The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-10-26
Famous Educator Says
No Boy Problem Exists
BY CAROLYN b. ELLIOTT


have not thought II worth while To
stop long enough to understand tEat
miscellaneous mixture labelled rom,
pics or Harry" who is, after all. some
very particular boy. But not quite ali
the " orld think alike. Mark Twain
has lived. Then, there are Booth
rark!ngton and Dr. w r. Bourne who
think it worth while to consider the
particular viewpoint of some partic-
ular Penrod or little Bill
To meet the president Of Centenary
college. DR.. W. r. Bourne, is to be hap
pier than you were before you knew
him Perhaps il is because he is hap
~ and wholesome. that his heart IS
young. always young even when he
IS delivering one of his famous iec-
lures on psychology in School of
Methods Psychology only helps DR..
Burne understand the particular boy,
Wha always reciprocates and under
stands that Dr. Bourne is just boy
grown taller and a bit wiser than hum
self This is the secret of the influ
ence with boys of this man. who for
10 years taught nobody else. and who
is now president of the college N
Shreveport, La. that prepares teen-age
boys in an academic department for
the collegiate course that follows.
While he modestv asserts THAT he
IS not an expert. the fact that he IN
derstands boy life added interest 10
the department in the School OF
Methods of which he had charge as
Instructor to leaders and teachers OF
boys. Though he left the city yester-
day. his messages were not taken back
with him for his exclusive use in his
work for boys They were left here
in Birmingham. not as abstract prep
usitioIs. but. as concrete methods that
can be put into practice in dealing
with any young hopeful who maS be
President yet"
NO BOY PROBLEM
LAS a matter of fact" DR. Bourne
said, "there isn't any boy problem
It's al a man problem. 1t is prob
lera OF getting men Interested in their
sons and brothers and young friends.
A boy expert and worker is nothing
more nor less than any man who is
big enough to consecrate his time to
the proposition.
'1rstead of boy problem" he con-
tinue6 I'VE might say the problem is
more one of environment. or of situa-
ton about which a boy gathers GER
tain well-defined ideas. Some of the
elements of these ideas are, first. that
he is not particularly wanted at home:
second that he is usually suspected
when anything goes wrong; third, that
here isn't much congeniality between
himself and his pastor or Sunday
school teacher, and, fourth, that he
can find a way to be free all the weak
but he must for some reason be mar
messed on Sunday
Now, this definite boy idea must
be changed" was the constructive
criticism of DIR. Bourne, ''by develop
ing situation or environment adapted
to a boys life and his needs. rather
than by trying to dispel the idea with
out offering substitution. You know,
with mathematical precision, there
t6ar =
elimination.
.In other words he explained, TN
the home a boy must not be put off
in the garnet with the rubbish. In
the church he must have a place that
is Just as attractive for his lelsure
hours as the corner garage. Either
this. or the church people must go
with him to the places he chooses for
himself Teachers and ministers Will
have to understand that boy IS
human that he responds to every
situation Just as any other human be-
ing Goes and that it is one OF the con-
Germs of the church to build TINS en-
vironment for boy life Thefe is no
other hope"
CHANGE THE ENVIRONMENT
Dr. Bourne's whole theory is based,
NOT on any special analysis of the
how. but upon an analysis of the situa-
ton into which he comes, ana over
which he has no control
~Ev cry body knows the elements or
YOUNG life" he explained, "of periods
of activity idealism, etc. Thls mas
been dwelt upon exhaustively. The
real psychological problem is 10
change the environment. The psycho-
logical answer to this problem is how
the boy behaves in this environment
that is adapted TO his needs
For four years DR.. Bourne was state
high school inspector for tennessee,
az which time the planning of school
buildings architecture, administration
and methods of high school work came
under his jurisdiction. In connection
with this. DR.. Bourne carried on
campaign of the church in its relation