WORSHIP OF ATHLETICS,

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 947, 14 October 1910, Page 6

WORSHIP OF ATHLETICS,

/ SPEECH BY-DEAN- HAEPEE./• ; (By Telegraph.—Special Correspondent.) /■';, : . ; '-'.- '.•.'. Christchurch, October 13. ' 'Dean Harper, sub-warden •of Christ's. College,- 'speaking at the- presentation. ; of prizes won'at the school sports - yesterday, 'referred to the growing worship of 'athlotics. '■ .' : ;

/. "I; would like to take you back ■.to the dark, past,": he said.. "Fifty years ago I was a pupil here. You. of the present day have' far greater -, advantages '• than 1 we onjoyed.;. Wo'had for a running and cricket ground a long strip .of. land cleared from the tussock at a spot near '.Victoria-'■Lake;. \A few ..months ago, I was in England, and visited some of the. most famous schools- in the world. I saw the playing fields of some of them, and though they may have been more expensive I think'that I can say honestly that.they were no better in quality. I believe in athletics. . In the years that' I referred to I took part in them. ' I wa9-in the eleven; I was captain" of; a football team of a rather; poor sort;' ,1took part in tho- sports, and oven : won races. Athletics are a grand thing, but in these days there is y a tendency to dwell .too much upon them. 1 " While in England, I was-told"-that whatever degree a man might hold ho could not hope for a place in some-of the great schools if ho' were lacking in athletic qualifications. Besides havjng a body. I would remind you again that you have a mind which is equally in need of training. I do not say that you do-not train it. I only emphasise that you should do'bo." It may be considered that I have chosen an inopportune time, the aftornoon of a festival,-for saying such things. I dc not think so. All over tho world men are losing their sense of -the proportion of things. There is a very ancient and familiar phrase. The masters who teach sixth form boys could translate it: 'Alens sana in corporo sano.' It is necessary to do more than attend to tho body."