Perhaps because of the high degree of inbreeding, the South has always been particularly susceptible to religious fundamentalism in various guises. The recently released records from the Assemblies of the Divine Church, which flourished in the South from 1870 to 1920, reveal a grim obsession with and fear of _s_e_x_. Masturbation among boys, in particular, was viewed as something to be prevented at any cost.

Bulletins published by the Assemblies frequently ran an ad for the "Dr. James Bowers' Schools for the Control of Untoward Habits Among Boys". In the records of the Davison County Assemblies Headquarters in Nashville was found the following letter written by David Hallows to Dr. Bowers. David Hallows was one of Dr. Bowers handpicked followers chosen to administer Dr. Bowers policies at a school of his in Humboldt, Tennessee.

The letter, dated June 18, 1911, follows:

Dear Doctor Bowers,

It with joy that I can report on the successful implementation of your remarkable policies for the school year ending this June. It would make your heart proud if you could see this years graduating class of 57 boys. Their very smiles at the graduation ceremonies attested to the program's success in conquering the demons that had possessed them, and which required their parents to place them in our Humboldt school.

This year's class, as you know, was our largest yet at 57 boys, ranging in age from 11 to 17. Some of the highlights and innovations of this season follow:

In September at the orientation ceremony I announced my new liberal policy - that the boys would not need their arms tied to the sides of the bed railing at night if they chose to wear a chastity device instead. The chastity devise allows for total movement in one's sleep, and for some it provided a comfort level for sleeping that was not available to them when being required to sleep on their backs all night with their arms tied to the sides of the bed railings.

But surprisingly, not all the boys opted for the chastity devise. Nine boys elected to have their arms tied. The new shipment of improved chastity devises from the Clarise Company proved wonderfully efficient in preventing what they were designed to prevent, and I know the boys welcomed them in their hearts, as another tool towards staying on the straight and true path of purity.

Because they are quite elaborate contraptions, what with all the straps and locks, I was required to hire two extra young ladies from the community to assist in the morning's bathing ritual, when the chastity belts are removed, and in the evening preparation for bed, when they are put on the boys. Spirits were always kept high at these times by the cheery presences of the the ladies I hired for the task, selected from a very large pool of willing applicants.

In October there occurred the first major disciplinary action, an event I always dread as much as the guilty culprit, but which I know must be dealt with summarily and severely, and by public example, so that one boy's falling can assist the entire group. A lad, Michael Davis, was caught at the toilet having just completed an act of debasement. Even though the bathrooms contain no doors, and all the toilets are free standing, out in the open, and on raised platforms, we just do not have the staff to monitor every situation.

Young Mr. Davis, 14 years old, was hauled in front of a hastily called assembly, and justice was swiftly delivered. He was stripped of all his clothing, and held in a standing position facing the assembly with his arms pinned behind his back by my intern, Phillip Karls. Then the director of sports and games, the powerful Lloyd Everson, strapped his buttocks until three goals were accomplished: Mr. Davis was reduced to hysterical screaming, there was a sense that the consequences of self-pollution was understood as real and serious among the assembly, and the buttocks of the culprit were chastised as forcefully as possible just before the breaking of the skin.

I am happy to report that that event had the intended results, and in general an attitude of joyful purity was established once again among the boys.

In December I introduced for the first time a new technique designed to help the boys end unwanted tumescence. As you have discovered, in your pioneering work with wanton boys, when a lad is tumescent, a beating on the buttocks can, in many cases, have the opposite of the desired effect. Rather than forcing a return to purity, it goads some lads to higher excitement. You will delight to hear my solution, and am certain, when you hear of my success with my new technique, will soon implement it in your other schools.

In the morning, when the boys are awakened and all lined up nude waiting to be bathed, is when tumescence is most rampant. In a typical lineup of my 57 nude boys, more than half of them at any given time will be tumescent. In the past we used to force the tumescent boys to stand in tubs of frigid water, but in this enlightened age we know that that approach was perhaps too harsh.

The new procedure is simply this. The matrons in charge of the baths simply go down the line, and order all of the tumescent lads into the pre-bath area and then they are commanded to start exercising. We have tried various exercises on the tumescent lads, but the ones that have the best results are either running in place, at a furious pace with arms swinging, or else jumping jacks. The lads are simply not allowed to stop moving and proceed with their bathing until they are back to a pure condition. It is surprising, but even the most rampantly tumesced boys will simply deflate within one hour. And for most it is usually just a matter of no more than 20 minutes.

And, of course, with the entire staff coming and going down the halls in the pursuit of their work, the added humiliation of being so clearly on display adds to the boys fervor to think pure thoughts and thus hasten their move on down the bath line.

Not only does this procedure end the problem of tumescence, but has the added benefit of keeping the boys in good physical condition.

But the highlight of my year came in March, when a lad, Daniel Clinton, 17 years, came to see me in my office. He had just stopped by, he told me, to thank me for saving him from a life of vile self-pollution. He confided that he used to do it 4 times a day (I tremble to think of that level of debasement!), and that now it had been 7 months since he had done it. And he simply wanted to thank me. It is a moment like that, dear Doctor Bowers, that I know our work is indeed blessed.

Ever so sincerely yours, David Hallows