Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1912-02-21
PHYSICAL TRAINING
Som, Reasons Why School Children
Should Receive Training of the Body
as well as of the Mind


grow Because we believe this SO
heartily. we do all possible( or think
we do) to train the child to habits Of
industry. honesty, kindness, thought
fulness, we seek to have his brain
stored with all practical knowledge
and some that isn't practical-what
then? Why we often so far neglect
the physical that the rest cannot
meet our expectations. We have be-
come so filled with the idea that the
child EXERCISES enough" that we
never question the KIND of exercises.
We often wonder why so many public
school children develop nervous dis
orders; we hear lover study"
blamed. I want to quote from Mrs.
Frances Waite Letters Message"
These things might not so generally
prevail were school authorities deter
mined that the curriculum must help
children BE, as we'll as KNOW some
thing. Experience with all grades,
from the rural district to High School
and Seminary, followed by years of
careful observation, has taught the
writer of this message some impor
tant truths:
A system Of education which does
not begin in the primary grade, and
continue to develop and train the
body at the same time the mind is be-
ing developed and trained, is RADI-
CALLY DEFICIENT. Plato, the
ancient philosopher, expressed force
full truth. when he said, in substance
MORALS WITHOUT TRAINING
PIE This is really the condition
of large portion of the boys and
girls who are, today. graduated from
our public Schools
Instead of the closing week of the
school finding so many tired out, often
nervous, it should find them stronger
and when parents insist upon an call
around" education for their children we
shall no more look for physical weak
ening through term than we now look
for lessened ability in any of the So
called branches of study. The country
child has the advantage over the city
child, but don't forget that NOT ALL
EXERCISE IS TRAINING. Do not
tell US that you give your boy or girl
sufficient exercise out of school hours
so want him or her to study there,
but bear in mind that physical educa-
ton is based on scientific principles.
Each exercise has behind it a definite
reason; before it, real benefit. Nor
can your child come up to his BEST
without this body training. 1t is not
enough to KNOW. There must be
power to act. executive ability, poise,
confidence call it what you will. The
body must be under the control of the
will if we wnuld '*get there" Do
you say. ''What can we do?" We
must endeavor to secure a law MAX
ing physical education compulsory,
not simply permissible. Ask the
Board of Education to employ
specialist or make some other pro-
vision by which the teachers may re-
ceive the necessary instruction. Get
the work started and then STAND
BY the Board and teachers and don't
ridicule their efforts. You have your
family vaccinated for smallpox and
again for typhoid. Do you not know
that this body training is safe
guard against i'll health. against not
one but many diseases More from
Mrs. Letter.
For fuller information, do you ask
what this body training will mean to
the child Let me answer, in part :
''Under ordinary circumstances, it
will insure health and strength.
These conditions are valuable beyond
the power of figures to compute or
money to buy.
ITO both boy and girl, it's output
will eventually mean a noble hearing,
which will be unquestioned passport
everywhere, winning not only admira-
ton and respect, but confidence
cit cannot fail to develop SELF
CONFIDENCE which is necessary to
individual success. in any mark ed de-
cree.
cit helps establish graciousness of
manner. which, sooner or later, be-
comes the counterpart of gracious
ness of heart. THIS WINS FRIENDS.
at DEVELOPS WILL POWER,
before which difficulties vanish, and
through which successes must come,
if such are possible under any circum-
stances.
Increased vitality insures against
treacherous demand for sedatives,
and narcotics which stealthily wreck
manhood and womanhood. Total alb
stinence, to be secure, must be built
upon correct physical basis.
1T leads to proper conception of
holiness of the body. guarding
against vices which have undermined
nations as we'll as individuals.
sit opens the way to teach the
mysteries of life to youth. building
wisely. through knowledge. for the
safety and highest ideal of the fami-
ly.
"FinalIy, an educated body means
MASTERY OF SELF, without which
your cherished son Or daughter. can
never achieve the GREATNESS OF
LEA DERSHIP; nor, measure up to
the Divine standard of "SOUNO
I MIND IN A SOUND BODY, WITH
! VIRTUOUS LIFE"
IS NOT THIS WORTH STRIVING
1 FOR?
NJ. K Fairbanks. State Supt.
phucicaI Ednnat tim