The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-09-12
OVER S15,0OO FOR BOYS WORK RAISED
 AT JOINT LUNCHEON
Committees From Four Clubs to Secure Balance of S25,000 Fund
 at Once

Fifteen thousand one hun. dred dollars had been S2ised at the close of the joint lunch con of the Rotary, Kiwanis Civitan and Community clubs held at the Tutwiler hotel And the balance will be raised regardless" it was an nounced after the meeting.
 At I o'clock todny the following
 committees from the four clubs
 will meet in the office of the
 Rotary club to lay out plans for
 raising the balance of s1O.OOO i'm
 medistely, Rotary club. Dan Dim-
 ick. E. II. Andrews and Morris
 W. Bush, I<iwnnis club, j. Mercer
 Barnett. J. E. Hawkins md A. (.
 Jenkins, Civitnn club, C. W. Shrop-
 shire, J. T. Doster and $. M. Bern
 helm; Community club, Claude
 Estes, R. l.. Lang nnd Ebert Jemi-
 son.
 c. J. Atkinson, executive secretary of the Federation of Boys Clubs. of New York, made the principal speech before the members of the four clubs wher they assembled, 425 strong, in the ballroom of the Tutwiler. The meeting was carried through with punch and pep. An orchestra sent free by the local musicians union rendered music, which was well received. and Dick Swarris who is singing at the Alcazar this week, sang two selections that were strongly applauded
 A group of Boy Scouts were prcs- ent and guarded the flags and other decorations In the room. The long tables were arranged lengthwise the floor in the center, with smaller ones under the balcony. When the clubmen were in the midst of the luncheon a score of newsboys suddenly rushed in, yelling their extras"
 The papers were. fake extras" of the two Birmingham afternoon dailies, one telling how the drive for boys work funds had proven glorious suc- cess with $10.41 in sight, the other bemoaning the failure of the drive be- cause slightly less than $95O,000 had been raised.
 ATKINSON DISCUSSES WORK
 
 Dan B. Dmick presided over the and introduced MT. Atkins on- He pointed out the urgent need of the boys for funds and com pared the money expended on build ings and fire protection with that ex- pended on boys and their protection.
 ''Ot the 23,5oo boys in Birmingham. only 2300 are cared for by the local agencies, namely. the Boy Scouts, the A cllt MT Atkinson said. Estimating the valre of boy as consumer and as pro ducer he said each boy is worth $4500 to the city, or that Birminghams boys are worth $94.000,o00 to her. This may be called the boy asset of Bir- mingham." he said. The assessed value of real estate and the buildings upon it here is $104.o00. 900 and the value of buildings in Birmingham is $74. .000, 900.
 For the protection of these build ings you have a city fire department with 20 buildings, with 13S men giv- ing their full time to the work. For the protection of the boys you have two apologies of rooms and Y. M c. A. that gives the partial use of several rooms to the boys and you have nine men giving boys work all their time.
 "A total of $375,00d Is paid out an nually on the buildings, including in- surance, while with this drive and g possible addition of $10,000 for the Y. M. c. A.. only $s5.0o0 will be asked
 T find that in the juvenile, court here about 300 boys go before the judge annually. Of these 120 go to some place of correction These cost S40, 900 year.
 q maintain here that if you increase the agencies working for boys welfare by 100 per cent you will cut in half tho number going to places of correction" THE UNDER PRIVILEGE CLASS
 MT. Atkinson pointed out that while most admirable work is being done by the Y. M. c. A. and boys scouts that organizations and that the boys clubs do reach them. He placed four per cent of the boys in the special privi- lege class. or those who lack nothing they desire and need. 30 per cent in the privilege class. or those who have ample opportunities and the remaining s6 per cent in the under privilege class. He said that the boys club gets the boy who forms the greatest problem.
 There Is great danger in bringing up a boy on the streets" said Mir. At- kinson They need supervised play and club with building and an open door. I know of only two other cities that is combining the scout club work and I feel sure that Birmingham is going to show exactly how 1t can be done"
 Before the meeting had begun it was announced that a committee under the leadership of F. H. Andrews had re- ,eived subscriptions for $10,500. After dr. Atkinson's speech cards were passed. around among those present and were filled out for the amount the various members desired to subscribe.
 Last year the boys club received only about $6.0o0 about $4.500 of which was donated by the Rotary club. which club had been furnishing sufficient funds for the maintenance of the club for several years. and the remainder was raised at tag day.
 The boys club has Headquarters at 2207 Third avenue with branch on South Twenty-ninth street. It claims an average attendance of 260 boys lay.
 It is planned to open various branches turing the coming year, including one at West End and one at Woodlawn.
 Clarence Lloyd. secretary of the Rotary club announced after the meet ng yesterday that the drive for the 1000 needed will be carried through until every penny Is