Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1923-09-14
THREE SPLENDID
CIVIC CLUBS

CIVIC CLUBS
The Americas Rotary club cele
brated its fifth anniversary Wed
nesday, it having received its char
ter Sept. II, 1918.
Rotary has done many things fol
Americas, but to our mind the
most important was the blazinl
of the trail for the organization
of civic clubs. The spirit of these
civic clubs is contagious, and soor
after Rotary we found Kiwanis in
our midst And following Kiwanis
was the Lions, another of the great
civic bodies Of America.
But for Rotary Ameright hight
not have. had these 3 splendid civic
clubs, for few cities the size OF
Americas are blessed with the
three.
But for Rotary, Americas might
not have been blessed with these
three splendid civic bodies, num-
bering between 125 and $50 men
who have banded themselves to-
gether to serve their community.
A major portion of the efforts
of each of these clubs is devoted
to serving the boys and girls, for
they realize that the boy and
girl of today are the man and wo-
man of tomorrow.
An editorial written by Rev
Luther Harrell and appearing re-
Gently in his club publication stat
ed that the one great sertice that
Rotary can render its community
is to help create an atmosphere
that will be conducive to the moral
uplift of the boys and girls, young
men and young women of the com
munity. From this article we
quote the following:
One Of the greatest services that
Rotary can render a community is
to help to create an atmosphere
that will be conducive. to the NOR
al uplift of the young men and
women .of that community.
mo member of Rotary should be
satisfied merely TO enjoy the bless
ings that Rotary brings to him, but
should seek to express his appre-
citation in community service,
that will yield large results in fu-
ture.
There have always been evils in
the world, and will, to say the least,
be evils in the world for some time
to come. There will always be
temptations that must be met and
overcome before one can be posi-.
tive in his character.
There can be no positive good
without the possibility of being bad
"Since this is true, there must be
a protective care thrown about
boys and girls of certain age
The age of greatest danger is thai
which We call the adolescent age
IL is in this period when ones life
Is often ruined, because of the pc
culiar mental attitude. Every
year there are millions of boys ant
girls that must pass over this bridge
and far too many ratings ar
down, and a large per cent fal
over board.
Doubtless, there has never beer
time in our country when there
was greater moral danger for the
youth than the period through
which we are passing. Parental
authority is not respected today tc
any very great extent. Too often
parents are either ignorant or in
different to the dangers that con-
front their boys and girls. 1t may
be- in the case of some that mo-
,mentary values appeal more large
ly than real character.
sin either case, the result is the
same. Neglect, whether willful or
ithoughtless, is the same, and
many youths are paying dear Tor
the neglect by the loss of that
which Is worth more than material
Values-character.
his is also an age of greater
freedom, both for men and women,
- ~ ~ 10 N4A SSS VI SICdLGI UOuQdRG.
We have greatly enlarged the
sphere of activity, but in recent
years the moral foundation has not
been strengthened. The reason for
this is a partial destruction of the
home life; over emphasis on ma
/ terial values, and the rush in
which we live .
mo longer does the family sit to-
gether in the quietness of the
evening, and enjoy the fellowship
of the home. If the parents are al
home the children are gone, anC
if the children are there, the par
ents are gone.
Whatever the cause for the alb
sence Of this fellowship, the re
suit is the same.
Character is the result of train
ing. The period of training i
long and yet it is short. Child
hood passes rapidly and manhood
and womanhoOd soon begins t,
dawn. No home lives to itself
that is, can shut out the influence
that exist in the community Con
sequently one home may do it
best for its youths and yet fail be
cause of the outward influences
To succeed, every home must CO
operate in creation Of moral at