Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-04-26
THE BOYS CLUB
by Frederic J. IIasain

Washington. April "a Clubs for
boys, where the gang instinct can find
an orderly expression. whore boys can
learn how To play and work and get
along with each other. are springing
up in many American cities. Probably
every city needs one. Washington now
has a flourishing Boys club. This is
an account of n visit TO Il.
In the big hallway, the Secretary Of
the Interior presented a register for
guests To sign, and dcputcd a lesser
dignitary. member Of the police force
tn do the honors.
There are two large buildings with a
baseball field between. The whole place
seemed swarming with boys between
eight and eighteen. Visitors Day was
going on with n bang. \ Boy Scout
hand was tearing off the ceiling of the
library with professional ease.
steady undertone of laughter and con
versation showed that the music was
not supplied to fill in any gap Of awk-
ward silence. In the bay window of
the library. n committee ON refresh
ments with a mother or two In charge.
worked busily to supply guests with
lemonade.
But the policeman guide did not
linger here. lie led his group of Charg-
cs downstairs and with a sweep of his
arm he indicated the pool room. one OF
the most popular features of the club
This is for the big boys" he said
proudly. And then. To show that his
10 years included him in the intense
group around the long table. he shouted.
Hey. Red. I'll play you in a minute''
From here. we went through the in
door IN cIs pf hall court and Ia shower
rooms To the gymnasium, where a
wrestling match was in progress. The
gym coach. a young man. was giving
directions to the fighters. and much ex-
ira advice was being handed out from
the excited crowd around the mat
The guide informed US that wrestling
was great stun to put YOU in shape.
and led us of to the shoe shop This
was deserted, but he explained that the
| boys learned 10 repair shoes and some
had already half soIcd their own.
Trades Taught.
The print shop where the club s
| monthly paper, "Thc Target" is printed
was also printed out. \ sign painting
room and a carpenter shop showed two
| other activities open TO club members,
and we were told that wireless, type
writing. VulcanizinE and use of the ad
| dressograph are 10 be taught as soon
, as apparatus can be obtained
/ A glance at the game room. fitted out
| with small pool and ping pong tables
| and puzzles and games for the smaller
/ bows brought us to the bank and the
| end Of the tour. The bank was open
| for business. though Il was beyond all
| city banking hours. The Secretary Of
| Finance was carefully recording the
| fvc-cent deposit of a member. Hc ex-
4 planned that he took anything from one
/ cent up and that In three months S22l
1 had been deposited.
! BY this time our guide had done his
I duty nobly. He led us with final
| flourish TO the president. DR.. ". A
Neil. and vanished in the direction of
the lower regions where the big boy 5
! pool game was in full swing
DR.. Nell is running the new Boy
Club. with the Assistance OF a corps OF
| officers. elected BY the club from among
its membership Starting with six boys
and a house. Or. Neil organized the club
in January. Now he has l76 members
and new applications are brought in
every week.
The club here is a new one. probably
the newest in a string Of 1863 belonging
10 the Boys Club Federation. One Of
tho clubs in Scranton. PENNSYLVANIA. is
20 years old. and there are others, well
established in 90 cities Of the United
states The clubs are financed largely
by public subscription. though with the
1 industrial work Of the shop classes such
( as printing and shoe repairing, clut
4 is sometimes able TO pay something to
ward maintenance.
This industrial work represents one
( Of the three functions Of the club prof
ect. The other two are TO keep the
; bows of the streets and 10 improve Their
health by sports and exercise. The in
] dustrial classes open TO the boys free
fill definite need IN their lives Tbs
bows often have no encouragement
home TO get q thorough education. TheI
want TO stop school. And yet they hav'
only fantastic plans for making for
tune II they stop school with this
lneaCer equipment for making living
they are apt TO settle down as unskilleC
laborers or TO become casual workers
depending upon the rest Of the famil!
I for support.
Gives Boys Start.
To prevent boys from starring {,
,,.C-L IN +bis airnIaSS Or iPDOra nj IA ShiOu