The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-06-03
PHYSICAL SIDE IN
TRAINING BOYS IS
ADVOCATED BY ~"
international Conference For
Young Men Held In
Austria

PORTSCHACH, Austria, June =
(By Associated Press. 1.-The Chris
tian church throughout the world
must place larger emphasis on the
relationship of physical fitness to
moral and spiritual growth; it can
not permit physical standards and
forms OF anrusements and recreation
to be determined by organizations
holding lower standards of living.
This declaration is found in a re-
port prepared for presentation June
to the 800 delegates comprising the
second worlds conference of Y. NJ.
c. A. workers and boys by DR.. John
Brown, Jr., of New York, as chair
man of an international commission
on the physical condition OF boys.
The present physical condition Of
boys throughout the world said
the report, land the conditions at
fecting physical life of boys. con-
stitute an imperative demand that
the forces of Christianity and civili-
cation shall be rallied to create a
now attitude toward all questions
having direct bearing upon boy
hood"
Diseases Preventablc.
Among the conditions which the
report emphasizes are that dis
eases causing the greatest number
of deaths among adolescentS are
largely preventable diseases; that
there is a definite relation between
mental retardation and scholastic
standing and the occurrence of pre-
ventable diseases and physical de-
fects, and that much of the best in
fluences of the home. church and
school are undermined and counter
acted by harmful influences of the
leisure hours of adolescents.
A tentative minimum program OF
physical education. proposed by the
commission for the consideration of
the conference, includes the follow
| Ing:
l. A department of the govern
ment should give particular study
to conditions affecting physical MT
ness of boys from IL to is years of
age.
Duties of Schools.
2. Schools should recognize their
peculiar responsibility for safe
guarding and raising the standards
OF physical fitness for boyhood.
8. Communities should provide
play spaces properly supervised for
free use of boys.
4. A special responsibility rests
| upon the church to create spiritual
attitude and conception on the part
| of boys toward life in all it's rela-
| tions.
| 5. There is need for an organiza-
ton that shall bring together and
unite the various governmental and
| voluntary organizations directly or
| indirectly interested in the play and
recreation of the youth.
The educational content in physi-
| cal programs of various agencies has
been gradually coming to the fore.
| More attention will be given" says
the commission, Ito the development
of organic vigor than to training
| of expert performers, to the mass
rather than the few, to the needy
than the fit, to the informal and
| hygenic rather than the formal.
highly specialized and extremely
competitive types of work.
Quality OF Leudership.
THE value of physical aducation
depends upon the quality of leader
ship more than upon all other factors
com bined. Only under such Christian
leadership will progress be made in
developing better methods for the
larger and more exacting demands
| of the future"
| Information gathered by the COM
mission indicates a very general
conviction that the Young Mems
| Christian association should seek
| to supplement in every possible way
what is now being done by the state,
school. municipality and church and
to cooperate with these agencies to
function effectively in relation to the
physical welfare of boys. Frequently
the most effective service which the
| association can render to the boy
| nation ar ,,r1,t mt f,ri
by way of suggestion, counsel or
| demonstration to those responsible
for guiding the policies of such
agencies along desired lines"