YOUTH'S VIEWS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 157, 5 July 1937, Page 9

YOUTH'S VIEWS.

USE OF LEISURE.

BALANCED ACTIVITIES.

T.M.CLA. GATHERINGS. Young men were given an opportunity of discussing youth's employment of leisure time when the subject wa* before the young men's division of the Y.M.C.A. recently. It was considered under the headings of four leading questions: To what things should the leisure time of a young man be given? Would it help for a young man to make a schedule showing how he spends his leisure? Where do we fail to use our spare time wisely? Is the statement that "young New Zealanders spend too much time in sport" true? It was notable that in the ease of three of the four questions there was a large degree of agreement. It was held that the use of leisure time should be directed towards gaining a balance with other activities—the gaining of physical fitness and mental fitness by sport and study. The discharge of duties and obligations to others should receive the necessary attention. Some time should bo spent in social life, while hobbies or the study of some form of art would allow such form of self-expression as the individual might choose. Essential Feature. To make a schedule of the way in which it should be spent would, it was unanimously decided, deprive leisure time of its essential feature. However, the value to some people of such a procedure as a method of self-discipline was not overlooked. In regard to the wrong use of leisure, one of the two groups into which the discussion was divided considered there was too much specialisation and not enough attention to spiritual matters, and the other contended that excessive attention was paid to social life and the seeking of entertainment. The statement that too much time was spent at sport was denied, although it was pointed out that too much might be spent as "grandstand sportsmen." As life's activities, or that portion of them necessary to the earning of a living, tended to move from the manual .to the mental it became more necessary to find a field for physical activity in sport. Week-end Activity. The young men's and boys' divisions were active during the week-end. On Saturday night nearly 40 members of the employed boys' brotherhood took part in study groups, basketball, table tennis and other indoor games, while about 20 attended for badminton club activities. In the day's sports the association had 14 teams competing at Soccer and three at hockey. Yesterday the young men's division co-operated with the Y.W.C.A. in a gathering at which 75 young men and women attended. An address on opportunities for youth was given by Mr. J. H. Lang, items were contributed by Miss Mavis Beagle (songs), MissDoreen Saunders (elocution) and Miss B. F. Fisher (violin), and afternoon tea was served.