1924 - Annual Convention Report

              T E N T H A N N U A L C O N V E N T I ON 51
s t r u g g l i n g doctors, dry- as- dust preachers— men that m i g h t have made their mark
o n the f a r m , b u t t h e y have missed t h e i r c a l l i n g.
I f we h a d t i m e , i t w o u l d do us a l l g o o d t o t r a v e l b a c k i n o u r memories, t w e n t y -
five, t h i r t y - f i v e , or i t m a y be fifty years, b a c k to the o l d f a rm of o t h e r d a y s . Back
t o that long l ow p l a i n old- fashioned house, n e s t l i n g b e h i n d the poplars and the
m a p l e s ; the o l d home w i t h t h e o r c h a r d for a b a c k g r o u n d , a n d the fields, a n d meadows,
a n d the distant, woods for a landscape. The peach trees, the current bushes o n the
side, and i n the foreground, mother's garden, w i t h its flowering almond, sweet
w i l l i a m s , b a t c h e l o r b u t t o n s , l a r k s p u r s , m o r n i n g glories, h o n e y suckles a n d t h e t r a i l i ng
a r b u t i s . Back to the o l d farm, a n d the o l d home, that father a n d mother carved
out of the wilderness; back where we first saw the light of day, back where nur
i d e a l s first took shape a n d our purposes were f o r m e d ; a n d b a c k where we got our
first start for life.
S E C O N D . — T H E B O Y . — I want to focus y o u r a t t e n t i o n on the boy. He is our
greatest n a t i o n a l asset, not coal, not cattle, not timber, not i r o n , not wheat, but
boys. We never needed our C a n a d i a n b o y s a n d g i r l s as m u c h as we need t h em to­d
a y . Their i n t r i n s i c v a l u e to the n a t i o n has increased three- fold, d u r i n g the last
few years, for u p o n their shoulders, must s h o r t l y rest some of the burdens that
o t h e r w i s e w o u l d have rested o n the s h o u l d e r s of eighteen m i l l i o n s o f t h e best b l o od
of the h u m a n race that have been k i l l e d in the war, or d i e d i n the ravages of t h e " ' f l u ."
O u r forests are protected, our hogs are inspected, a n d our boys are neglected.
We spend more for the p r o t e c t i o n of our houses a n d barns, our c a t t l e a n d horses,
our b a n k s and stores, and other p u b l i c b u i l d i n g s t h a n we do for the p r o t e c t i o n of
the boys.
Interest i n the boy. is a n investment that pays the largest d i v i d e n d s i n the
m a r k e t s of l i f e . The p h y s i c a l w o r t h of a boy, has been e s t a b l i s h e d b y c o u r t d e c i s i o n.
H i s eves are w o r t h S4,( XH). 00; his ears are w o r t h S4.000.00; his arms are w o r th
$ 2,000.00; his legs 52,000.00; his hands § 1,000.00, m a k i n g a t o t a l p h y s i c a l w o r t h of
$ 13,000.00.
Suppose there are a h u n d r e d t h o u s a n d bovs i n A l b e r t a , t h e i r cash v a l u e b v court
a p p r a i s a l , w o u l d be $ 1,300,000,000.00. T h i s ' i s more t h a n a l l t h e t a x a b l e p r o p e r ty
i n A l b e r t a ; and yet is not " t h e life more t h a n meat, a n d the b o d y t h a n r a i m e n t "?
T h e boy m a y be o n the f a rm or i n the c i t y . He m a y be the u n f o r t u n a t e boy-c
r i p p l e d , deformed a m i o r p h a n e d . He m a y be t h e u n d e r - p r i v i l e g e d b o y s w a r m i ng
a m i d the filth and m o r a l hazards of our great cities. He m a y be just the average
b o y , too often overlooked, but needing v o c a t i o n a l f r i e n d s h i p and guidance. He
may lie the o v e r - p r i v i l e g e d boy, whose pampered hot house life generates no real
power. He m a y be the e x c e p t i o n a l genius, w h o m we r a r e l y ever discover i n y o u t h ;
but for one a n d a l l , we p l e a d a n equal chance to w o r k o u t t h e i r d e s t i n y.
T h r e e - f o u r t h s of all the cases before the c r i m i n a l courts of the U n i t e d States,
a c c o r d i n g to the warden of S i n g S i n g p r i s o n are offenders under twenty- one years
o f age. A P r i n c e t o n u n i v e r s i t y professor called a t t e n t i o n t o the fact t h a t a n aver­age
of fifty boys out of e v e r y one h u n d r e d do not complete the e l e m e n t a r y school
work, that n i n e t y out of e v e r y one h u n d r e d failed to go t h r o u g h h i g h s c h o o l a n d o n ly
one boy i n e v e r y one h u n d r e d is g r a d u a t e d from the U n i v e r s i t y . Six per cent, of
the p o p u l a t i o n is i n professional service, a n d n i n e t y - f o u r per cent. i n t h e non- profession­a
l w a l k s of life.
We shall never solve the b o y p r o b l em t i l l we p r o v i d e t h r o u g h p u b l i c e d u c a t i o n,
as sound a t r a i n i n g for the n i n e t y - f o u r per cent., as we p r o v i d e for the s i x per cent.
T h e boy is a m a n i n the cocoon stage, says E l b e r t H u b b a r d . Y o u d o not k n ow
what his life is g o i n g to become. It is b i g w i t h p o s s i b i l i t i e s . He m a y make and
u n m a k e kings; change the b o u n d a r y lines between states write books t h a t w i ll
m o l d character or invent machines that will r e v o l u t i o n i z e the a g r i c u l t u r e and
commerce of t h e w o r l d.
" B e patient with the b o y s — y o u are dealing w i t h soul stuff— destiny awaits
just a r o u n d the corner— be patient w i t h the b o y s ."
T n i H D .— L l N K l N ' f i T H E F A R M WITH TIIE B O Y o r h ow to keep the b o y on the
f a r m . This is an economic, a . social, an e d u c a t i o n a l , a religious, a n d a p o l i t i c al
q u e s t i o n , using the t e rm p o l i t i c a l , as a p p l y i n g t o the science of G o v e r n m e n t and
s t a t e s m e n s h i p .
L a s t J a n u a r y , s i x t y representatives of o r g a n i z a t i o n s interested i n B o y s ' W o r k,
met in C h i c a g o , to discuss ways a n d means for a B o y s ' Week. They decided on
a p r o g r am of days, w i t h Ihe slogan, " B o y s , a N a t i o n ' s G r e a t e s t A s s e t , " Sunday,
" B o y s ' D a y i n t h e C h u r c h e s . " M o n d a y , " B o y s ' D a y i n the S c h o o l s " ; T u e s d a y,
" B o y s ' D a y i n I n d u s t r y and C i t i z e n s h i p " ; Wednesday, " B o y s ' D a y i n E n t e r t a i n ­ment
and A t h l e t i c s " ; T h u r s d a y , " B o y s ' L o y a l t y D a y " ; S a t u r d a y , " B o y s ' D ay
O u t of D o o r s ."