Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-26
CHOICE OF OFFICERS
Action by Department of Su-
perintendence, N. E. A.
W. H. ELSON PRESIDENT
Next Convention to Be Held in
Oklahoma City.
RECEPTION AT WHITE HOUSE
Address by DR.. Luther Gulick on
Physical Well-Being Of
School Pupils.

The annual election of officers was held
at the session of the department Of super
intendence of the National Education
held this morning in the Met
ropolftan Memorial Methodist Episcopal
Church, John Marshall place northwest.
w. H. Elson of Cleveland was elected
president. David B. Johnson of Rock Hill.
8. c.. first vice president: Miss Ida Ben
der of Buffalo, N. Y. second vice pres.-
dent. and A. c. Nelson of Salt Lake City.
Utah. secretary
The selections were embodied in the re-
port of the nominating committee. COM
posed of Messrs. L. D. Harvey of Wiscon-
sin. H. H. Seeley. Iowa; William II. Bar
tholomew. Louisville, Ky: Miss Belle
Chamberlain. Boise. Idaho, and Henry
Snyder of New Jersey.
At the conclusion of the election the re-
firing president Of the convention. Frank
B. Cooper of Seattle. Wash. announced
that the selection Of the next meeting
place was In order.
Delegate Cameron thereupon presented
Oklahoma City as the largest city Of its
age in the world"
After eighteen years" he said. I'VE
have a population of $1,000, forty miles
of street cars and the same number Of
miles of paved streets" In conclusion
he urged the delegates to come to the
new city. Rochester, N. Y: Albuquerque.
N. NJ: Chicago and Buffalo were also
presented. The retiring secretary. George
B. Cook Of Arkansas. called the roll Of
the convention, and Oklahoma City was
chosen. The winning city received los
votes to 81 for Rochester. N. 7.
The Washington Chamber of Commerce
then extended the use of its rooms In the
Brentano building to the association men,
purposes. The session ended at 10 O'Clock.
General Subject Discussed.
1.-The Nurture and Protection Of the
Physical Well-being of Public School
Pupils" was the general subject of the
session. DR.. Luther Halsey Gulick. d.
rector Of physical training of the New
York Public Schools, made the opening
address, in which he declared that the
children Of the schools today should be
given more exercise during the school
hours.
During the past century and to an in
creasing degree within the past quarter
century," said Mr.. Gulick. "the school
has had thrust upon 1t a fundamental
new problem and a new responsibility
fundamental because education Is not
flee Of health: new. because only recently
has education come to dominate the great
bulk of the child's waking time. If the
permanent result Of these new condi-
tons is not to be the appearing Of gen.
Grafton Of physically undesirable citf-
Gems. the school must see to it that the
health interests of the pupils are as en-
ergetically and as efficiently looked after
as are any other parts of the school work.
This involves the creation In school sys-
30 ~~kw
or some other organization for the ado
quate care OF this set of needs.
Among the reasons for the organizing
Of department of school hygiene within
each department of school education the
may be stated as a fundamental
length of the school year and the changes
in the character of the child's physical en-
vironment make attention to physical
health necessary now as 1t never has been
before. The schools do not differ from
other institutions in having undergone
One hundred years ago per cent Of the
people Of the United States lived in cities
Of 5000 or more population. Now SO per
cent of the people live in such cities.
Then children had three months
schooling per year; now city children
Then the recesses were out-of-doors: now
only a limited number of city schools have
space in which children can have OUT
door games. Then practically all of the
pupils had to walk considerable distances
to and from schdol; now city children
have to walk few blocks only. Then
there was large variety Of outdoor mus
cular work for the children to do on the
farm and In doing the chores. milking
the cows. getting the horses, caring for
the poultry and tending to the garden:
Then in the schools there were taught
chiefly reading. writing and arithmetic:
now. because of these changed conditions
Of daily life. 1t has been found necessary
to introduce into the schools muscular ex-
ercises. manual training, nature study.
we had children helping their parents:
now we have child labor.
Contrast Pointed Out.
Continuing. Mr.. Gulick said: "All these
make profound contrast between former
conditions and those which obtain now.
re are told that IS or 30 per cent Of the
school children have eye deformities SUM-
GENTLY serious to interfere with their
school progress. 1t Is the general opinion
that this condition is SO directly related
to the unwise treatment Of the eyes In
school life.
SIT has been discovered that a very
considerable percentage OF the children
have such difficulties with the nose and
throat as to interfere with proper circu-
lation or proper respiration. A very large
number Of children do not have such care
at home as insures their coming to school
cleanly in person. The hearing of quite
a number Of children is below par. SO that
they fail to take advantage Of much of
the oral instruction that IL given. Some
of the children develop crooked backs. or
scoliosis; occasional charea have been dis
covered.
Sensational stories have been told with
reference to the malnutrition of city
school children. Allowing for all the ex-
aggeration that there may be. 1t Is un-
true that there Is q remarkable
number of children who because Of un-
wise feeding or of insufficient feeding are
in a condition Of vitality too low to profit
by school education
mr. Glllick than decla red the schools