New Britain herald., 1926-12-29
Boys and Girls of Today Better Than Those of Yesterday, Braddon Tells Kiwanians.

those of preceding generations, ac- cording to Verne C. Braddon, sec retary of the boys department of the Y. M. C. 4. Mir. Braddon spoke on Boys Work" at the meeting of the Kiwanis club at the Burritt hotel today.
 His address was as follows;
 Tt is prevalent idea that young people today are on the downward path. and that their morals are much worse than those of the past generations. It isn't so, They are better, if anything. They are more honest in what they do. They do not hide nor conceal what they do. The difference is that they do their sparkling in q modern way. They tear along the highways at 50 miles an hour or park in q dark lane In an auto. instead of mean dering along the pike behind old I;obbin. or stopping the old buggy along the roadside.
 "ff the past generation didn't do any sparkling. what did it do?- shut its eyes and take what came along for q mate?-No it didn't.
 The modern boy and girl look life in the face and are not ashamed of it. Of course they have the same pitfalls, as you men had. They have their rough spots and tempta- lions, and in order that these young people may grow up, and be capable of taking our places and surpass our efforts. we have come to see the need for the promotion of a char actor building program, q recrea- tonal program directed by trained leadership. Such agencies as the Boy Scouts, Boys club. Junior Achievement bureau, I. NJ. C. A. and kindred movements are doing these things.
 Tn order that you may grasp the underlying principles of york with boys, it will be necessary to give you q bit Of boyology. A boys life is divided into several periods, each differing greatly from the other. A boy ten years old is at the question ing and self-thinking age, the be- ginning of adolescence. Before this time he is not capable of playing team games, as this is the period of self.
 From ten to twelve years he needs a director. From thirteen to fifteen years is termed early adoles- cence. and the boy needs supervi- sor. He resents any attempt to di- rect him in the sense of director. This is the restless, ever changing period, when the boy needs lots of sympathy and understanding. He changes his mind often and it is hard to keep up with him.
 Middle adolescence includes boys from sixteen to eighteen years. This is usually the high school age. He sorely needs an advisor. one who can help him with his complex problems. Most of his decisions for life are made during this period. Here. then, is the time to mold the clay before it sets.
 Eighteen to twentyfour is later adolescence. and one must be 8 comrade. a pal to him.
 Tn promoting work with boys 1t is fundamental that we keep these ever changing periods in mind.
 "A few years ago there was no place for the ten 10 twelve year old boy. in the minds and programs of
 
 time we realize that this is the per iod in which to start our modelling. The clay is fresh and easy to mold. A simple program based on develop ing the boy into perfect manhood, should be started at this time.
 At twelve a boy demands a pro- gram in which he may be achieving, gaining greater laurels. Here the time is ripe for graded advance ment program, as the Scouts, Junior Achievement, Pioneers, hobby clubs, etc.
 At sixteen years the boy is either in high school, or because Of home conditions, is employed. These boys should be organized into self-gov. orning groups, with a constructive. character building program.
 From this need has grown the lily and Employed Boys Brother hoods, sponsored by the Y. M. C. A. These groups meet weekly, and a speaker Is secured who Is competent to bring a message O. interest that will react in spurring the boys on to greater things. The boys have complete charge of these meetings. Each club has a discussion of their life problems. and try 10 find q solu- lion in the teachings of Christ.
 There is no greater influence for sood in the high school than an ac- live Hi-Y club. In one high school, swearing and dirty stories in the locker room were cleaned up. Drinking that existed to certain ,Ntent among the athletes, was stop ped because of the influence and pressure brought 10 bear through such a club. Vocational guidance an helps to the right college course arc given to these boys Since the advent of junior high schools, clubs based on the same principles as those In the senior high schools. are being organized
 "rhe work with the employed boys endcavors 10 provide good rec rnation anI clean-living thoughts They have their bowling leagues, with q representative team in inter city competition.
 "The majority Of these clubs hava, as a part of their regular meetings, a discussion period with the prinri- pies Of Christ as a background. In all of these. the underlying prnCi plc3 is service to the other fellow. One outstanding piece of service done by one group of younger boys was to present q poor family, a mother and four boys, with q com plete Christmas dinner and indiyid- Ual presents for each of them. IL