for years with boys. his iudg-
ent = to Jet the lad change il he cannot
'ncentrate his mind on what be had
ken up
Along with the intellectual work the
ubs are meant to extend into the ply :