Milford chronicle., 1919-12-26
SOLVE THE BOY PROBLEM
HIST ORDINARY COMMON SENSE APPLI-
Ed In TREATMENT OF BOYS WILL
MAKE BETTER CITIZENS.


chance. and | am willing to mate
some of my time against yours t
nrove it. What's the matter wit
YOUR boys, anyhow
..Just look out of that window! an
swered the banker See that crow
of Young idlers and loafers whiting
and splitting all over the sidewall
around the bank steps and making al
incessant shuttle and racket which Il
very unpleasant TO passersby and tn
bank customers?'
What have you done to break III
the habit?" asked the "Y'' man.
"Eyervthing. l have ordered, threat
ened and even talked to some of theil
narents. About my only result is thai
have earned the nickname oi
Grouchy. which they keep signing
underneath our No Loafing' placard.'
Ever try treating them like real
folks and neighbors?" asked the at
tornev for boyhOOd mo? Well. to-
morrow you go out and speak kindly
TO those BOYS and ask them if they
ever saw how the time lock of bank
safe works. Tell them to come into
the bank at three o'clock and you will
lake them through, snow them every
thing and answer any questions. Be
sure to have a basket of prime apples
on tap. Very incidentally, after you
have gotten them really interested in
the bank and they are more friendly,
YOU can easily make clear to them how
il is bad business for them and the
town as well as it is for you to have
gang around your front steps.
Three weeks later on his return
trip the "Y" man revisited the bank,
but saw no gang on the sidewalk.
How about the boys ?"
They are all right said the banker
"once svou understand them. ! tried
your trick. The boys were greatly
interested, and do you know, it ended
up by my asking how many of them
would like to learn something about
banking and bookkeeping two even
ings a week. Now we have the manli-
est crowd of young fellows l have
ever seen meeting at my home and
all studying hard and learning to keep
books for their fathers stores or
farms. For the next holiday we are
planning to go on a hike and fishing
trip to the lake. Meanwhile. | have
been scouting around a bit. The su-
perintendent of the electric light plant
is willing to help with a GLASS in cleo
tricity, the dye expert over at the
cloth mills will be glad to teach the
youngsters some chemistry, and one
of our local lawyers will give course
in elementary business law, or will
help some working boy prepare for
college if only the "Y' will come in
and organize groups Our minister,
who is an ex-teacher, says he will give
the "Y' course in English for for
eigners. The women are talking about
a home-working class for girls. You
can count us in on any movement to /
establish rural "Y" work in this town .
and county. / know it is good busi- I
ness for the community both in man
hood and in actual working efficiency
and dollars and cents. Aside from
that, never have gotten so much fun
out of anything as | have in helping
this bunch of youngsters"
"And, I understand that the ~ in
addition to finding leaders and organ
izing classes that give country boys
right at home some of the advantages
of the great evening schools Of the
city, helps the communities organize
sings, movies, entertainments. shows
and athletic meets. which COVE every
one something pleasant to do after
chores. | soon found that my gang
hung on the corner simply because
they didn't have anything else to do,
and loafing was the only social way
of killing time they had been able to
develop for themselves"
incidentally it may be stated that
there is a statewide movement in
Delaware to establish the rural and
industrial Y NJ. c. A. in every county
and village. These plans for giving
the boys and young men of Delaware
their chance will be before the people
of Delaware during the week of Feb
ruary 1922. They will be asked to
decide whether it would not be good
business to have a county 'Y" agent
to develop prize young folks as well
as county agricultural agents for de-
veloping blue ribbon hogs and field
crops.
Every Farmers Apples
1t happened this time to be an or
chard raiding problem that was put
up to the 'Y'' rural secretary, but a
few months earlier it was melon lift
ing and Switching Of roasting ears and
running of hogs.
Those boys!" said the irate farmer.
Help them! I'd like to help that
town gang with a rawhide. Last night
tney raided my orchard again. They
aidnt take many apples, but they
broke down several trees and made
wlndfalls out of lot of good fruit
which they shook from the branches
Last summer to steal one melon they
would trample down dozens of vines
ana spoil pretty near a wagon load"
Cussed them out good, l suppose?
and Of course you keep the old duck
gun loaded with salt"
Got to-" said the farmer. These
nlie cusses made my dog think he
belonged to them"
Hasn't stopped the raids though '
objected the ''Y'' man. Want to stop .
Can't be done," said the farmer;
you don't know our breed of rapscaI-
Try this" said the "Y" man. Get
sola OF these boys some time and ask
.1em .l' IN for an apple feast Give them
sll they can eat and while they are 6
eating talk to them about apples and {