WHAT INTERESTS BOYS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19504, 4 February 1926, Page 2

WHAT INTERESTS BOYS

MEN WHO IMPRESS YOUTH. FAVOURITES AMONG BOOKS. To find out what interests bays, the World’s Committee •of the Y.M.C.A. Geneva, recently circulated a set of questions to the local organisation in many different countries. New Zealand boys in their turn were asked to answer these questions, and the result is an interesting commentary on the outlook of the buys concerned. In a report on the answers, the association’s journal says:—The boys are remarkably unanimous in the typo of men whom they regard as being the most influential in the world. Perhaps more than any other group of answers that has yet reached us, these replies indicate a feeling of intense loyalty to their nationality combined with considerable outlook on the life of other countries. The names of King George, the Prince of Wales, and Mr. Henry Ford occur in more papers than those of any other personalities. The most frequent reason given for the popularity of Air. Henry Ford is the way he manages his factories rather than his wealth. The Prince of Wales is described repeatedly as “a good sport’’ and other phrases to that effect. Others of British nationality include Mr. Baldwin, the British Prime Minister, the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Sir Robert Baden Powell, Mr. Ramsay MacDonald, Admiral Jellicoe, and the Archbishop of Canterbury. The only writer who receives any votes is Mr. Rudyard Kip ling.

Other Nation’s Great Men. There are, however, a larger number still of non-British personalities voted for by these boys, though each of them receives a small number of votes. They include: The Dalai Lama, General Foch, the Pope, Marconi, Gandhi, Amundsen, Mussolini, Hindenburg, Paderewski, Fritz Kreisler, President Coolidge. In answer to tho question, “What are the chief subjects of conversation among you and your friends?” athletic sports easily outweigh all the others put together. The others include: Politics of the world, motors picture shows, school, women and girls, the club, religion, and schoolmasters. In regard to. what is the most important good influence on life up to 14, the vast majority include parents. Here are a series of answers taken just as they come of influences for good: “Aly parents, sport, the Y.M.C.A., Club Gymnasium.” “Aly parents, church and sport.” “(a) Parents; (b) school; (c) sport.” “Mother and sporting teachers, yet strict ones.” These same boys include among their bad influences: “Smoking and sweetmeats.” “Tobacco and drink habit.” “Staying out late at night.” Favourite Books. Younger boys between 12 and 14 have some interesting comments on their own reading. The good books indude: Robin Hood, Gilbert the Outlaw, In trie Trenches, The Rubber Hunters, Robinson Crusoe, Lost in die MJds of Canada, The Green Buok, Lives pf Baker and Stanley, Coral Is land, Heroes of France, Black Arrow, Lost in the Rockies, Tom Brown’s Schooldays, Gulliver’s Travels, Treasure Island, Captain Cook, David Copperfield, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Midshipman Easy, Swiss Family Robinson, Dog Crusoe, Westward Ho, King Solomon’s Alines. Pilgrim’s Progress. Under harmful heading the “Penny Dreadfuls” and comic papers, “Sexton Blake” and “Buffalo Bill” in particular are singled out. The reason given arc because “they have bad reading with no sense in them.’’ “Because it has got murders in it.” “Because they teach you to be cruel.” “Because they make boys try to be like the hero” (in this case Buffalo Bill). In reply to tho question: “What else besides war might develop in persons, qualities which come out in war? ’ One boy, who in the rest of his paper shows no intention of being humorous answers: “Football and marriage.