The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 83

The Mark System. IV

The Mark System. IV.

T he following are the Rules for Boys' Marks and Pay recently approved by the Committee of The Boys' Home, Regent's

Marks.

Every boy in the Home can earn by good conduct a mark each day. After a quarter's probation, he can, with these marks, earn a red star each quarter, and four stars will be exchanged for a red stripe. On earning a stripe and another star a boy becomes a G. C. B. (good conduct boy); on earning two stripes and a star he becomes a Truro boy, if he be over fourteen years of age. Two red stripes will be exchanged for a silver one.

Pay.

(a) Spending Money.—One penny a month will be paid on each star, but no boy will receive a monthly payment of more than eightpence a month.
(b) Trade Money.—In addition to the marks mentioned above, every boy of fourteen years of age or over will be able to earn either one, two, or three trade-marks each week, to be given by the Master of his shop, according to the excellence of his work. Por every trade-mark earned twopence will be added to the boy's bank account, to be given to him after he leaves the Home: one-third at six months, one-third at nine months, and one-third at twelve months, provided ho maintains a thoroughly satisfactory character.
(c) Extra, Outfit Money.—Two shillings a month will be put away from the time of a boy becoming a G.C.B.; and four shillings a month from his becoming a Truro boy. This money (called 'extra outfit money') will be spent on additional clothing (or on tools) after the boy has left the Home, partly at the end of a month and partly at the end of the first year. Those who enter the Army bands will receive this money in cash, in four half-yearly payments. It must he distinctly understood that the 'extra outfit money' (as well as the 'trade money') will he withheld for a time, or altogether, if the hoy's character he not perfectly satisfactory;all the above pay being entirely under the control of the Committee.

This 'extra outfit money' is in addition to the clothes with which a boy is furnished at the time of his leaving the Home, usually of the value of £2 10s.

Forfeits.

If a boy lose four out of the twenty-eight marks for a month, half his month's pay will be stopped; if eight marks, all his month's pay; if twelve marks, his Sunday out will be stopped. If twenty marks be lost out of the quarterly eighty-four, no star will be given; if thirty be lost, a star already earned will be taken away.

By the above Rules a boy's earnings may amount to a sum varying from £5 to as much as £10, according to his length of service, beside the spending money that he will have received in the Home; but to do this both work and conduct must be good throughout.

Each quarter a list will be put up showing every boy's account of earnings as 'trade money' and 'extra outfit money.'

These Rules will begin from 1st of January, 1885; meanwhile, every boy of over fourteen who has two red stripes and one red star is to be reckoned a Truro boy; every boy who has one stripe and a star, a G.C.B.