Evening star., 1936-09-01
Old Order
Gives Way
To theNew
Wise to Permit Chill
dren Experimentation
in Changing System.
BY ANGELO PATRI.

THE adolescent boy and girl are
keenly interested In anything
that Is new. Something new holds
the greatest charm for them. The
old hat may be much finer. the neigh
boring boy or girl friend much the
better character, the old minister and
the old church and the old friends
and customs are likely to be quite as
geed and even better than the new
ones being established, but to the
young person the new ones are the
thing.
This Is annoying to the elders who,
having seen the new change to the
old, know its passing charm too well.
Too often they have had to drop the
strange new order and 60 back to the
old true and tried one, hoary though
it might be. But there is much to be
said for youth In this matter. II they
did not strive to find the new way,
achieve a new order, there would be
no progress from generation to gen.
Grafton. They are fulfilling their mis-
sion when they seek out and follow
new paths.
Experimentation Is the character
istic quality Of youth. Let's see what
it is. Let's see how it works. Take
q chance. Maybe it is better. ANY,
way, give it trial" Youth speaks in
those phrases. There Is vitality hope,
growth In them. We should encourage
them even when they irritate us the
most. We irritated our elders in our
time, and we are not yet convinced
that we did not do well In the process
This characteristic Of youth should
be taken into consideration when
school courses are planned, when any
scheme for youths education or ad-
vancement Is under discussion. It Is
well to carry along the proven good of
the past, but it is also good, and i'm
perative, to leave room for the new
ways. the new ideas. the experiments
of the young people. They cannot
be completely satisfied to take over
the customs, laws and manners Of q
bygone day. They have to scan them,
change them. adapt them to their
service.
Schools are duty bound to take this
into consideration. Instead of de-
nouncing them for brashness when
they question us we ought to listen
and attend respectfully to what they
have to say. discuss it calmly and with
the same tolerance and good breeding
We would display to an older dis
putant.
This attitude would 90 far to make
home more acceptable to the usual
adolescent. The young daughter
wants to change things a bit. She
likes to begin with the draperies. the
wall paper, the table service. Let her
do 1t. Give her q chance to expert
ment, and If her way proves the bet
ter, so much to the good Of all con-
cerned. If it does not work out she
has learned something that will do
her good.
The boy wants to do some rear
ranging, too. He would like an oc-
casional party. He would like father
to lay down his paper Of an evening
and talk things over with him as man
to man. That would give him q feel
ing of newness that would thrill him.
He would like to drive the car, trade 1t
In, 60 q little faster. Consider him in
this as far as safety allows. He would
like to be taken seriously, not as child,
but as q person in the house.
Give the children q dash of newness
and they will be more willing to abide
by some OF the oldneSs.
(Copyright, 1936)