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Modern Youth

Youth in the individual is the period of growth, as distinct from the decades of fulfilment and decline that follow. In the broadest sense, it extends from the cot to the meridian of life—from the beginning of understanding to the end of physical and mental development.

Despite the war, it is no small privilege to be a youth in these present times. More is known about the means to health than ever before—and the means are more generally available. Education is of a higher standard, and is more widespread. No child of the present day (we hope) goes in fear of the bogey men or the dark. Superstitions are less prevalent; all ghosts have been laid; and every encouragement is given for youth to avoid the inhibitions that, in the past, tended to produce unbalanced mentalities.

The present is a time of rapidly-changing standards in ideas, books, behaviour. To be a leader in the future will call for greater physical and mental plasticity and resilience in the individual than he ever possessed in the past. Hence it is important that the training of youth should be so arranged that it develops an open-minded attitude to many things previously regarded as immutably established.

More important than “change and decay” to the present generation is the change and improvement proceeding all around us—a condition that the youth of today inherits.

As his mind develops, some philosophy of life must be adopted by the typical human product of our times. His imagination, that great “precursor of reason,” looks out, from the world he sees, upon the infinite realm of possibilities. He comes to know that the real joy of life is in using some personal faculty to its highest point of perfection for something better than purely personal ends. This means that happy living lies in both doing well and well-doing.

The true philosophy of youth sees all activities related to each other—each individual doing his part in the joint work of the world.

A young railwayman of the present day is better than the railwayman of an older generation to the extent that he sees his work more clearly as part of the nation's industry, rather than as a mere effort in moving someone or something from somewhere to somewhere else.

So we observe youth—healthier, less hampered, more informed, freer-minded than his predecessor. And to his hand are facilities—for travel, relaxation, change, comfort, mental stimulus, and physical and spiritual enjoyment—more plentiful than were ever available to the youth of any former generation. More particularly is this true of New Zealand, with its sunshine, its scenery, and its advanced standard of living conditions.

War, the ending of war, the establishment of permanent peace, and the fuller life of the future are all in the hands of youth. May the young people of the present day make the best of the opportunities that the good fortune of their birth in the present century bestows.

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