Evening star., 1935-06-08


during the year to the United States
Flag Association, in its efforts to COM
bat crime and other national cankers,
and to further American patriotism at
every turn.
In this latter cause. Mrs. Dougherty
has gone directly to the fundamental
roots of the matter, and has been
building patriotism from the ground
up" so to speak, by her great work
with the children and adolescent citi-
EenS.
Several years ago she created here
In Washington, against much unbelief,
the now tremendously successful Thrift
Shop, so ably kept functioning at top
speed by the indefatigable Mrs. John
r. williams and her Junior League
fund obtained by the Thrift Shop and
its various enterprises, are dedicated
to charities dealing with child care and
education. To be sure that the organ
ization would be perfect in every de-
tail, Mrs. Dougherty spent months in
New York and other large cities,
studying the systems used by similar
shops, their general arrangement, and
the scope of activity. Armed with
all this first-hand knowledge, she
returned to Washington, sure that the
shop would prove a success. and
promptly established 1t according to
the best standards culled from the
many which she had observed.
y y u
CINCE then. Mrs. Dougherty has
done wonderful work along child
welfare. and philanthropic lines in
China. and ether places, but her great
est achievement here recently has been
her work with the boys of Washington.
in cooperation with the Metropolitan
Police.
Horrified by the number of boys
allowed to roam the streets at will.
forming juvenile gangs that tormented
their neighborhoods, she cast about
for some way in which to turn these
lives from dross into gold. She tells
me that 1t was Maj. Ernest Brown who
originated the idea Of forming Boys
Clubs, to teach the boys that the po-
lice were their friends. She promptly
went to work to raise money for the
project, as the plan appealed to her
extremely.
This was accomplished through her
usual indonitable will and efficiency,
and on February 20. Washington's
Birthday, 1884, the first Boys Club
Of the Metropolitan Police in the Dis
trict Of Columbia was formally opened.
Purposely. this first club was located
in the precinct noted for the amount
Of juvenile delinquency within its con-
fines. and close observation was main
tanned to see just what effect the
formation Of the club had on this
particular problem.
: Mrs. Dougherty says that reports
show that in that precinct juvenile
delinquency has now practically dis
appeared, and the results of the club
lhave proven so excellent that two
more clubs have since been opened
Sin other precincts, with total mem
bership Of about 5000 boys!
sDURING the past year the boys
have benefited in countless
sways-mental, moral and physical.
They have foot ball and base ball
teams, which play rival organiza-
tions and thus inculcate a sporting
spirit. There are basket ball teams,
too, and wrestling and boxing under
competent instructors to teach them
the lesson Of self-defense and the
proper attitude of give and take"
Patriotism is externally" applied by
trips to Mount Vernon. Arlington and
other points of historic interest, where
they are told of the place those who
dwelt there held In the Nations
building, and Of great lives dedicated
to the protection and maintenance
sof the American Republic.
Certainly the atmosphere of such
places and the spirit of those dead
sheroes must have great effect upon
.impressionable boyish minds-and