TRAINING BOYS

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 159, 1 April 1930, Page 5

TRAINING BOYS

IMPORTANCE OF SELFRELIANCE ADDRESS BY CHIEF JUSTICE Speaking ou thrift and self-reliance at the annual meeting of the Boys Institute last night, Sir Michael Myers said: “We are not as sellreliant as we ought to be, as our parents were, as the pioneers of tins country were. . . . The sooner wc can get back to that habit of self-relianee —if wc can get it back —the better It will be for the whole community. Sir Michael Myers said he was only informed that afternoou that he would be expected to address the meeting, but at a meeting of that kind it was difficult to avoid platitudes and homilies, although he would endeavour io do so. Of all the institutions to which they were asked to subscribe, and to which most of them did subscribe, there were a certain number which to his mind deserved everybody’s support. The Boys’ Institute was one of them; the Salvation ; Army was, of course, another; so also was the Y.M.C.A. and the Home of Compassion.

“For myself I don’t earc two straws to what creed a man or woman belongs. If it is a worthy object, whether denominational or not —and this institute is undenominational —the public should support it, and generally does. This institution does a very fine work and its foundation is due to the wisdom and foresight of certain citizens who in their day were the leading citizens of Wellington, and noble-minded citizens at that. The late Mr. J. G. AV. Aitken and Mr. Wm. Allan were two of the founders. We know what interest they took in every forward movement and particularly in thd work of developing the character of boys. Then we had Mr. Troup, than whom no one has done greater work for boys in this city. (Applause). To these men the city owed a deep debt of gratitude. There is no nobler work than the development and the moulding of the character of boys, for the underlying object of the institute, is to mould the boys into good citizens. If they grow up anything like the founders and those who have .conducted it lor the last 32 years, then the city will have nothing to complain of.” “What arc the main attributes, the main lessons that a boy should - be taught?” asked Sir Michael. “To fear God, to honour the King, to obey the law, and to do unto others just as he would have them do unto him. If a boy can learn these lessons there is nothing to be afraid of when he grows into a man. Law is a necessity. Without it the community would not be worth living in. We may not think the law is good, but our duty is to obey it, and that duty should be taught to every boy and girl in the community. There are certain habits which a boy should be taught, One is thrift, in whch boys should be encouraged. In the last twelve months some of the boys in the Institute have put by-from ■ their wages, after paying their way, a total of £lOO. It is pleasing to notice things like that. One of the'first 1 lessons we were taught.in my day was to avoid undue extravagance, to remember that' a rainy day might come in our lives, and that unless we were thrifty in our younger days, when we were older we might be left stranded when the rainy day came. Thrift breeds self-relianee. We are not as self-reliant as we ought to be, as outparents were, and the pioneers of this country were. In those days it was never thought of to apply to the Government or the local body, or somebody other than ourselves for assistance in the things desired. People relied individually upon their own efforts, and the sooner we can get back —if wo can get back —to- that habit of self-reliance the better it will be for the whole community.” (Applause.) , Sir Michael congratulated the Institute upon the fact that it had never gone into debt, an excellent example for the boys. He also referred to the generosity 'o£ Mrs. Rhodes, which she showed to every worthy object which made calls upon her purse.