WELFARE OF BOYS

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 128, 4 June 1929, Page 8

WELFARE OF BOYS

ASSOCIATED CLUBS

APPEAL FOR FINANCE

(From "The Port's" R«pr«»nUtly».) ..,;,,,;, ;.., LONDON,,- sth April. . ; Public ; attention' \aiid public sympathy .have been invited ;to a cause which ; has • asi'its a^m the Eealth and happiness' of bpys'.leaving school, and ihcidentally the future welfare of the nation. -. ' v ' ' ':,

, Prince Arthur of Connaught, at a luncheon at the Housp of Commons, made an urgent appeal that the work of the National Association of Boys' Clubs should be expanded. To this end a fund of £50,000 is being raisedV The hon. treasurer, of the association, Mr. E. T. Campbell, M.P. for North Camberwell, presided. ■..•';•

The Prince of Wales, it was an-, nounced, had sent tlie following message: "I : realise front personal knowledge the great value of boys' clubs. They penetrate'into the most crammed and crowded .areas of our cities and towns, and give the working boy a natural outlet to express what is best in him. I'have the greatest admiration 'for those voluntary workers who give up so much of their spare time to help their less'privileged compatriots. Any movement such as yours, deserves the full spport of: the nation, and I sincerely hope that there will be a generous response to your appealifor £50,000, and,that nothing will ■ interfere with its successful achievement."

Prince Arthur of Connaught oboerved that the London Federation of Boys' Clubs was formed fifty years ago, and work similar to what this organisation was :doing was going on in other cities and towns. Progress, however, had been-alow and fluctuating, because until litely there had been' no central headquarters to cp-ordinate, inspire, and expand the movement.

. For every five-working boys between 14 ana 18, said the Prince, only one was at present touched by an organisation such as theirs. In London alone it was estimated that 100,000 boyß were "drifting" during their leisure hours. They, must combine and play towards the.same goal for these'lads, and the more.players on the field the better. *■ ever in the history of the nation had there been such need for wholesome influences to counteract the demoralising effects of unemployment on young minds and bodies.

CRITICAL TIME OP LITE,

British Boys Unlimited is offered as an investment by the National Association of Boys' Clubs What the company is out to do is to.help "the good sort of boy to become-the good sort of man," ; : . " :

These boys' clubs have no uniform— the lads would not look at one—and the membership is made up of boys on the lowest rungs of the ladder of life. The clubs have existed, doing magnificent but quiet work, for 40 years. "Misdirected energy too often means Borstal or prison," said one of the loaders of the movement:""" In the public schools Hie energy is diverted to character building, to. the team spirit. Lut in the poor districts it bubbles Za'J^ b°y S- tarts 'ni<*ing' things, and the damago is done. PrW? Ui r rUbS g *et the b°ys Just at t!l£»t ifl *r e °f life ' between 14 and 18, and they fill in tho gap between working hours and bed time. We have four great aims. The nrst is recreational and the second eduwi \ Then there is character forming, when we teach the first principles of citizenship. The fourth aim is the spiritual side—the teaching of the. spirit of service " qpnh fr ° !? il° clashing with-the Boy Scout and the Boys' Brigade or like movements. "We are all shooting into the goal, but we have every kind of temperament, and our clubs which have no uniforms and no bands are very necessary to one type of tern-