AMERICAN BOYS' TOUR.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 508, 15 May 1909, Page 9

AMERICAN BOYS' TOUR.

INTERVIEW WITH MR. GARNET HOLME. ' " Prevention is better than cure" is the theory of the California Boys' Club, a unique institution, of whose 400 members 40 will arrive ill Wellington on June 17. It was founded by a unio.uo man, Major Sidney S. Peixotto, who is qlso president of the Pacifio Athletic Association (the Western branch of the Amateur Athletic Union of the United States), president of the Public Schools' Athletic League of Sail Francisco, and vice-president of tiie federated Boys' Club of America. Major Peixotto, states' Mr. Garnet Holme,/who is directing the boys' tour, started a little club for boys 15 years ago in San Francisco, which lias now grown to remarkable proportions. He believes in • taking control of boys before they are led into evil courses, and keeping them out of mischief by keeping their minds busy. Baseball, basket-ball, gymnastics, and dramatic and vaudevillo entertainments form the recreation of his boys' club, which has no subscription fee. Every member, however, is expected to make himself useful or entertaining, and a discipline is maintained .which is firm, though unobtrusive. Smoking and drinking aro forbidden, and clean! living, clean .thinking, and clean athletics have been described as the chart acteristics of the. club. Frequent entertainment tours have been made before in the Stato of California, where the boys are everywhere well known. During these tours the boys generally sleep out in the open, which the dryclimate of California safely permits. 'Once they slept in a village pound, and a very wet time they spent. Last year Mr. Holme enjoyed tramping with tho boys for four days through the great redwood forests .to the coast. During nil that, tinio they did not emerge from the forest. White ono party of boys is in'.New Zealand another party of 50 will be on a walking expedition to Los Angelos, 500 miles from San Francisco. The New Zealand visit makes the first occasion that the lads have come beyond their nafivo State. Specially picked boys will make tho visit, everyone of whom can play some musical instrument and do credit to tiie club in athletics. For theso tours uniforms and band instruments are supplied free to the boys. The New Zealand visitors, who have learned to play Australian football, were'granted the use of the Pnlaeo of Justice for their performance at Tahiti, and tho Mayor gave them an official welcome. At Raroionga their visit will synchroiiise with that of his Excellency Lord l'lunket. Tho boys will spend two days l in Wellington before leaving for the north, ami later they will tour tho South. Island. The 'visit is purely for the boys' benefit; no one will make a penny pieco out of tho tour. It is expected that a grand basket-ball match nciunst a team from Iho V;jr.C.A. will b e played during th« boy»* .visit.