Evening star., 1937-05-31
Gang
Inevitable
Prob e m
Part of Life of Every
AdOlescent Boy
and Girl.
BY ANGELO PATRI.

IN SPITE of the Declaration Of
Independence no two children are
born equal. In any two, one will
lead and the other will follow. One
will say how and when and the other
will set about the doing OF it. The
gang and it's leader is the logical out
growth Of human need.
The follower looks up to his leader
and copies him as closely as he can.
When, one afternoon, your child comes
home from school as unlike the child
who left home that morning as any
changeling might be, you can know he
has met and accepted a leader. II he
is halfway acceptable let it go at that.
These attachments are formed to be
broken, and one of the best ways to
use them for the good Of all concerned
is to allow them to run their full day.
Try to go along with the gang. Only
when you discover that the working
motive is bad should you interfere.
The gang is likely to be at about the
same level of growth, achievement,
mental and moral development as the
child in your house. 1t is diff1cult for
a family to accept the notion that
their boy is just like the boy next door
and the one down the street; that he
has dirty hands and face at times.
that he has no manners to meet q
situation on occasions, that he might
break a window and otherwise bring
down the wrath Of the corner grocer.
But it is true. All little boys and
most little girls go through a grubby
stage. even the nice little boy in your
house. 1t is nothing to worry about
Just something to accept like chicken
pox and mumps.
Once boy has joined up with his
gang he yields to the gang spirit COM
| pletely. He makes their manners his
| their speech, their ways Of dress, their
standards all are his. Anything that
might cast reflection upon the gangs
standards is a call to arms. Whatever
the gang does is right and it takes a
lot Of doing to make him see anything
else. Unless there is something dan
gerous in what the gang stands for and
what it does, leave it alone to work out
its term.
The best way in any case is to keep
ahead of the boys growth and its needs
by heading him toward the right sort
Of gang in the beginning For that
you can't beat the Boy Scout organ
| ization. 1t offers all boy needs, and
| one can feel safe in feeling he belongs
What is true of the boys is true OF
the girls as well. Their gangs are more
conservative and stay closer to home
and in well-traveled paths Of expert
ence. The girls need out-of-home
experiences. They need to get out
into the air. to learn camp ways, and
the cooperation and spirit Of COM
mon service that the Campfire Girls
offer. A girl can have no finer ex-
periences in these early years than
those she gets in her Campfire years.
1t is here that she learns to accept
other girls as friends without the
usual too personal picking that girls
practice. A girl is sister if she be-
longs no matter what sort Of house
she lives in or the make Of her
family's car. She belongs because OF
her membership in this group, and
that belonging wipes out all other
lines. This is something that girls
need more than their democratic,
friendly brothers Girls are likely to
be too close a corporation in their
acquaintances and friendships. Camp
fire groups spread friendliness and
understanding farther than any social
organization seems to de- Introduce
the girl to the Campfire group and
the boy to the Scouts and you take
out insurance against the dangers Of
a peculiarly dangerous stage of growth.
MIR. Patri will give personal attention
to inquiries from parents and school
teachers on the care and development
Of children. Write him in care Of this
paper, incIosing Scent stamped, self
addressed envelope for reply.
(Copyrlght. 1881