British Columbia Youth Parliament - History - Origin

Origin

Like most other Youth Parliaments in Canada, the BCYP has its origins in the "boys work" movement of the YMCA of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. "Boys’ work" was meant to answer the need for activities for young men who worked by day but were idle by night. Various programs came and went, often incorporating a dominant YMCA philosophy of the "four-fold" development of the physical, mental, spiritual and social well-being of the person, based upon Luke 2:52: "And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men."

Taylor Statten, a Boer War recruit who joined the YMCA as a means of continuing his physical fitness activities upon military discharge, was driven by his ambition to design a proper boys’ work program with the Toronto YMCA, attending various national boys conferences. In 1912, Statten became the Boys’ Work Secretary on the national YMCA executive. Borrowing from both Canadian and American YMCA programs, and aspects of the Boy Scouts, Statten established the "Canadian Standards Efficiency Training" program, a system of graded tests where boys passed from one level to the next. These standards were borrowed from the "four-fold" philosophy.

Under the CSET program came the Trail Rangers (boys 12 - 14) and TUXIS (ages 15 – 17). A similar program for girls known as the Canadian Girls in Training were formed a number of years later. The popularity of the CSET program was such that boys’ work soon became a virtually separate movement within the YMCA

In 1916 Statten embarked on a "Coast to Coast Tour" to promote the CSET program, which included a stop in Vancouver. It was on this tour that Statten first envisioned a national boys conference, modelled on various regional conferences promoting boys’ work. Statten believed in letting the boys determine their own priorities, and his idea soon developed into the concept of a boys’ Parliament. However, the National Boys’ Work Board considered this beyond their capability, at least during the Great War, which was being waged at the time. Fortunately, the Ontario BWB was interested, and Statten organized the first Ontario TUXIS & Older Boys’ Parliament in 1917.

Due to the program’s success, Statten encouraged the involvement of the churches, in order to reach even more boys in Canada. Various Protestant churches became involved, and a National Boys’ Work Board was established with an executive body made up of YMCA and church representatives. In 1921 an independent Boys’ Work Board was established, as the YMCA preferred to take a lesser role in a movement that was diverting too much attention and resources from other Y programs.