Show moral precepts alone cannot be relied upon to influence youth by PROF EDWARD ROSS university of wisconsin there is till nn ancient delusion that you make boys good by giving r them excellent moral precepts that sortie some wise aphorism eliat abat you have told hini or that eliat lie he lias has read will change forever tile tenor of his bis cou conduct truth is that general ideas unless they suin bum up tile the signi fleance of I 1 tile lio bo hoys Vs recent experiences have practically no effect upon his conduct I 1 when you tell it a hoy boy who is tempted to si snatch inteli for hilli himself self an all unfair R 1 v anta that liol honesty lesty is tile the best policy ordinarily it will have no effect upon hit hh hut but if you bring it out at tile the moment when lie he is ia contemplating el something 0 either cither in his own life or in another an others the aphorism will light up ill and give ine moaning aning to his experience so BO that lie may inay carry away a lasting salutary impression not that eliat I 1 belittle tile the value of what a hoy boy reads or what it lie e hears cheari in ili church or class classroom but there must inest be experience to illuminate and vitalize it to make ciali c it mean something to tile hoy boy TIe kind of experience which affords a foundation for building Imil ding the character of good cit citizens ivens is participation in organized active groups of hoys boys about his own ago under inspiring adult leadership uch itch keaim teamwork ork develops a willing 11 obedience to law submission to the alic verdict of the majority and a concept conci pt of the value of 0 order and the sacredness of free speech and sacrifice |