A Boy’s Bill of Rights, by Herbert Hoover

“There are two jobs for American boys today. One is being a boy. The other is growing up to be a man. Both jobs are important. Both are packed with excitement, great undertakings, and high adventure.“ —Herbert Hoover 

Herbert Hoover was acutely interested in the well-being of children (probably stemming from his own difficult childhood) and I stumbled on this “Boys Bill of Rights” that apparently he penned for an article during World War II. Take a moment to revisit his perspective on a thriving boy:

A Boy's Bill of Rights

Because boys must grow up into the land of realities, I think there should be a special Bill of Rights for boys:

1. Like everyone else, a boy has a right to the pursuit of happiness.
2. He has the right to the kind of play that will stretch his imagination, tax his ingenuity, sharpen his wits, challenge his prowess and keep his self-starter going.
3. He has the right to the satisfaction of that thirst to explore the world around him, every bit of which is new to him, and to explore the land of make-believe at will. 
4. He has the right to affection and friendship.
5. He has the right to the sense of security in belonging to some group. He is by nature gregarious, and the cultivation of that instinct will bring him many joys and helps in life.
6. He has the right to health protections that will make him an inch taller than his dad.
7. He has the right to education and training that amplifies his own natural bents and will fit him into a job he likes when he becomes a man. 
8. He has a right to a chance in getting a job.

These are the rights of boys and it’s up to us, as adults, to see that they have them.The glory of the nation rests in the character of her men. And character comes from boyhood. Thus every boy is a challenge to his elders. It is for them that we must win the war – it is for them that we must make a just and lasting peace. For the world of tomorrow, about which all of us are dreaming and planning, will be carried forward by the boys of today.

- Herbert Hoover

For the full (excellent!) article by H. H., check out this post on the Trail Life USA blog.