Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-09-21
Rise in Crime
Feared if BOYS
Clubs Close
continued Prom First PAGE

VIC WOil y nave many pihCes
left to send them" he said.
He also was concerned about
the summer.
"You take more than l,7O0
boys during the summer out
Of environments where they
are prone to get into trouble
and it has a definite effect on
summer crime" he said. That's
what the boys club camps did.
We found boys who talked for
months about going to camp
and then talked until school
opened about having been to
camp"
I Heart-broken by the threat
to his life work is Mai. Ernest
w. Brown. retired police chief
who founded the first boys club
in the basement Of the 5th pre-
cinct in 1884.
1.-THE day we opened" he
said, 200 boys applied. The
businessmen were so grateful
at the difference it made that
soon other neighborhoods were
demanding the clubs, too.
Nov I keep asking myself,
What's going to happen to the
boySp Where are they going in
the evenings?' I hope it won't
mean an increase in juvenile
crime, but I'm fearful. / know
why the clubs were founded
and why they grew. When the
boys find the doors locked and
go back to their street corners
and their alleys, what's going
to happen?"
II see these boys doing SO
well wherever I CO." Maj.
Brown said. Our boys now are
doctors, lawyers, ministers,
businessmen, leaders of the
community. I think about
that now because / know that
If we can make good boys to-
day, we will have good men to-
morrow.
Capt. Forrest L. BinSwanger,
retired, who has directed the
clubs since 1898, was asked
what he considers the greatest
loss to the boys.
Home" Greatest Loss
"a home" he replied.
/ eve give them a good, warm
place. We are the messengers
for food and clothing from
people with charity in their
hearts. This is going to take
home away from a lot of boys.
I'VE have a minimum age of
6 years, but no one says any
thing when a ragged fodder of
% or 4 comes in. Generally,
our peak hours are after sup
per. The boys do their home
work in our libraries. They
work in our craft rooms and
play in our game rooms. Some
of them never get a shower
Except at our clubs. The nor
NAL, natural thing for these
boys to do is come to the club
i don't know what they'll do
now"
Under the executive commit
tee proposal. only these two
clubs would remain open:
/ Club No. 4 at 8l6 Sixth street
lS.W., owned by the club and
the only one built especially as
| a boys club. Enrolment: $500
white boys.
Club No. 2, Third and X
streets NV, an abandoned
schoolhouse on which the club
spent $4,000 for remodeling.
Enrolment: 3,237 colored boys.
] Others to Close
Unless the boys club board
has reason to believe more
money will be Forthcoming,
these clubs will close their
doors:
Club No. S, Ninth and K
streets Sc, an abandoned fire
house on which the club spent
/ S23. 900. Enrolment: 1908 white
boys. The property revertS to
he District.
Club No. Is, Twelfth and U
streets NV. The club-owned
property would be sold. Enroll
ment: 4,262 colored boys.
Club No. 10, a rented store
at 14l0 Monroe street NV.
Enrolment: Sill white boys.
Southeast Police Boys Club
lin the Fifth Precinct station
house. Enrolment: 2,248 col
ored boys.
| Club No. IL, now meeting in
Fairlawn Park, Anacostia. En-
rollment: 900 white boys.
Southwest Police Boys Club,
472 I street S.W., club-owned
property recently sold as part
of the city's redevelopment pro-
gram. Enrolment: 2,463 colored
boys.
Club No. IL, a rented house
at Tenth street and Michigan
avenue NE. Enrolment: $50
white boys.
No Funds for Camps
/ Two camps in Scotland, Md,
with an annual summer enroll
ment of 958 white boys and
76l colored boys. No funds are
Inow available to operate them
next summer.
! The clubs membership went