The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1920. A MODERN OLYMPIA.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3421, 27 February 1920, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1920. A MODERN OLYMPIA.

With which is income, .tc' “The Taihape Post. a.r.} Waimmino News.”

Yesterday Taihapes’ Olympia was agog with those games for which the old Greek ground was celebrated over 'two thousand years ago. As one ’viewed the magnificent surroundings ‘of the Taihape Olympia, while t‘llOSe games were proceeding, he could hardly help memory dwelling upon the history of those times, and of that place where physical culture was almost a religion to a. people who realised to the full that the safety of the empire depended upon the health and physical excellence of its young manhood. Nor are there wanting those characteristics in the surroundings of the Tai-hape Olympia which constituted the chief beauties of the ancient sports ground. Our Olympia is in a. beautiful valley, surrounded by hills ‘no less grand than those of the Pelop}onnesus. We have not the river Al- } pheus, but we have the Otaihape, with its stupendous bluffs and rugged gran%deur; our sacred grove is as near to lthe scene of the games as that of the rGreeks was, being on a slight emin~ jence, well Within sight, and only a

. Very few chains away.. With almost all natural characteristics in common with those of the Olmypia of history ,1 it seems that following the course of I nature Taihape should become famous gas a centre of popular games and of lphysical culture which is the great }end in view. The Olympic games _ 1 were the most splendid national fes,ltival of the Greeks; they ‘had their :‘;origin in that dim faraway time when ‘the gods a.ssociated with men; they lcame to train the manhood of Greece, to make it a super-manhood in its time; they were fostered ‘by the priest. hood, and by leaders and governors [of the people We in these latter days ]have not omitted to train our lhorses, land breed a strong physical constitution into our domestic animals; we Uabhor ill conditioned animals, and we pity theipuling child, but are we not [prone to neglect to improve the constitution of the child while attending to the animal, thinking there is no Jprofit in the child, or that it is none of M tour business or duty to rescue the; [child from a. manhood which is a mis- ‘ lery to him, and is a hindrance fa-ther ’than a help in the work and defence lot’ the community? In the inauguraition of Taihape Olympic games we [have something more in view than‘ mere sightseeing, it is the physique ‘of our young we seek to improve; to raise the stamina of the whole nation, and no man, or body of men, can be 'employed in more glorious Work. The men who have brought the Taihape Olympic festival, or as we in modern times are pleased to call them, the games of Caledonia, into being. were Drohably actuated by their desire to see and admire prowess, courage, strength, agility and fleetness of foot, rather than by what prompted the an-

cients, but althow‘! thoughts and d9‘ sires ran in different channels both reach the same end‘, improvement in the physical nature of mankind. It will be realised that it is impossible to improve and strengthen man’s physique without creating a higher and ‘stronger mentality, and if Greece and Greeks eonstitiite evidence in‘ support of this contention, nothing could be more convim-.ing of its truth. In the work to “’hiCll the Tuihape and District Caledonian Society has put its hand, they have something more

jnoble than is casually ‘apprehended, and there is more cause for assistance lbeing given by the leaders, governors and priesthood of the people to the iphysical culture required to excel in ithe games to-day than there was at ‘any time in the history of the ancient ‘Greeks. Government gives something ‘more than moral support to the im‘provement of stamina in horses. but it does nothing towards improving its young manhood. Truly. we have a ‘Health Department that is concerned {with improving .sL'znitar_v conditions to minimise the spread of infectious and (contagious disease, and for the detection of contagion, but with the de-‘ velopment of the human physical! frame tliatg Department has no con-ii cern. After seeing the splendid, well- ‘ ‘contested’ games,‘ feats of Strength,’

and dancing yesterday, it may be as well to fortify our determination to make the Caledonian gathering an increasingly important annual event, }with the desire to develop the associaItion as one that has no compeer in ‘improving the pihysique of our people, for we shall then so extend its operations and widen its scope, as to make its influence visible on the weak as well as; on the strong. Mr -W. Mc-

.’ Lennan -has, by bringing the 03195031- ‘ ian Society into existence, not merely {added to our pleasure and enjoyment, but he has commenced a work of great national importance. Scotchmen became noted during the gl'€at war for their excellent physique; the .explanation is simple. There are few lscotchmen born in Scotland that do not practice the Caledonian games, and try to excel‘thel-ein, -and in Taihape. if they can be drawn out ‘to admit it, there are few of, the elder Scotchmen that were on the Taihape {Olympia yesterday that did not desire Ito mount the dancing platform and go through their youthful practices to the music of the descendants of the pip crs of their day. Further, if one can ingratiate himself into true friendship with any Scotch settler hereabout he :[will very soon learn that the highland jfling is almost a part of the nature of his Scotch friend, and he Will 00casionally witness a performance, the vigour of which will surprise him. This will indicate to what the Scotch owe any superiority of national phy-i ,s-ique they may possess. The greatl war has made it abundantly apparent that the whole Empire would be the better, stronger and safer for a morel general practice of the games of‘ Caledonia, or, if preferred. the Olym-l pic games of the ‘Ancient Greeks. We sincerely hope, on national grounds,’ that Mr W. McLennan, Whatever hap- ' pens, will not relinquish his interest in the Taihape and District Caledon-I ian Society he has so successfully launched, and that he will leave no‘ stone unturned to have one of the! Caledonian instructers that Caledonian Socictyfs are collectively working‘ to bring out to New Zealand, stationed in Taihape. T.he initial gathering of the Society yesterday was an '-over--whelming success. despite the threatening weather conditions, and we] doubt whether such an intensely in 3 teresting and entertaining programme! of physical culture events: was ever[ before witnessed on the Taihape Olympia. ,5