HELPING YOUNG CITIZENS

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 14, 11 October 1921, Page 7

HELPING YOUNG CITIZENS

A DOMINION LEAGUE

ORGANISING DELEGATION IN WELLINGTON

The Young Citizens’ League, an organisation which interests itself in the ■welfare of both boys and girls from ten eighteen years of age, has been doing useful work in Auckland during the past three years, and an effort is now being made to extend the scope of its operations throughout the Dominion. A delegation, consisting of members of the governing body of the league in Auckland, arrived in Wellington yesterday. Its object is to secure the formation of leagues which will control activities >n each metropolitan area, and extend them into smaller centres. The members of the delegation are: Mr. E. C. Cutten (president of the league and senior Stipendiary Magistrate of Auckland), Dr. E. Maguire (superintendent of the Auckland Hospital and hon. medical adviser to the league). Mr. E. C. Purdie (secretary of the Auckland Education Hoard and vice-president', and Mr. Horace Stabbing (Auckland provincial commissioner of the Boy bcout movement and organiser of the Young Citizens' League). As its aims are expounded by its Auckland representatives, the league is intent on promoting the moral, physical, and material welfare of boys and girls, and helping them in every possible way to grow up as good and worthy citizens. "Wo wish," Mr. Cutten observed, to help to arouse public opinion to a live realisation. of the wastage of child capacity, end to the necessity of stemming the drift towards laxity of young people generally. We found .in Auckland, at any rate, that there existed a very largo number of boys and girls outside any existing welfare organisation, and we formed n council to take the matter in hand. To come to concrete facts, the league, after a little less than three years’ existence, hns a membership of about 1200 boys and girls. The governance of the league is an advisory council, somewhat elastic in its constitution, consisting of representatives of other young people’s welfare organisations. The league works in close association with other welfare associations. After all. the objective of all of them is the betterment of young •peonle—the making of good citizens. "The nature of our work i.s varied and simple. As a rule, buildings are .placed nt our disposal in which to carrv on our activities. Each boy ’or girl is admitted to the league upon a simple promise given with the concurrence of his parents and the knowledge of his teacher. The ceremony of admission is. of course, a solemn one ns befits such an occasion. After admission to the league the boy or girl attends the various activities of his branch. He is encouraged to take part in indoor nnd outdoor games. In exercises, and in the study of useful subjects. There is no compulsion placed upon him; indeed, there is no need for it. The activities nre in reality similar to tho'o of many organisations. We work with kindred associations quite harmoniously. In point of fact our organiser is nt present provincial commissioner of the Boy Scputs in Auckland. Our movement is closely akin to the Bov Scouts, except that our boys and girls wear no distinctive uniform. Our organiser has placed a. large number of boys in positions and has succeeded in arousing the interest of the employers !n their proper supervision. The medical superintendent of the hospital hns undertaken to examine any young citizen, nnd. if necessary, to admit him to hosT’ital. Tn such ways wo try to make our league do concrete good ns well as disseminate idealistic objectives,'’’ Funds with which to finance the work nf the league have been provided in Auckland by a strong committee of business men, which undertook to provide it with a revenue of ,£lOOO a year. A very great part of the work ia done, however, by voluntary workers and help- < r.s. and the monetary outlay, in comparison with the scale and importance of the work, is small. The league has begn ’ partioularly successful in bringing together men of all •hades of opinion, end engaged in various walks of life, to co-operate In furthering its activities. It is undenominational, and its working membership includes people of all creeds. Tho work of tho league has b’en commended hv the' Auckland Citv Council, tho Auckland Education Board. Labour unions, the Bov Scout organisation, and various other bodies. The league co-onerntos f-e p ly with all bodies pursuing similar aims, and the recent growth in its own membership in Auckland coincides with a considerable increase in the member, •hip of tho Bov Scouts, and that of the Juvenile branches of friendly societies.