BOYS' INSTITUTE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3041, 30 March 1917, Page 6

BOYS' INSTITUTE

ANNUAL MEETING SPEECH BY MR. JUSTICE COOPER The annual meeting of the Wellington Boys' Institute was held in tlie institute building last evening. .The chair was .occupied by Mr. Justice Cooper, a very yarm supporter of the institute, who was given a hearty welcome. ' The chairman said he was very pleased to be present. (They were entering on their twenty-fifth year, having the advantage of a palatial building. One great feature was that the institute was unsectarian, and therefore open to all. He Had been struck with tho provision made for the athletic training of thS boys, and in particular he was struck with the magnificent baths. He did no.t know that there were any better baths than those of the institute in the whole of the Dominion. The Empire was now at a critical period in its history, and one m which it was highly necessary that tho boys should bo trained to take the place of those who were giving their lives for their King and countrv. It was necessary that they should be taught their responsibilities. It was true that a good man died when a boy went wrong, and there was no doubt that the early influences were brought to bear for good or evil m determining to a large extent the future of the boys. After quoting an extract from the director's report,- Mr. Justice Cooper said that in order that a boy should lead an upright and useful life it was first of all necessary that they should properly'train his body. You could not have .a healthy mind, as a e« n eral rule, in an unhealthy body, and m Wellington, as in some of the other big cities where tho' working classes lived in the -city, and the boys on the streets, anything that would attract the boys from the streets was a real social benefit. This institute was one of the greatest leaders in the civilising of the boys. Boys from youth to early manhood passed through a critical time, and their early training, if properly directed, told thorn to do good rather than evil. .There were temptations in Wellington and other cities, _to bo .resisted by boys and girls (and lie would liko to see a similar institute for girls), and one object of the institute was to strengthen the mind as weir as the body, and. givothenr moral courage that would- prevent them falling into evil ways. Every boy saved wa.s a reputable citizen gained, to the 5 State. Judges, who saw a good deal of the seamy side of 'life, often had young men coming before them in the criminal courts, who were there not so much on account of their own faults, but owing to their early training having been neglected too much to keep them from temptation. Ho noticed with great pleasure the large number of boys who were enjoying the baths that evening. But for the institute the chances were that they.would bo about tho streets. As it was, they would probably- go homo and have a good 1 night's rest, instead of knocking about the streets. The boarding department, ho understood, was only in its infancy. Some such place'was needed, he thought, for boys as they passed into the higher place where as youths they could' further their social wellbeing. The report mentioned that the first man from New Zealand to gain a V.C. was an institute old boy. iHe was glad to learn that ho was still fightina for his King and country, and hoped that. Captain Hardham would 6con reoover from his wounds. It was really a matter for; congratulation that so many boys-received their training in the institute, and) he wished to add Mb appreciation of the work it had done. Apart from the work, too, it was gratifying to know that the building they were sitting in was entirely free from debt, and that there was not a debit, but a credit, balance' to carry forward.

(Applause.)" The President's Address. Speaking on the report (which has already appeared), the president (Mr. Troup) said that it had teen the heat year of any they had ever had. The work had not only been -much more extensive, hut had heen more intensive. It did not count so much that 'they had put hundreds of, hoys through the institute—it. was ■. a much bette* thing to turn some boys into better hoys. If they hadi not done that they had failed entirely. : __ During the year he had kept, a closer eye upon the hoys, than for many years past, and that the work of their director (Mr. Ross) had been more intensive could be detected in the lives, bearing, and character of the boys;. He thought he could say that they could look Wellington in the face in having done the work they had set their hands to do. "He hoped that in the work of the institute they w.ould aim more and more at intensiveness—in getting hoys and making men out of' them. If they, only succeeded with twenty or a dozen, it would be better than' merely putting hundreds of boys through the institute. (Applause.) Referring to the financial aspect, Mr. Troup said that their'finance in the past had, not been extensive. They had usually covered the whole of their expenditure with £400 or £500, but this year it had got away above ,£IOOO, creating a different financial aspect than in the past, but he was pleased to say tkat, given that in, there was not a penny debit on anything, and they had endowments amounting in value to many thousands of pounds, and when they received what was coming them from the trustees of Mrs. Sarah Ann Rhodes they would be a very strong financial institution. He had always taken measures to see that their finance was on safe-lines', .and, yet whilst pursuing that course they had adopted a progressive policy as well. He Believed that their late lamented friend and benefactor, Mrs. Rhodes, had been induced to take an interest in the institute because of the fact that they always worked on safo financia lines, for she had often said to.him, "I m so fflad you're not getting into debtl The public would lie satisfied that they were not' scattering the money. People could do what they liked with their own money, but the case was quite different when they had trust moneys to handle. The institute's collector, Mrs M'Whae, was an ideal collector, and-if'any of those present knew of aiiv others like her he wished they would confer with the director, as they \yanted two more for the work. Speaking of the future, Mr. Troup mentioned a farm and workshops, and hoped that something m that direction would be done to commemorate the "silver wedding" of the institute next year. He was prepared to do something, and was sure tho committoo were. "When you stand still you I go hack," said.Mr. Troup, "and I believe in keeping the institute ahvo by going forward." The adoption of the annual report was moved by Mr. L'. T. Watkins and seconded by Mr. D. Douglas. Mr. Watkins paid a warm tribute to Mr. Troup, the executive, the fine body,of workers, and the Ladies' Auxiliary. Mr. Bary said he was pleased to state that the work of the institute had had a good effect on boys attending his school (Mt. Cook). ' For the last two years he lTnd noticed a marked improvement. There was a less number of boys coming before-the. Juvenile Court than formerly, and that he thought was due to the existence of the institute in their midst. There was one thing^

Wellington was lacking in, and that was open spaces for the children. Their playground, was the streets, and 'Wellington iihould be grateful for the existence of an institute, which did so much to compensate for the missing playgrounds. Election of Officers. The following officers were elected for the ensuing year :—Patron, His Excellency the Governor; hon. president, Rev. Dr. Gibb; president, Mr. Geo. Troup; vice-president, Dr. J. S. MacLaurin, Messrs. T. Hislop, aid L. T. Watkins; hon. secretary, Mr. 6. E. Brown; lion, auditor, Mr. R. Wilberfoss; hon. physician, Dr. Hogg; committee, Messrs. Moorehouse, J. P. Luke, and M'Kerrow, Messrs. T. Shields,. C. S. Moore, R. Pearson, D. R. Menzies, J. M. Morice, H. Leah, A. Martin, H. Blair, M. D. Menelaus, D. R. M'Donald, and 0. Bary.