BOYS' HOME.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1432, 6 May 1912, Page 3

BOYS' HOME.

OPENED BY THE BISHOP. CHRISTIANITY AND CHILDHOOD. The Boys' Home wliifh has been pstnbiished by Church of England people at Lower Jliitt was opened on Saturday afternoon % (!,e Lord lii-hcp of Wellington (Right Rev. Dr. T. 11. tfprotl) in the pro'encc of a gathering of Wellington and ilutt residents. Amonu those present were the Vcn. Archdeacon I'aneourt, Veil. Archdeacon Harper, the ]{evs. A. 31. Johnson, W. I'ancourt, Joshua Jones, J. G. S. Bartlett, and J. .Sykcs, Dr. l'eiinefalher, Dr. Pollen, Messrs. J. W. A. Marchant, and J. W. Henderson. The home is a coiiiioitablo six-roomwl house on tamp lioad, near the Moiling Bridge, J-ower Hutt. An acre of ground adjoinlas the house will IJO1 JO used lor the cultivation of iruit and flowers for tho Wellington market. Provision has been made to accommodate eight boys at the start, and >t if> not intended to take more than twelve in the ono home. Arenucacon Harper, who presided at the brief opeiwiir ceremony, read a teleOnildrens Home, I'almerston North." It ivas, ue sard, very pleasant to receive such a message because thev were with reason very proud of the good work dene at All ban ts Heme, and lie hoped that equally ,ood work would be done at that new Mr wH w ¥ hvo y ears °S° that Mr. Walton. first mooted the idea of try- ]■)(? to get a home for bovs on almost thsame lines as St. Mary's Home for Girls at Jvaron. It was to bo not merelv ni orphiiiMge, but a home where bovs'who had been unfortunately placed would 1.able to have a good bringing up, which iicv would not otherwise have been alilf to look forward to. Last year a definite stop was. taken by each of the city parishes senaing iis vicar and two reiire.-en-tativos of the vestry to confer together and bring the Boys' Iloiy.e Society—if thev iked to call it so-into existence. That pole place in St. Peter's Schoolroom, and ' there the- first board, consisting of six ! men and four women, was elected, consist- ' ing of Mr. 'Harcliant (president), Mr. ' \alton (secretary and treasurer),' Mr. ■ Jenkins Mr. J. Tripe, and the speaker, > Airs. Hudson, Mrs. Henderson, Miss . Brown, and Miss Pollen. Mr. Jenkins and , other members of tho committee inspected , a great many houses in the district and , Mterviewed very many agents, ami finally . fleeted tho property, which thev were ortunato in getting upon the terms that had been orranped. It wns not yet paid » (vl inl l 5 ' ha< {he ripht to P'lrchnse, ' «hich however, they need not exercise if ► they drcided otherwise. They were par- » M« F , ' f0 ) r J . h J nn , tc «»'wvi ng Mr.' and ► if -/1" cott . , "" ,H«c experience in looking <i. artuv Ijoys m rhe Marlboroii"h district £ which would stand h im in goo d st a A consh utioii would have to Iμ adopted J f n ,1 b °/ lr / 1 "pointed to control th« work j or ho future, and he had no doubt they 3 iioulrt receive every assistance fron H " vicar of the parish' and'his church work- j

Oishop Sprott said-ho was very glad inW , to . bl ? thcre ' a ! ,l! t0 »««ve the privi?Pn J I " e;! 10 , llca! ' fi 'y- congratulate .0 promoters on having succeeded in their most Christhlm endeavour, for it ™* «•« truth to say that tic care of children, and especially of neglected children, was peculiarly and essential able _ carelessness in regard to the child life in the pre-Christian world, ns there pmbably was to-day in the non-Christian worlci where it was untouched by Christmnity. Ono of the most .striking differences between ancient and modem biographies was thai in the. former little or nothing was toJd of the childhood of the hero. Lven among the many bioftraphiM of the Old Testament, the childhood of bainnel was the only ono that seemed to bo lingered on with any affectionate and reverential detail. The birth of Jesus Christ cast a .-nnctiry over all childhood. The.papyri and bits of broken crockery on which family letters were .sometimes inscribed showed that father*, writing home when absent, not uncommonly gave instructions that their child, if it were a girl, should bo exposed. All efforts to care for children were Christhke. This home was small in its beginnings, but its promoters must not allow themselves to be discouraged when thev saw how small it was as compared with the greatness of (.he need. It was not an isolated thing, for every piece of social betterment work was corclated with every other. If they could secure that oven ten' or a dozen boys who might otherwise have gono into the submerged part of the human family would grow up to bo healthy, manly, Christian, useful men, no one could tell where tho effect would end, Each would become a centre of further influence for good. On the other hand, if tho same lads were- neglected, who could tell what sources of evil they might become in tho future. Tho Bishop concluded by declaring the home open. Dr. Peinij-father, referring to tho Bishop's remarks as to tho smallness of the homo, said he honed it would always remain small. (Hear, hear.) lie had been a-member of tho Church of England Waifs' and Strays' Society, and in inspecting its homes he had always liked I best those which were the smallest. They i could not gee quite the real homo feefing in any institution, but they could get nearest to it in the smallest ones, where the children did not lose their individuality. He hoped tho people in the neighbourhood would take tho more interest in tho boys through knowing them personally, and recognising them as they met them day by day. H© thought tho homo he had seen at Palmeraton North wqa admirably conducted, end he hoped this one would be something like it. The Eev. Joshua Jones agreed with the last speaker's remarks on small homes. Children from big institutions seemed to lack initiative, because the circumstances necessitated keeping them under strict rules and discipline, but in small homes they could be treated like members of a family, and could receive individual attention. Ho was glad to have tho new homo in his parish, and he looked to a pleasant 00-oporation. Tho Bishop then read prayers and pronounced a blessing on the home. Before dispersing those present took afternoon tea within door;.