Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-12-30
Fathers SCHOOL
CLUB IS PRAISED.
Sherman Rogers Extols Spirit
Shown by Parents Of Boys
at Frankford High
CASTE IS MARKEDLY ABSENT

II there were organizations in every
city in the United States like the
Fathers Association Of the Frankford
High School, they would do more to
promote understanding and good fellow
ship between employer and emp!oye
than all the laws that can be passed by
Congress, or all the books yet written,
says Sherman Rogers, in an article in
the current Outlook on "When Fathers
Go to School" Mr.. Rogers some time
ago conducted an industrial survey for
the EVENING PUBLIC LEDGER.
Mr.. Rogers recently addressed the
Fathers Association of the Frankford
High School. and writes that he was
astounded by the absence Of class feel
ing. He said he saw bankers and labor
efs rub shoulders and cheer themselves
hoarse for each Others sons as the foot
ball team was brought upon the stage.
spirit displayed at that meeting is the
spirit that builds nations-a spirit vi
pulling together between men from
every walk Of life.
Praises Good Fellowship
''The good fellowship displayed was
remarkable" says Mr.. Rogers. For
three and half hours this large audi
ence became boys again. They wcro
going to school, Glass feeling was en-
tirely forgotten. The banker sat along.
side and joked with the laborer. He
asked him about his children. They
were brothers for the time being. 1t
wasn't a lodge composed of a certain
class. 1t wasn't club requiring
certain financial status. II was big
community. get together gathering a
gathering fostering a spirit-the spirit
that builds republics, that build>
nations. the spirit of pulling together
'When I delivered my speech on the
labor problem, l was dumbfoundod. ]
knew tina. the position of the audience
necessitated SOME one being hurt; vet
they appauded-those who disagreed
with me as well as those who agreed
Immediately l caught the spirit. Herr
was something I hadn't seen before. !
knew that something had broken down
the bars Of class feeling. They simply
didn't have It, and yet, to my right, sat
group of men Enthusiastically of the
bankers type.
All Glasses at Meeting
"When left the platform l inquired
about the different men sitting through
the audience. Most of the names were
familiar. They were men prominent in
financial and business life Of that see =
tion of Philadelphia.
''The Frankford High School team
had won football match with Ger.
mantown that afternoon. The boys
were brought in on the platform and
introduced to the audience amid COL
is.s .ws.n yslls' tn. noise .us.,deS and til,
young footballers left the platform,
noticed an old man in threadbare suit
standing near the door. During tn,
conve sation had with him, which
was short, he blurted out: That fellow
\ over there is my boss. I've been work
Nfng for him many years, although I've
meyer met him personally. / have al.
ways figured he was q kind of cold
bloodrd animal. but did you see hin
stand on his feet, yelling his head off al
my boy?
He must have pretty good hear,
IN the middle, after all. Don't IL beat
all that we never know these fellows
until we see them at close range, and
isn't IL g"eat thing that we can have
an organization like this where we car
see them-see them as they really are?"
Sitting just to the right Of the man
ufacturer was carpenter-so the
threadbare man told lne--but so fa~ As
appearances were concerned the manu-
facturer appeared to be as glad to talk
70 b!m as he would be to address the
President of the United States.
I'm 1912 the organization was formed
BY the father of one of the children
going to the school, with the humble
beginning of but thirteen men, the OBJ
tect OF this organization being 70 pur.
chase athletic supplies for the bows
which the school itself did not fur
nish.
This organization has been sue.
cessful in bringing about the erection
OF the present school, which is cred
itable monument to the builders OF
that community.
AT each meeting, and there have
been over eighty meetings since its IN
ception, collections are made and sun
plies purchased for the school boys and
girls.
""The remarkable part is that tho
average organization or society guarun
teeino the public safety from the evi
influences that are lurking in the vary
Gus parts Of the country generally hav.
letterhead committee COmnOsrd Of
about two thirds Of the great finan
ciers, statesmen and professors of the
country, which is probably one of tn,
reasons they never permanently sue.
/. ceed--n case OF too many cooks Bul
IN Philadelphia no great name vas on
the list, but those who had begun the
movement cheerfully gave their time
their careful attention and, success.
crowned their efforts because they
didn't leave it to George. "