Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-04-28
CHARLES w. BAiNBRlDGE
On Function Of the Boys Club

0T/ EEP the boy off the street and keep
n him busy if you would have him de-
velop into useful and honorable manhood
and citizenship" says Charles W. Bain-
bridge. superintendent of the Germantown
Boys Club. This is the psychology behind
the boys club movement. in the belief OF
Mr. Bainbridge. who holds that the success
of the organization of which he is the head
furnishes the justification for this theory,
In dealing with the boy. said MI
Banbrdge. you must not presume 10 re-
gard him az a creature Of your desires and
one that will respond to any sort of treat
ment that you may see fit TO Civ" him. nc
is. to start with, largely crcatur" OF IN
stincts and impulses, and If you nr" to sue
ceed in catching his interest and sympa-
thctiC attention you must take him as you
find him and work with him on TINS basis
"One salient characteristic of the boy ~
the gang idea. II would be foolish to be
lievc that you can deal with him by At
tempting TO break this up. as many well,
intentioned persons would do. You must
rather turn this instinct into an asset ana
adopt it for constructive purposes.
Cone Of the principal things TO be accom-
plshed is TO keep the boy of the street
This done you will find that his gang in
stinct can be very well utili2ed II YOU are
at all resourceful.
Must Keep Boys Busy
''One idea must be graspcd right AZ the
don't, he will keep you busy getting him out
OF trouble Every normal boy has great
amount of surplus energy, almost efer-
vescent in quality. which il really nothing
NOR" or less than manifestation OF IN"
JOY of living Treated properly, 1t can be
made 10 appeal to others in the same way
bur neglected or allowed to go its own way.
1t might take destructive turn. Jacob
RiS once said that one boys club is worth
hundred poliCemen's clubs. The boys
H., n,nty E.AFN md.
The average full -blooded American boy
is full of the Old Nick when you first come
in contact with him II you don't get him
busy right away he will do It himself. His
energy might take the form of throwing
stones through windows or other similar
innocent pursuit of pleasure. The sound of
smashing glass il music to his ears.
But II you can get him In a gymnasium
with few of his fellows, and give him
basketball to throw around, he will accom-.
plish all that he could have done in the
other way and will enjoy il considerably
more III the bargain, Twenty minutes
strenuous work Of this kind, or in som"
other similar form Of play exercise. and
YOU have exhausted that exuberant, bu0ynnt
energy Of his Then you will find him ready
TO turn 10 something more serious
Sports Idea Fundamental
~ is. Of course. II common saying thar
'Inr BATTLES Of England were won on the
cricket fields. If that is true what might
not baseball and other sports in our country
accomplish for u.s. The sports idea. in
fact Is one Of the fundamentals In the
success of boys club. incidentally. it is
II most economical way of accomplishing
desired result 1t needs mo high salaricd
teachers to develop the youngstcr.
"NrXt to sports. the dramatic idea is the
one that probably finds the greatest favor
with the boy. The averdge boy thinks it is
his first duty 10 be in show and show off
Minstrel shows plays and grand uproar
as he puts 1t, are probably hts favorite
forms of dramatic expression. The latter
generally consists in interpreting one Of the
movies IN the form Of words aud actions
'Th" average boy Of twelve or fourteen
wears 0f az" has the hero idea strongly in.
trenChrd IN his heart, Human nature really
in this respect has not changed one viii,
since the days when Hector and Achilles
were the supCrmPn of their Trojan and
Grecian hosts To-day. if you could look
down into the heart Of the average bov
you would find that his greatest immediate
desire in life would be to shine as a Bobe
Ruth, an Eddie Collins or an Earl Eby
''Of course, you cannot make a silk purse
| out OF Il sow ear, but you can shine many
| Of these crude boys up and make them look
| like silk. II you take the boys Instincts in
| time, you will find them plastic and soft
| material that you can mold about as Won
will. One Of the secrets NJ max yourself
solid with the boys i 10 anticipate what he