Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-11

The work of the local high schools in the
physical training they are giving to the
girls is meeting with success. Today when
the sweet girl graduate" receives her
diploma she has had the advantage OF the
thorough physical training In the school
which she has attended, and will therefore
be better able to endure the trials of life
than she would have had she not had the
advantage OF this physical training which
she has received during her high school
life. Many people claim that the young
girl should not be allowed TO take
gymnastic exercises, but some of the
younger girls develop into clever bas-
ket ball players, and after a short time in
the work their prowess upon the athletic
field Is readily shown.
The running broad jump seems to just
suit the majority of girls who take the ex-
ercises in the local high school gymnasiums,
and many have developed this form of
athletics to a great extent, and sport
could not be found which will do the aver
age high school girl any greater benefit.
The throwing of the base ball has come In
for Its share Of popularity. and many of
the girls take. particular delight In at
tempting to make record throws with the
sphere. The only reason the young girl
does net throw farther than she does is the
IACI InaI Sne does not throw the Ddll over
handed like the opposite sex, where She
can bring all of the muscles of her throw
ing arm into play, but rather prefers to use
the underhand swing, which all base ball
players and others who have a knowledge
OF the game declare Will never aid her to
any material extent in defeating any rivals
In any contest which she may ever engage
in. Then there Is the girl who throws the
ball with long overland swing, and she
invariably throws 1t a greater distance than
her sister who nSpd the other throw.
In the high schools every girl is required
TO take physical instruction OF some sort,
and is not excused unless upon the advice
of a physician, is the rule in Gallaudet
College. Mrs. Walton the director of ath-
letics, believes that each and every girl
should take some sort of physical training,
as it better prepares her for the school
work she must undergo. She believes that
II the girl Is not strong enough TO DO some
forms of the work she may be able to do
other forms, and in this way bring her
general health up to the standard so that
she may be able to undertake the same
physical training as Is being kept up by
her sisters in the school. During Mrs. Wal
toms term of service, which has covered a
period of thirteen years, only nine girls
have been excused from physical training.
Two of these were from the Business High
School, one from the Eastern, three from
Central and three from Western. This is
a remarkable record.
The annual measurements are held in
May and June, and this year Mrs. Walton
states the weight of the girls fell off
alarmingly, and she can only account for
this decrease on account Of the hard study
that they must engage in between the
holidays and the final examinations. To
offset this the director thinks that II the
school board would order a short vacation
during the mid-lenten season much good
IN this direction would be accomplished.
The work of the director is handicapped by
che lack of gymnasiums in the high
schools so that the girls may be given the
proper exercise in the apparatus work. The
only gymnasium is located at the Western
High School, and the girls of this school
have an advantage over those of the others
to great extent. In the Central School
the accommodations are such as to nearly
cause the, girls of that institution to be-
come discouraged with the work, but of
late several plans have been advanced for
an addition to be made to the buildings OF
this school. the same to be used for gym
nasium purposes.
All of the work now being done in the