A Challenge to Leadership

A Challenge to Leadership By E. E. Ericksen, Member of the General Board of the Y. M. M. I. A. THE great youth movement of the last few years is every- where bringing to light the need for a new type of adult leadership. It comes as a distinct challenge and as a true expression of the spirit of youth. Is the fine idealism displayed in all these movements mistaken for radicalism? Is the lure for the new mistaken for a dislike of the old? It should not be. But a misjudgment here on the part of adults may lead to a wide separation of men and boys at the very time when the latter are mostly in need of sympathetic encouragement. What is in the heart of youth? What do boys want? Boys want to participate in the affairs of the world. They want to do what men are doing in the affairs of state, business, and religion, and they want to participate as equals, not as sub- ordinates. They join as youth and with youth in great religious conventions as well as in great bodies for the consideration of world problems, such as international peace.1 They feel the lure of big things and are drawn into them, not as spectators but as doers. They would be quite as happy to join with men in the great enter- prises if they could be welcomed in their associations as equals. Unlike men, youth are less interested in establishing harmony, in preserving righteousness, and more interested in the creation of a new order — a new heaven, a new earth. Ideals function more vitally with them than do abstract laws. Youth constitute the creative element in human society. They discover themselves growing in physical strength, in intellectual comprehension, in power of critical analysis. These changes within them impel them to look forward rather than backward — to the future rather than the immediate present. An American educator of many years' experience with youth writes: "The spirit of adventure and the age for exploration is implanted deep within the adolescent. Courage and determination lead youth into many sorts of experiments. Life is to be lived at its highest point of energy and as a result the number of shipwrecks and losses is still far too many. But young people are using their powers and abilities in a 1In this connection notation might be made of: (1) National Student Conference that met in Milwaukee on January 1. 1927. to consider problem of international friendship. (2) Princeton Conference (December. 1925), which was a gathering of undergraduates representing about 250 colleges from various parts of the U. S. for the purpose of expressing the mature undergraduate opinion on the World Court.

A CHALLENGE TO LEADERSHIP 389 better manner than in earlier years. They are now far more capable of genuine living and achievement. If they are brutally frank they are nevertheless marvelously capable. It is true that they have understanding and wisdom far beyond the years of their grand- parents, but they are genuine at heart and, most of all, they are willing to learn and to understand still more of what the world and society have in store for them."' To men of maturity, this youthful, spirit impresses them oftimes as impulsiveness, discontent, radicalism.3 Perhaps if it were permitted to run without control, the outcome would not be a happy one. "Yet the health of society, the very life of civilization, depends upon making changes when they are needed. Somebody must see when a move is needed, what sort of move is needed, and how to go about it with the greatest prospect of effectiveness and economy.'" Here is the problem for men. If they are to enjoy their right of leadership, they must be initiated into the Order of Youth, and this initiation is no simple matter. It requires the ac- ceptance of youth's fundamental premises; namely, that they join with them on an equal basis, that they accept the present beliefs, standards, and interpretations as appropriate subject matter for discussion, investigation and appraisal, and finally that they join with youth in actively creating a new world of ideas, and new institutions.5 Such an attitude, of course, impresses the conservative adults as quite impossible, for it represents to them the dangers of our aJoscph G. Masters. Educational Review, January. 1925. 'Walter W. VanKirk. writing in The Outlook for January 19. 1927. on "Student Crusades." says: "I talked with many of the business and professional men who sat on the 'side-lines' of the conferences and many of them were frankly concerned about what they felt to be mistaken idealism and the foolish, legendary aspirations of these inspired and misguided youth. They deplored the radicalism of these self-appointed Arthurian knights. But there is no cause for alarm. These young people are not 'Red.' their pockets are not being lined with communistic shekels. They are determined, however, in-so-far as it is humanly possible within the brief compass of a single life, to push the race forward and upward." Likewise Anna Shumaker, writing on "Youth Out of Bounds." says: "In the second place, the 'old ones' outside the college walls are inclined to look upon youth's desire to feel himself a factor in the larger work of civilization as a huge joke. They insist upon keeping them in a nice gilded cage of playful insignificance. The great T. B. M. (Tired Business Man) is glad to assume the part of Munificent Raingold for a gigantic stadium, but frowns hesitantly over scholarships and student projects. Difficult as it is for the average citizen to believe that creative thinking can be done by a student at college. Old Father Public Opinion will in time be forced to make room for a new child at his table. Young Student Opinion has decided to come in from the football game and 'frat' dance and is beginning to clear his throat on Public Affairs." 'George A. Coe: "What Ails Our Youth?" page 46. "Joseph G. Masters, in "Getting Their Value Out of the Extra Curriculars," writes: "Our hope with the oncoming generation lies not only in teaching them tribal forms of living and ancient folk- ways. We must even come to understand that we do know all that children should think. We can only teach them how to think that they may find their own ways through the ever-growing mazes of change, vicissitude and fortune. Standards of critical judgment and detached thinking can come only as the student is given an opportunity day by day to exercise these qualities in concrete life situations. The schools of yesterday were very anxious to furnish the pupil with the results of thinking by some 'authority.'

390 IMPROVEMENT ERA present civilization. But be that as it may, this is the impulse of youth and must be reckoned with. Laws, imperatives, and restraints appeal less to youth than do ideals, opportunities, personalities. Why fear youth's ideals? The report of the Fourth Inter- national Conference of Boy Workers prepared by Oscar A. Kirkham calls attention to problems youth desire to discuss. "The question was asked of several hundred boys what subjects for discussion would they enjoy the most, (subjects in which they would like help, and out of some 30 suggested, the following are the first listed, in their order of selection, by the boys: (1) War, (2) Honesty, (3) Gambling, (4) Team-play, (5) God, (6) Smoking, (7) Jesus, (8) Money, (9) Parents." Too many men refuse to find an issue in these questions. The method of their solution is taken for granted. Such an attitude merely widens the gap between youth and those who should guide them. Who will deny that these prob- lems, after all, are not the most vital and at the same time present the most uncertain elements in our civilization? If we convince youth that thought, care, faith, cooperation, and evaluation are the most effective in bringing about wholesome reconstruction, these principles will be accepted, but reconstruct they must — they must create their own world. Our hope lies in the fact that men of affairs can grip and guide the spirit of youth in this reconstruction. Men who are successful in business, law or medicine; men who can handle big enterprises in athletics, agri- culture, industry, politics or religion, may knock at the door of the Order of Youth and receive entrance, not as preachers or teachers, but as companions. Their lives and achievements must do the speaking. Leaders of youth in schools and churches are finding that biography is a most effective means of educating youth in funda- mental ideals of character. This fact reveals a psychology of youth which craves dynamic and active life rather than instruction in the established order. Precepts must always remain in the background; they are, after all, only the tools in dealing with life's problems. Boys are willing to recognize wisdom, kindness, benevolence and justice in Abraham Lincoln, but care very little for them apart from Lincoln or some other great hero. They are willing to discuss cour- age and perseverance in Washington, but can hardly understand the meaning of these terms apart from Washington and other great soldiers. Boys admire the ideals and the fighting spirit of Roose- velt, the variety of his interests and the depth of his insight; they admire the statesmanship of Woodrow Wilson, his dignity, culture, intellectuality and precision; but all of these receive meaning because thus attached to men.

A CHALLENGE TO LEADERSHIP 391 Many times more effective even than biography and an im- aginative contact with great men is the contact with living men which our organizations afford. Our generation is not with- out great men: they are not remote either in time or place. They are here with us and every community has them. Our problem is that of introducing them to our boys. The institutions that have done most in this respect are the boy scout organization and the fathers and sons' outings. The scout organization has secured the service of some of the finest and busiest men of the community. Men of affairs have proved a willingness to accept responsibilities as leaders in the scout movement. Many of them have proved experts in deal- ing with boys. The fathers and sons' outing is, every summer, proving the value of this contact. Inspiration that comes to boys sitting around the great fire, listening to stories of faith, courage, self-sacrifice, heroism, told by bishops, general church leaders, and business men, cannot be overestimated. Such stories and personal contacts give boys deeper insight into life. The success of fathers and sons' outings has proved, beyond question, that boys love to associate with manly men. In communities where these outings have not been held the fault has usually been the indifference of men, not boys. The scout movement and the fathers and sons' outings mark a great achievement, but these do not constitute the extent of man's responsibility or limits of their opportunities to mingle with boys. During the winter months, would not a reading circle composed of men and boys, fathers and sons, bind the hearts of these two groups more closely together? Are there not rich and undeveloped possibilities that might grow out of an interest for reading? This reading may present ideas that will lead to informal friendly dis- cussions between boys and men. Such discussions would tend to make youth feel the need of the broader experience of maturity and the adult feel the creative impulse of youth. Would not also the contests where groups of boys and men compete with other groups of boys and men be more efficient in creating mutual understanding and sympathy than the common method of pitting boys against men and men against boys in athletic contests? There is no one method perhaps that we may recommend that will solve this vital problem, but we have everywhere leaders who can plan and originate schemes that are appropriate to their communities and which will have wholesome effect. This great problem does not solve itself. To ignore it means that boys will drift farther from men, and men, farther from boys. This problem can be solved only by thought, by initiative, by experiment, and by a high type of social, moral and religious leadership. Give us men

392 IMPROVEMENT ERA who can lead in this vital problem — men of sympathy, of under- standing, of faith, and with a willingness to work. The M. I. A. thus has two great responsibilities and both may come under the caption, "Mutual Improvement." It has the re- sponsibility of bringing together youth in order that they may mutually help one another. This function it has most admirably accepted and this great responsibility it will continue to perform. The other responsibility is to bring together men and boys in mu- tually sympathetic relationships so that the youth movements in our communities will be movements that include the experienced per- sonality and faith of the men. God Knows Best Our Father, thou whose gracious hand, Tempered with wondrous love and justice. Overrules the destinies of men. Canst thou, from thy glorious home on high, Look down to earth, and yet withhold thy wrath From these, thy children, who in blood and carnage reign ? Is it not possible, O Father in heaven above. With thy great wisdom, to control, and lead In higher mein thy progeny on earth? With lustrous ray of thine own light supreme, Surround their faltering steps with beacons bright, That, coming back to thee, they be of greater worth? Or is it best, O Lord, that men should wander on, Fettered with Satan's thralldom, Untrammelled in the freedom thou hast given, Having the equal chance for right or wrong. Aided by thee, but blinded by the evil power. Marking their own destiny, either hell or heaven? Thou knowest best, O Lord, for wisdom thou hast found. Thy infinite power, thy mighty love endures. Because it was by strict obedience won; And, should thy children stumble in the thorny path. Or fall, or faint, or fail to reach the goal, We then can safely, surely say, "Thy will be done.'' JOHN T. HORNfc