Show If Father Flanagan Were Alive The founder of Boys Town believed There is no such thing as a bad boy" But would he stiiJ feel that way if he saw today's kids? Here's the answer of the beloved priest's successor By Father NICHOLAS H WEGNER Director of Boys Town Neb as told to Will Oursler MM Father Flanagan Father Wegner Author of "Father Flanagan of Boys Town" (with Fulton Ourelor) A Wf A jkj Sailing Korean shoeshine boy who lost both legs during the Korean War He was a familiar sight in the Pusan railroad station dragging himself from one customer to the next But he was always smiling The GIs nicknamed him Chi Si— Smiling Boy They began teaching him to speak American and telling him about the United States especially a place called Boys Town near Omaha Neb— a trehome and school that mendous 1500-acr- e took in homeless boys "Maybe they'll take you in Chi Si" Sgt Harold Douglas of Mississippi told him "You could use a home" At Boys Town we began to receive letters from these servicemen telling us about Song A solution had to be found so all of us pitched in We had special legislation passed in Congress to permit Song to come to Boys Town In Korea the US Army fitted him with artificial legs For the first time he could walk as tall as any other kid Transportation was arranged via the armed forces and Song came to Boys Town His limited knowledge of English was no more a handicap than his artificial legs He played baseball and football He did well in class became an Eagle Scout and even earned a merit badge for — stripping off clothes and artificial limbs and swimming to a "victim" in less than 60 seconds Song was graduated as a Boys Town citizen and went on to become a US citizen He also went to business school Currently he has a good start on a business career in Kansas City Mo To me Song is a symbol The problems and crises we face change they now reach out across a violence-ridde- n globe But they are in essence the same old problems and crises with the same underlying causes: bad environment neglect abuse abandonment And the cure of love understanding and concern also remains unchanged Many people question whether it is possible today to cling to the concepts and techniques of Father Flanagan the beloved founder of Boys Town and my life-savi- This handsome house is home for some of Boys Town's citizens COVER: Song yong cho was a enthusiasts are finding the catamaran a boat to contend with — but in this crew the dis rFamily W&etMy July predecessor as director There are those who say: "Youth is different now You have youngsters who are ruthless criminals You have to treat them for what they are —hardened vicious killers" Faced with the fact that we can take only 350 new boys a year out of 3500 applicants do we still take the delinquent as Father Flanagan did when Boys Town first opened its doors in 1917? Of course we do! Delinquents have always been only a small percentage of our boys primarily Boys Town is a home for the homeless But we still take boys in serious trouble even murderers if we are convinced after full investigation that the root of the boy's trouble is homelessness neglect mistreatment rather than any basic emotional or psychological disorder Do we still believe in the saying Father Flanagan made famous years ago: "There is no such thing as a bad boy"? Sometimes I say it a little differently: No boy really wants to be bad many simply don't know the difference Petey is one of our boys out of a gang in a big Eastern city He was picked up following a "rumble" with another gang Petey looked as tough as any of the gang But investigation showed him to be only a boy with no homo no parents (they had walked out on him) The gang was his only family Their basement "hideout" was actually his home ng was the kind of youngster some Petey say understood only the language of violence But he came to us because a caseworker had enough heart to talk with Petey to draw him out to discover how desperately he wanted and needed someone to care about him e This boy "hood" has become one of our top honor students Unfortunately boys with nowhere to go no one to care are in greater number today than ever before They come to us from courts social agencies parents priests ministers relatives and neighbors who see a kid alone in a house or apartment and wonder how he lives Many also come unannounced off the highway as they have throughout the years since Father Flanagan first founded his home for boys on Dodge Street Omaha on a borrowed $90 one-tim- 5 ERNEST V HEYN LEONARD S DAVIDOW President and Publisher WAITER C DREYFUS A ssociate Publisher PATRICK E O'ROURKE Executive Vice President WILLIAM V HUSSEY Advertising Manager MORTON FRANK Vice President PHILLIP DYKSTRA Scene was caught by George Sand © 1964 office- IMiMMMWtOit "" PROCESSING AND BOOKS Art Director Food Editor MELANIE DE PROFT Publisher Relations taff side just enjoys the view ef BEN KARTMAN Executive Editor ROBERT FITZOIBBON Managing Editor and Advertising Director 179 N Michigan Avt Chicago III 60601 Advtrthing Editorial office: 60 E 56th St Nw York NY 10022 Busimss office 1727 S Indiana Av Chicago III 60616 Editor-in-Chi- Rosalyn Abrtvaya Ardtn Eidoll Hal London Jock Ryan femr J Oppmtwinwr Hollywood INC Chicago III All right rtMrvod |