Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1961-08-10
Once Agoin

Once Again
Once again we feel compelled to call attention to,
and make comment on, official press release issued
by Mrs Dorothy B. Waeski Assistant for Information
and Publications. Office of the Superintendent of
Schools, Board of Education of Montgomery County.
The press release said: use of trampolines in
the county schools physical education program was
officially endorsed by the Montgomery County Board
of Education's newly appointed Medical Advisory
Committee at its second meeting on July II, 1861"
This announcement struck us as important for a
couple of reasons:
First of all, the subject of trampolne use and the
dangers involved has been investigated and discussed
at length several occasions by this newspaper and
by many parents whose children have been injured.
Secondly it is our opinion that the Medical Adj
visory Committee to the Board of Education is an i'm
portant one composed of highly intelligent profession
al members Therefore, if this group had made thor
ough study of the dangers involved in the OF tram
poines and had officially and unanimously supported
the current Board of Education physical education
program with 'the trampoline apparatus used in
this program specifically endorsed then, perhaps, we
would believe we had an entirely wrong conception,
had wrong data concerning the number and serious
ness of the accidents and had been erroneous in our
appraisal of the situation
Aware of one of the prime weaknesses of the pres
ent administration of the Board of Education in not
giving full accurate and up-to-date information
given subject we pursued the matter.
DR.. Marvin l. Mones, chairman of the Medical
Advisory Committee said that the head of the Phys
cal Education Department did not give any specific
cases of injury that would lead the committee to be-
lieve that the exercise on trampoines any more
dangerous than walking down the street"
The committee also given a mimeographed
pamphlet on "Trampoining in Montgomery County
Schools which gives the background, benefits, safety
factors, etc. Included in this report, made in March,
1861, was the fact that there had been Il 010 acct
dents reported on the secondary school level 81 of
which attributed to use of the trampone These
q constitute slightly more than go of all secondary
school accidents" Also the nature of the injuries list
ed would not excite committee not even Medical
Advisory Committee.
Since the subject of trampoline use has become
such an important one-so important that the Board
of Education has set aside meeting just for this
one subject scheduled the last of this MONTH"; is
difficult to understand why the Boards Medical Ad-
visory Committee not furnished with the most
uptodate and the most comprehensive report acct
dents that happened during this past year. instead of
offering sweeping generalities and meaningless per-
centages.
The number of accidents and even the serious
of them important but the most serious as
pect of this whole matter is the complete lack of full
and accurate information given to group of persons
appointed to make conscientious appraisal of given
situation.
1t is our hope that this highly intelligent Medical
Advisory Committee to the Board of Education will
take another look into this subject after it has all of
the facts