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| The, Working
Lads' Institute & Home 279, Whitechapel Road, London, E. 1. FOUNDED 1876. |
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| Ex-Officio President THE RIGHT HON. THE LORD MAYOR. Trustees THE BOURNE TRUST CORPORATION, LTD. Committee Revs. W. M. KELLEY, G. AYRE, W. J. WARD, J. T. BARKBY, J. K. ELLWOOD, T. JACKSON, JAS. E. THORP, MESSRS. S. A. BUTT, ALFRED MAYNARD, T. PROUD, and F. A. B. GILTROW. Solicitors MESSRS. E. C. RAWLINGS, BUTT, & BOWYER, 2, Walbrook, E.C. 4. Auditors A. E. TURBERVILLE & Co., Chartered Accountants, 2, Essex Street, Strand, London, W.C. 2. Bankers BARCLAYS BANK, MILE END BRANCH, 234-236, Whitechapel Road, E. 1. Hon. Treasurer T. PROUD, ESQ., " Parkfield," Grove Park, Lee, London, S.E. Hon. Superintendent and Secretary, REV. THOMAS JACKSON, 279, Whitechapel Road, London, E. 1. Hon. Assistant and Probation Officer REV. JAS. E. THORP, 279, Whitechapel Road, London., E. 1. Court and Prison Gate Missionary MR. H. E. KINCHIN, 53, Carey Street, Leytonstone, E. 11. |
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| ANNUAL REPORT, 1927 The following account of the Annual Meeting appeared in The East London Observer: |
| Welfare
Work for East End Boys. Working Lads' Institute Meeting. Unique Presentation. Lord Mayor's Testimony. |
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| GREAT enthusiasm marked the Annual Meeting of the
Working Lads' Institute, Whitechapel, Road, on Monday afternoon, when the Lord
Mayor (Sir Rowland Blades), accompanied by the Lady Mayoress and the City
Sheriffs (Mr. H. Percy Shepherd, C.C., and Mr. Percy Vincent, C.C.), were in
attendance, and others present included Mrs. Shepherd, Mrs. Vincent, Mr. J. D.
Kiley, J.P., Mr. Henry Hill, the President of Conference (Rev. A. L. Humphries,
M.A.), the Rector of Whitechapel (Rev. J. A. Mayo, M.A.), Rev. J. E. Stern
(Stepney Green Synagogue), and the Rev. J. T. Barkby (ex-President of
Conference), Councillor J. D. Somper, J.P., Miss Hill, Mr. H. E. Kinchin, Rev.
J. E. Thorp, and Rev. J. H. Hirst. The occasion was of more than usual interest, for the certificate of the amount raised for the Jubilee Testimonial Fund on the completion of 50 years' work in the East End of London by the Rev. Thomas Jackson, the Superintendent, was handed to the Lord Mayor, and the Founder, Mr. Henry Hill, presented some unique souvenirs to the Institute. Miss Hill, the daughter of the Founder, presented a handsome bouquet of pink roses and pink and white carnations, subscribed for by boys from the Institute who are working on Devonshire farms, nearly all being first offenders, to the Lady Mayoress, who expressed her thanks for the token. The Superintendent's Report. The Rev. Thomas Jackson, who was received with applause, in giving his report of the year's work, said it was a special pleasure to have the Lord Mayor, the Lady Mayoress, and the Sheriffs at the Annual Meeting. At the birth of the Institute at the Mansion House in 1876, the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs then in office were present, and, with few exceptions, each year since the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs had honoured the Institute by their attendance. (Applause). The usual activities of the Institute and Home had been well maintained during the past year and the lads of the district had shown a keen interest in the facilities for instruction, recreation, and enjoyment provided for them. Gymnasium, swimming, indoor and outdoor games, summer camp, cinematograph, wireless, drill, rallies, and concerts were among the features of the past year's work. It was gratifying that the influence of the Institute, in co-operation with other agencies, had made the district free of hooligans, and there was ample evidence of the marked improvement in the character and conduct of the lads of the neighbourhood. Happily, the |
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 When admitted. |
 What he became. |
| Founder of the Institute was with them, and if those who responded to his appeal when the inaugural meeting was held 50 years ago, at the Mansion House, had been spared to see the results that had been secured, they would have felt amply rewarded for their gifts in support of the movement. The Home Section of the work had been most gratifying, the admissions for the year ending March 31st numbered 79, first offenders had been received from nearly all the Metropolitan Courts and from 31 Provincial Courts, some coming from as far as Armagh and Belfast (Ireland). Many expressions of appreciation had been received from justices, and applications for lads from the Working Lads' Institute and Home had become greater than they could respond to. In addition to the 79 lads admitted to the Home, 43 discharged prisoners and 18 Borstal cases had been successfully dealt with. | |
 Photo upon admission. |
They felt that by the labours of the past years they had contributed a not inconsiderable quota to the interesting and gratifying results indicated by the closing of 25 out of 62 prisons during the past 10 years, and the closing of 40 reformatory and industrial schools. They had not, as a community, reached ideal conditions, but there was no encouragement for pessimism in the trend of public order and morals. They deeply regretted the loss by death of two of the Committee, the late Mr. William Tyler, J.P., and Mr. Charles C. Maynard (treasurer), also a long friend, the late Sir Stuart Samuel, Bart., who was present at their last Annual Meeting, a few days before he suddenly passed away. The Jubilee of the Superintendent, the Rev. Thomas Jackson, who had completed fifty years ministry in East London, and that of the founding of the Institute occurred during the year. The proposal to present Mr. Jackson with a personal testimonial being declined by him, he suggested that a testimonial of £2,000 be raised and invested for the benefit of the work. This had been consummated, and the sum of £2,073 received. It afforded him the greatest possible pleasure to hand to the Lord Mayor the Accountant's certificate for the amount, which would be invested in aid of the work. (Loud applause). |
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| The Lord Mayor, on behalf of the Institute, then
received the certificate amid prolonged applause. The Superintendent submitted
the statement of account , which showed an income of £I,474/16/10 for the
year. He mentioned that this year they were eligible to make an application to
the City Corporation for a grant. |
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| Lord Mayor's
Address. The Lord Mayor, in his address, recalled a visit paid by himself and his wife to the Institute rather more than nine years ago, when he was senior Sheriff. It was also a great pleasure to remember the Founder of the Institute, Mr. Henry Hill, who had just celebrated his golden wedding. (Applause). |
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| The Report presented by the Secretary was one of much interest, and must be encouraging to the Committee and friends of the Institute. The recent successful jubilee celebration of the founding of the Institute, held at the Mansion House, was evidence of the appreciation of the good work accomplished and a testimony to the valuable service rendered by Mr. Jackson, its Superintendent, during his fifty years ministry in East London. The provision made for the enjoyment and recreation of the lads of the district supplied a wise and effective preventative influence against the evils that followed from street rowdyism, where such facilities were not supplied. The greater and more sympathetic attention paid in recent years by both public and voluntary agencies to the youths of both sexes was producing favourable results. In respect to the Special Work of the Institute Home, it was most satisfactory to note that of the 79 lads admitted during the past year, 59 were orphans and in necessitous circumstances. The success in placing first offenders in good situations upon Devonshire Farms and Yorkshire Mines was a gratifying feature. The appreciative reference of Mr. Clarke Hall, of the Old Street Police Court, to the valuable assistance this Home had rendered him in past years in securing suitable situations for boys from that court would be endorsed by Metropolitan and Provincial justices. It was valuable testimony to that and kindred Institutions, and the sympathetic treatment by the Magistracy of juvenile first offenders, that during the past nine years 40 reformatory and industrial schools have been closed and the value of the Children's Act demonstrated. He warmly congratulated Mr. Jackson upon the success of the effort for the jubilee Testimonial and for his disinterested | |
 Camp Drill. |
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| action in connection therewith, and he had hoped that
he had many years still before him in which to continue his beneficent work to
which he had directed his lifetime. (Loud applause). The Lady Mayoress then presented the prizes. Ingersoll lever watches were presented to the drill instructor and his assistant for faithful service rendered. Owing to another engagement, the Lord Mayor and Mayoress had to leave at this point, Sheriff Shepherd taking the chair. Mr. Henry Hill moved the reception and adoption of report. It was a special pleasure to have Sir Rowland Blades with them that day. He was full of good works and always gracious, genial, and courteous to everyone. The Institute had a past of which they were not ashamed, a present which was doing well, and it had before it a future. To-day they had not the same class of boys as they had 51 years ago, when they first began the work, but the principles of sympathy, service, and sacrifice remained the same. (Applause). Sheriff Shepherd seconded the motion and recalled it was the second time in seven months he had been present at a meeting of the Institute, the last being the jubilee meeting at the Mansion House, last October. He wished the Institute every success. |
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 Camping out. |
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| Sheriff Vincent, supporting, said everyone
reading the report must be convinced of the good work carried on by the
Institute. He expressed his interest in the work, referring to the Sheriffs'
Committee at the Old Bailey, which looked after the wives and children of
prisoners, a similar Society to theirs. The Rev. A. L. Humphries also supported. It was a pleasure to say a word in appreciation of the work Mr. Jackson and his colleagues were doing. He recognised the tribute paid in the fact that the chief Magistrate, accompanied by the Sheriffs, had honoured the occasion by their presence. The work was worthy of all tribute, for apart from its moral and religious value to the lads, it had economic value to the community. (Applause). |
| Mr. Hill then presented five unique souvenirs to the Institute,
expressing the wish that they might be kept there. The souvenirs consisted of
two silver trowels which had been used to lay the memorial stone of the new
building, in 1884, and the swimming bath, since demolished by the railway
company, and also the mallet and plummet used by the Lord Mayor to lay the
memorial stone, in 1884, and a visitors' book, in which the first signatures
were those of the late Queen Alexandra and King Edward, when they opened the
Institute, in 1885, and other royal names which had been added
later. Mr. Jackson accepted the souvenirs on behalf of the Committee, promising to keep them safely. He remarked that their Institute was so appreciated that they could almost leave the door open at night. (Applause). |
 One of our old boys. |
| The Rev. J. T. Barkby proposed a vote of thanks to the Lord Mayor,
Lady Mayoress, and Sheriffs. The Rev. J. A. Stern seconded in place of the Mayor of Stepney, who was unavoidably absent. They had been hearing a good deal about "red," but the red there that afternoon was of the right shade-the red of the Union Jack, the red of the civic robes, and the red of the rosy cheeks of the boys. Speaking as a Jew, he could never forget what the City had done for his people in breaking down religious and civil disability. It was the City of London which fought for this liberty. He congratulated Mr. Jackson on his jubilee, assuring him that he had many Jewish friends. The motion was carried with acclamation. After a short speech by the Rev. J. A. Mayo, the Rector' of Whitechapel, Sheriff Shepherd acknowledged the vote of thanks, promising to convey their good wishes to the Lord Mayor. The National Anthem terminated a notable gathering. |
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| The Work we do. | |
| By Jas. E. Thorp. | |
| At the Working Lads' Institute we deal with Orphan, Friendless, and
Delinquent Youths. This is to speak broadly. Not all orphan lads are alike :
delinquency may give evidence of real depravity or may be just the result of an
overflow of spirit. Usually it is due to faulty home conditions and lack of
discipline. If one set of rules could be applied to each case, and one method
of treatment, how much simpler our work would be. How often we have longed for some room or some machine or some other thing into which the lads could be put and at the other end they would come out decently clad, the kinks taken out of their minds and all evil out of their nature. As it is, we have had to deal with nearly 3,000 cases, each presenting its own problem, each requiring its particular expenditure of thought, sympathy, and money. A few illustrations will give some idea of the types with which we have to deal and the nature of our approach to solve their difficulties. The "City" is not densely populated except in business hours, but it has settled populations in certain areas ; that on the eastern side has a certain notoriety, and is a hunting ground for Sharps and Flats! G. C. B. came from there, his home had nothing to attract him nor content him, he was in danger of becoming a street prowler, through our efforts he went to the West of England and for 10 months did well, but he was not keen to stay on the land, so he returned, and again we found an opening for him, and from a kitchen porter he has risen to be one of the chief cooks in an important City restaurant. Step-mothers and step-fathers are not all bad, but it is a fact that many lads come to us after being driven from home by those whom the law may have made parents, but who are not prepared to assume parental responsibilities. C. C. was a victim of this ugly sort of step-fatherism. He was a provincial, and after being turned adrift wandered to London, where he was found sleeping in a cart "with no visible means of support." We were asked to take him in, and we did. That was a good thing for Cyril, and it has never caused us any regrets. He was placed on a farm in Devon and is there still. He intends to stop on the land. He has interested himself in the mechanical side of agriculture. He has made good and will make better. The War, of course, made orphans, and for years after the Armistice, Pension Committees, Social Workers, and Magistrates often sought our assistance, and many a war orphan found refuge at 279, Whitechapel Road. Among these was W. B., a native of our own district, who through lack of discipline and by reason of his own peculiar temper became a source of great anxieties. We were asked to become his legal guardians. So satisfactory did everything work out that the Pensions' Committee asked us later to take his younger brother, and later, two other youths. In many cases our Home shelters lads for a brief period only. We place them here and there in situations with opportunities to move on and work up into independence. Some have a more extended stay, and from school-leaving age to manhood have no other home but ours. The Home Secretary has recently said that his official experience has convinced him of the need of Hostels for friendless and delinquent youths. That need we have been meeting for nearly 30 years. We can claim to be pioneers in this service, and that service knows no distinction between Jew or Gentile. We only consider need and our resources to meet it. Not all respond to the endeavour to make plainer and easier the path of their feet,' but the percentage of success is encouraging and surprisingly large when the nature of the material is considered. |
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On behalf of the Committee, Hon. Superintendent and Secretary. |