Mr. Henry B. Roney

              1915

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MR. HENRY B. RONEY
For 25 Years Trainer and Manager of Roney's Boys Concert Company, now permanently disbanded, Presents His New Lecture
BOYS, FROM CRADLE TO MANHOOD


BOYS, from CRADLE to MANHOOD
LECTURE BY HENRY B. RONEY
For 25 Years Trainer and Manager of Roney's Boys Concert Company
This lecture covers the moral, educational, physical, business, social, musical and religious training of boys during the character-forming period, being the condensed experiences in training the 10,000 boys who have passed through his hands and been under his instruction.

My Experiences with Ten Thousand Boys and Their Parents might be a better title for this new lecture on the Boy Problem, for when one has heard Mr. Roney's presentation of the subject, the Parent Problem may seem the rightful title.  For it is a fact that he has trained in music and handled this army of boys of all ages, sizes, creeds, conditions, degrees of refinement and culture during his long and active life in the teacher's field.  When but a boy himself at fourteen years he was teaching other boys, as well as grown up people of twice his own age.  He trained choruses numbering hundreds of children while yet a boy in his teens, and had a wider experience with boys before reaching his twenty-first year than most people have in a lifetime.

Nature, or the fates, seemed to have cut out this work for Mr. Roney without design of his own, and though the musical direction of adult choirs, choral societies and private teaching of grown pupils in voice, piano and pipe organ, have always absorbed a large part of his time, the care and training of boys has been a life work that has grown more and more important and absorbing to the present moment.

His activities as organist and choirmaster of Grace Episcopal Church, Chicago, for ten years; as musical director of the National Peace Jubilee at the close of the Spanish-Cuban war which enlisted the services of sixty-three Chicago church choirs and twenty professional quartets; as musical director and manager of the great choir festival of the Chicago (Episcopal) Diocesan Choir Association, given at the Auditorium with a chorus of thirty-three trained choirs of twelve hundred church singers—eight hundred boys and four hundred men, and as trainer and manager of Roney's Boys Concert Company, have kept his professional work and interest centered in boys, their education and welfare.

Roney's Boys started in 1888 with the advent of Blatchford Kavanagh, a little Chicago boy of princely beauty and a seraphic voice, which has not been equalled either before or since his time.  Although prior to this Mr. Roney had trained hundreds of boys, Blatchford was the original Roney Boy, so called, and a member of the concert company which has since become a household word in nearly every city and town in the United States.  Multitudes of talented boys, trained by Mr. Roney, have since followed in Blatchford's footsteps, and have traveled all over the country as Roney's Boys Concert Company, gladening the hearts of millions, and inspiring many thousands of young boys and awakening them and their parents to the possibilities of artistic musical achievement, vocal and instrumental, to which they might attain by proper training.

For a quarter of a century Mr. Roney has trained and managed this company of boy-singers and players, and at the end of the Silver Jubilee Tour, August 31st, 1913, the strenuous work of twenty-five years came to a close, and he permanently retired the youthful entertainers and sent them to their homes in different states from Pennsylvania to California.

For a lifetime Mr. Roney has mingled with boys in a close relationship, trained them, traveled with them, lived with them, counseled them, possessed their confidence, moulded their characters, shaped their lives, and been their guide, counselor and friend.  He has had an opportunity afforded in no other way, of thoroughly knowing boys, their faults, frailties, temptations, needs, good and bad qualities, sweetness and manliness, untruthfulness and meanness, as few persons can know them, least of all their parents, and also of knowing these same parents, of whose daily lives, habits, manners, principles and modes of speech and thought the boys are but the faithful reflection.



SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT—Mr. Roney will be accompanied on his lecture tour by one of his most highly trained boy singers, who will give a Song Recital in costume, in connection with each lecture.  This will not only prove an attractive feature, but will serve to illustrate the possibilities of a boy's education on the musical and artistic side, as shown in the higher cultivation of boys' voices.




It is therefore with a confidence born of long experience, and a thorough knowledge of the subject that Mr. Roney offers this lecture to communities which stand for progress, enlightenment and moral and social uplift.  The whole life of a boy in its every phase from the cradle to manhood, will be dwelt upon—his mental and physical development, self-will, selfishness, untruthfulness, carelessness, forgetfulness, disregards for the rights of others, gang spirit, proneness to go wrong, temptation, and the causes and remedies for them; and on the other hand his nobility and sweetness of character, ingenuousness, love of home and mother,—all will be covered in the analysis of the modern boy, and a way pointed out of every difficulty.

The growing boy is the most tremendous problem of modern times.  No political or social question before the American people approaches it in importance.  The future fate of the country, our very national life, hangs upon the moulding of the boy of today.  Never since the birth of the Nation has the growing boy been beset with such temptations and complex influences which undermine his health, his purity of character, and his faith in the Divinity of Christ.  Never have his natural guardians and protectors been so lax and blind to his true interest, present and future, nor so neglectful in watchfulness to shield him from bad influences.

This neglect of the growing boy is the father of all crimes, and the parents who so neglect them are the greatest criminals of the age and ought to be in the penitentiaries.

There will be no mincing of words in this presentation of Mr. Roney's views on the boy training question.  Parents who do not like to hear plain truths concerning the rearing of their children would better remain away.  The responsibility for the curses which rest upon our boys and young men—extravagance, keeping bad company, dishonesty, lack of ambition and high aims, false pride, cigarette smoking, use of liquor, coarseness, impurity, licentiousness, immorality—will be placed where it rightfully belongs—upon the shoulders of thoughtless, careless, ease-loving, neglectful parents.



As to whether Mr. Roney speaks with authority on this subject, his experience in training 10,000 Boys and the following appreciations might serve as evidence:

ABILENE, KAS.—So delighted were our people with Roney's Boys concert that our Board of Education requested that Mr. Roney give a matinee Friday P. M., and they ordered all the schools closed that every child might have an opportunity of hearing the boys.  Mr. Roney's talk before our High School was not only interesting and entertaining, but highly instructive and elevating.  Would that all boys and girls in our land could hear him.—J. H. NEISLEY, Sup't of Schools.

OIL CITY, PA.—The second appearance of Roney's Boys in our city eclipsed everything, and thereby demonstrated the magnificent skill and fitness of Mr. Roney to train boys of their tender age to entertain the cultured and critical audiences they come before; and the good results that come by tiding such an army of 10,000 boys over the critical period of their lives, building splendid character for manhood and usefulness cannot be estimated.—MRS. L. L. JOHNSON, Pres't W. C. T. U.

PULLMAN, WASH.—Roney's Boys concerts and Professor Roney's talks make the evening one of great educational value.—CHAS. A. BARRY, Chairman Faculty Committee, State College of Washington.

BARABOO, WIS.—Permit me to express my own appreciation, as well as that of our teachers and students, of your interesting and inspiring address, I wish that it might be possible for every High School teacher and student to hear you speak on the subject of Music.—H. A. WHIPPLE, Sup't of Schools.

LOS ANGELES, CAL.—We were not prepared for the very great surprise in the high quality of music given, and the splendid rendition of the same.  I believe it to be the unanimous opinion of the faculty and students of the University of Southern California that in addition to the delightful entertainment the lessons learned from the exhibition of what can be done with young boys are of immense value to us all.—GEORGE T. BOVARD, Pres't of the University.

LAKE CHARLES, LA.—Professor Roney lectured to over 750 of my pupils, and it is difficult to say which gave us the greater inspiration—the concerts by Roney's Boys or the lecture.  Certain it is that both left a lasting impression.  The educational value of such a performance cannot be estimated too highly.—CHAS. GRANT SHAFFER, Sup't of Schools.


Letter to Mr. Roney from Judge Ben B. Lindsey, Judge of Denver Juvenile Court and Member of National Child Labor Committee:

The other day at Indianapolis, a handsome, splendid young fellow came up to speak to me after my address and told me he was one of your boys who had taken dinner at my house with Roney's Boys at the time you were here.  He spoke so beautifully of you and what you had meant to him and his success in life, which he attributed almost entirely to your guidance and direction.  It was a great tribute, one that should make you glad every day you remain in this world, that you lived to be responsible for so many magnificent young men.

It is one of the things that quite reconciles me to the attacks being made against me for championing you and your boys, and other boys like them from the injustice of some of our Child Labor friends, whom I cannot regard but a little short of fanatical in their unreasonable and unjust demands.

Having come in contact with you and the boys personally on some of your travels, I can cheerfully testify to the splendid moral influence and training they receive under your direction.  I know it is to the advantage of any boy to be with you and to be privileged to take part in your work, for the moral training they receive is quite as helpful as the wonderful training of the musical talents they may have.

I have had an exceptional opportunity to know, even better than the average citizen, how deserving are the splendid recommendations you have had from the very best people in this country, from the President down.





HENRY B. RONEY'S TIMELY LECTURE BOYS FROM CRADLE TO MANHOOD AND SONG RECITAL IN COSTUME BY ONE OF RONEY'S BOYS

STOCKTON, CAL.—Those who heard Roney's Boys sing last night felt something that was in the nature of a revelation.  Every man and boy in Stockton, who did not hear them last night is poorer this morning.  As an example to the Boy Scouts, who were well represented, Roney's Boys could not be improved upon nor does the work of Roney offer any suggestions that may not be listened to by the mothers and teachers in the land.  Roney has a great knowledge of boys.—
Record.


ST. PAUL, MINN.—One gets a faint idea of the care and extent of the instruction Mr. Roney must have bestowed upon young Blatchford Kavanagh to make him so perfect in all the musical methods common to the best singers in the world.—
News.


OMAHA, NEB.—It was only to be expected that the Boyd Theatre would be packed to its utmost capacity.  A visit from Mr. Roney and his musical neophytes is of very positive value to a city from a musical standpoint, because he is an apostle of the legitimate, the artistic, and the refined in concert work.—
Omaha Bee.


BURLINGTON, IOWA.—The training of Master Kavanagh's voice has been something rarely paralleled in the annals of music, and to Mr. Roney's skill in the art of instruction must be offered a goodly portion of the thanks of the multitudes who have applauded Blatchford Kavanagh's wonderful talent.—
Gazette.


DENVER, COLO.—In all the praise bestowed upon this wonderful boy-singer, Blatchford Kavanagh, one must not forget the head which planned and the hand which directs—those of Prof. Roney.  His accompaniments are not only graceful and artistic, but partake of the same depth of feeling which lifts Master Kavanagh so far above the average of human achievement.—
Times.

GRANVILLE, OHIO.—Mr. Roney spoke today to about 250 of our High School students on the subject of Music.  The speech was practical, helpful and instructive, besides being grandly ennobling in its character.  Our teachers and students gave him an unanimous vote of thanks for it.—G. W. LEAHY, Sup't of Schools.



COACHING LESSONS—Mr. Roney will be able to devote some time at his studio in Chicago, and also while en route lecturing, to giving special coaching lessons in concert and church singing, style and repertoire, and in church organ playing, and in the testing and examination of voices.  Terms and full particulars upon request.  Write in advance to Chicago address, 558 Wellington Ave., or phone Graceland 10301, or care general delivery in towns visited.  No charge for testing boys' voices, two or three of whom will be received as pupils, if especially talented.



RONEY'S PROCESSIONALS A COLLECTION OF HYMNS SUITABLE FOR ALL OCCASIONS COMPOSED BY HENRY B. RONEY


1
In His Rude Manager Bed.  Words by Thos. C. Roney.  (Christmas)
. 10


2
The Coming of the King.  Words by Thos. C. Roney.  (Festival or Christmas)
.20


3
Welcome Happy Morning.  Hymn 109.  (Easter)
.10


4
The World Itself Keeps Easter Day.  (Easter)
.10


5
Alleluia!  Sing To-Day.  (Easter)
.10


6
Stand Up for Jesus.  Hymn 582
.05


7
A Few More Years Shall Roll.  Hymn 203
.10


8
In the Light of God.  Words by Thos. C. Roney.  (Lent)
.10


9
Beyond the Smiling and the Weeping.  (Requiem March)
.10


10
O Father, Thou Who Hast Created All.  Hymn 325, A & M. (Baptism)
.05


11
O Little Town of Bethlehem.  Hymn 58.  (Christmas)
.10


12
Downward Pealing from the Height
.10


13
O Brothers, Lift Your Voices.  Hymn 579
.10


14
In the Hour of Trial.  Hymn 340.  (Lent)
.05


15
Lord, Who at Cana's Wedding Feast.  Hymn 237.  (Wedding)
.05


16
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year.  (Words for both occasions)
.05


17
Tender Shepherd, Thou Hast Stilled.  Hymn 248.  (Burial)
.05


18
It Came Upon the Midnight Clear.  Hymn 59.  (Christmas)
.10


19
I Think When I Read That Sweet Story of Old.  Hymn 562
.05



Nos. 12 and 13 are not yet published.

Above entire collection will be mailed on receipt of 50c.  Discount in quantities.

The following additional compositions of Henry B. Roney will be mailed on receipt of price



A Song of a Throstle.  (Soprano)
.40


Easter Song.  (Soprano or Tenor)
.50


You, My Sweet.  (Lullaby Song)
.30


Unfurl the Flag.  (Song and Chorus)
.20


For God Our Hosts Shall Stand.  (Song and Chorus)
.20


Spread the Starry Flag on High.  (Male Quartet)
.25


Roney's Chautauqua Choruses.  A superb collection of the finest choruses, secular and sacred
.50


Roney's Processionals and Recessionals.  Seventeen marching hymns for all occasions.  For the entire collection
.50



Battle Song of the Chicago Young People's Christian Temperance Union, with fine engravings of Frances Willard and the Woman's Temple.

Specimen copies mailed by the publisher on receipt of the marked price.  We do not desire to open credit accounts; please send money with order.  Discount in Quantities.

Address HENRY B. RONEY, Publisher, 558 Wellington Avenue, Chicago.  Long Distance Phone, Graceland 10301.



IN PREPARATION—A new treatise on the rearing, moulding, education and training for life's work of the boys of today, entitled BRINGING UP THE BOY, by HENRY B. RONEY.  The book covers every phase of the Boy Problem from the cradle to manhood, and points a way out of every difficulty.  It is the most exhaustive treatment of the boy question ever presented, and is the result of thirty-five years' experience in training and handling 10,000 boys.  It will contain an elaborate treatise on the training and higher cultivation of boys' voices.



Designed and Printed by
FRANKLIN C. HOLLISTER
500 SHERMAN STREET. CHICAGO