The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1923-11-21

Why Include a Gymnasium
In Our NelU School Building? /?
(By S. E. Hargisl

y
The gymnasium as planned for the
new school building is gymnasium
and an auditorium combined. Now
gymnasium and auditorium?
Do you know that it cost this dis
trict $400 for rent for the armory for
three months for Athletic purposes?
And this means that we can only use
the armory on an average of three
hours per day for five days week.
In other words it cost the district a
little over two dollars an hour for rent
of the armory. In addition to this
the different school organizations pay
each year in rent about $3.50 for use
of the armory for plays, programs,
etc. If we had school gymnasium
and auditorium, this amount of at
least $3.50 could be saved. We should
remember that we are using the arm
ory at this rent for only three months,
three hours per day, five days, five
days per week with an occasional eve
nings entertainment. Had we a
gymnasium it would be used at least
six hours day for nine months a
year and be available for all school
entertainments.
The last legislature passed a law
making physical training compulsory
Section 1, Chapter 323, Laws 1928
reads as follows: There shall be es-
tablished and provided in all the pub
lie schools of this state, physical and
health education, training and instruc-
tion of pupils of both sexes and every
pupil attending any such school, in so
far as he or she is physically fit and
able to do SO, shall take the course or
courses therein as provided by this
act. Suitable modified courses shall
be provided for students physically
or mentally unable or unfit to take
the course or courses prescribed for
normal pupils. Section 3, Chapter
323, Laws 1923. The commissioner of
Education shall supervise the admi-
nistration of this act and shall pre-
scribe the necessary course or courses
in physical and health education,
training and instruction, and make
such rules and regulations, and pre-
pare or cause to be prepared, publish
ed, and distributed any sucn
manual or manuals of instruction, or
course or courses of study, or other
matter as he may deem necessary or
suitable to carry on the provisions
thereof.
How can Redwood Falls give any
adequate work in physical training
without a place to give it? The
worst part of our present system is
that such limited number of pupils
get the benefit of any athletic train
ing at the armory. And furthermore
the pupils who are receiving any train
ing at all are those most physically
fit. Those who need physical train
ing for correction or building purposes
have really no chance at all in our
present system. If our school had a
gymnasium, regular physical train
ing could be given all the pupils
throughout the entire school.
If we were to rent the armory for
six hours per day for five days a
week, at the present rate it would cost
the district $24O0 for nine months.
The State has condemned the old
grade building as unsafe and unfit for
use for school purposes. The new
law requires that physical training
be included in our school program
Is it good Judgment to include gym
nasium in our building program OF
shall we be forced to rent for physical
training purposes?
The Board of Education of Redwood
Falls has called for special election
on November 9th for the purposes
of voting bonds for the erection of q
new school building. Every legal
voter in the city should vote with the
| interests of the children of this com;
munity upper most in their minds.