"Times Have Changed"

"They fired me for bringing in a couple of rattlesnakes and--and assaulting a teacher."--THE VARMINT, by Owen Johnson (1910).

A compact and mutually loyal little body is the Headmasters' Association of the United States. It meets every winter, often at some college. Last week it forgathered with President John Grier Hibben of Princeton.

Even more than when they were schoolboys, the Old Boys (i. e. graduates) of U. S. private schools wonder what their old-time "Heads," "Doctors," "Prexies" and "Kings" talk about when they get together. The newspapers told something of the Princeton meeting--how the trip to England of the studious Kent School crew last summer was discussed; how Bruce Curry of Oberlin College lectured on "The Teaching of the Bible." It was easy to picture President Hibben congratulating Dr. William Mann Irvine of Mercersburg on that academy's new carillon. Exeter men could just see Headmaster Lewis Perry laughing over a chestnut with Headmaster Alfred E. Stearns of Andover. Young Headmaster Van Santvoord of Hotchkiss doubtless listened with respect to his elders on such subjects as Fourth Form Latin, black-bean soup and the price of automobiles. . . .

"But what," wondered Old Boys, "what is the old school like nowadays? Are boys what they were when we were there?" The Old Boys had been hearing rumors that "thundermugs" are never thundered on the Gym roof at The Hill nowadays; that "The Coffee-Colored Angel," "Doc" MacNooder and J. Humperdink Stover have no modern counterparts at Lawrenceville; that schoolboys today are Serious, Responsible, Self-governing, Mature.

As a matter of fact, that was another of the things the Headmasters talked about at Princeton. Just before going to their meeting, 18 of them had been asked to contribute to a symposium. With few exceptions (notably cautious "Rector" Endicott Peabody of proper Groton School) they had pondered and commented on the following hypothesis of the Modern Schoolboy, that "he is more studiously inclined, less given to pranks, with a greater sense of responsibility and capacity for self-government than his predecessors."

Some of the Headmasters commented fully. Others sketched briefly. But on one point they seemed unanimously agreed. The Modern Schoolboy is frank.

Secondly, all seemed to agree that he is "cleaner"--in mind as well as body--than was his father. A third fact that seemed established was that school is harder than it used to be--more work, less play.*

Headmaster McOrmond of Westminster School made the point that the Modern Schoolboy is more studious than his predecessors because of "better equipment, better teachers, more incentives, more interesting material to work with and a more interesting and exciting world ahead."

Headmaster Irvine "of Mercersburg interpolated ironically: "Each generation, of course, has its quota of loafers who will always be a Headmaster's hardest problem and who will make instructors earn their salaries," but he too thought the Modern Schoolboy works "more earnestly."

As to the oldtime schoolboy technique where one blithe spirit would put a pig in the Bursar's office and none but the pig would "squeal"--what of that technique, where Hardihood was learned through punishment and Eternal Friendships were bound with bonds of silence?

Again Headmaster McOrmond: "The modern boy still indulges, in pranks. It appears, however, that these pranks are now much less inclined to cause personal inconvenience to others, destruction of property, and to reflect the vandalistic instinct which characterized such pranks twenty-five years ago. The matter of hazing in a good school is practically non-existent."

And Headmaster Irvine said: ". . . less given to roughhousing . . . more self-controlled ... as firmly consecrated to noble service as any other boy since the dawn of history."

Headmaster Mather A. Abbott of Lawrenceville: ". . .A greater sense of social responsibility. In fact, I "have an idea that times have changed and that boys are holding up morality.''

Rector William G. Thayer of St. Mark's: "I have confidence that the mod ern schoolboy is going to be a real help in making things better."

Headmaster Richard M. Gummere of William Penn Charter School: ". . .A much more reflecting and original person. ... A fine animal set to run a splendid race if his owners and trainers are conscientious."

Headmaster Perry of Exeter: "... more altruistic, less conventional."

Headmaster Van Santvoord of Hotchkiss: ". . . doing his job far more thoroughly and wisely than he used to do."

Headmaster Stearns of Andover: ". . . Certainly he indulges far less in the pranks or 'rough stuff' which were somewhat commonplace among the earlier generation."

So the rumor was true. The Old Boys had heard aright. The Varmint is an anachronism and, to Old Boys' despair, the comment of Headmaster Horace D. Taft of the Taft School only emphasized whither the schools are listing. Said Headmaster Taft: "The modern boy is as good as his predecessors. The only trouble is that he needs to be about ten times as good."

The sharp perception of Headmaster Stearns pointed a moral when he said that the Modern Schoolboy is "possibly a bit lacking in some of the more rugged qualities" due to "the fault of the modern social conditions in which he finds himself living." And Headmaster Perry seemed to sense a lack of mental ruggedness. "They have far more information but possibly less intellectual curiosity."

An Old Boy asked one Headmaster after the Princeton meeting: "But what are the schools for if they don't stiffen the country's spine?"

The Headmaster, bewildered, replied: "Well, we can't teach them devilment, can we?"

*A minor colyumist lately rewrote the old adage. It now reads: "All work and no play makes Jack."