Milford chronicle., 1938-07-08
ROTARY NOTES

before tlie Milford Rotary club d
Monday, June %, by Rev. E. J. Nc
Carthy Of St. Johns r. c. Church o
Milford:
Mr.. President and Members Of the
Milford Rotary Club
1t gives me a distinct feeling o.
pleasure to be here tonight In re-
sponse to your very kind invitation
have always had great admiration
for the three Service Clubs and the
vast amount of good they accom-
plish, quietly yet efficiently, without
ballyhoo or fanfare. in the commun-
tiles which are fortunate enough to
have one or more of them function
ing.
ask your gracious indulgence
for using notes. / have been very
busy. and add to that, I have always
had a dread of one day finding my
self in the rather unenviable plight
of the small town boy who had made
good in a big way and in a big city.
The occasion was this small towns
centenary celebration and her fam
GUS son was the guest Of honor and
the speaker Of the evening.
Fully alive to the responsibilities
entailed by the honor, he had writ
ten a splendid address and had re-
hearsed 1t so often that as the say
ing goes, he could say it forwards
and backwards. When the moment OF
his triumph arrived, he approached
the platform with the thunderous ap-
plause of his admiring audience
ringing in his ears and began, zone
hundred years ago the place in
which we stand was a bowling Wild
erness." Then as sometimes happens
his mind went completely blank, ana
over him spread that indescribable
feeling compared to which seaslck-
ness is a pleasure. Sparring for light
he began again, zone hundred years
ago the place in which we stand was
a bowling wilderness" and still that
vast impenetrable void refused to be
filled. So in desperation as a soldler
fighting a cause already lost, he be-
gan yet a third time, zone hundred
years ago the place in which we
stand was a bowling wilderness"
Then resigning himself to the ineVit-
able he continued, And ! wish to
God It still was and that | was
standing i'm the middle of it"
The subject of a proposed recrea-
tiOnal center for Milford is definite
ly allied with what to my mind is at
one and the same time the most vital
and ignored of our domestic prob
lens. and that is, the providing of
The requisite facilities for the recrea-
tional activities of our youth, and
he proper supervision of these fa-
,ilities and activities.
With "isms" of all kinds, rearing
heir serpent-like heads against the
-ery foundations of democracy, can
We conceive a more important duty ,
han to train properly the minds and !
,Odies of those, who in a few short :
ears, will take our place as the
dult citizenry of our glorious Re- =
ublic. I
Aside from my work as a priest, !
uring the past twelve years, ] have /
cen closely associated with boys of !
lmOst every creed, nationality, and \
ak of life, in the capacity, not OF :
lcial worker. but as a director OF d
thletic teams, wherein character q
lilding played a very minor role. If :
ny. In this work, have had unus- n
al opportunities of observing the I,
lolescent boy ''in the raw" so to a
,eak, pitting his strength, skill and
against that OF his I,
ates, where winning was the prime o
I'd almost sole consideration; and n
never let pass an opportunity to :,
~ this tribute, that with very rare
,ceptions, | have found him essen ~
ally fair, and with a keener sense h
honesty than many older people q
ith whom / have come in contact. n
Thank God, we do not have here :,
e frightful situation that exists in :,
e so-called totalitarian states of II
lzi Germany, Fascist Italy, and Red q,
Issia, where children are the prop y
ty and playthings Of the state; :,
here a boy is taught to betray ra- =
er than love and respect his IA q,
er; where a gun instead of base
II bat is placed in his hands at an
rly age; where the Sons of the .,
off is an hOnOred organization of n
ildren; where in a word, the child q,
defiance of all natural and divine =,
", becomes a man before he has q,
en- a boy. =,
It is significant to note, however,
At these same nations. divergent -
the Poles in their political doc r.
nes and views, are In perfect ac-
I'd on one issue, the necessity OF
lcating to their Ideals, II we may
u them such, their youth. and In
rticular, their boys. III
Yet, while the rulers Of these eopn- n
es have recognized rightly that \
,ir tenure of power depends on II
S principle Of youth training, they
We gone too far in its application
hey have made two vital mistakes
which will eventually accomplish
,ir ruin. In the first place. they
We usurped the proper position and
thority Of the home. and secondly,
" have tried to banish God as a
tor in the affairs of man.
Reverence for God is ingraiped in
} human heart, and only presump-
,us fools can pretend to think that
Creator and Redeemer of man
ID can be ignored. despised and
lsphemed with impunity "Venge-
&c Is mine" saith the Lord;-in
J own good time, and in His own
ways He. will require
to the last farthing.