The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1915-11-17
PARENT-TEAcHERS' MEET.
ChiIdren's Physical Improvement Dis
cussed Meets With Hearty En-
dOrsement of Body.

i EThe ent-Teacher's Association
held It's regular business meeting
at the school house. Wednesday
afternoon, November 10th. with
the President. Mrs Hoskins, pre-
siding.
After preliminary business, the
President presented the particular
object of the meeting, cousidera.
tion of the need of better school
playground for Brookhaven, and the
necessity of physical education in
the development of our children.
Illustrating this crying need
among our own children, the Pres
ident called upon Mrs. StOckWell,
an experienced teacher of physical
education, recently in our midst
from Oregon, to speak of the val1e
of physical training for correcting
bodily defects in children Mrs.
Stockwell told of deformities, such
as curvature of the spine, fiat foot,
one sided carriage of the body.
round shoulders and other defects.
in which in her work as physical
director in Western Colleges she
had assisted in correcting. She
had present at the meeting a little
child whom she had been treating
here for several weeks for curva
ture of the spine. also little boy
chosen from among the children
passing through the hall of the
school. She exhibited the physical
defects of the children, and demon
strated the exercises which are
used for correcting such defects
Mrs StockweII said these defects
were often caused by improper pos
lures in school. but we're easily
corrected in young children by
proper exercises and properly di-
rected play while the body is
young and pliabIe But if these
defects were not corrected early.
the work of correction in later
years would be much more Diff
cult.
Mrs. StockweII's talk and dem.
onstrstion made profound impress
sion upon her hearers. A very
Efattering letter of recommendation
of her and her work was read from
Prof Seeley, the Director of Phys:
ical Education for women in the
Oregon Agricultural College
Prof. Schumpert, iu a short talk,
brought out some of the beneficial
results produced by proper play
First the boy attains prowess and
fits himself for bis work in life.
| For the boy who plays baseball is
using nearly every muscle in his
body and nearly every cell in his
brain. Second it will give him
self respect by enabling him to
properly hold and carry himself.
Third. it eliminates wasted time
The habit of idleness in school days
grows naturally in the adult into
Ioafing and the attendant crimes.
THE boy without a playground is
father to the man without job "
A general discussion followed
| The idea was brought out that the
state of mind found in play is the
attitude which represents the
greatest efficiency in all mental
effort for in play the mind is com
pIeteIy absorbed with what it is
doing, or perfect concentration.
| Mrs. Scherck who was present
was warm in her endorsement OF
the plan of introducing physical
Ieducation in the school, or correct
i've work for round shoulders and
other defects in our children.
Mrs Bee the chairman of the Play
ground Committee was ready to as
sist and aid in any way in improv-
ing and enIarging the Playground
of the Brookhaven school. Mayor
Heuck was present and expressed
himself as very much interested in
the question at issue He was
ready to assist in any way he could
in the establishment of model
playground.
| Mrs. E. M Bee, Mrs. McCul-
Tough, Mrs. StockWell and Prof.
Schumpert were appointed a Com
mittee to investigate ways and
means, and present the matter to
the Board of Control of the public
school Meeting adjourned
x, X x.