Te Aroha AND Ohinemuri News THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1909. PHYSICAL CULTURE.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 4481, 28 October 1909, Page 2

Te Aroha AND Ohinemuri News

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1909. PHYSICAL CULTURE.

7hit above all—to thine own tel/be true, ind it mutt follow at the night the dag Jhou cantt not then be false to any man Shakespeare.

IMPRKBSKD with the great national importance of physical culture, we sent a representative to the Choral Hall, Auckland, last Monday evening to see a display of it by a group of a hundred and sixty young ladies, under the direction of a very eminent and enthusiastic expert, Mrs Harry Heap. That lady earned the sincerely expressed thanks of the Chairman of the Board of Education and the meeting. Mrs Heap’s laudable ambition is to do good, and Scores of the girls and young women of 4*cklS nd will cad hfir blessed. She has shed rays of brightness and gladness into many hearts and b<?U}££ by her skill as an instructress in physical exercise. The display on Monday was a most gratifying a&4 instructive one. We wondered a| the young women's capacity for and memory, Their rbytfcw of motion as a group was beautiful. It would confer incalculable good upon the young i people of Te Aroha and the adjaoent districts if Mrs Harry Heap could be induced give such a display here and start an organised movement for physical training of young women. Until somewhat recently physical culture was hardly ever thought of in its modern sense. That the education of the child’s mind depended upon its brain was apparent; but it was not apparent that progress in ucqpifi.ng knowledge and turning it to the best depended upon the entire physique qf the child. The whole body, as well as the brain, bad to be t»ken into account. It is realised now that mental and physioal culture are two sides or aspects of one thing. According to medical men s<i4 educational authorities, the physical of the child must be regarded as the prfnchml determining factor in education. $ WWJpgfc JflCture in Wellington Dr. Truby feiijg Jbsfjaftf; that without a healthy body a perfectly *ou*d and effective mental state is impossible ; and the London Times, a few weeks ago, commenting on the Board of Education’s Revised syllabus said: “ It is now generally recognised that the physical health of the children lies at the root of education property conceived; and the “ prefatory memorwftw ’’ DoiP tß out that even proper nourishment, medical inspection, and hygienic surroundings will not produce a fiowud phvsiqtie without physical exercise.'' On Monday night we had ocular demonstration of the beautiful physique and graceful motion that can be produced by careful physical training. The wafted aqtjon of tho group, the mastery oy&f jtform/ifljves, the perfect discipline of the y,Q,W£ ppqpjp proved the good effect of training, fry culture we do not mean mere gaiftos dr sports or muscle production.. It fra? bctJU well remarked by the " Melbourne Age that, “ The right system of physical training is that which makes the cult of health, not the cult of muscle, the centre of ft? fri&Vt.S.” That is the principle that as being #s*4 }}P on IT \ th « Board of Bducatiou achoojlp jUi and by Mrs Heap, If we are to succeed in producing maintaining a strenuous Sf}4 wle ,raqe in New Zealand, we must jßfry ibetter attention to the phyaieeil wltUte ,9.f girls. Without a vigorous a»d /ObiMt giriWod, there cannot be a cobw&t and competent motherhood. Nor could we have «ich a race of men as will be needed to sustain the honour of our flag and defence £>i our shores. We 6eo iu what the did in China when, aide by side Ji European troops, tfbejr relieved the Foreign legations, wiaat physical culture ( for. And what was it that gay.e mni the victory over tihe greati Colossus of the North P How was St Ohe sraftUoAj>anese could surpass the big and jpulfty Russians in marching, fighting ..and euriurance ? It was physical <ea&ure. What a boon it would be to Tie Arqba fMid tbe surrounding .district* 6if ,qur g-irle and boys, but especi*u7v our cotxld receive the best skiUeu phyAictd training. It would enable them to realise vriib j ay and rejoicing that life is verily a.nd indeed better worth living. Bottleshoula'ers, wasp-waists, narrow chests, j ungainly gait, uncomely person, unhealthy fives, and premature fatSgw would btHXWie things of the past in. aJJL places where proper physical training hud its prO«pfiiff£nt place in the school curriculum or .social life. It would yield far more enjoyment, and far better physical and morall effects than the exciting midnight donee in a heated atmosphere at a time when most persons prefer to be at rest. No man could render to Te Aroha a much greater benefit than the securing for her young people the best up-to-date physical culture,.

This is a subject of national importance and we are glad the Education Department is doing so much in this line, but we would like to see fl, movement in Te AroSs* supplementtag what the Board does, ana making ft one of the popular-pastimes and approved «&ercises of all young persons.