RECREATION

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 91, 15 October 1934, Page 10

RECREATION

PLACE IN EDUCATION

HEALTHY MINDS AND BODIES

ADDRESS BY DR. LAMB

Jf recreation bears its proper plane in the programme of education, I foresee a people overcoming niiiny limitations, physical and mental. I see the development of some kind of national consciousness of iitness. of loyalty, of sportsmanship, which will enable us to say with optimism: "This is my day," and each morning will be more welcome, und each evening tno close tif a more satisfying day. In this way, amidst applause, Dr. A. S. Lamb, M.D., director of the department of physical education, McGill University, Montreal, Canada, concluded an address at the New Zealand Club luncheon today. Dr. Lamb, who arrived by the Makura today, is in charge of the party of twelve Canadian schoolboy athletes who are going on to Melbourne to compete at an intra-Empire public school sports meeting 011 November 9. The boys and he were the guests of the club. Among other guests were Messrs. 11. McCormick and H. Amos, chairman and secretary respectively of the New Zealand Olympic and British Empire Games Association, and W. A. Armour, principal of Wellington College. The president of the club (Mr. Stanle}' W. Fearn) presided. Dr. Lamb was born in Ballarat, Victoria, and has been connected with athletics for many years. Mr. Fearn said that Dr. Lamb had been the manager of two Canadian Olympic Games teams. He was an official of the Canadian British Empire Games Association, and was the secretary and a former president of the Cauafliau Amateur Athletic Association. "Recreation in Canada," was the title of Dr. Lamb's address. He first of all congratulated New Zealand upon holding what ho considered to bo one of the most important, if not the most important, world's records of which, he had knowledge, namely, the lowest, infant mortality rate. It was a very great achievement and the envy of all other peoples in countries interested in the problem. We were very, very wasteful of ouv human resources, and it seemed to him that in order that we might tako greater care of thorn mobilisation was demanded just as it was in 1914. HEALTHY LIVING. Speaking of the question of health in a general way, Dr. Lamb said that Mr. Chesterton had said that of all human things, the- search for health was the most unhealthy. In Canada they were deluged with "quack" advertisements, which wero quite superficial and did not get right at the basis of health itself. In Canada, as a result, groups of neurasthenics, faddists, and dyspeptics had been developed. The emphasis should be on living, and how we lived. Did wo obey the laws, the known laws of health and living, so that we would be. healthier? Then again health was looked upon from the physical staudpoint only. He submitted that there might be a perfect physical specimen who might bo a moron, or a brilliant academic student who might be a moral degenerate. It was necessary to look at the problem not only from the physical aspect, but from the other aspects as well. It had been said many times that, there was a healthy mind in a healthy body. That, of course, as a blunt statement, was not at all accurate. It did not necessarily follow that there was a healthy mind in a healthy body. A oneness of mind and body must bo recognised, and we must appreciate the fact that the body and mind are one, and that those things which affected ono must necessarily affect the other. WINNING OF CONTESTS. Dr. Lamb said it seemed to him that the age of medieval scholasticism had passed and that educationists were appreciating this oneness of mind and body and were also appreciating the value of recreation in education. In regard to the whole problem of education in relation to educational institutions, he said that in Canada there wero two important traditions. The first was that glorious British tradition of play, and the other, which also had an important tendency, was that of the all-absorbing desire to win and the steps which had been taken in order that winning teams might be produced. Those two things were in conflict, and what they wero endeavouring to do was to get a harmony of interests —to get a promulgation of the tradition of play for its own sake and to get a right sense of proportion concerning the winning of contests. He was not against the winning of contests. It was not a contest unless somebody wanted to -win. If wo did not have competition we

would have a lot of "cissy mossbacks." He said he believed in vigorous competition, but he believed also in having means adopted which were fair, right and proper, and in tune with educational procedure. We must not adopt all that was new nor must we abolish all that was old. We must face- the traditions of tho past with a fearless attitudo and take from (hose traditions things that were good and throw overboard with courage the things that were bad.