[Illustration: WHERE THE BOYVILLE NEWSBOYS’ ASSOCIATION WAS ORGANIZED, DECEMBER 25, 1892. _See Page 27_ ] There were but three officers, the president, vice-president and secretary. The two latter, newsboys. Jimmy the newsboy, and Johnny the bootblack, both leaders of gangs. These two boys were told that the success of the association depended entirely on their work. They had charge of the one hundred and fifty-two members. Their first orders were: “that each boy must watch the other boys and correct a fellow member for doing anything that would disgrace the association. They must not wait to see an officer to punish a member for stealing, swearing or playin’ o’craps. They must not depend on what they heard, but on what they saw. Take the law into their own hands, and punish on the spot.” The end of the first month found twenty-eight membership cards taken from boys who had violated the rule, “you must not steal,” and nine taken from boys who smoked cigarettes. The fines were from five to fifteen days. When the fines numbered fifty membership cards, the president made arrangements with a theatre to admit the members, permitting no boy to enter unless he showed his membership card. The boys who were fined, and did not have their cards, were dealt a pretty heavy blow, for boys. A little banquet was given and again no boy admitted to the hall without showing his card. This occasional hit had its effect in reducing the cards in the hands of the president to an average of about ten a month. CHAPTER VII. The membership increased so rapidly and the detail work became so extended, that it was found necessary to increase the number of officers, from two boys to eleven. The constitution and by-laws provided a Central Association, which was officered by boys who had experience upon the streets, as sellers and carriers. The vice-president gradually became familiar with the objects of the association, and the work among the boys. He was a typical newsboy, a good street-seller and his power was felt among the boys, especially those who were inclined to be bad. A secretary was elected from the ranks of the carriers. He was a good worker. The treasurer was a boy who received the unanimous vote of the association. The money he received was small donations, from benevolently-inclined friends. This was used for purchasing flowers for sick boys, etc. The real work of the association depended upon the executive committee of five members. Like most organizations, the committee-work centered in the chairman. The chairman of this committee proved to be one of the most active and faithful boys of the association. He left nothing undone in his efforts to unravel a difficulty or in correcting and building up a boy who had done wrong. The four boys on his committee were untiring in their efforts for the success of the association. This committee was in constant touch with the president.