The factors of the problem, then, to be considered in the method are:  First, Christian Manhood; second, the fact that there are distinct and separate stages of growth in a boy’s development, each stage having its own well-defined steps of growth; and third, the selection of existing boy organization activities to meet the need and produce the aim or desired result.

By way of illustration, let us consider a group of boys just past their twelfth year.  All their physical, social, mental, and spiritual needs are to be met.  The boys are just adolescent and their outlook because of that is altruistic.  They have reached the “ganging” period, and so must have some form of organization.  What organizations can be used to lead them into Christian manhood between the twelfth and fifteenth year?  There are the Knights of King Arthur, the Boy Scouts, the Junior Brotherhood, the Christian Endeavor, and the Sunday School Bible Class.  There are others—­hosts of them—­but these widely known forms will suit the purpose.  For physical purposes we have the Scouts, for social purposes the Scouts, Knights, and the Bible Class; for mental purposes the Knights, and for spiritual purposes the Knights, Brotherhood, Endeavor, and the Bible Class.  To see a boy get his own full development under this plan he must needs belong to at least five organizations; and the principle of association among boys is not gangs but the gang.  However, much can be done under difficulties.  The Scouts will afford free, physical, outdoor expression, without which there is no boy.  The Knights will furnish mental ideals and objectives; for the Knights of King Arthur is the mental expression of the Boy Scouts and the Boy Scouts is the physical expression of the Knights of King Arthur.  Both of them, with the Bible Class group, will furnish social stimulus and the Bible study, and the more or less valuable devotional expression of the Endeavor and Brotherhood will take care of the spiritual.  In using an organization, a clearly defined idea of the end sought should always be in view.

=Efficiency=

In all church work for boys, efficiency should be sought. It should also be kept in mind that it is church work for boys.

In all our discussion two things must seem striking:  first, that we must at present use at least five organizations to meet the boy need, five gangs, when the principle of boy association is not gangs but the gang; and second, that all of these organizations, with the exception of the Bible Class, have their headquarters outside of the local church itself.  The headquarters are in New York, Detroit, Boston, Cincinnati, Baltimore, etc., while the work they seek to do is the local church’s business.  Further, they have all had their birth in the misunderstanding of the church as to her mission for boys.  The church, however, has now a new vision of her mission, as manifested by her patience and forbearance in trying out and