Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1921-06-24
EDITORIALS
A VITAL PROBLEM.

prevalent among our young PSVP~
as well as with many of the older
citizens, of taking summer outings,
fishing trips, Fourth of July ex-
cursions and so on, presents prob
lem that is we'll worth the consid-
Grafton of the parents and social
workers of our community. There
is nothing in the nature of medi-
cines, tonics, or health cures that
can compare in its health giving
and invigorating qualities with a
good wholesome, sane camping trip
in our mountains. Fishing along
the clean mountain streams, tramp
ing sometimes miles in the early
morning freshness to reach the fav-
orite pool horseback riding over
the ridges and thru the canyons,
breathing the ozone of the thick
pine forests, sleeping in the opsn
air at nights, will develop an APP
petite that knows no bounds and
develops within one vigor to
which no medicine can compare.
But the trouble with so many OF
such excursions and camping trips
is that the young are allowed to go
unattended by some older and more
responsible person. Not that we
wish to indict the good intentions
and morals of the young people,
but very often foolishly, playfully
and inadvertently they rush head
long into situations that leave re-
grets, or even ruin as a result; a
good portion, or all of which would
be forestalled or avoided if some
helpful, sympathetic older person
were in the party. 1t doesn't of
necessity mean that chaperone Is
needed in mixed crowds of boys
and girls only, but in groups of all
boys or all girls, as well. 1t has
come within our knowledge that
boys unattended indulge in certain
unwholesome pastimes and prac-
tees that they would avoid if some
man in whom they had confidence
were present. Gambling, smoking
and drinking about the campfires
very often are INDUCED in at such
times and not infrequently boy
gets his first lesson in Irregular
ties under these conditions. 1t has
been observed that girls of very
reputable families have INDUCED in
the practice of cigaret smoking
while sitting around the campfire
of the outing party. Smutty yarns
and vulgarties Of various sorts are
INDUCED in that otherwise would
never occur.
We are not right sure, but very
strongly of the opinion that the
reason that SO many of the parties
are allowed to go unchaperoned is
that parents are loathe TO admit that
their boys or girls may go wrong.
1t is always the other mans child
rem that need watching. Don't be
too sure-the press of circum-
stances may be sufficiently strong
to completely obliterate for the
time being all the good counsel and
advice you have given your boy or
girl from his infancy Your boy or
girl may actually be the leader of
prank innocently conceived and
thoughtlessly put into execution
thar would leave lifelong regrets
behind
II any fatality threatens a child's |
life or limb, ii he is in danger !
OF drowning or being run down by
an auto or street car, or If some !
fieud ruthlessly threatens the virtue
of daughter, scarcely a parent liv- |
ing would hesitate to risk his own
life to prevent such a disaster. Yet
we complacently sit by and allow
situations, the results OF which may
be equally baneful, to eliminate
and we plead a lack of time-too
much TO do. We couldn't begin 20
spend a week of our life, let alone
sacrificing it entirely, to save boy
or girl from life long regret and
conditions that are often worse
than death.
Would it not be worth while for
US to enter into the plans for these
vacations? They should come at a
time when the work is not too
pressing. say between The first and
second cutting of alfalfa or any
other convenient time and nine
times out of ten satisfactory ar
rangements can be made, We do
not wish TO advocate that these
mixed parties are wrong, but we do
wish to emphasize the wholesome
ness of such vacations as the
Fathers and Sons Outings" No
other sisuaton is so perfectly
adapted 10 an exchange of conf
dence and character building OPP
portunities than these. Do you think