Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-06-15

over this distance tno Idmlly StouP
mentioned above expected to travel.
Haran was only part of the distance
but here they stopped and some Of the
party ended their journey. Just how
many failed to reach their destination
cannot say but 1 do know that
'Terah died in Haran' and SO fell
short Of his goal.
This brief Bible narrative is pic
ture of life. Many people set out to
attain goal but something happens
and they never reach their desired
destination. 1t may be i'll health or
lack of strength or indifference or
death or some other reason. We are
not going to shed any tears over Terah
for he was an old man who lived
many, many years ago and so Is I'M
known to most of us. But this incident
in his life, to which your attention is
now directed, is very instructive
one. He started out on his journey
with good intentions-we all have
good intentions. He was in command
Of his faculties; he was surrounded by
his family and his possessions, but In
spite of all these he died at the half
way house, so to speak, and never
reached the Promise Land How
great a majority of people. like Terah,
never reach the goal of their ampl-
tions. Somewhere or somehow tney
are detained or side tracked on the
Journey and serious misfortune or
death overtakes. them before they get
a new start. I want to point out to
YOU a few of the causes that might
have interfered with Terah and de-
feated his laudable attempts to reach
Palestine.
First 1t might have been due to i'll
health or physical defects. The num-
Der of those who fall short of reach
ing the goal for these causes is quite
large in the aggregate. So large In
fact that it has challenged the atten-
ton of all who are interested In youth.
"Unless the matter has been given
some attention one does not realize
how many are handicapped In the
Journey of life by sheer physical In
ability to keep up with the strong and
mighty-they simply cannot travel
all the weary way over the rough
| highway from Ur of the Chaldees to
the Promise Land. Assuming the
| young peoplt here will average Is
years of age It might be instructive
| for us to remember that only small
| per cent of the human race reaches
| that age. And those who do attain
| that age are often unable to cope with
| the problems of life because OF III
| health.
This great loss Of life and Of hui
| man vitality retards the onward flow
| of all the streams of progress and II
| should be the object of all parents
teachers and welfare workers to stoI
!! the loss by every means possible
Times have changed. Our boys and
girls no longer build UP their bodies
| by the performance of commonplace
| duties about the home or farm. There
was a time when each child in the
household had his or her assigned
work. This they were expected to dc
and they grew strong in the doing
] thereof. We may decry the change
: that has come over our family life
| and we may describe the benefits OF
| the old home customs. But to de-
| scribe the conditions does not solve
| the problems. Shall we then permit
| our boys and girls to become physical
| weaklings. If We do it is our fault il
| they fall short of the goal and do not
| reach the Promise Land of Success
Do older folks realize that the physi-
/ cal welfare of all growing children is
| of utmost Importance to home and
| church and State? That you have no
| child of your own does not free you
| from the menace that a weak and
| siclzly generation of children may be-
| come to all the Institutions we Hold
dear. We are anxious, and rightly so,
| to have our children educated: we are
| likewise anxious. and rightly so, to
| leave them financially we'll provided,
but neither money or learning will
answer for good, strong, well
rounded body in the pink Of condition.
| Il know of no better place than this
to say strong, clear word in favor
of the physical development Of our
| young people. I should like to see the
day, and believe it is coming, when
every child in our land shall be intel
ligently and persistently instructed
and trained in the growth and devel-
opment Of the body. This should be
the care Of the home, the school and
the community. advocate not sports
healthy generation Of people and 1t
must be developed in the centers of
population for 1t will be many years
before the masses go back to rural
( life. What I am saying has no refer
ence to mere parental oversight and
home nursing, valuable as they may
| bet does not magnify the pill box
and the medicine bottle, but banishes
them except in rare and serious cases.
| 1t means less remedies and more fresh
air: more bats and balls; more skates
and skis; more outdoor life and exer-
else; more teachers and trainers of
youth in healthy and worthwhile re-
creational activities. 1t means not
| one but many teams connected with
our schools and communities. 1t
RRa%llAR A. AlnAnA