Norwich bulletin., 1922-10-19

Boys Work Week, which is being ob served by Rotary clubs throughout the country, was noted here on WednesdaxI noon at the regular luncheon of the Norwich Rotary club by very enthn- siastic address by Fred J. Dawless of New Haven, waao is taking an active part in that work in that city Mir. DaWless, who was introduced by Harry M. Clark, chairman of the boys work committee of the local club. spoke at the fall conclave at Isa st ern Point and his address was so rauch enjoyed that he came 10 Norwich in response to in- sistent invitations from local members.
 MT. DaWless said in part:
 think Harry took a 5O-50 chance on asking me to come here today to talk on Boys Work. I say this be- cause after making my so-called ad- dress on tRe supyect ae the fan coE- clave st ErMAer paint | rezscsr esl tpsn widely different comments upon my eff fort. One fellow rushed up to me after the meeting was over, grabbed my hand and said By jingoes, I. want to shake hands with an honest man. was more or less upset by this uncalled for admiration and not quite getting him I
 asked what he meant. He almost shouted, Why I say you're honest be- cause when you got up to give your ad- dress you said you couldn't make a I speech--end, by gosh. you can't l think this fellow came from Nors A1A l Another man from a Massachusetts club wilfulIy and viciously hattered me
 by asking how much I charged for a speech like that and if he could en- gage me to give a talk before his club. Now he was gloriously kidding me, but l anyhow told him that I did boys
 work for the fun of it and that my ir- l terest and enthusiasm was stimulated entirely by love of boyhood and Rot
 ary.
 l If the time ever comes when can give up business entirely I seriously in- l tend to devote my time to constructive
 boys work. I think l ought to exclain
 always before talking on the subject that my regular business is that of sell Ing steel products. To you fellows who heard, my talk at New London some Earts of this will sound familiar. In the first place let me say that boys work is a man-sized job and I am sure that any man who will interest himself
 in the activity will find a challenge oi
 real effort that has wonderful compen- lsation in a spiritual way. So many fel
 lows feel that it's a job for paid work
 CTS who are trained for it and.that any effort they might make would be use
 
 erce. That's an admission that the,
 were never boys themselves; that the, have grown into manhood without re membering the bumps of youth or els, that they think each boy should bucl
 the line himself, get manled and bruised
 and learn lhe's lessons by the sam,
 rough road to be travelled. To some ex tent I synEsathize with that thought. !
 don't believe in pampering boys, or il
 
 is too smooth boy will get more fall | and harder buraps than on roa, l where life's experiences make rough places that give him footing. If boy sleeps in too soft a bed and i given a hothouse cultivation he doesn' know what real living is like. But ther is certain amount of constructiV
 helpfulness that we fellows Of nor
 mature years can give to our success l sors, just as an experienced pilot ca! break in beginner and teach him ou of his own experience how to avoi, i submerged rocks and sandDars. There is a danger of overdoing th pleasure and mirth side of boys work | I think this can be avoided if in ou : effort we think back to our own boy 1 hood days and of all the things iron which we derived the most benefit.
 don't know how it was with your fel
 lows, but when I went to school in tn
 country as yoangster, bare feet wa the universal style and we had to wal fl q couple of miles to get there unles } we could get hitch. !" Today, even i : the rural districts, boys are transport v ed in buses and in the city it's eithe e an easy walk or the trolley, cars 0 : dads auto does the heavy work. f Of course, the educational facilities c e ttoday are miles ahead of those existin : Is or 20 years ago, and that is equaH e true of other phases. Amusements a fe, : years ago were less available and nor q appreciated Organized athletics wer : confined to colleges and professions t leagues, but now even the little 8 yea ]. old boys have leagues and pennaiat c Financial conditions were different an : spending. money was acquired by doin '. well some definite task Today Dad " 1 likely to be soft hearted and the softnes ' is handed down to Sonny There al y still thousands of boys who get the IfsIant on life from observations and e, F perienee. There are thousands who al = not getting chance to enjoy or prof . by the more modern educational and ph, n sical advantages, and there are thousand oi whose moral and physical conditions al n following the lines of least resistanc l. which eaH only lead them to useless mai
 hood and dependent old age or ear
 death. So there is Rltlch to do and nuc
 being done. The thing for us to do is
 offer our time and service to the men wi ' are working with boys like you, sco, le executive, boys club leaders. achievenel 2. club directors, and never to forget l challenge our boys with real tasks, vii l. high morals, and high physical standard
 think our greatest responsibility s the younger generation is the conduct our own life, which is sure to reflect F the development of our city or /hom . Perhaps you think these boys don't thir ,-A of serious things like religion, but tn, st do. Rotary has done many great thin o for men, and these very men by their a z titudes, toward life are going to irfiuen ' 1 the coming generations. If you choose z publicly hout the laws of the country, Il
 boys will do likewise. If writers Of mo n ing picture scenarios continue to play ii domestic infelieity and animal love t ,a weak minded boy will get into mess :A such as we have been reading about II news from nearby state. If you do yo
 part to cultivate ced-blooted, two-fist l. boys into self respecting honor lovin es successful men, your posterity and ge ss erations to come will be happier and R ,s tary will live forever.
 Mr. Dawless closed his talk by readi ss the following poem, After School nI Strickland Gillian:
 When home from school's long day
 drifts
 And to my gaze his fresh face lifts, t. eead the tale of all the joys.
 sd And sorrows that are every boys ct I knew them once. E feel them yet, a. Through later living's deeper fret A But still I hold him close and say, ed Son, tell me all about your day" h.