Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1903-11-10
1.-THE ATHLETIC YOUNG MAN,
ADDRESS BY REV. B. J. II. SHAW
Should BE Read by Both Young and Old--One Of the
Sunday Evening Themes at The First
Congregational Church.

you must DE aDle to think clearly and
deeply, it is process that demands
sustained thought, and that is depend
ent on health, it is health that gives
you this power to bear the strain of
prolonged thought. Taking this
broader view we see that athletics are
OF national Importance. 1t was for
this reason that Plato advocated in
his ideal Republic the exclusive use of
two whole years for gymnastics. That
might seem foolish, even criminal
waste of precious time, but he argued
its wisdom. The duties of citizenship
would be so exacting no one could full
I'LL them unless prepared by such a
thorough physical training. It is no
less the demand of these strenuous
modern times. Men break down every
day under the strain, not SO much
because our work is greater than that
OF our fathers as that we are less able
10 bear the strain, we lack the physical
stamina 1.-The power of endurance.
we waste our forces by one-sided use
OF life. The body is neglected. The
springs of life are exhausted. The
fountain OF youthful vigor is allowed
to dry up. Now you are learning how
to prevent this great disaster Athle-
tics bring you into close contact with
this source of life and power, you find
that 1T is an everlasting spring, that
there is in it renewal of strength for
your work. When tired you 90 and
recuperate yourself. The fountain of
lie is always open to you. God has
given you a world of sunshine and
pure air, it is full, Astounding in
vitality, its resources of power are
lnexhaustible, they flow into you with
every breath, you have only to learn
how to breathe to find the secret OF
strength.
The body then is sacred Seeing we
depend SO much upon it the care OF it
is duty. 1t is more than an IN
strument or machine, it is vital
part of us, life and power come to US
through it. In physical culture we
make the best of it. The training of
muscles is to bring the body under
the control of an intelligent will, to
make it the servant of wise purpose.
your body does not belong to you
until you have done this. 1t is yours
when you are perfect master of it.
Every movement in physical culture
has this end in view, there is a reason
for them, you are obeying law, you
are learning that health and strength
come by obedience to law, it is a
discipline of mind as well as body.
You must go through all these exer-
cises intelligently, know the reason
for them, see the good of them, enter
into them heartily, then we gain the
full benefit. The gymnasium in the
school teaches us that education must
include the whole life. We find that
the education of mind and body must
go on together, they must work in
harmony to realize the best results in
life. We are not in training to de-
velop muscles simply. The ideal
of the gymnasium is not to train you
for prizefghters or to win in great
contests on the race course or foot
ball field, they are to train men and
women for the work of life, to do that
work more efficiently, with greater
ease and pleasure. The body is for
the soul and all right training is to
help the man to do greater and better
work.