The height and weight standard is more scientifically correct than the age standard, although it has not been tested out enough to warrant any authoritative declaration in its favor.  If this method is used for grouping, the standards for athletic competition among the boys might be used; that is, all the boys of ninety pounds and under might be put together, the same being true for those under one hundred and ten, one hundred and twenty-five, and one hundred and forty pounds.  If height is used, boys of fifty-six and a half inches in height and classifying under ninety pounds in weight might be grouped together.  Also boys of sixty-three inches in height and coming within the one hundred and ten pound weight.  This standard will doubtless become the real basis of all groupings in the future, but as yet it needs more demonstration in order that the various classifications may be made accurately.

A simple and rather satisfactory way of grouping is by the school boy or wage-earning boy standard.  If the boy happens to be in the grammar school he may be grouped with boys of his own educational advancement; so with the boys who are in the secondary or high schools, and the same may be said of working boys who are forced to earn their own livelihood.

Possibly the best and most satisfactory way of grouping boys is by their interest.  Some boys will be mutually interested in collecting stamps, riding a bicycle, forming a mounted patrol, working with wireless, in music and orchestra work, etc., and boys grouping together according to such kindred interests as they manifest has proven most satisfactory in general boys’ work.

=Problems of Boy-handling Simplified by Natural Standard Grouping=

Grouping the boys according to natural standards makes the problem of handling them much simpler.  Boys between twelve and fourteen are in the age of authority, and the word of the Teacher will settle most difficulties that arise.  Boys between fourteen and sixteen are in the age of experience, and an opportunity must be given them to check up what they are told by what they are experiencing.  Between twelve and fourteen authority may be rigid.  Between fourteen and sixteen it must be giving way to reason.  Authority will still continue to settle the boys’ disputes, but it will be the authority that gives reasons for its action.  Boys between the ages of sixteen and eighteen years can only be handled on the basis of cooperation.  They have passed from the stage of blindly following what they are told.  They have experience enough to know that they are able to do things themselves, and they have discovered enough things to give them a basis of doing things on their own account.  The way to handle boys rightly in this group will be by tactful suggestion and cooperation on the part of the teacher.  There will be very little difficulty with the groupings if the Sunday school superintendent or teacher respects the natural, group “ganging” of the boys.  The boys themselves group, not according to mental efficiency tests, but according to physiological development.  Thus we find boys of various chronological ages in the same gang.  A little common sense will prevent many blunders.