The Washington times., 1908-07-25

Scenes Of athletic activity. such as
have hardly ever been witnessed in
Washington are daily being enacted. AT
every playground today small boys of
all ages are running, jumping, and haul
ing themselves up on the horizontal
bars.
And all because Of the announcement
this morning that those who passed the
standard test would be awarded a
championship button which would mark
the proud wearer as one who was a
young athlete
Immediately the news spread. AS
though victory depended on their get
ting into shape today instead Of any
time during the summer the boys went
at it, and by tonight they will be tined
and stiff, with aching muscles which
no amount Of liniment will relieve.
Eligible Up to 10.
All boys Up TO sixteen years Of age
are eligible. The test requires that the
boys reach fixed records in running.
jumping, and pulling up on the bars.
Every boy in Washington rs to get one
Of those coveted buttons, and the fact
that at the end Of the season there will
be preliminary tests and a grand final
grounds. has melted them to great ef-
forts that they may bring the banner
of liberty back 20 their particular play
ground and nail 1t to the top of the
fagpole-
A small boy about twelve years Of
age was the first to notice the placards
announcing the tests and tournaments
sat the Virginia avenue playground this
morning. He gazed at it for a long
time. At last he comprehended its
import, and let out yen that would
have done credit TO an Apache Indian.
Como on. fellers, he cried at the
top Of his voice. See what's here
we're goin' ter get buttons-hurrahi'
And right then and there they started
TO get IN shape for championship but
tons, which are awarded any time they
pass the test. and still more. to secure
that championship banner at the final
tournament
Supervisors Of Tests.
Henry S. Curtis, supervisor Of the
Fairgrounds under the direction of the
Washington Fairgrounds Association,
and Physical Director Richard Williams,
will direct the tests, which Will be held
at all the Fairgrounds.
Elaborate sets of rules governing the
conduct of the tests. the preliminary
contests and final tournaments have
been prepared by Mr.. Curtis and Mr..
Williams. The preliminaries will be
held next Thursday, when twelve play
grounds will engage in athletic rivalry.
The remarkable results of the use of
the standard tests are shown In the
number Of Washington children who
passed them during the past three
years In 1905, when the tests were
adopted, not a single child was able
to do the three stunts successfully.
year, 1S4 in 1906, and sos in 1907
II is expected that this year the num-
Der will reach the 1000 mark, and the
playground officers have secured 1,4O0
ords for playground athletics were
broken, and. judging by the great in
terest and the hard work of the boys
this year, II is expected that these viii
be improved upon.
Contests Next Thursday.
The school contests next Thursday
viii be held as follows: Virginia ave-
nue. playground, at Rosedale: Juvenile
court, at North Capitol and L streets;
Ross school, at INDUSTRIAL Home School; |
Towers School, at Fifth and L streets;
Howard at Cardozo; Masruder, at
Fourteenth and c streets.
'I believe that no movement more
beneficial 10 the children of any city in |
the world has ever been inaugurated /
than this playground movement with
the great athletic activity" said Su-
pervisOr Curtis today. Not only does
IL develop the lungs and muscles of |
the boys at a time when devolpment
does the most good. but the moral ef- |
feet on the boys has been remarkable ]
Last year, by a system Of fning. we
abolished the guying Of the losing team.
the throwing Of stones and names. This |
year there will be an enormous Increase
IN athletics among the boys, because
OF the championship buttons and the
nter-playground contests"