The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-01-02


school education.
But change for the better seems to
be near at hand. Out of door sports
have evidently come to stay. l believe
that their popularity is due mainly to a
national instinct of self-preseryation.
Within the last year or two the number
of New England cities requiring gymnas-
tics in their schools has probably in
creased three fold. Our colleges are
every year giving more attention to this
matter of physical education.
Bowdoins System.
At Bowdoin college we have the sys-
tenn devised by Dr.. Sargent of Harvard
University. Each student is subjected
to a careful medical and physical exami-
nation, and then special gymnastic ex-
ercises are prescribed with the view of
strengthening the parts found to be
weak
This system is supplemented at Bow
dom by agraded plan of class work which
includes Military drill, Swedish Gymnas-
tics, Indian Club Swinging, Dumb Bell
exercises, Wrestling and Fencing
In giving any course of physical train
ing we must have several objects in view:
Q)-Exercise. There are many people
whose whole idea of gymnastics is COW
cred by this one word. Such people
propose saving wood as a substitute for
physical education.
(2)-Recreation. No system that fails
to make its exercises attractive can ever
meet with the highest degree Of sue
i cess.
(3)-The correction or prevention of
physical weaknesses or defects. In any
course of gymnastics for schools this OBJ
| ject should receive special attention.
i (4)-Another object is to secure coor-
dination between mind and muscles or
power of the brain to control muscular
movement. 1t is the lack of this coordi-
nation that makes people awkward and
clumsy.
GA course in physical training
should also give mental and moral train
ing. As for example by strengthening
the power of will and self control.
Spurious Gymnastics.
There is much that goes under the
name of gymnastics that totally fails of
the accomplishment of any one of these
ends. The physical training that figures
so largely in the catalogues of many of
our schools, often consists merely of GER
/ tain thrusting movements of the arms.
carefully arranged so that they can be
performed by young ladies whose corsets
are laced tightly about demonstrating
chiefly the muscles OF. the arms, which
in the average school child are relatively
| strong enough and letting the muscles of
| the back and waist severely alone. Such
exercises are so light and easy that they
do no direct harm, yet indirectly they
may do much damage to the cause of
| physical education, because from seeing
many people naturally jump at the con-
clusion that the whole thing is sham.
Dr. Whittier was followed by Mr.. M.
H. Small, principal of the Norway High
School. He thought that the methods of
the college in physical training could not
be followed exactly in the common
schools; but that there was great need
in those schools of system adapted to
higher needs.
Miss Jennie NJ. Colby, of the Gorham
Normal School, continued the discussion.
She believed that gymnastics in some
form should be used in the schools. In the
Gorham Normal School light gymnastics,
of the Swedish type, have been practised
for about two years. The young ladies
wear loose blouses for the exercises.
Music is used for the drills. The entire
school are required to take an average of
fifteen minutes of exercise daily for each
pupil The result has been most bene-
fetal to the general health and and car
riage of the pupils.
The Gymnastic Exhibition.
The gymnastic exhibition was very
interesting feature of the evenings pro-
gramme. 1t was novel sight for
Portland people; for the Portland
schools are behind the times in this
respect, and could not furnish such an
exhibition as was given last evening by
the ten young ladies from the Brunswick
High school. A small beginning has
been made in some of the Portland
schools; but so far the movement has
not received much encouragement. A
large proportion Of the city teachers
have petitioned for the introduction of
gymnastics; and Superintendent Lord
4Ieto OOSu VI Siug ~ LUZ lOLS lllile. IdSU
evenings exhibition cannot fail to at
tract general attention to this matter.
The Brunswick young ladies exhibited
the German system of exercise with
wand and pole, and the Swedish system
of exercise, as well as attractive ex-
ercises with rings, clubs and dombbells.
| Aside from the beautiful precision of
their movements, which were made with
piano accompaniment, the performance
was notable for the variety of easy and
simple, but highly beneficial movements
involved. There is nothing in the sys-
tenn that could injure the frailest, yet it
is calculated to develope tremendously
all the muscles of the body. The young
ladies were neatly uniformed in white
blouses and blue skirts.
Notes:
President e. p. Sampson of Saco made
an excellent presiding officer.
BY action of the association last eve
| niuu Council of the Maine Padaoocical