NOBODY could know for sure what kind of trip abroad any boy had had until he returned to his parents. For a person who knows how easy it is for mothers to reach the depths of their boys' minds, it was simply a matter of watching them exchange a few remarks on the pier in New York. Then and there the eyes of the mothers revealed everything.
"It was a wonderful sight to see all those boys coming home," wrote a mother. Of course, what she meant to say was that it was wonderful to see her boy. How could she help having been worried when she sent him off ? "You know, when I let him sail away," another wrote, "there was a little bit of anxiety in my heart, for I wondered just how he would return, what such a group of boys would do to him, how he would fit into the homes so different from our homes in this country. I was wondering whether he would give the very best of himself to those people who were giving so much to him." And he might get sick and need not only a doctor's, but a mother's care, and how would that be possible away from her? She concluded: "Now I am satisfied. He left his home a very lovely, thoughtful, beloved son, and he came back richer in many ways."
They are big words, to be sure, and they would seem extraordinary if they were not repeated in any number of letters. The observations were personal and many comments confidential, but the gains in general can be summed tip under the three headings: Maturity, Education, Friendliness.
"Our boy of fifteen years left us as a young boy and returned a young man, having immeasurably gained in everything that will help him in his future career" (age 15).
"It seems to have broadened his vision considerably and made a real man out of what we thought was a boy" (age 18).
"When we met R. at the station, he seemed more matured mentally and physically, and we have discovered since a broadened outlook generally, with a finer appreciation of things" (age 17).
When we consider how often mothers are afraid of seeing their boys grow away from them, it is so much more gratifying to have them feel happy over a growth which brings them mutually closer. However, that the boys had matured in general seemed rather vague. Did the trip add definitely to their education? Let fathers answer to that:
"I know my boy is much better prepared to start his life's work because of the knowledge gained in other countries" (age 22).
"Using his own expression, this trip abroad, next to his life at boarding school, is the most valuable and pleasant experience he has had in his life so far" (age 17).
"A. certainly obtained a great deal of knowledge from his trip with you. I consider this experience worth a year in college to him. He has seen and learned things that he will remember all his life and something no one can ever take away from him" (age 18) .
American parents know what they are talking about when they talk of education. In a country where it is everybody's hope and desire to rise above a vast multitude of people in hard competition one with the other, education is the great lifting factor. It evidently gave many parents great satisfaction to see their children reap definite educational benefits abroad, and so it was most gratifying that they obtained even more than was promised.
Friendliness, however, was promised. In the first place, people abroad had spontaneously invited the boys; and, in the second place, the leader was convinced that they could not help being friendly. He bad learned to appreciate gentlemanly American boys; so why would not other foreigners? It was the big question, however, and with it would stand or fall the whole undertaking. Even in the first reports from the boys., the parents had the answer, and it never changed, as noticed in this cablegram: "Dearest mother sadly leaving Denmark today with fondest remembrances of most enjoyable time of my life, love." (Age 18.)
Letter followed letter from abroad, often accompanied by leaves of diaries. When the boys themselves returned, new incidents were brought up, not in a very coherent manner, to be true---just rambling along, a little something here and another little something there. As one mother wrote: "He is still telling us of the many wonderful places. Tonight at the dinner table something was said that brought to his mind one of his many happy experiences, and he started off on something he had forgotten to tell us before. Our family is enjoying a trip abroad, even if it is through another medium."
Whatever was told, the thoughts always returned to the greatest experience---the friendliness. One mother expressed it this way: "He loved Denmark, its hospitality, its people, their candor and broadmindedness, their kindliness and generosity. He loved his hosts and their families. He is all-embracing for anyone who is Danish. It has been a splendid experience for him and I think at just the right time of his young life" (18 years).
Did the thought of money enter into the picture? Of course, it entered into all considerations as long as the parents were the ones who stood the expenses. Funny, though, was a question from one father, a business man. He received all the information about the arrangements and replied that it was all right and that he understood that he was to pay for the Atlantic passages, transportation, incidental hotels, an so forth; but there was one thing which puzzled him. What was he to pay the host families abroad? Something for nothing was a novel transaction to him. Before the trips, money may have been a big issue, but it dwindled in importance, and the general attitude can be summed up in these words: "I consider the money on A's trip not spent, but well invested."
Next to the parents, the educators followed the trips with the closest attention. They had selected the boys and had recommended their going; so they were interested in finding out whether everything had turned out as they had hoped and expected, or whether the International Interchange of Boys was just one of many good ideas, strong on paper but weak in action. Their comments after the trips naturally centered around the educational results.
"I notice a striking change in the boy himself since last year. He has become more sober and purposeful. This may in a measure be due to his natural maturing, yet I am sure that much of it is a direct result of his trip with you." (Age 17.)
"I have seen and talked with all the boys of our school who went to Denmark with you. I had letters from E. steadily during his stay there. I have seldom known a boy to show more development than he did as a result of his trip." (Age 16.)
"For two years our boys have returned to the Academy with a broadened point of view and a sympathetic understanding of the manners and customs of the cordial people across the waters." (Ages 16-18.)
The headmasters and principals would want to have other students benefit from the experiences of the fortunate boys, and in dozens of cases the participants were invited to address the student bodies.
"I asked the boys to take one of our Sunday afternoon Vesper services and tell the other fellows all about the trip. This they did with a great deal of enthusiasm and interest, not only on their part but on ,the part of the other boys who listened." (Private School, New Jersey.)
"Soon after the boys returned I invited them to report on their trip at an Assembly meeting of the whole school. So far as I know, not one of these boys had had any experience on the platform before they joined you last July and you may judge of our surprise when those three boys succeeded in holding the attention of our audience throughout, giving us a splendid, interesting account of this opportunity which had come to them. They seemed to have developed in two months more than we could expect normally in a year." (Public School, Pennsylvania.)
"The reactions on the part of the five boys who were fortunate enough to be members of your last summer's trip is one hundred per cent favorable. On a recent Saturday evening these boys took the platform and presented to the school a review of their individual experiences, and then focussed upon the general success of the trip." (Private School, New York.)
Through these talks the headmasters obtained the result which had been in their minds---the possibility of creating in their schools an active spirit of international understanding. This spirit became so much more influential because the boys who had been selected were of the type which, in many cases, held the respect of their fellow students---some because they happened to be outstanding athletes, others because they were leaders in one or the other extracurricular activity, but most of them because they were just regular, gentlemanly fellows. That this type of boy would be the average in the groups was a surprise to the boys themselves. As one said: "I had expected to find a bunch of sissies on the trip, because they were selected by the headmasters." These regular fellows achieved exactly what the headmasters, in their deep understanding of educational methods, had had in mind. It is expressed in these words: "The two boys who went now constitute a small nucleus in the school of boys whose vision of international matters has been definitely broadened, and who will carry with them a. wiser and kindlier feeling toward all other nationalities." (Private School, Missouri.) And from another headmaster: "They have been a source of real inspiration to our boys, and I am sure their going did them and the school a great deal of good." (Private School, New York.) About one of the boys at this latter school was made the following prophecy in the senior yearbook: "1952. An eminent lecturer, M. R. S., is still lecturing on Denmark!"
When the idea had developed into a reality, it seemed but natural that the educators would draw conclusions such as this: "I think that the work that you are doing in the directing of boys of all nations is going to have an extensive influence upon the relations of our nations. There will be created an understanding between the young generation that is going to have its effect upon future relationships. It seems to me that a trip of this sort reveals to our boys the fact that other peoples are just as anxious to have their nations develop in the right direction. I think it is a good thing for American youth at large to realize that the older nations have passed through experiences which we, as a nation, have not had yet and that the older peoples can contribute vastly from their experience to our growth and development." (Public School, Massachusetts.) And from another headmaster: "Congratulations on this latest development of your plans! By the time you get through with this job, you will have set a standard for all the nations in the world to aim at and one which ought to go far toward smoothing out international jealousies, suspicions, and all the rest of that disagreeable and trouble-making brood. Continued success to your efforts!" (Private School, Massachusetts.)
Little was it thought that what started as a modest effort to have fine boys meet fine people would receive such cordial approval from educators and parents. The surprise was still greater when the International Interchange of Boys turned out to be a subject of interest to the American press and caused news items in the daily papers, whole page illustrated stories in the Sunday sections, and articles in magazines. Probably this public interest was prompted by the longing which is deeply embedded in all human beings-our desire to be friendly with people even outside our local sphere. The hospitality trips presented a practical way of turning foreigners into friends.
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WHAT will we do with the sons of the rich Americans? Won't they be
badly disappointed by what we have to offer them in our modest homes? Such
questions came up in many discussions abroad, because it was taken for granted
that Americans who could afford to send their sons to Europe must be, at least,
little less than millionaires. Nobody knew anything definite about the boys; so
there was much speculation.
It cannot be denied that the boys caused many surprises. The families had been informed that they ranged in age from fifteen to nineteen, and yet they expected them to be little boys, not young men, as shown by one hostess' whispered remark to her husband: "Wasn't it fortunate that we didn't get down the rocking horse!" Their strongly individual appearances were a surprise, too. Weren't all Ford cars standardized, and wasn't the key word in America mass production? So why didn't American boys look alike? One reporter described the group: "One is the descendant of Spaniards; another of Scandinavians. The little dark one with Yankee glasses lives on the shores of California, and the tall, fair Lindbergh type there lives on a farm in the middle of the prairies. And as the stamp of the various races makes these faces different, so is their dress a merry confusion. It is particularly in ties, and socks that they let their imagination play freely---wonderful socks with blue squares and red stripes under baggy knickers. And the stunts they have hit upon! On their yellow slickers, they have painted hearts and names. On the back of a Massachusetts boy is written Inge Petersen. She herself has written her name, while he in blissful delight has offered his back, and later he has designed a heart and an arrow around the crude letters. But everything is all right as long as you can afford to show your heart openly!"
Little did the reporter know how close he was to the truth. Not only did they show their hearts openly, but also their minds, their thoughts, their ways, their manners and mannerisms---they showed exactly what was in them; for they could not help it! They might have been able to fool people for a while; but, observed under all circumstances and for a fairly long period, they would sooner or later give away their true selves. Moreover, they were under constant fire and it was interesting to notice where they were hit.
First, was their supposed wealth a sore spot? Here is an answer from a host: "The young man who was my guest was apparently from a millionaire family. At home he had his own car, horse, and dog, and, judging from photographs, his parents' house was a palace-like mansion surrounded by a park. In his baggage was a victrola and a large wardrobe. In my opinion we have a cosy apartment, with an attic room which is also very cosy, and is used by our grown-up children when they are at home. I am not sure, however, that the young man felt very much at ease in that room." This sounds unpromising; but let us finish the host's comments: "I must remark, however, that he didn't leave anyone with that impression. He was a polite, educated, modest, and obliging young man whose behavior in every way was excellent and whom it was a real pleasure to have as our guest, although we undeniably had a feeling that he could have taken a suite of rooms in the best hotel in town without any financial embarrassment." How much was just good manners on the part of this boy, and how much was a genuine feeling of being at home in this place in spite of the host's notion to the contrary? It will probably never be found out; but judging from dozens of similar cases, it is highly probable that the boy discovered an atmosphere in the family which could not have been bought with money at any hotel.
"We must have gotten on the nerves of those people many times," wrote one boy after his trip. He was well aware that people might have been annoyed by their free and easy ways, their hands in their pockets, their loud exclamations, their unceremonious manners---all the small things which are easily noticed where the mode of living is more restrained and people are more reserved. Of course, there were people who could not get used to them. This can be blamed on individuals and also on local conditions, as mentioned by one host: "I have heard some of the Danish hosts complain about certain things about the boys. This is partly due to our local provincialism. It is difficult for us to understand that in other parts of the world there are manners different from ours; for instance, that American boys are not used to thanking the hostess for the meal, but that, on the other hand, they will shoot out of a chair like a rocket when a lady enters the room."
It is not surprising, either, that some mothers would find them lacking in native points of etiquette which are so customary that any omission of them seems like an insult. It would be interesting to find out how many times the boys have seen an outstretched hand and wondered what it meant, because they could not possibly believe that people would want to shake hands so often! Gradually, though, they would catch on to hand-shaking both when coming and going and in between. Pity those who did not, and also those whose mode of dressing was noticed by exacting hostesses! In the mildest case it would cause a remark like this: "Our guest was extremely careless about his clothes." If this particular hostess' own youngsters ever got out of her reach, she would learn that carelessness about clothes is not confined to American boys.
Most natives are proud of certain places and things in their own
countries and insist on showing them. That they often have not seen them
themselves does not prevent them from making their visitors' interest in these
things a test of their intellectual and educational standards. Some hosts were
disappointed, mostly those who overdid the sight-seeing. Fortunately the victims
of such zealous patriots could plead that scores of organizations, newspapers,
and officials had shown the group everything there was to see. A boy in Berlin
had some fatiguing hours. For three days he had not been off his feet in a
million museums, and his host had another million lined up for him! He simply
had to ask the leader to rescue him. A couple of comments are illuminating:
"Our two boys didn't care particularly about the places and things which we
usually show foreigners. They didn't care much either for Danish out-of-door
life, hikes, or excursions, except by motorcar. They hadn't much interest in
nature and weren't aroused easily, but they were practical-minded and remarkably
boyish for their age (18 years). And much to our amazement, they had a great
liking for a cosy evening at home." And this from another host who was
familiar with the American mode of living: "American boys are often very
much spoiled in regard to food, amusements, conveniences, etc. Consequently we
were rather dubious as to how they would like an ordinary Danish home, but they
turned out to be extremely pleasant and fitted in well with the family. They
often suggested that we stay at home and play bridge or read a book instead of
going out to amusements. If we took them to a movie or gave them a party, they
said we were doing too much for them, and we never regretted for a minute
that we had them as our guests."
It surprised and pleased the people greatly when the boys expressed particular interest in native conditions and even showed knowledge of the history of the country. As one host said about his boy: "He was deeply interested in everything and remarkably appreciative of cultural things and history---so unusual because many are inclined to think that Americans are always chasing the dollar." Of course, their knowledge was limited and they would at times blunder, as the boy who talked about Saint Olav as the first Christian king of Norway and was corrected by a Norwegian. Whereupon the boy immediately replied: "Well, he was the best one, anyhow; wasn't he?" They were not scholars, but, generally speaking, they had a keen appetite for all that can be digested by regular gentlemanly boys. This thought is well expressed by one host: "My family and I received two excellent young men. Their manners were a little different from what we are used to in Europe, where the young men are taught to show their culture in no little degree in their appearance. But we soon discovered that they were young men of a culture of the soul, and of a remarkably straight type---young men who may become leaders of men. I think that my sons, through their friendship with the two boys, have created in their mind a certain ideal of young manhood which will bear fruit later in life. From this you will not be surprised that we came to look upon the young men as if they were our very close relatives."
The consensus of opinion seemed to be that their different ways did not prevent close contact but rather increased it, as one hostess put it: "The very differences enrich the boys, as they necessarily must make them think." The majority paid no attention to the differences at all. They were insignificant in comparison with small, lovable traits and pleasant personal incidents which might be amusing Or serious, trivial or important, but which brought guests and hosts closer together and made them realize how much they had in common
This feeling was increased after the departure of the boys, when the hosts received letters of thanks from their parents. It added a new link to the contacts. Of course, some voiced their disappointment when they did not hear from the boys. It is recalled how one member of an organizing association rose and said that the visit had been of no use at all; he hadn't heard a word from his guests. Whereupon three or four other members immediately jumped up and told about letters which they had received, which proves that this world is made up of a variety of individuals, some more considerate than others.
Encouraged and made enthusiastic by their observations, several hosts would draw conclusions and throw glances into the future. It must always be remembered that these conclusions were based on observations of a limited number of cases, although founded upon personal experience. It prompted a host to write: "We got to know five or six boys intimately, aside from our own guest. If these boys are the normal type of American boyhood, the prospects of the white race look very promising." Another wrote: "I only wish these international visits would be of a permanent character, as it is my firm belief that an intimate knowledge of our near and distant neighbors derived through stays in private homes does far more good than a dozen Leagues of Nations."
The organizing associations and committees watched the outcome of the contacts in the individual homes very closely. It must have been a great relief when telephone messages or personal letters from members indicated satisfaction, and doubtless it was a real pleasure for the organization which had invited three hundred boys to be able to write this: "A week has elapsed and many boys have reported enthusiastically about the Danish families, whose hospitality is a wonderful experience to them. The National Housewives' Association (De danske Husmoderforeninger.) hereby brings its sincere thanks for hospitality and cooperation, for understanding and indulgence, to all the families who have opened their homes to our guests and made it possible for us to show to the boys of a mighty and big country what is the best in our country---our own homes."
But how did the public react? As there was hardly a paper, at least in Denmark, which did not carry stories about the visits, it was easy to find that out. Take, for instance, this sample from the leading paper of a Danish town:
"We call the people queer who are different from ourselves, and in that sense we must call the American boys queer as far as their appearance is concerned. Superficially speaking, it was a queer bunch which arrived yesterday in too long slouching paints, in big baggy slickers which were too big for them---and one had rubbers on! Suddenly it strikes you that his mother, against his protests, has implored, him by all means to put on his rubbers when going to the cold and probably rainy and snow-covered land. Mothers with us are like that, too; so maybe those Americans aren't queer at all, but just like people here. There was a boy who had the name of his town painted on his slicker in big letters. Sure, he must be queer! But no, he stepped forth and made a little speech, full of confidence and common sense, just as dozens of Danish boys whom I know personally could have done. There was nothing queer about him. It is the same all along the road through life. People who look different, people who have customs different from ours, are queer, and you watch them with suspicion and aloofness. Then, when you discover what is human in them, they are just like you and me. A mother's worries, a boy's confidence, it is the same here in Odense and in the whole world."
The reporters in the field had plenty to do, particularly on days when their own papers had arranged an athletic meet, a tea dance, an excursion, a lecture, or a students' gathering for the visitors. That the newspapers, regardless of political affiliation, added such special entertainments to the family and committee programs made the boys feel that they belonged to the towns and cities and not only to the homes. Time after time they were publicly referred to as "our boys." The fact that the visits had become of consequence to the thinking part of the reading public stirred the editorial writers to voice their opinions, of which two are presented in the following editorials, the former from a Copenhagen paper of conservative political affiliation, and the latter from the leading liberal morning paper:
"PRACTICAL REDSKIN INDIAN YELLS A couple of hundred American boys arrived here yesterday and made their entrance into the city with Redskin Indian yells. A peculiar mode of entrance, someone may say; or what's the use of their coming?
We admit that it is modern. Twenty years ago. the ways would probably have been very much more dignified when the youths of two nations had met. They would have made long, serious speeches and assured each other of the mutual friendships of the two countries, expressed the hope that the bonds which so far had tied them together would strengthen, and so forth and so forth.
And here these young chaps arrive most informally and drown the horn of our own big Atlantic liner with their yells, don't even address their own. ambassador with Your Excellency, but hammer his last name out in well-timed cheers and force their noisy way into our hearts.
There is something new but something wholesome and refreshing in the shape of the thought which Sven Spejder has undertaken to carry to victory---that it is no longer sufficient to have old white-bearded diplomats meet in conventions if the countries want to discover and understand one another. We must dig down to the bottom of the nations, as far as age is concerned, and let children and youths get to know each other. It is the old proverb, 'As the twig is bent the tree inclines,' carried through in a practical way and in a manner both delightful and useful.
Delightful for the boys, for, of course, not ten of them are imbued with the idea that now indeed we are going to strengthen the relationships of our two nations. No, sir. Their idea is that it is pleasant, interesting, and thrilling. Without knowing it themselves, however, their own young ears and eyes will soon make them grasp some of the attitude towards things and people of the other country and the results will be (or we shall be hanged!) that they get to like this hospitable land."
(Aftenposten.)
"AMERICAN AND DANISH BOYS On the initiative of the energetic and always enthusiastic Sven Knudsen, a valuable contact has been established between America and Denmark during the last two summers---valuable because it is building on what is most valuable for our future---youth.
At the present time Denmark is being visited by three hundred American boys who have been scattered all over the country, from Gjedser to Skagen. Maybe it is a little bit 'American' to call them boys, because they are actually young men for whom the visit unquestionably will be of lasting consequence, because they haven't reached the age yet at which they have become 'American,' as American goes in Europe. On the contrary, they are well aware that Americans are looked upon differently on this side of the Atlantic from the way they are looked upon in their own country, and they are willing to accept our conception if they find it right. They come here with open and receptive minds and, when they return home in a little while, they will take with them not only the impression of a lovely and friendly country but also the impression of a people. They have noticed and appreciated that America is not the 'one and only,' but that many, many miles removed are people whom it is worth while to take into consideration.
When they grow up, they will remember Denmark, and no one will maintain that this will be of any harm to us."
(Politiken.)
Great salesmanship! We can hear these words being whispered by people who are used to the ordinary terminology of business. Why not speak them loud? Certainly it is great salesmanship. But what is being "sold" except human contacts with fine people? For them there always will be a market, and no salesmanship can be too good to cover it.
"HERE is something to think over---would it help world peace to have the young people of one country spend their vacations in the homes of people of other countries?" This question appeared in The Rotarian of April, 1929, in an article which described MY FRIEND ABROAD'S International Interchange of Boys.
In view of the very close cooperation between the Rotary Clubs and the leader of My FRIEND ABROAD, his first contact with Rotary now seems amusing. On his trip around the world in 1921-22 he was invited to address a group of business and professional men. Eventually he found himself before the Rotary Club of Oakland, California, without ever before having heard or known a single thing about Rotarians or what they stood for. Right there at that luncheon he discovered their enthusiasm for ideals and their faith in the Sixth Object of Rotary: the advancement of understanding, good will, and international peace.
From the very start of the Interchange of Boys in 1927, two Clubs offered their cooperation so whole-heartedly and efficiently that they set an example not only to Rotary, but to other organizations. They were the Copenhagen and Aarhus Clubs, in Denmark, which extended the first invitations to entertain in private Danish families one hundred American boys. This aroused a great deal of interest among Rotarians in America. The Boston Club, for instance, invited the party members from Massachusetts to a luncheon and gave them an inspired send-off. President George F. Eddy introduced Mr. Robert Lincoln O'Brien, editor-in-chief of the Boston Herald and at present chairman of the United States Tariff Commission, for this farewell message:
"In the three minutes which your President has given me, I cannot advise you in regard to all the virtues in which you would like to excel, and so I will take the time to call your attention to just one thing, and only one, that I regard of very great importance for a group of American youth on their way to visit families in Denmark.
Do not boast about America! The people of Europe think that we are a nation of boasters, of know-it-alls, of 'smart Alecs.' To quite an extent this is true. They have a saying over there that you can tell an American when you see him---but that you can't tell him much!
Now I want you, young men, to avoid this pitfall. Do not tell those people over there how many automobiles we have, or how high the buildings are in New York, or how rapidly Chicago is growing; because they have heard other Americans tell all these things. It is, true that our pre-eminent material progress is marked and undisputed; but why talk about it? There are other things in the world in which we may very properly sit at their feet as students.
Do you realize that the average school child in every country in Europe, both on the Continent and in Great Britain, including Denmark where you are going, is two years ahead of the same child in America? Such is the fact. Their twelve-year-olds are studying what our fourteen-year-olds are here. Take the matter of language: you will go over there with only one language, just as I should go, if I were going; but they will all talk with you in English, and in three or four other languages, if necessary. Here is quite an accomplishment, and something that makes us look, by comparison, very backward. But it is typical of the cultural things, of the delicacies and the niceties and the refinements in which we are a long way behind them. And so long as this is true, it ill befits us to boast of our superiorities in material and mechanical progress.
One of the unfortunate things in the world is the inclination of each people to feel above all the others. We cannot help it. We all do it. But we ought to subordinate that feeling and disguise its expression. Yet look at our phrases which refer to other people---all of them uncomplimentary. Wouldn't you say that of a 'Dutch treat'? Of 'French leave'? Of 'walking Spanish'? Of 'Irish dividends'? And so on down the line.
But this feeling of superiority is very illogical. The Indians out on our plains feel superior to us. This seems queer, but it's a part of the same story. I had a friend who was out on a trip with a party of Indians in the wilderness, and when night came they made their beds on blankets under the stars. My friend worried about his gold watch, his money, and his other valuables, and to an aged Indian he communicated his misgivings as to their safety, only to receive this perfectly sincere and perfectly candid assurance: 'Absolutely safe; there is not an American within fifty miles.'
That was the Indian's picture of the person who could and would steal. That his own people would do so was unthinkable. We cannot blame the Indian for feeling this way or for feeling that his own people are more honest than ours, because we maintain the same feelings of superiority toward other people. But we ought to get over it. We ought to be internationally minded. We ought to rise above this feeling of superiority, and surely anything like an expression of it. No virtue becomes a man more than humility. Nothing has done more to enhance the reputation of the heroic Lindbergh, whom we are honoring this week, than the wonderful humility of spirit which he has exhibited at all times. Let this chivalrous son of the same Scandinavian peoples among whom you go be your own model in this respect; and as youthful ambassadors of good will, may you and he alike perform a wonderful service to our common human fellowship! Upon this opportunity which is before you, I felicitate you."
The arrival of the boys abroad was awaited in suspense. Mr. Ivar Jantzen, president of the Copenhagen Club, and Mr. Aage Sebbelov, president of the Aarhus Club, had appointed special committees, and Mr. Oxelberg-Lindhard and Mr. Einar Søgaard-Larsen, the secretaries, had been occupied for weeks with a thousand and one details. In Aarhus, Mr. Poul Hammerich, the chairman, had four subcommittees working on billeting, sight-seeing, excursions, and athletics; and in Copenhagen, Mr. I. C. Hempel as chairman had carried the burden of arranging a three weeks' city program, while the American Club of Copenhagen under Mr. John G. Ulrik, its secretary, had cooperated in selecting the host families. It was the first time that any organizations in Denmark had undertaken such an extensive arrangement for the entertainment of boys from across the Atlantic, and they wanted to make a success of it, although no one could know how Danish families would take to the visit.
The program was ready, and the first speech of welcome was delivered by Mr. F. C. Jacobsen, of Copenhagen. Striking a true note of sincerity, he said that he was sure the boys would bring a refreshing, breath from across the ocean, from the largest and richest part of the world; and that they would give to their hosts the best. of all---their youth and their bright spirits, in return for the hospitality and friendship of the Danish families., The Danes would try to give them an impression of their small but happy country, rich in old culture and national treasures. His and his fellow countrymen's natural misgivings were frankly stated in his concluding remarks: "Perhaps at times you won't find everything as you had anticipated, but we trust that you have the right international spirit---that is, to be able to understand, to be able to forgive. Try to understand our Danish temperament and ways and to take pleasure in things that please us, in order that your visit here may give the best results both for yourselves and your hosts in our mutual work for a better international understanding. Welcome to Denmark!"
The arrangements were carried through to perfection in accordance with the printed program, and daily (bulletins about additional activities were issued automatically to hosts and guests. Regular club luncheons were turned into grand occasions, and day after day the homes of the Rotarians were enlivened by the boys, who in return enjoyed the delightful atmosphere of Danish family life. Five weeks seemed to skip by like five days, and, on the evening of the final farewell banquet in Copenhagen, officers and members of the Club viewed with pride the big gathering. Not one note of misgiving, not the slightest doubt of the possibilities of the International Interchange, was noticed, and the happiness over the outcome of the experiment could not be held back, It must be put into words---and who could do that better than Mr. Jacobsen! As the host of one of the boys, as an officer of the Club, and as an expert in international business, he summed up in his farewell message what the visit had meant to him and his fellow Rotarians:
DEAR FRIENDS FROM ABROAD:
On behalf of the boards and the members of our clubs, I have been requested to address you tonight. I sincerely wish that I may be able to express some of the feelings which are in our hearts, now the hour is drawing near when we shall have to say good-bye to you. I am not going to flatter you, but just say a few simple and truthful words.
Some of you might remember that I welcomed you on the morning when you arrived in Copenhagen. I'm going to whisper a nasty little truth about that time---you need not pass it on to anybody---some of you yawned during my first speech! Well, I did not feel hurt. You had spent the night on a boat, and my speech may have been rather dry. My first impression already changed somewhat when you gave us a cheer, and after that morning it has changed very, very much.
I'll tell you a second truthful little occurrence. During a meeting of some of your hosts, a prominent member of our club said: "Well, I really think that my American boy is an uncommonly nice specimen." And he added, "I think they must have picked him especially for me."
I wish you could have heard the racket which followed. Every member at the meeting got up and behaved himself exactly as a mother would have done if another mother had said to her, "My son is a much better boy than yours." Yes, it was funny; but it was more than funny! I do not think you could have asked for a better testimonial from your Danish "father" than you received in this way.
It is a pleasure for me to state that I have not met one of your hosts who has not spoken with enthusiasm about his boy of "the friends from abroad." I most sincerely believe that the friendships which have been born between you and our homes, our children and their friends, will prove to be of great and lasting value, also in days . ...... to come. I can assure you that many a Danish father and mother will go home from your boat tomorrow with a feeling of emptiness because their boy has left them.
Well, I told you before that somebody yawned during my first speech. I will not run the risk that that same somebody shall cry during this my last. Boys, we certainly knew that we took a great risk when we invited you to come---the risk that the whole undertaking would turn out to be a failure. We, on our side, feel grateful and satisfied with the good results, and we want to thank you for your share in it. We will give you our very best wishes for your future, as well as for your voyage, and, from the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for coming. We want to thank you, because you boys who arrived here under the slogan "friends from abroad" can leave us now as "our friends from abroad."
An immense silver cup is now to be found in Copenhagen, donated by Mr. Daniel H. Havens, of Wallingford, Connecticut, whose son by sudden illness was prevented from going to Denmark. It was to be presented to the organization which contributed the most to the success of the trip. It is placed in the headquarters of the Copenhagen Club because it cannot be in two places at a time, or it would be also with the Aarhus Club. At any rate, it is where it belongs---with Danish Rotarians, who set the finest example in international cooperation.
The news of the success spread in America, Individual Rotarians read about it in newspapers; members of the group were invited to speak before Clubs; The Rotarian carried a richly illustrated story; and the leader was invited to address the International Rotary Convention at Minneapolis. On the background of his entire ignorance of Rotarians in Oakland in 1922, and not being a Rotarian himself, he considered it a distinct honor to find his modest efforts not only of interest to, but approved of by men whose specific object was the furthering of international understanding.
By this time the Rotarians had their sons all dressed up to go if there were any places to go. In the spring of 1928, invitation upon invitation from abroad came to the My FRIEND ABROAD Office. One cablegram said: "One hundred boys cordially welcome." It was from the Stockholm Rotary Club in Sweden. Another said: "Can receive two hundred boys. Oslo Rotary Club, Norway." They piled up from the Rotary Clubs of Gothenburg and Hälsingborg, both in Sweden. More came from other organizations and committees of several provincial towns in Denmark, and from the city of Copenhagen, for three hundred. There were plenty of places to go, and it was the pleasure of the leader to present part of the invitations directly to Rotary Clubs for the benefit of sons of Rotarians. It became a lively spring in the Boston office. Letters poured in from district governors and presidents, with requests for places in the party, and as the time of departure drew near telegrams appeared, merely saying: "Make reservations for ... " and then were given the names of two, three, or four boys. A check showed that the Rotary reservations amounted to ninety-five of a total of three hundred participants.
The headquarters of the Norwegian and Swedish Rotary Clubs were busy. They wanted to make as great a success out of the visit as the Danish clubs had done the previous year, and when the group arrived arrangements were complete. Dr. Wigert-Lundstrøm, president of the Gothenburg Club, sent Captain Aurell, a member of the special committee, to meet the Atlantic steamer in Norway and accompany one group on the train; while Mr. Ivar Wallin, the secretary, was in charge upon their arrival in Gothenburg. In Stockholm, Dr. Axel Enstrøm, the president, had enlisted the cooperation of the leading educators of the Swedish capital and appointed a special committee of Rotarians. Under the chairmanship of Mr. David Holmblad they did not miss a single opportunity to prepare a perfect program. In southern Sweden, the Hälsingborg Club, under president J. Baath and its most efficient secretary, Dr. Ivar Svedberg, added town entertainment to city hospitality. Oslo had invited two hundred guests, a number almost out of proportion to a population of 250,000 people. It was to the greatest credit of the Rotary Club and Mr. Hans Florelius, the president, and Mr. Sigvard Jorfald, the secretary, that it rented accommodations for a number of the guests when it was found out that not enough representative families were available. Rather than lower the standards of entertainment, they decided to spend a large amount of cash on the boys' comfort in the attractive Students' Club at Blindern. The Oslo Club enlisted also the cooperation of the Rotary Club of Skien, Mr. K. T. Bockman, president, and Mr. Harald Hanssen, secretary, and of the town of Rjukan in entertaining groups.
Whatever was done was painstakingly planned, and it encouraged the Rotarians that the boys were most grateful and cooperative; for instance, in Stockholm, where My FRIEND ABROAD was glad to undertake the whole financial risk of renting the Olympic Stadium and putting on a public athletic exhibition which received unusual publicity and reflected favorably, not only upon the boys, but on the Rotary Club. Cordial words were spoken at official gatherings and banquets, and it surprised and pleased the Norwegian and Swedish Rotarians that whatever misgivings they had had about the advisability of an exchange with America disappeared completely. It seemed as if the spirit of Rotary fellowship was a natural part of gentlemanly American boys. It gave good promises of the growth of the right spirit in the coming generations. The satisfaction with the boys was universal, and very well expressed in a radiogram received by the leader on the return voyage. It said: "Hearty greetings to you, the other leaders, and all the boys; thanks for your visiting Gothenburg, and good luck on your homeward voyage. Gothenburg Rotary Club."
While the boys were entertained in Denmark in 1928 under the auspices of various organizations and committees, the local Rotary Clubs found occasion to show how much their hearts were in the movement. In Copenhagen the Rotarians volunteered by entertaining a considerable number of the three hundred guests in their homes, primarily sons of Rotarians, and they gave a luncheon for Rotary sons; and so did the Aalborg Club. In Odense all the visiting boys were entertained at a Rotary luncheon; and at the final public function, the Copenhagen Club, in conjunction with the Tourist Association of Denmark, was host to a party of seven hundred Americans and Danes. Mr. E. Haderup, the president, could preside at this extraordinary gathering with a great deal of pride, and feel assured that if the Copenhagen Club the year before had not taken the first step for one hundred and one boys, three hundred would not have followed in their wake.
The Rotary parents in America were waiting for the reports, and so were dozens of district governors and club officers. In many cases they had had to sell the idea to fellow Rotarians, not because the club treasuries financed the trips---it was done by the individual parents, except in a few cases---but because they had often taken time at club luncheons to explain the movement before men to whom the idea seemed far-fetched. Indeed, they got reports. Dozens of boys appeared before the Clubs, and did it gladly, because they were so brimful of experiences that they could have talked for hours. All fall and winter, letters came to the MY FRIEND ABROAD office, with impressions of the effects of the interchange. There could be no better reading for those who have faith in human contacts, whether national or international, and in the ability of educated boys to establish contacts. This letter from Mr. John F. Smart, one of the directors of the Erie, Pennsylvania, Club is typical:
"I wish you might have been at our Club the day our four boys reported on their experiences while in Denmark. I think you would have been amply repaid for all the great effort which you have made. Their reports were interesting, enthusiastic, and showed that these boys were deeply impressed with their visit. Their reports indicated that they were there with their eyes open and were receptive to impressions. Their observations as to family life as they experienced it while in Denmark would make you proud of being a Dane, and they all expressed the wish that at some time in the future they may be able to go to Denmark to spend some more time there. Certainly they could not have been introduced to the country under more auspicious circumstances. I think this movement is one of the greatest conceptions for the creation of friendly feeling; for, while we of the older generations realize the growth of friendliness through Rotary, the coming generations are the ones who will have to promote what Rotary has started---and what better method could there be than the personal touch obtained by the exchange of boys yearly? It is a good thing, and Erie Rotary stands ready to do its part next year."
The happy results prompted Mr. Bill R. Manier, Jr., chairman of the Committee on the International Convention at Dallas in 1929, to carry the movement right into the center of Rotary. This is what he wrote after the convention: "Knowing of your plan for the interchange of boys and of its success, and appreciating how well it fits into Rotary's plans for international service, it seemed to me to justify an adequate presentation at the Convention. Accordingly, I sought to arrange for its general and theoretical presentation, which was done by Mahlon Drake, a member of the Boys' Work Committee of Rotary International, and for its specific concrete presentation in the instance by young Jack Whaley (a boy who had been on the 1928 trip). . . I personally was particularly pleased with young Jack Whaley's talk and with the really splendid reception which he received from the Convention." It was the privilege and pleasure of the leader to add his information about the Interchange in his addresses before half-a-dozen of the special Convention assemblies.
During the following years, Clubs were regularly invited to be represented on the trips, and in 1929 the Rotary Clubs of London, England, accepted the invitation to have a dozen sons of British Rotarians entertained in Denmark. The Chelsea Club of London, at a special luncheon, entertained the sons of American Rotarians on the 1932 trip. Wherever possible, it was the pleasure of the leader to have Rotarians impress upon members of his groups the Rotary interest in the development of international understanding. On several crossings of the Atlantic, Rotarians addressed them, as did Mr. Charles Hude, the district governor of Denmark, on his return voyage from the Seattle Convention.
The consummation of the cooperation with the Clubs was the First International Convention on the Interchange of Youth, held in Denmark in 1929. Encouraged by the possibilities of the movement and the results already obtained, the Rotary Club of Copenhagen accepted and carried through the plans of the leader of MY FRIEND ABROAD for a convention of all organizations, and individuals interested in promoting the Exchange of Youth. His Boston office was in charge of America's representation and received the most efficient and cordial cooperation of Mr. Chesley R. Perry, the secretary of the Rotary International headquarters in Chicago, to whom much credit is due that twelve American delegates attended the Convention. The MY FRIEND ABROAD Copenhagen staff was at the disposal of the executive committee, and was instructed to leave nothing undone to carry through this important feature of international work. The Copenhagen Club made a great success of the Convention, at which twelve countries were represented, and for the second time took the lead in the procession of the Youth of All Nations.
What happened abroad for several years happened for two successive years in America, when Clubs cooperated with MY FRIEND ABROAD in entertaining Scandinavian boys who came here on visits. The first was of Danish boys in 1928, and was meant to be a return visit directly to the families whose boys had been entertained in Denmark. Four Rotary Clubs, however, spontaneously "subscribed" to guests from abroad. The clubs in Atlanta, Georgia, and in Cincinnati, Ohio, each gave one boy a marvellous time in their private homes and at public functions; the Paterson, New Jersey, Club entertained two boys; and the one in Boston, Massachusetts, accomplished the extraordinary feat of entertaining twenty boys for five days.
In 1929 the Clubs which had been represented in Scandinavian homes were joined by a number of other Rotary Clubs in playing host to Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish boys. The American Clubs were as successful in their efforts as those abroad had been, and were glad to impart their impressions of the results to others. They are summed up in this letter:
"I want to take this opportunity, as President of the Paterson, New Jersey, Rotary Club, to thank you officially for the opportunity you gave us to entertain the two young men from Denmark. I believe that their visit to our Club and our city helped a great deal in causing our membership and citizens at large to appreciate the international character of the Rotary Movement and also to come to understand a little more intimately the splendid nation of Denmark. I purposely waited some time to write you in order that I might have the opportunity to appraise the value of the visit of these young men after a lapse of time."
This is not, however, the end of the united efforts of the Rotary Clubs and MY FRIEND ABROAD. A continuation of the successful beginning is planned, because the American Clubs wish to see further results. Only the financial limitations of families abroad during a world crisis are postponing further visits to the United States. MY FRIEND ABROAD has received invitations for one hundred and fifty Danish boys to be entertained by private families selected by Clubs all over the continent. Whittier, San Bernardino, and Pomona, California, have each invited fifty boys for two weeks. Salt Lake City, Utah, Denver, Colorado, and Kansas City, Missouri, have been waiting to entertain the whole group on its way east; and Springfield, Illinois, and Detroit, Michigan, have made preparations to join the hospitable cities. A ten-week trip is planned. It will take the group practically all over the country---to Washington, the Southern States, the Gulf , the Great Southwest, the Grand Canyon, and on the return trip from California through the Rockies and Yellowstone Park, the Prairie States, and finally from the big industrial centers of the Middle West to historic New England. It will open up all the beauty and wonders of the United States to alert and receptive boys from abroad, not coming as ordinary tourists but as welcome guests of hundreds of American Rotary homes. The hospitality will show them that America is a wonderful country and that its people rank among the best in the world.
"EVERYTHING seems to happen abroad, but I can't figure out how it's done," one of the boys said to the leader, and then he learned what machinery was required to carry through the visits. The entire organization centered in the Boston office, but whatever was planned had to be met with a response and be followed up by arrangements abroad. It has been told in another chapter how the Rotary Clubs cooperated. They were, however, only seven out of twenty-one organizations and committees in the movement.
The most important thing was the response to MY FRIEND ABROAD'S suggestions to invite boys to be entertained as guests in private families. They were made to national organizations, local committees, and individuals. A couple of replies are typical:
"Having learned that again this year you wish to bring American boys to Denmark, it is my privilege on behalf of the Danish Housewives' National Association to offer hospitality in Danish homes to four hundred boys and their leaders. It is a matter of course that the members, the majority of whom are mothers, will consider it an honor to be hostesses, and guarantee that the homes which will open up their doors are qualified in every respect. Truly, Carla Meyer, President."
And:
"The undersigned hereby have the pleasure to invite fifty of the American boys who this summer are coming to Denmark to a visit to Odense and vicinity. As soon as we have arranged for the billeting, we shall communicate further.
On behalf of the committee:
| SVEND NEUMANN, Governor. |
OVE SCHAFFALITZKY DE MUCKADELL, Baron | |
| R. ST. HOLBECK, Headmaster. | ERNST PETERSEN, Attorney-at-Law." |
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Invitations from local committees were received from Elsinore, Vejle, Bornholm., Aalborg, Horsens, and Odense---all in Denmark.
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In other countries, an association like Vereinigung Carl Schurz in Germany extended an invitation as part of its project for establishing contacts with America; and in Holland, the Netherlands-American Chamber of Commerce was prompted by a similar desire and associated itself with Vereeniging Voor International Jeugdverkeer (The Association for International Youth Exchange). In view of the international scope of the Boy Scout movement, it was natural for the Hungarian Boy Scout Association to sponsor an invitation from Hungary. In addition must be mentioned invitations from individuals for a total number of 238 boys and adults, in every case from personal acquaintances and friends of the leader.
The amount of time and the enthusiasm cannot be overestimated which the officers and committee members gave to the selection of the host families and the preparation and handling of the group programs. The leader was always convinced that nothing would be left undone in any city or town, and encouraged the boys to enter wholeheartedly into everything planned for them. He assigned to each group an adult assistant whose function was to give every possible assistance to the organizing committees. The familiarity of the foreign-born assistants with native customs was most helpful, and the American leaders familiarized themselves easily with local conditions. The leader himself, moreover, paid visits of varying length to all the places and was personally in charge of the cooperation with all the organizing committees.
Headquarters were established temporarily in several places, and always in Copenhagen, where for two years a permanent office was maintained in the University Club. In the office centered all the administration. In some cases it was simply a matter of discussing the programs which were planned by the clubs or committees, but in others the whole program was organized by the office. The secretarial staff brought along from America joined its efforts to those of the Copenhagen organization---Mr. Rasmus Naver and Miss Grete Wallach, whose efficiency and familiarity with native conditions contributed greatly to the effectiveness of the administration. The office would also be the place where the boys always could be sure to get whatever little assistance they needed and any minor medical attention. For the two groups of 1927 and 1928 Miss Leonor Field with her excellent qualifications as a graduate nurse, kept close watch on their health, which on all the trips was excellent, with the exception of three cases out of a total of six hundred boys. With the machinery set up, the leader had only to wait for the reports from the groups or individuals scattered in many different places. His pleasure can be imagined when telegrams came in from the assistants: "Everybody most enthusiastic; all well. Bockmann, Oslo." And: "Committee members wonderful. Bjerregaard, Aalborg." It proved that the machinery worked.
It would be impossible adequately to reward all the organizations, committees, and individuals who made the visits possible. It could not be paid for with money, and the very thought of remuneration for the family hospitality would be an insult to the hosts and hostesses. Their reward was the gratitude and the obvious happiness and enjoyment on the part of the boys. The only visible tokens left behind were the official MY FRIEND ABROAD badges, which in many cases were presented to the leading members of the various organizations and committees. In 1928 in Copenhagen the group wanted especially to honor Mrs. Carla Meyer, the president of the Danish Housewives' National Association, and Mr. V. A. C. Jensen, headmaster of the Elsinore Preparatory School, for the outstanding achievement of being responsible for the family entertainment of three hundred boys, the largest number ever to have enjoyed home hospitality in one city abroad. It was a pleasure to present them each with a silver cup.
The variety of the cooperating organizations, committees, and individuals abroad has shown that the interest in the International Interchange of Boys is not confined to special nations or particular associations, but is shared by all who have faith in the human qualities of gentlemanly boys.
