THE CHURCH BOYS" CLUB[10]
Those who know the boy best can hardly be persuaded that the Sunday school can be made to satisfy his intense demand for action. Yet action is an important factor in religious education. Commendable efforts are being made to introduce more of handicraft and artistic expression into the work of the Sunday-school cla.s.s; but from the boy"s point of view, the making of maps, illuminated texts, and temple models does not fully meet his desire for doing. The character of the Sunday school, its place of meeting, and the proper observance of the day preclude the more noisy, varied, and spontaneous activities which may be made to carry moral and religious value.
Another agency is needed in the church that can be more venturesome and free than the Sunday school, an agency that can act on the parallel of the boy"s natural interests and adapt its methods to his unfolding life in terms of action. The Sunday school can stick to its task of elucidating the history and theory of religion; but the boys" club is a better place for securing the expression of religious principles and so confirming them in character. When the Sunday school shall have reached its highest point of efficiency it will still have failed to cover the most vital element in the moral and religious training of the boy simply because it will still be a _Sunday_ school and, presumably, a _Bible_ school. That is, it will have not only the benefits but also the limitations of the sacred day and of the book method of instruction. The boy needs something more than "a society for sitting still."
But some will say, "Why take the boy out of the home at all? The good home, the public school, and the established agencies of religion are enough. A club is not needed." It might be replied that all boys do not have good homes and that relatively few attend church or Sunday school; but if that were not the case the desirability of the boys" club would still be apparent. The fact is that the boy gets out of the home anyway and seeks his group. There is a process of socialization and self-discovery for which the best home-circle cannot provide; and the club only recognizes and uses this "gang" instinct. It capitalizes for good the normal social desires of the boy. In so doing it does not necessarily conflict with a single good element in the home, but is rather the first formal token of citizenship and the guarantor of proper deportment in the midst of one"s peers.
In a well-directed club the consensus of opinion will usually be more effective in securing good conduct than the father"s neglected or fitful discipline or the mother"s endless forbearance. The boy has profound respect for the judgment of his equals; and wherever the leader can make the group ideals right he can be practically a.s.sured of the conformity of all who come within the group influence. "The way we do here," "the thing we stand for," const.i.tutes a moral leverage that removes mountains. The boy that has been too much sheltered needs it, the boy that has been neglected and is whimsical or non-social needs it, the only son often needs it, and the boy who is distinguished by misconduct in the Sunday-school cla.s.s needs it.
The club is never justified, then, in offending against the home.
Keeping young boys out late at night, interfering with home duties or with the implicit confidence between a boy and his parents, or dragging him off into some sectarian camp away from his family is not to be tolerated. This is never necessary, and the wise leader can always co-operate harmoniously with the home if he takes thought so to do.
But the leader who fails to recognize the sanct.i.ty and priority of the home, who permits his interest in boys to be blind to home conditions and influence, or who does not approach the home problems as a reverent and intelligent helper is very far from an ideal workman. One great advantage of the small club in the church consists in this personalized and teachable interest which gets in close by the side of perplexed, ignorant, weak, or neglectful parents and seeks to raise the home as an inst.i.tution so that all its members, including the boy, may be richly benefited. To be a pastor rather than a mere herdsman of boys one must know their fold. It is well enough to be proud of the boys" club but it is good "boys" work" to develop home industry and to encourage habits of thrift and of systematic work that shall bless and please the home circle. The boy may far better work too hard for the communal welfare of the home than to grow up an idle pleasure-seeking parasite.
It is taken for granted that the wise pastor will think twice before organizing a boys" club. It were better for him to leave the whole enterprise in the innocent realm of his castles in Spain than to add another failure to the many that have been made in this attractive and difficult field. Enthusiasm is essential, but taken alone it is an embarra.s.sing qualification. Therefore he should make a careful inventory of his available a.s.sets. If he contemplates personal leadership he would do well to list his own qualifications. In any event he will need to be familiar with the boy-life of his community, with all that endangers it and with all that is being done to safeguard and develop it in accord with Christian ideals. If the boys of his parish are already adequately cared for he will not feel called upon to bring coals to Newcastle.
His personal inventory must needs take into account his tastes and ability. These will be determined frequently by the mere matter of age; for undoubtedly the earlier years of one"s ministry lie a little nearer to the interests of boyhood and at this time the knack of the athletic training received in school or college has not been wholly lost. The leader may recover or increase his ability in games by taking a course at the Y.M.C.A.
If he finds within himself a deep love for boys that gets pleasure rather than irritation from their obstreperous companionship, if he is endowed with kindness that is as firm as adamant in resisting every unfair advantage--which some will surely seek to take--if he is noise-proof and furnished with an ample fund of humor that is scrupulously clean and moderately dignified, if he possesses a quiet, positive manner that becomes more quiet and positive in intense and stormy situations, if he is withal teachable, alert, resourceful, and an embodiment of the "square-deal" principle, and if he is prepared to set aside everything that might interfere with the religious observance of every single appointment with his boys--then he may consider himself eligible for the attempt.
But how will he go about it? Shall he print posters of a great ma.s.s-meeting to organize a boys" club? Shall he besiege his church for expensive equipment, perhaps for a new building? Shall he ask for an appropriation for work which most of the people have not seen, and of whose value they cannot judge except from his enthusiastic prophecies?
Let us hope not. To succeed in such requests might be to die like Samson; while to fail in them would be a testimony to the sanity of his responsible parishioners.
There is a better way--a way that is more quiet, natural, and effective. Possibly there is already in the Sunday school a cla.s.s of eight or ten boys between the ages of twelve and fifteen years. Let the pastor become well acquainted with them and at first merely suggest--in their cla.s.s session or when he has them in his study or home--what other boys have done in clubs of their own. He need not volunteer to provide such a club, but merely indicate his willingness to help if they are interested and prepared to work for it. If the boys respond, as they undoubtedly will, then the pastor will need to find a few sympathizers who will give some financial and moral a.s.sistance to the endeavor. He may find some of these outside the church, and often such friends are the more ready to help, because they are not already taxed to carry on the established church work.
The best policy is for the pastor to figure out how boys" work can be begun without coming before the church for an appropriation. It is well to begin in a very humble way with such funds as the boys can raise and the backing of a few interested people, securing from the trustees of the church the use of some part of the premises subject to recall of the privilege on sufficient grounds; and--a consideration never to be slighted although often hard to get--the good-will and co-operation of the s.e.xton. With the s.e.xton against him, no pastor can make a church boys" club succeed. The club will make no mistake in paying the church something for the heat and light consumed.
If an indoor area sufficient for basket-ball and a room suited to club meetings can be had, the initial apparatus for winter work need not exceed a parallel bar, a vaulting-horse, and three floor mats in addition to the basket-ball equipment. This will involve an outlay of from $75 to $150. Good parallel bars are as expensive as they are serviceable; but boys have been known to make their own, and this is highly desirable. Indian clubs, dumb-bells, and wands may only prove a nuisance unless they can be carefully put away after the exercises.
Anyway, boys do not care greatly for calisthenics and most drills can be given without these trappings. Granting that the boys have faithful and wise supervision, the undertaking should be allowed to rest upon them to the full measure of their ability.
When it has become clear that funds and quarters can be provided, the matter of formal organization should be taken up. The ideal church club is not a ma.s.s club where certain privileges are given to large numbers of boys who take out memberships; but a group club, or clubs, under democratic control. Prior to calling the boys together for organization, the pastor will have blocked out the main articles of a const.i.tution, and will have formulated some ideas as to the ritual and procedure which shall have place in the weekly meetings of the club. In order to do this intelligently, he will need to study such organizations as the Knights of King Arthur and various independent church clubs that have proven successful in fields similar to his own. Often there is something in his own field that will lend definite color and interest to his local organization. The following sample const.i.tution is offered for purpose of suggestion only and as a concession to the sentiment attaching to my first boys" club of a dozen years ago.
CONSt.i.tUTION
I. We be known as the Waupun Wigwam.
II. For to be sound of body, true of heart, unselfish, and Christian we be joined together.
III. They that have seen ten to fourteen summers may join our Wigwam one by one if we want them. High names have we. These names we use in our Wigwam.
IV. At our meetings around the Campfire each Brave is Chief in turn and chooseth one to guard the entrance. Medicine Man serveth us continually.
He knoweth his Braves. He chooseth Right Hand to serve him. When days are longest and when days are shortest we choose one to write what we do in Wigwam, one to collect small wampum and one to keep the same.
V. They that be older than we, they that be our friends may visit us in our Wigwam. Woman by us is honored. Chivalry by us is shown. Whatever is weak is by us protected.
VI. Measured are we when we join the Wigwam and once a year thereafter--our height, calf of leg, hip, chest, and arm. This by Medicine Man who keepeth the writings and adviseth how to improve. He praiseth what good we do, and alloweth not "what harmeth body, defileth tongue, or doeth ill to mind."
VII. Small wampum pay we all alike according to the need of the Wigwam and the Campfire.
VIII. Deeds of valor do we read in Wigwam and Indian tales of old. Each telleth of brave deeds he knows. A motto have we. This Medicine Man giveth every three moons. We have our war whoop and our battle song. We loyally help Medicine Man in his work and when he speaketh in the Great Tent.
IX. When admitted to the Wigwam we very solemnly vow to be obedient to all its laws and to try to please our Great High Chief in Heaven who ruleth every tribe, World without end. Amen.
RITUAL
THE WIGWAM WAY
_The Braves being seated in a semicircle, the Chief, clad in blanket and attended by Right Hand, enters. All arise. Chief takes position. Waits until there is perfect silence._
_Chief_: My trusted and loyal Braves!
_All_: Hail to our Chief!
_C_: I am about to sit with you around our friendly Campfire. Brave ---- ---- will guard the entrance that none come into the Wigwam at this time. Let such as be of our Wigwam advance and prove themselves.
_Each Brave comes forward in turn, whispers the motto in the Chief"s ear and says_, May I, ---- ----, be known as a loyal Brave of the Waupun Wigwam?
_C_: As such be thou known.
_All_: So may it be! _(When this is done the Chief continues.)_
_C_: For what are we bound together?
_All_: For to be sound of body, true of heart, unselfish, and Christian we be bound together.
_C_: What virtues are the greatest?
_All_: Faith, hope, and love.
_C_: Who is great?
_All_: He that serves.
_C_: What is our sign?
_All_: The sign of the cross.
_C_: Sing we a song of valor.
_All sing_: "The Son of G.o.d goes forth to war."
_C_: Let us be seated. (_He gives one rap with the tomahawk._)