THE   'O.N.B.'   AND   'GIOVAXI   FASCIST!'         137
in the Church, at home, and In juvenile associations a non-Fascist
or only partly * Fascistized * atmosphere. It was of primary
importance to disband as many as possible of the associations
not depending on the Government or the Party, and to assign
to some official organization some task which made it important,
if not essential, to educational life as it existed at the time.
The law of 3 April 1926 provided for the foundation of O.N.B.
* for the physical and moral education of youth'; further details
for the administrative and * technico-disciplinary' organization
of the O.X.B. were given by the Royal Decree of 9 January 1927,
while as early as 19 April 1926 another decree had already supple-
• mented the law issued t\vo weeks earlier with drastic measures
regarding other organizations for youth.
The law of 3 April 1926 included the following provisions.
The new institution was open to boys and girls under eighteen;
they were free to join it and to ' benefit' from it. The former
organizations of the Balilla and Avanguardisti were to depend,
from now onwards, on the O.N.B., and would have a proper
military structure; they would be commanded by officers, and the
rules for discipline would be determined by the Prime Minister
in agreement with the Minister of War and the General Com-
mander of the Fascist Militia. The Avanguardisti would receive
mainly military instruction, and four years of active membership
in the organization would exempt them from further attendance
at pre-military courses. The O.N.B. was allowed to found, or
to contribute to the foundation of, institutes for the assistance
of youth; an existing body might receive financial support from
it; the authorities managing scholarships might be compelled by
the O.N.B. to give preference to its members in the assignment
of grants. The leaders of the O.N.B. were entitled to promote
reforms in other institutions for youth, so that they might be
brought within the framework of the official organization. The
O.N.B. was to be financed by associates, individuals, or bodies,
through bequests, and by the State; a grant of a million lire a
year would be given by the Ministry for the Interior. The
administration was entrusted to a Central Council, appointed by
the King on the advice^of the Prime Minister; the head of the
Council (Presidents dell'O.N.B.) must be a Consul-General of the
Fascist Militia, and the members must include representatives
of the Ministries of the Interior, Finance, War, Marine, Air,
Education, and National Economy, the Militia, Gymnastic
Federations, and the CO.N.D.J Local committees under the
control of the Central Council would be set up in every province,
and, under the control of the provincial committees, in every
commune.