planned to meet his needs.

What then is the factor of the boy? "The boy is a many-sided animal,
with budding tastes, clamorous appetites, primitive likes and dislikes,
varied interests; an idealist and hater of shams, a reservoir of nerve
force, a bundle of contradictions, a lover of fun but a possible lover
of the best, a loyal friend of his true friends; impulsive, erratic,
impressionable to an alarming degree." Furthermore, the boy is
maturing, traversing the path from boyhood to manhood, is unstable, not
only in his growth, but also in his thought, is restless because of his
natural instability, and sometimes suffers from headiness and
independence. Between boyhood and manhood he travels swiftly, the
scenery changes quickly as he travels--_but he is traveling to manhood_.
No railway train or vehicle can keep pace with his speed. Morning sees
him a million miles farther on his way than night reckoned him but half
a day before. And yet, in all of it, he moves by well-defined stages in
his journey towards his destination of maturity. Today he is
individualistic, tomorrow heroic, a little later reflective and full of
thought, but in all of it is progressively active, moving forward by
leaps and bounds. His needs also increase with his pace, and must be
fully and timely met, if he is to reach symmetrical maturity. He needs
but three things to attain his best: proper sustenance, unlimited
activity, and careful guidance. Given these three rightly and at the
proper time, the quality of his manhood will go beyond our fondest hope.
The sustenance must be in keeping with his years, the activity in line
with his strength, and the guidance adapted to the needs of his
spirit--firm, compelling, but not irksome. In it all the boy is to be
encouraged in self-expression, resourcefulness, and independent manhood.
Such is a partial appreciation of the boy and his wonderful capacities,
a passing glimpse into a treasure house of wealth and possibility.