◆ SpookStack

agisg EMATIVS RIMES: In the turse ~e roller skating rinbs lc 3 an Francisco, children betwecn the, of 12 and 21 are assene Being atvnight. Sore rinks accomcecatoes many 25 600 young siaters cach oveninz, half boys and half girls. Over 75 per cent of the boys are young -servicenon, mostly sailors, Our inspection showed practi- cally no chaperoning or acult ‘supervision, but despite this fact, ‘there was little evicenco of bad conduct in these rinks, The chiléren keonly enjoy this vigorous activity. “Tho servicemen are: typical, cloan-cut, energetic, American youths. Tie rinks close at about 10:45 pem. S$ ome of the girls of tender age have considerable cistances to travel to get home. This is not gocd, because, obviously, they are subject to hazards while traveling unchaperoned late at night, Parents are responsibla for this concition and enforcement cof the arditrating statute will de invoked if this condition is not corrected. Intelligent adult supervision and guidance should be ° _ brought into/activity which huncreds of chilcéren find attractive. : ais : ; : TIE CHURCGIZS AND JUVENILE DELINUENCY: Considerable . criticism Ts heard about the churges of America feiling to take a mop active vart in the fight against crime and juvenile delinquency. Whethor the charge as a whole is justified is a moot question. . Certainly, some churches have shown the utmost zeal in this Cirection; with others ranging through luke warn to cool or cold in their efforts. ; : . 3 i i on 3 ; 4 i ‘ { : 3 The churches of this lanc have always becn looked upon as a potential tower of strength in the guicance of the citizens and particularly in the guidance of the youth of tho country. : . Hinety-five per cent of the dolinquents profess church mombership, but only sbout five per cent have attended Sunday school or received religious training. The lack of religious and moral training is undoubtedly a factor in the troubled lives of these chilcren,. : The churches aro aware of this situation. They are being encouraged to broaden tho scopé of church activity in the neighbor- hoocs so all chiléren will be Grawn into tha church halls‘anc will reccive essential religious guicance, In this connection, it is rocommonaed thet the *rcelease timc law should be tried in San Feancisco. This reconmencation 1s made cospite tho sincere objece - tions of many who feel that it would break cown the fundamontal principle of scparation of Church and State. BROXEN HOMES: Tho relationship between broken homes and juvenile delinaviency Is definite and startling. In the 700-odd official: oaaus beroro the Juvenilo Court, during the first six months of 1944 , 450 of these chilcren came frem broken homes‘ of one sort or another; 250 from homes not broken. In othsr wores, two out of every three children in trcuble had a background of a broken home. ; Insufficient attention is being given by the citizens of: cur commnity to the proved fact tiat the inx morals of our people, the carefree and easy Civorces ane the breakcown in ethical training aresthe major causes contributing to the delinquency of children. : The skyrocketing divorce rate is breath-taking. In Los Angeles, there were 32,000 marriages cerformed in 1945, and 28,000 divorcees grantedé, Involved in the 28,000 Clvorce cases were 15,000 | boy anc girl victims uncer 14 years of age. From this group of 15,000 children, who already have two strikes ageinst them, will come most of the future juvenile delinquents, For the fiscal ycar ended June W, 1944, San Francisco issud 13,033 marriage licenses; while court records for the sane period snow: 2,648 final cecreos, 3,826 intcrlocutory decrees, 1,148 annulnents, and 17 separate maintenances; a total of 7,639. Ye cehno the words of competent, ancrgetic, Harold A, Slane, . member of the California Youth Authority from Los Angelos: " These stazgering Civerce statistics foreshacow the disappearance of the ole-fashicnea American home. It was upon this iden of American home and family life that our great. democracy was: built. Destroy 5.) : . .