Evening star., 1941-09-19

sssa@ a@ months ago by
MeLemOre. Jack Kelly one
of Philadelphia most distinguished
citizens who won the Olympic scull- ,
ing championship in 1920 and 1924.
At 81, Kelly is still man OF might,
as he proved by carrying the stats
of Pennsylvania for Mr. Roosevelt
last year
Appalled, by the fact that as out
Of every 100 selectees we're rejected
because of physical unfltness, Kelly
launched Hale America Hale
America has as its aim the building
up Of civilian strength and stamina
through games.
Kelly feels that the United States
has become a Nation of sitters and
Is convinced that sitting is no way
TO achieve bubbling health. He
wants every man, woman and child
in this country to play at games,
and is busily rounding up staff OF
celebrated athletes TO see that they
| do.
| He has engaged Miss Alice Marbls
as director Of women, as a beginner,
/ and in a few weeks will have out
standing physical specimens in all
key positions.
Bowling will be in the hands of a
bowling champion, golf will be han
| died by par-busting champions, run
ming and jumping will be directed
by famed runners and jumpers, and
calisthenics will be under the super
vision of top-notch benders, stretch
ers and wand drillers.
Now here is where the advice 7
mentioned in the opening para
| graph comes in.
1 firmly believe that one of the
mistakes that health organizations
make Is always to appoint superblv
conditioned and muscled men and
women to run them.
This frightens the average man
or woman who is interested in i'm
proving his or her health. When
you have f1abby muscles and wind
so snort that every flight of stairs
presents a problem of Mount Ever
est proportions, you don't like to be
put in charge of instructors who
have the appearance and fitness OF
Tarzans and Amazons.
The very sight of them gives VOL
an lnferiority complex and makes
you want to keep your spindly
shanks and bay window under ths
protective covering of a blue serge
suit. The thought of slipping into
a pair of trunks and revealing your
sad condition to the mighty instruc-
tor is humiliating.
Too, it frightens a weak citizen
just TO think of the exercise such
an Instructor is capable of taking
without falling into a collapse.
They all look as if they could exer-
else for two days without drawing a
deep breath.
Now how much more comforting
1t would be it, say, an organization
like Hale America selected directors
and instructors that were in the
same sad condition as their pupils.
1t would be fun to be led in calls
themes by a skinny, rundown gent
who admitted at the start OF the
class that he wasn't too sure he
could bend over without falling on
his face. and that every one keep
on his street clothes because he. the
instructor, looked like a scarecrow
in a gym suit.
1t would be pleasant to be led on
a hike by hiking instructor who
had bad arches and was open TO a
proposition that the class take a
short cut home and perhaps do the
last three miles on a street car or
go bowling every week with a direc-
tor who couldn't average 12O a game,
but who thought he was a 400
bowler and liked to bet on his skill.
Under such Set-up people would
exercise more than they would
under a set-up where the instructors
are so good that pupils would feel
embarrassed to exhibit their feebls
skill. To show Hale America that I
feel am right and that I want to
help in the building of civilian
strength, I hereby volunteer as a
worker. 1 won't even take the 81 a
year that goes with the work, but
will become a 50-centS-a-year-
Mr.. Kelly, 1 am at your command.
Make me an instructor in any sport
where there is a vacancy, and I'll
guarantee that any one who joins
my class, even though he be mid
get with leg in cast. will feel like
champion beside his teacher.
distributed by McNsught Syndicate. IncD