Evening star., 1925-04-11

A friend of this column has sen
me very interesting clipping from
the Rosslyn. Va, Monitor, to which
was pinned three paragraphs from
my recent article on small boys
Those paragraphs read:
Across the Potomac a year or SO
ago, in neighboring Virginia town
an experiment In boy management
was tried, with what success I dc
not know. The idea was a good one
however, and deserved success.
The boys were formed into a sort
or junior government. The lad who
delighted in breaking window panes
was made chief of police, and the
other bad boys" made mayor, prose
cutting attorney, etc.
1T was a good scheme and would
be pleased to hear that it work ed
out. There is one thing certain, you
get better results by Kidding the
kids than by trying to browbeat
them"
The clipping from the Monitor fol-
lows:
Punishment for the pranks played
by themselves one night last week
was meted out to number OF the
members of the Thrifton Village
Junior Government by their officers
at the meeting of the organization
last Monday night In Parish Hall.
Mayor Robert Wall presided and
Commissioners II. NJ Brown, C. A
Candee and II. c. Roberts were pres
ent.
"The junior chief of police reported
that number of the members had
broken windows while playing base
ball, had tampered with an automo-
bile and seriously annoyed several
residents by other mischievous acts
MI haI
these things were requested to rise
and tell OF the part they had taken
About dozen of the boys arose and
honestly admitted having been mixed
up in the affairs.
Those who had broken windows
accidently and had paid for the dam
age were acquitted, but the res,
voted themselves Is demerits as pun
ishment for their misdeeds. Five OF
the demerits were Cancelled by the
commissioners in recognition Of tho
honesty and straightforwardness ot
the boys In admitting their actions.
Tn a number of cases the dement's
will operate to keep the boys from,
holding some of the coveted office,
in the league. the holders of which
have special privileges and are en-.
titled TO wear handsome badges as
a mark of honor.
Fire Chief George Ellis reported
that his firemen assisted in putting
out a field fire near Thrifton Station
and were aiding the volunteer fire
men of Company No. 8, C. V. Z. d.
In caring for their property and
making quick responses to alarms.
The sanitary department was
credited with being on the Job look.
Ing after rubbish along the road
sides and loose paper in vacant lots
Chief Ellis is to organize a base
ball team among his hremen and
promises to lick the stuffing" out OF
team from the police department
headed by Chief Bill Wall.
"A committee consisting of Helen
Dawson, Helen Goodner, George Ellis
Kenneth Barker and Robert wal
was appointed to make plans for the
celebration of the first birthday OF
the league at the April 81 meeting"
4 \ y y
So we see that the experiment In
boy management is success, SO
much so that the first anniversary OF
its organization is TO be. celebrated
shortly.
The sincere concentrations OF
every householder everywhere mus,
go out TO those boys and those fathers
VINO are cooperating with each other
to help each other.
Not that perfection reigns.
The account Of the meeting given