--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Gowans, E. G. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 11 number: 6 published: 1908-04 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'E. G. Gowans, "The Boy Problem—IV. An Ideal," *Improvement Era* 11, no. 6 (April 1908): 456–460.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1106unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera1106unse start_page: 456 end_page: 460 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1908-04) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1106unse publication_year: 1908 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1908, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # The Boy Problem—IV. An Ideal THE BOY PROBLEM. BY DR. E. G. GOWANS, JUDGE OF THE JUVENILE COURT. IV.— AN IDEAL. The solution of the boy problem is not to be brought about by any one of the environmental elements mentioned in preceding articles, but by a proper co-operation of effort on the part of all concerned. Unquestionably the home is the most important factor, but that alone cannot solve the problem. The school is weighted with responsibility in the matter; so, too, is the community. All of these — the home, the school, and the community, must co-operate and work together in order to secure anything approaching perfect results. It is an easy matter to theorize, but distinctly difficult to achieve practical results. Concerning the home, the writer has repeatedly said that we need better parents, and has been subject to some friendly criticism for advocating this idea. By way not of apology but of explanation, let me say this: Parenthood has been denominated a profession, and it is the greatest of all the professions . Any profession demands certain educational qualifications. One who lacks those qualifications is a poor member of the profession. A man may be perfect from the moral standpoint, — may be honest, truthful, charitable, devoted to the right, full of integrity, obedient to all religious requirements, fervent and prayerful, in his home life, and yet be a poorly qualified member of the medical profession, for example. And in a similar way, a man may possess all of these good qualifications, and many more, and yet know nothing of the psychology of child life, the stages of development through which one passes from childhood to adult life, the home causes of juvenile delinquency and how to remedy THE BOY PROBLEM. i:,7 them, the value of physical activity, the necessity for real companionship, and a host of other things, the knowledge of which is part of the educational qualifications for fatherhood; and he would be, therefore, a poorly equipped member of his profession. A woman may possess similar characteristics, from the standpoint of morals — that is, be thoroughly good in every fiber, and yet know nothing about child life, the care of children, the home care of the sick, proper food for a growing boy, personal hygiene, the clothing of children, and so forth. Now what is contended is that in addition to a good moral character, there should be possessed by every member of the profession of parenthood a good common sense preparation for the duties of fatherhood and motherhood— that is, there should be better parents . Now this better preparation for parenthood should be given in the schools of high school grade, because 95 per cent of all the students of such grade never go beyond the high school in their educational preparation for life, so it must be given here, if it is to be really effective. At the close of this article appears an outline of a high school course which, so far as it has been worked out at this time, represents the writer's idea of a course for girls in homemaking. A similar course could be worked out for boys, one that would give a good training in the mother tongue, mathematics, history, and probably one modern language, with enough of elementary science, psychology, anatomy and physiology, home sanitation, personal and household hygiene, to give a good mental discipline. This would furnish a fairly adequate preparation for parenthood, and at the same time contain the essentials of a well rounded high school course. During this time the boy should also be trained in some form of handicraft, for every man should have a trade -every man should be capable of industrial usefulness. Such a course would be a better preparation for parenthood than young men are usually encouraged to take. The high schools of the present are far wide of the mark in preparing young men and women for life, and will be so as long as the ninety five per cent who never go farther are asked, sometimes compelled, to take the same course as that provided for the five per cent who go on in college work. It is to be hoped that some one at least of the schools among U3 which are doing high school work will become enthused with 458 IMPRO VEMENT ERA . this ideal of furnishing an adequate preparation for parenthood . The writer feels certain that there is an immense educational opportunity in such a field to achieve something distinctive and of the highest value. A chance for some educator at the head of a high school to hold up and emphasize this ideal of better fatherhood and better motherhood, and set before his institution the task of furnishing the proper educational equipment therefor. Such an institution would make a vigorous and lasting impression on present-day educational ideals, and help to redeem the schools generally from the tyranny of the past, under which they labor. Too much emphasis cannot be placed upon the idea of a proper co-operation among the various elements in the boy's environment. Just how this concerted action on the part of the home, the school, and the community is to be brought about is difficult to state, but certainly we would all work more effectively and with better understanding of each other if this new yet old ideal were properly emphasized : That the great underlying purpose of our existence as individuals and as a race,— the purpose of all institutions, both human and divine, — is to bring children legitimately into the world and bring them .to their fullest maturity. With 'an ideal of this kind we would give more thought and labor to the care and culture of men and women. More effort would be made to bring into harmonious working the various elements in the environment of the growing boy, — the man who is to be. Our system of education would furnish a more adequate preparation for parenthood. Fathers and mothers would be better prepared to do their full duty. The schools would provide for the physical activity of the boy. There would be established special schools for those who, being above or below the average, need individual attention. The incorrigible boy would be studied scientifically, carefully. We would not then confine boys in penal institutions without giving them the full benefit of a careful examination, — physical, mental and moral. There would be proper and intelligent co-operation between the home and the school. The community would not then permit adult men and women to engage in businesses that introduce dangerous elements into the boy's life. Merchants, for example, would not be permitted to sell tobacco and liquor to boys. THE BOY PROBLEM. 459 Messenger companies would be compelled to employ only men. Pool halls would not nourish on the money received from boys for the sale of stolen junk. Every boy of school age would have a fair change to finish at least the eight grade of the public school work, and if his parents were too poor to provide for him during this time, then the community would do so. Truant boys would be so carefully studied that we would be able to adapt educational means and methods to their individual needs. Teachers would know more of the boy's physical possibilities, and look more carefully after his physical welfare . We would all recognize the high value of preventive work as contradistinguished from the curative work. Not only would there be a concerted efford to protect the young from contagious diseases, but there would be an equally vigorous effort to protect them from moral disease which is the more malignant. Wise laws would be enacted and enforced looking to the protection of the young. All parents would study with care the period of youth, and would begin to realize that "youth needs repose, leisure, art, legends, romance, idealization, and in a word— humanism, if it is to enter into the kingdom of man well equipped for man's highest work in the world." HIGH SCHOOL COURSE FOR GIRLS. FIRST YEAR. Hours Hours English 5 English Physical Geography 3 Physical Geography .. French or German 4 French or German Domestic Arts 2 Domestic Arts ■•• * Drawing 3 Drawing a Optional _3 Optional 20 SECOND YEAR. 20 English 5 English ■ French or German 4 French or German-.. ••• * Anatomy and Physiology 3 Anatomy and Physiology.... & Domestic Arts 2 Domestic Arts • The House, Plan, Decoration, etc.... 3 Household Management Optional 3 Optional 20 20 460 IMPROVEMENT ERA. THIRD YRAR. English 3 English 3 History 3 History 3 Household Bacteriology 4 Household Chemistry 4 Food, Dietetics, Cooking 5 Food, Dietetics, Cooking 5 Domestic Arts 2 Domestic Arts 2 Optional 3 Optional 3 20 20 FOURTH YEAR. English 3 English 3 Psychology 4 Education 4 Household Hygiene 3 Personal Hygiene 3 Home Nursing 4 Home Nursing 4 Botany 3 Embryology 3 Optional 3 Optional 3 20 20 Note 1. — The three hours of optional work each year should be devoted to theological instruction or other work in morals and ethics. Note 2. — Gymnasium work required throughout the course. Salt Lake City, Utah. THIS EARTH OF OURS. (For the Improvement Era.) This flarth of ours, It is God's park wherein his children play, Wherein they pluck the mullein and the may, And sweet forget-me-nots that bloom for aye. This earth of ours, It is God's workroom where his children toil, Shrinking white souls from sight of them that soil, Dying for bread in sight of them that spoil. This earth of ours, It is so full of smiles and bitter tears ! Ah, but the Master sees, the Master hears, And pleads: Keep fresh and lovely with heart's love This earth of ours. Kate Thomas. New York, N. Y.