[-282-]
CHAPTER XVII.
THE POLYTECHNIC
THE other great young men's society is the Young Men's Christian
Institute at the Polytechnic, Regent Street, familiarly known amongst its
members as the "Poly." It has grown to its present dimensions in the
space of a few years from a very small beginning in a street off the Strand it
now numbers over 10,000 members and students, and has attained high rank as the
most successful attempt yet nude to establish a popular technical college in
this country; for its principal feature is the technical education offered
within its walls to aritsans and apprentices of every conceivable trade. It
would take up too much space if we tried to enumerate all the subjects here
taught, but they are roughy classified under four heads -viz, practical trade
classes, such as carpentry, plumbing, upholstery, etc.; technical classes, as
telegraphy, drawing as applied to cabinet-making, etc. ; science classes and
general classes including languages, music, elocution, etc. The Institution is
open to its members from 5.30 to 10.30 p.m. every day of the week, and within
its walls are a large and elaborately fitted gynnasium, with a gallery running
right round [-283-] it, a library and reading-room,
swimming-bath, large and small lecture-hall, social room with refreshment-bar,
lavatory and bath- rooms and several class-rooms. A recreation-ground of
twenty-seven acres is connected with it, situated at Merton Hall, Wimbledon, and
numerous athletic clubs belong to it as well a company of Rifle Volunteers, of
the Medical Staff Corps, of Artillery, and of Engineers. It possesses a military
band, an orchestral and a choral society, a savings-bank, a sick-club, and a
Christian workers' union. The leading spirit of it all is Mr. Quintin Hogg, but
its affairs are managed in great part by the members themselves, who elect a
council formed of representatives of each section. Every night it resembles
nothing so much as a busy bee-hive. Youths are seen clustering round the
entrance, passing in and out on their way to gymnasium, swimming-bath,
entertainment, or class-room, and so the swarm keeps moving until about 10.30
p.m. The students of the "Poly" have distinguished themselves in
numberless examinations and exhibitions and in all branches pf technical
education. They have won medals and prizes of all descriptions, and have shone
in the fields of sport as much as in the examination-room.
The class of young men for whom it is designed is that of
artisans and apprentices between sixteen and twenty-five years of age. The
subscription is three shillings a quarter, entitling members to free use of the
library, reading, social, chess, and draughts-rooms, the use of the gymnasium
and swimming-baths, admission to the concerts, entertainments, etc., that are
constantly being given, to many of [-284-] which
they may bring their sisters, or sweethearts, or wives.
Religion here, as at the Y.M.C.A., occupies a foremost
position. Let the programme for one week illustrate this:-
Sunday - 9.30 a.m. Mr. Studds Berean class.
" - 3.15 p.m.
Mr. Quintin Hogg' s class for men only, in Great Hall.
" - 7 p.m. Mr.
Paton's evangelistic service in Great Hall.
Wednesday. - Evangelistic service, 8.30 p.m.
Thursday. -Bible-class for young men, 8.30 p.m.
Every evening.-Short service, 10.15 p.m.
Each athletic club has its occasional festive reunion, and
some of them give an annual ball, which, though not held on the premises,
evidently has the sanction of the heads of the Institute.
An air of freedom, business and happiness reigns throughout
the whole place. It is a grand philanthropic achievement, and has, we believe,
solved what to some seems an insoluble problem - how to combine the highest
regard for the promotion of personal Evangelical religion with a wide sympathy
for those youthful instincts that demand amusement and social entertainment as
well as piety and prayers. Within its range of work may be found provision for
body, soul, and spirit in all their various yearnings, and it is pleasant, but
not surprising, to note that numerous similar institutes, smaller "Polys,"
offspring of the mother " Poly" of Regent Street, are springing up in
different parts of the metropolis. Although it touches a different [-285-]
class from that reached by the Y.M.C.A., it proceeds on much the same principle.
Conversion to God is the great object of its being but it seeks to convert the
whole man, to train intellect, motions, and spirit to offer the best they can to
His service who has formed them.
With these two institutions are connected more than 20,000
young men of Tempted London, and their numbers are rapidly increasing. Is it not
a matter of thankfulness and of abounding hope that so many are eagerly
seeking admission to societies where they know that religion of no perfunctory
type is considered the chief thing, and where, though it will not be offensively
obtruded upon their notice, it will be kept well before their eyes ? It is the
mainspring of it all, it has prompted and sustained the noble generosity and
untiring energy of the men who are carrying on this great work, and what
other motive but that of true religion could have done likewise ?
From what has been written it is apparent, then, that there
are very few Churches indeed that are not doing something on behalf of the youth
of London; but what does it all amount to? Of mutual-improvement societies,
debating-clubs, and Bible-classes there is no lack at all. They abound
everywhere, and it is a most satisfactory sign of the times that the number of
young men periodically meeting for the systematic study of the Holy Scriptures
is rapidly increasing,. But these efforts, however praiseworthy and successful,
touch but one side of the question. They may do much to preserve their members
from temptation, but they [-286-] offer no
attraction to the more frivolous or to the worldly. They make no appeal to the
young mans craving for amusement and excitement, which has been shown to be the
chief factor in the accomplishing of his ruin. A few Churches, therefore, have
ventured farther, and introduce into their programmes concerts, social clubs,
and even dances, but most hesitate at this point, and openly confess that it is
no part of Christian work to compete with worldly devices in framing allurements
for the young. They believe that they are quite unable to cater for the pampered
appetite that seeks satisfaction in the ribaldry of the music-hall, and
therefore confine their efforts to evangelistic agencies, which, by changing the
desires of the young, will cause them to be contented with the less stimulating
fare to be had within their borders. But others maintain that it is quite
possible to offer healthy excitement "within the limits of becoming
mirth," and that it is legitimate Christian work to do this. And these two
opinions will no doubt continue to be held, however much they may be disputed.
But the discussion cannot do harm, and may be productive of much good. It being
taken for granted that the temptations of the young derive their chief force
from a natural love of amusement and excitement and the cravings of the social
instincts, is it the province of the Church to provide such amusements? Some
will answer Yes, and some No, according to their personal characteristics for as
we have seen personal character has much more weight with the young than
particular method. One man may gather his young people together for dances or
dramatic [-287-] entertainments, and effect much
good by so doing; another, by the same means, would do infinite harm. It cannot,
however, be denied, we think, that until very lately the Churches have failed to
approach the young on that side of their nature which is most approachable, and
their labour has therefore been to a great extent in vain. Let us take but one
aspect of it. A young man comes to town from the provinces. At home he has the
companionship of his fellows, of his sisters and his friends' sisters, cousins,
and others, all of whom are in their social position respectable and respected.
He moves freely about amongst them, restrained only by those natural limits of
decorum that prevail in all respectable society. From the moment he comes to
London this is changed. He sees none on terms of intimacy but a lot of
young fellows in precisely the same position as himself. But out in the street
he can meet with companions, male and female, some of whom are by no means the
monsters of vice that good people paint them, but who have lost the respect of
their neighbours and their own, and who are free from any strict restraint
whatever. This, then, is the only variety open to him in the way of
companionship, and if he have a few pence in his pocket it is easily obtainable.
What more natural than that he should avail himself of it, until the ideal he
had formed of all that is manly and womanly in human nature fades into
unreality? And the Church offers him nothing but a Bible-class or a
mutual-improvement society. As a clergyman remarked to the writer a day or two
ago, "If that were all they could do for me after ten [-288-]
or twelve hours at the desk, do you think I would take it? Not I."
So it is not to be wondered at if billiard-saloons, gaming-clubs, music-halls,
and dancing-classes are crowded as soon as the shops and offices are
closed. The Churches, it must be repeated, are doing little to gratify the
social instincts of the homeless youths entrusted to their care; but they are
becoming aware of their deficiencies, and by means of the two great societies we
have referred to much is being done to repair them. It is on these lines they
must proceed, remembering that Christ claims the whole man, spirit, soul, and
body, to be preserved entire and presented blameless at His coming; nor must the
reproach any longer be needed that Christians are so intent upon saving souls
that that they have no time to save men and women.
Printed by Hazell, Watson and Viney, Ld., London and Aylesbury.