IDEALS OF HOME

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22430, 17 June 1938, Page 8

IDEALS OF HOME

ADDRESS TO MOTHERS AND SONS

ANNUAL FUNCTION AT Y.M.C.A

Three hundred mothers and boys attended the annual “Mother and Son” evening of the Young’ Men’s Christian Association Boys’ Department in the concert hall last evening. Mothers were welcomed by Jack Grainger and Mr F. E. S. Long, who presided. An address was given by the Rev. Alan C. Watson, who spoke of the importance of strengthening relationships between mothers and their boys. He appealed to the boys to preserve the ideals of the home which, in the hurry and bustle of everyday life, were in danger of being overlooked. The speaker said the home was the most important factor in human relationships; the place where freedom of expression was encouraged. To the mothers, Mr Watson said that they were the rulers of their own world, and thus the most free people in the home. A mother should safeguard the right to remain free in her world, he said, and not delegate the entire training of her children to others, this being as harmful to parents as to children.

“This is the children’s century,’’ Mr Watson • continued, i! and in .no other in history has so much been done for the children What we want to see is that the children have a fundamental right to parents and a home. Parents should be prepared to sink a 1 great deal of their own desires and ambitions so that their children should have the best chance in the world. It is far more important for a child to have a real father and mother than to fall back upon youth organisations for its initial life training, as nothing can taken the place of parents.”

Mr Watson emphasised the importance of guarding the right of children to their home and to a sound mind and a healthy body. A child’s inheritant right was to be given a good start in life with a sympathetic understanding of life’s meanings and ideals. True values were those of mind and heart. It was also most important for parents to allow children full expression so that they had a chance to develop naturally without restrictions. Concluding, Mr Watson said the first and last lesson in life was an attachment to which one could be loyal. This could only be understood if one supreme loyalty was given to Jesus Christ.

The boys’ work director (Mr D. W. Ross) explained the work being done by the association, and items were given as follows:—Selections, Jayet family orchestra; tap and acrobatic dances, Coral, Pat, and Norman Fraser; vocal solos,. Mr W. B. Lambert and Geoffrey Hill; lightning sketches, Mr Ivan Costello. Mr J. H. Bruorton was accompanist.