Keith Alley, age 13, of Dekalb, I11., for his question:

WHEN DID THE BIG BROTHERS ORGANIZATION START?

Big Brothers is an organization of men from all walks of life who volunteer to help fatherless, emotionally troubled and delinquent boys with guidance and companionship. The pioneer group of this type, called Big Brothers Inc., of New York, was founded in 1904.

Many other groups were formed in cities throughout the world. Then in 1946, the Big Brothers of America was founded in Philadelphia to coordinate the activities of the various Big Brother agencies in the United States and Canada.

The group is basically nonsectarian. However, in areas large enough to be served by several organizations, the major religious denominations are associated with separate organizations, such as the Catholic Big Brothers and the Jewish Big Brothers.

Trained social workers employed by the organization investigate the cases of boys who have been referred by schools or social agencies or have appeared before juvenile courts. The boy is then introduced to a Big Brother, who takes a continuing personal interest in his welfare.

All Big Brothers are screened before being accepted into the program. The social worker continues to work with the boy's family.