Petersham High School - Hilltop Yearbook (Petersham, MA)

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'ri' G.I. Teachers for Gernan Children CCondensed from The Kiwanis Hagazinel 1 Frederic Sondern, Jr. For two years our nilitary occupation authorities in Ger- many have been trying to find a formula for the re-education of Adolf Iitler's former subjects. Psychologists, teachers, and other specialists nan teachers have been removed fron Teenagers have been forbidden to do Radio, newspapers Germans to prove how wrong Hitler's have analyzed the postwar German mind. Ger-' teaching in German schools. anything nilitaristic. been directed at the older ideas were. and lectures have Most of these efforts have made only the slighest imp- ression on these tired, hunqry and despondent people. The most promising plan to shape the'German mind of the future been the doing of has the young G.I., himself. In Bremen, Germany, where juvenile crime and underground Nazi activity were stopped last spring, a Minnesota Irishman, Master Sergeant Datrick Moriarty, collected nine of his G.I. friends who believed that if the German children are left to themselves they will grow up living for the day they can fight another war. Horiarty and his friends started a club for boys ' from the ages of 10 to 17. and advertised in the local youngsters responded to the ted lOO who answered their Q telligently. They cane fron They found quarters, some furniture, paper. To their amazement, 7,000 ucstionnaries nest frankly and in- all levels of German society. Certain rules were made. No politics except club politics was to he discussed. Such questions as German war guilt, racial discrimination and the concentration camps were subjects not to he discussed. Seavenging, which is so connon and denoralizing in Germany took a sharp drop ' Club members among Horiarty's boys. ' proved receptive to sound political ideas. They were fascinated when told to elect their own governing committee by secret ballot, were even more delighted when in- formed that they could remove the committee if it became un- popular. These were new ideas and nade a definitely deep im- pression on the boys. Moriarty and supplies from the and coach for the Sergeant insisted his assistant'kept the club supplied with Post Exchange, provided athletic equipment boys. Once the club was under way, the that the boys run it themselves, Thny get advice and help when they ask for it. ad. Horiarty and his helpers selec-

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During the Spring of last year it was obvious to General ncNarney?s staff in Frankfurt that something would have to be done abo viscd by ut the German youth. Even among youth groups super- Uilitary Government the old Gernan militart traits appeared the military formation, the rigid standing at atten- tion the fellow. Q General Hcharney decided mobilize harsh command, and the importance of beating the other our GI'S would have to be change the young Gernan's J. I 11118 'C d in a'concerted effort to thinking. The Army as a whole was far from pleased. ,Under a Youth Activities Officer, the GI'S were to organize the young- sters of their areas, teach them baseball and football, put ton contests, take them on hikes, and hold discussion groups. The GI'S had nisgivings about giving up any of their spare time, but despite resistance, the program gathered rapidly. - The GYA'S organizers soon discovered that sports were the best way to get the interest of the boys. For awhile the boys couldn't understand what teamwork meant. But, the German youth is besinnin 'to understand. One boy said he had learned from the listen to their views, and cone to Americans, the ability to Hilitary Police regorts show meet with other a friendly agreement. peoilc, that both juvenile delin- quency and anti-American activity have dropped sharply in the sections of our occupation zones where the GI'S have been busy. If the GYA program can be continued and expanded, with supgort from the War Department, with athletic eQuipnent, building naterials, reading supplies and enthusiasm, we have a chance of affecting the minds of many young Germans who will have a strong influence in Europe in ten or fifteen years. Lois Adams '47 LAWRENCE I. NELSON DORMANT FOLIAGE SPR AYJNC1 FRUIT AND SHADE TREES WRITE PETERSHAM TELEPHONE 11-4-