Sixteen delegates representing 350 members in eight Massachusetts cities and towns meet in Roxbury to plan the work of that state’s Young Workers League.

‘Massachusetts Hold Young Workers League State Convention’ from Young Worker. Vol. 7 No. 5. May, 1923.

The first district convention of the Y.W.L., Dist. No. 1 took place at New International Hall, Roxbury, (a suburb of Boston), that famous citadel of Communism, on Sunday April 15.

Comrade Louis Marks called the convention to order at 2:30 P.M. He was elected chairman and comrades Tamer and Libeck secretary and assistant respectively. Comrade Wm. Simons, Dist. No. 1, secretary of the Workers Party and comrade S.D. Levine, New England, representative of “the Freiheit”, Jewish daily communist organ of the Workers Party. Both these comrades were enthusiastically received and seated as fraternal delegates who, together with 16 regular delegates representing over 350 members from eight cities made up the convention. Three cities were not represented by delegates.

The Agenda of the National Convention was read and served as a basis for our deliberations.

The discussion and debates were brief, thoroughly analytically and to the point and no time was wasted. We did more WORK in our single session of four hours than other conventions do in thrice this time.

The spectators that were present (and there were enough to comprise a sizeable mass-meeting) displayed a keen interest in the proceedings from start to finish. The debate on the economic struggle of the youth was one of the outstanding features of the convention, and two important decisions were unanimously adopted; 1) That the Y.W.L. should launch a campaign (and co-operate with any organization) against the system of child exploitation; and 2) That the Y.W.L. should co-operate with the trade Union Educational League and other labor organizations in a campaign for the unrestricted admission of the Young Workers into the Labor Unions.

The question of militarism brought out some interesting discussion. The pacifist attitude toward this vital youth problem had no chance of raising its head, and the militant-the communist opinion prevailed and important decisions were adopted accordingly.

A complete revolution was in our attitude toward the question of Education and educational methods and following this problem came also the question of recreational and sporting activities, etc.

It was the unanimous decision of the convention that the Y.W.L. should organize Junior leagues and appoint capable comrades to supervise this important work, which is but an apprenticeship organization of the children in preparation for the real communist activities of the Y.W.L. and then into the adult communist movement.

The organization of shops and school nuclei was endorsed and the method of reaching many thousands of young workers by the use of the Workers Party Press as outlined in a paper submitted by Bloomfield, of the Y.W.L. of Worcester was unanimously adopted. On the question of International affiliation, it was decided to maintain our present status with the Y.C.I. After electing comrades Louko, of Norwood and Marks, of Boston, as delegates to the National Convention, the foundation for an active Y.W.L. in this district was built with the election of five active comrades to serve as our district committee.

All the delegates reported splendid work being done by their branches. Our district is entitled to four delegates, but in sending only two, we will be enabled to send the surplus money to the National Office to be used for organizational work.

The convention adjourned at about 7 P.M. in usual communist-youth spirit and the singing of the International. The delegates then hastened to catch their trains; for Monday morning the old alarm clock yanks us from bed and the whistle blows us in to work–but the communist ideal is ever with us.

The Young Worker was produced by the Young Workers League of America beginning in 1922. The name of the Workers Party youth league followed the name of the adult party, changing to the Young Workers (Communist) League when the Workers Party became the Workers (Communist) Party in 1926. The journal was published monthly in Chicago and continued until 1927. Editors included Oliver Carlson, Martin Abern, Max Schachtman, Nat Kaplan, and Harry Gannes.

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/youngworker/v2n5-may-1923-yw.pdf