The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-05-24
is MENACED
BY ATHLETIC CRAZE
Posse Warns Against Participation il
Match Games by Growing Boys Binford
Addresses Child Welfare Conference on
Rural Schools as Social Centres.

Quite the feature OF yesterdays SEES
sions OF the Virginia Child Welfare
Conference. crowded as these meetings
were with papers from the country's
experts on the care OF the normal aud
the abnormal child. was the address
OF Baroness Rose Posse, OF Boston
president OF tho therapeutic branch OF
the American Physical Education AS.
sociation. Tho subject taken by the
Baroness Posse was The Effect OF
Physical Training on the American Ma
tom
Her address was repleto with well
turned and thoughtful phrases de-
signed to catch and hold the attention
OF the audience. She said what she
thought. without modification OF Ian
suaEe out putting her words where
tney would do the most good M
American Mistakes.
The baroness deplorcd the low aver
age OF human life in the United States.
This she attributed to too much food
too much drink. too much s,raining
for excitement, too much theatre going.
too little exercise, too little sleep. and
too much expenditure OF nervous force.
High among the deplorable signs OF
the times she put the craze for ath-
letics among growing boys. She
thought 1t calamitous for boys to strain
themselves for excellence In physical
prowess when not wisely directed ac-
cording to their abilities.
Further, in reply to question from
the audience, Baroness Posse said She
thought the practice of match games
between intermediary and high schooi
teams to be distinctly mistake. She
wen, SO far as 10 say that the print
ing OF pictures of boys in papers in
connection with prowess In athletic
matters 10 be bad for their morals
In word, she defined this phase
OF the question In American life. as
applied to tho growing boy. as TOO
little physical training and 100 much
athletics" iNE 9a
Throughout her remarks were a
rational lines.
Work for Hurni Schools.
One OF the most interesting OF the
addresses of yesterday was that de-
livered last night on The Rural
School AS "a Social Centre" by j. II.
Binford. executive secretary OF the
Cooperative Education Association of
Virginia, Mr.. Binford said the ,coun-
try communities need the group idea.
He did not think they wanted to So
cialiEe tho church. but that the solu-
ton was the sociallzing of the rural
school. The country church he said.
leadership. due to the movement to
the cities
He described the ideal country
school-with beautiful building ana
grounds, good teachers, u proper
course of study with special adapta-
ton to farm life, school leagues and
literary societies and athletic teams,
In which the patrons become Interested
and are brought into contact with the
lives of the children and with their
neighbors,
At the morning session vigorous
attack on the conduct OF certain kinds
of hospitals was led BY DR.. H. H.
Hart. OF the Russell Sage Founda-
ton. and DR.. D. S. Freeman. OF Rich
mond They argued that the mortality
was too high In them, and that the
mother, no matter what the ciroum-
stances of her case, should be made
tn realize her obligations and be
forced to nurse her own child.
Richmond Far behind.
Or. j. a. c. Chandler. superintendent
of the Richmond schools. presided at
last nights meeting He compared the
amount appropriated by this city to
the schools, in proportion to the total
revenues. showing 1t to be about the
smallest in the country-averagi cling
about 10 per cent, when to keep IN
with other cities OF It's size ii should
be about % per cent.
Another speaker last was Dr. L. r.
Royster. chairman OF the School Board.
of Norfolk. He argued that so per
cent of the children who are now
Obliged to repeat their grade because
they did not finish 1t ut the proper
time. are behind because of some de-
feet which can be corrected Among
these troubles are Observation-Disclosures.
ENJ@ E~HD