Arizona republican., 1921-04-26

of the lower regions where the big boys pool game was in full swing. Dr. Neil is running the new Boys club, with the assistance of a corps of officers elected by the club from among it's membership. Starting with six boys and a house, Dr. Neil organized the club in January. Now he has 176 members and new applica- tions are brought in every week. The club here is a new one, prob ably the newest in the string of 163 belonging to the Boys Club Feder- ation. One of the clubs in Scran- , tom Penn, is 20 years old, and there are others, well established in 93 cities of the United States. The. subscription, though with the indus trial work of the shop classes. such as printing and shoe repairing, club is sometimes able to pay some thing toward maintenance.
 This industrial work represents one one of the three functions of the club project. The other two are to | improve their health by sports and exercise. The industrial classes. open to boys free, fill a definite need I in their lives. The boys often have no encouragement at home to get a | thorough education. They want to stop school. And yet htey have only fantastic plans for making a fortune I If they stop school with this meager | equipment for making a living they are apt to settle down as unskilled 1 laborers or to become casual work CTS, depending upon the rest of the | family for support
 Gives Boys Start
 To prevent boys from starting to | work in this aimless or ignorant | fashion, the club obtins teachers for certain periods after school hours. and organizes such classes as it can l equip. Every member of the club is encouraged to enter some class. If he tries sign painting and finds that he has no aptitude nor liking for it, he is not urged to continue there. but tries something else.
 | Some of the business men of the cities cooperate regularly with the boys clubs in giving these boys a | foundation of trade. One man here | has donated an electric yulcanizing machine. He assures pr. Neil that after six months training a boy can earn from $50 to $50 a week at vul- canizing. Other men have prom ised to help the boys find work dur ing the summer or in spare time if | they want it A sign painter, for | one, says that he can never find enough men who know the trade.
 The boys club at Washington is organized like the United States government. There is a president. l-Dr. Neil, and a vice president his 1 assistant. Then there are secretaries of state, membership, finance, libra ry, interior, and five senators. A | judicial machine, composed of boys 1 officials, sees that the rules. which are few and to the point, are obeyed. | Violations are reported by the six | policemen or the chief of police and
 the court with its three judges and | chief justice convenes. The accused
 may call upon the district attorney
 of the club to represent him if he wishes. Fines are one cent, or even | five cents for serious offenses. or
 else the lawbraker Is forbidden ac- cess to the pool room or library for
 a day or two.
 ] Dr. Neil applies hte simple philos- ophy of Tom Sawyer. If a thing is to be had at any time for the asking it is not particularly desirable. Make it a privilege and the boy will want it. On this principle dues ranging | from five cents to a quarter a month
 are required of members.
 The success of the boys club is due
 to the fact that it is founded on the
 principles of psychology. Boys like
 
 boy then, could resist belonging to ] club that boasts of a club house of it's own with its own library, pool
 rooms, gymnasium and gym coach ?
 If you doubt the potency of the club influence, listen to the story of the G street gang.
 The boys club had been running in ! Washington for a short time when
 an excited little boy rushed into Dr. Neirs office. There's gonna be a fight tonight. The c street crowd s comin' up here to bust up the place," That night the G street crowd, IS strong. burst into the club house
 door without the formality of ringing
 the bell. Dr. Neil was in the hall to act as a reception committee. The
 intruders' faces dared him to put
 them out. They were at a loss when
 he shook hands around and smiled
 and said he was glad to see them. 1 By the time he had showed them the
 sights of the club and invited them
 to membership. they were still more puzzled, though rather pleased at the attention shown them. They
 ended in joining, of course, and Dr.
 Neil clinched a successful encounter
 by singling out the leader of the
 gang and appointing him to a tenn