TEMUKA YOUNG MEN'S CLUB.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1248, 4 October 1884, Page 3

TEMUKA YOUNG MEN'S CLUB.

At the meeting of the Young Men's Club held on Thursday last, the President, (the Rev. T. A. Hamilton) as judge, gave his decision relative to the merits of the essays on the subject of " Recreation." There were four received, and considerable ability was displayed in all. He placed them in the following order of merit : lat, "Mens sana in corpore Bano ;" 2nd, ♦'A young colonial;" 3rd, "J.A.R;" 4th, " Multum in Parvo." The following is the prize essay : Recreation taken in its liter *1 sense is to reanimate, or to give fresh life ; but the general sense of the word as used, is refreshment or entertainment for unemployed time. It ha« been bo ordained thdt bo much of the life of each one should be given for rest or re-creation. This ordinance we find is of Divine origin ; as our Creator rested on the seventh day after all His works. Our minds and bodies are a sacred trust given to us by God, and it becomes a sin if we neglect either the one or the other. Our duly is to keep them in a perfect state of health, and to do this our recreation should be s»ch as will make an even balance with our daily employment. Each one should consult his own common sense as to the kind of recreation he should follow, and not be led by others, without first considering whether what he is doing is developing the faculties not brought into use in his daily employment. The man of business (who has been termed a brain worker as his particular occupation cultivates the mind without a corresponding development of muscle) would seek athletic exercises, as by this means he would be exercising his bodily powers and at the same time recreating his mental powerp for fresh energy in his business. The mechanic or agricultural labourer, on the other hand, would seek such recreation as would exercise his mind, such as books, chess, etc., which he eould pursue while resting his bodily powers, which had become weary from his daily work. Recreation, then, acts as a balm to our lives. It cheers us ; gives us a pleasant disposition ; gives us energy and perseverance for our work ; it sweetens toil ; and gives a dignity and pleasantness to life; which otherwise would be but a weary existence. There is a good deal in the old saying "All work and no play, makes Jack a dull boy." You see, Jack only exercises one half of his body, while the other half gets rusty for want of use, and Jack gets the name of being dull and stupid. On the other hand "All play and no work, makes Jack an idle Turk." You see, it is equally bad, and even worse, to have all play and no work ; for if the muscular part of our body i» allowed to remain inactive, we gradually become less inclined to work, and after a time it becomes positive laziness. Thus we see that the human being to ba fully developed in mind and body demands exercise for all its members, and if our daily employment only developes half of our faculties, the other half should be developed by recreation; and that we Bhould be the man God created in His own image, we should- see that work and recreation go hand in hand to fully develope every part of our mind and body, and then we shall have " Mens Sana in Cofobjc Sano."