29 / 150
A
dvancing
T
he
K
ingdom
: K
ingdom
H
ouse
married recently to a worker to whom she
first sold doughnuts. That young man knew
what he was about when he married a girl
who could make doughnuts like that.
Life is not all as placid as that at
Kingdom House. There is plenty of
excitement in the day’s work. Mrs. H.T.
Clinger, acting head of the organization in
the absence of Miss Annie Alford, told me
the story of an actual day’s happenings. It
reads like fiction.
“Some time in the morning a commotion
was heard in the yard. A boy had fallen
out of the window and broken his arm.
An ambulance was called and the child
was taken to the hospital where his arm
was dressed. As the ambulance bringing
him back was drawing up in front another
commotion was heard. A girl had fallen
out of a swing – another broken arm for
the ambulance to haul to the hospital.
When things had quieted down somewhat
a demented woman of the neighborhood
became angry at something and began
hurling bricks at everything and everyone
in sight. The porch still bears marks of her
wrath.[“]
“She was removed and things became
normal again, until late in the afternoon.
Then two foreign women, strolling through
the yard, had an argument and attempted to
settle their differences by force. They staged
a terrible hair-pulling match before they
were separated. A little later when every one
had decided the excitement was over for the
day, an angry landlady across the street shot
an unwelcome boarder.[“]
“Of course, “adds Mrs. Clinger, “that is
not a typical day.”
In spite of careful supervision on the
playground, broken bones will happen. A
special supply of crutches is kept for such
emergencies. Scenes like the following occur
frequently.
“Billy,” says the mother, “Johnnie
has broken his leg again. Go over to the
Kingdom House and get him a pair of
crutches, medium
size.”
Naturally most
of the activities
at Kingdom
House are for
boys. The girls
are not neglected
by any means;
but since boys,
notwithstanding
woman suffrage,
are and probably
will be for a long
time to come,
the power of the
future, there are
more organizations
for them than
there are for girls.
There [are] no
less than eighteen
separate and distinct
boys’ clubs, each with an entirely different
membership. They are held together by a
council composed of the officers of each
club, with officers of its own. The whole is
supervised by Mr. H. Linwood Robinson, the
Director of Boys’Work.
Mr. Robinson is a robust young man who
looks as if it had not been so long since he
was kicking banisters himself. He has been
at Kingdom House four years – years that
[have] seen many changes. He gleefully
relates that when he started work there, the
boys christened him ‘Blue Sunday.’
“And now,” he says, with just pride,
“those same boys are self-appointed
constables to promote the upholding of the
same ideas.”
The change in the character of the
boys, though gradual is no less definite.
Four years ago they were typical tenement
youngsters, rough, tough and derisive.
Now, thanks to sympathetic interest and
encouragement, the Kingdom House boy can
take his place on a social level with anyone.
Do not get the idea that they are ‘sissies’.
Every kind of athletics that high schools and
colleges offer is given these boys. There are
no finer athletes in the city. Most of them go
to Madison School, which won the indoor
championship of the whole city last year.
The athletics are conducted by the Kingdom
House Athletic Association, which is a
member of the W.A.A.
The boys exhibit an honesty and an
honourableness [sic] that children in more
fortunate circumstances would have to
work hard to beat. The boys have access to
every part of the boys’ building, including
the treasurer’s desk. Nothing has ever been
missed with the exception of one indoor ball,
which was later returned.
As for self-restraint, Mr. Robinson says
that when the clubs were organized, the
members held their elections of officers by
themselves without any sort of supervision.
“Without anyone’s being killed?” I asked
doubtfully.
He assured me that there had been no
26
P
hoto
:
A:
Kingdom House
children, circa early 1930s
T
he
change
in
the
character of
the
boys
,
though
gradual
is no
less
definite
. F
our
years
ago
they were
typical
tenement
youngsters
,
rough
,
tough
and
derisive
.
A