AIR AND SUNSHINE

Hokitika Guardian, 23 May 1931, Page 6

AIR AND SUNSHINE

ESSENTIAL TO GOOD HEALTH. LESSONS FROM CERMANY. “New Zealand lias long prided itself on holding the record for the lowant- also boasts of the lowest adult mortality,” said Mr F. Milner, rector of Waitaki Boys’ High School, In the course of his presidential address to the annual meeting of the Federation of New Zealand Teachers last week. “No one,” he said, “who has heard or read any of Mr Renfrew White’s lectures will lay the flattering unction to his soul that the schools ar playing their part adequately in the inculcation of right habits of personal hygiene, and in training the child to love Nature and Nature’s primal gifts to man. Happy is that child who lias early learnt to worship in the great temple of Nature; to love and reverence its marvels and mysteries. and at the same time to realise that Nature is curative and restorative by its subtle effluence as well as by the fresh air and exercise which such expeditions involve.

GERMANY’S YOUTH MOVEMENT

“Germany to-day is witnessing a striking educational development know as the Youth Movement,” he said. “In tins both university students up ,to a limited age as well as school pupils participate. It already .possesses national significance. Last year fully four million young people participated in these expeditions and excursions. As many as 3500 hostels or Tugenherhergen have been erected by private, municipal, and state enterprise for. the regular accommodation of these‘travellers. This movement aims at teaching young Germany the full utilisation of sunlight and fresh .air, and incidentally by its organised excursions and explorations inculcates a love of Nature and a national spirit and consciousness based on expeditions

to scenes of literary and historical interest. The movement was originated iu 1909 by a German schoolmaster j named Schirmann ,who was transferr- , ed from a rural school to the heart of, an industrial area whore his soul re- • volted against the conditions of life, i He spent his holidays organising school excursions to places of natural beauty. These celebrated wander-vogel , pioneers were subjected to bitter per- j seditions for several years, hut the 1 ideals of the founder were sound and j won through.” j The youth movement now published cultural magazines of its own with a circulation of three million copies, said Mr Milner. It possessed over 4000: sports grounds and 2000 gymnastic halls. Its most interesting develop- j. ent was the promotion of tramping J expeditions to promote health "and ; physique, to counteract the power- j sions of town life, and. to familiarise . the young people with the beauty, i traditions, and interests of their own i country. International expeditions I were now being undertaken under the j auspices of the movement. Wander- • inn tours were a national feature, ■ and commanded national approval and ! support. Once a month all schools j had one full-day tour. ,The holidays were utilised for the longer trips. The shelters were under the charge of caretakers, and were arranged in separate divisions for the sleeping ac- ! commodation of both sexes. I POPULAR IN ENGLAND. j The idea had caught on in England, j where a British Youth Hostels Assoc- \ iatdon had' been formed under the j auspices of the National Council for j Social Service. The School Journeys ; Association of England was .also operating as a distinct body, but would , probably be affiliated to the larger j organisation. Already lines of hos- j tels leading from Liverpool and Manchester to North Wales, from Ply- j mouth through Devon, and from Lon-! don through Kent and Surrey, were j not merely projected, but, realised. The benefits of this great German j scheme in promoting joy and simplicity of life, and in fostering love of | sunshine an dfresh air, were being in- j creasingly noted by educationists at j Home.

“In this connection I would put in a special plea that all teachers familiarise themselves with the therapeutic values of sunlight as interpreted in the masterly lectures of Dr C. W. Saleebv,” said Air Milner. “Sunlight is not only a powerful disinfectant and germicide, but it is also a stimulant. Now that the tonic effect of sunshine on the phagocytes lias been established as well as its general beneficial influence on the whole system, we should teach our young people to place no reliance on the artificial stimulation of drugs such as alcohol, but to find invigoration in sunshine exerc|se, and perspiration. The half octave of ultra-violet rays next to the violet in the solar spectrum is the precious essential tor the maintenance of life upon the earth. The relationship of sunlight to vit amines has been amply demonstrated by recent scientific research.”