Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-12-11
Group From Nearby Towns
Gather Here Saturday to Dis
cuss Questions Of Interest
FOOT BALL SUBJECT is UP
concensus Of Opinion is That Game is
Not So Hazardous as It Is Detri-
mental in Its Moral nfluence-Favor
Changes In Rules, However - High
School and College Inspection.

A meeting of a group Of superinten
towns, members of the superintend-
ents and principals section OF the Iowa
State Teachers Association, was held
in this city Saturday at the office Of
Superintendent e. L. Coffeen A great
many questions of interest to the school
men were discussed, included among
which was the subject of foot ball. The
investigation of high schools and COL
leges, according to the lines recently
advocated in a letter by Superinten-
dent Coffeen and Principal Brumbaugh,
was also taken up and fully discussed
The foot ball question was discussed
from all sides, and the concensus of
opinion appeared to be that the haz
ards of the game to physical danger
were minimum in importance when
compared to the morals accompanying
the game as it is now played. The
superintendent and principals present
all favored a modification of the rules
for playing the game, so that it will
not be SO hazardous, and will advocate
that the board of control of the state
athletic association take some action
to eliminate the moral evils accom-
panying the game. Too much profess
sionalism is brought into the game, in
the opinion of the high school men, and
the sporting element is allowed to take
a too prominent part in placing wag-
ers.
Another point raised was that col
leges in Iowa are making too strenuous
bids for high school boys who are
prominent in an athletic way. One
case was cited where a school in the
state was holding out inducements to
pupils to admit them to freshmen
standing on twenty eight credits, when
thirty are required under ordinary cir
cumstances. This gets the high school
boy into college in the middle of the
year, leaving high school perhaps a
year, and at any rate, a half year be-
fore he should, and by the time the
foot ball season rolls around the col
lege gets around the freshman rule in
its new material for the foot ball team.
Other Subjects Discussed.
The subject of reading was discussed
at length, and wherein the subject was
weak in the schools was shown. Meth
DDS to be employed In strengthening
it were suggested. One of the chief
points brought out was the need OF
stronger literary appreciation on the
part Of the teacher in the grades. More
attention should be paid to oral read
ing at home, as the practice is de-
clared necessary because there is In
sufficient time in school to devote to
that part of the work. Better grading
OF literature and making it better
adapted to the age and comprehension
Of the pupil, was also advocated, and
the opinion was that at the present
time the grading was too high.
The discussion Of the high school
and college inspection, according to the
outline OF Superintendent Coffeen and
Principal Brumbaugh, showed that the
and principals were
heartily in sympathy with the Plan The
reports received from the letters were
gone over at length, and a resolution
wa 8 adopted recommending that the re-
suits of the investigation be embodied
In a paper for the Iowa State Teach
ers' Association, to be prepared by Mr.
Coffeen.
Those present at the meeting were
Henley, Of Grinnell;
Of Montezuma; Clevinger, OF
Brooklyn, and Coffeen, OF Marshall
town; and Principals Griffith, OF Grin
nell and Brumbaugh, OF Marshalltown.