New-York tribune., 1912-03-03

the nutrlment bestowed by the watering
cans Of public sympathy with school ath-
letics, and passes none on to the girls
branch. In other words. compared with
tnat part 81 the Public Schools Athiet'
/ League which looks out for the boys, the
girls branch Is dreadfully hard up
! At tho last annual meeting OF the girls
branch. held on February % at the home
OF Mrs James Speyer, Mrs. Alfred Seton
Post, president OF the girls branch; DR..
Luther Halsey Gulick, at whose suggestion
/ the league itself was formed. and other
speakers bewailed the fact that it IS so
much harder 10 raise money for girls attn
/ lctlcs than 1t is for boys athletics.
This" Mrs. Post said IN her report. lis
| partly owing 10 the mistaken idea that
girls do not need exercise. Because of this
mistaken idea, while thousands OF dollars
are given annually to the boys branch Of
! the league, while men OF all classes give,
freely for athletics for boys. II has been
with the greatest difficulty each year that
we have raised the small sum with which
| to carry on our work
Well" DR.. Gulick told the girl branch
when his turn came TO speak. you will
need TO do To the boys branch what al
most every intelligent wife has To do to
her husband. which is, to show him shat
! II she has to appeal for money he must
not appeal for both and then expect her
| to appeal separately. That is what the
boys branch has done. They have appealed
for all. and then they expect your branch
| to make separate appeal. L think that
! has been due partially to a natural mis-
I ,IudarGt udiupr which aiNyaVa hqVa
| with reference TO whom tho money be-
longs We are gradually learning better"
Miss Elizabeth Burchenal. executive sec
retary OF the girls branch, says that there
is no doubt that a good many people give
| to the Public Schools Athletic League under
| the impression that their contribution will
benefit the girls branch equally with the
boys branch.
often" she told The Tribune reporter,
| "a man or woman who is asked TO help our
| cause along Will reply: Why. l have al
ready sent you check'-and the check was
| to the boys branch. That Is one disadvan-
tage We have in trying to raise funds to
| give our city girls some chance for health
| ful play and exercise. Another disadvan-
! tage, of course. is the fact that 80 many
| people are only just beginning to see
some haven't seen yet-that girls do need
athletics"
why don't they see it,"
We'll" said Miss Burchenal, almost
every man can look back to an active boy
hood. He belonged to baseball nine, and
he went swimming and did all kinds OF
things, and when he is asked for money
to help the boys of to-day 10 the same ad-
vantages he recognizes it as a call TO
which he should respond. Women, as
Iule have a different childhood to look back
TO: consequently they don't have the same
appreciation OF the need OF athletics for
the youth OF their sex And men don't
see the need of it for girls as they do for
boys"
isn't the fear that athletics is physi-
cally harmful for girls one large factor In
this slowness to contributor
III is "A factor, no doubt When one
speaks of girls athletics people imme-
dlatey think of girls baseball mines. and
big jumps, and hard races. They needn't
be afraid. The games and exercises of
our public school girls baseball mines, and
supervised. ! am inspector of athletics i'm
the public schools. appointed by the Board
Of atien-which means that I oversee
all the girls. the boys being looked TO by
W. Ward Crampton-so / know. We have
relay races, that the girls may not run