FITNESS ESSENTIAL
Responsibility In Time Of War MINISTER’S APPEAL The suggestion that a “Get Fit and Keep Fit” class should be organized in each district throughout New Zealand was made by the Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr. Parry, when speaking at the fifth annual meeting of the National Council of Physical Welfare and Recreation this week. Physical litness was more essential today than ever, said Mr. Parry. Compulsion might be accessary later, but be bad sufficient faith iti the true patriotism of New Zealanders to feel sure that they would rise to the occasion and become lighting tit voluntarily, just because they owed it to themselves and the rest of the people. Sports bodies could render signal service, said Mr. Parry. They were convenient units to handle when farmers were looking for weekend labour during harvest time. Motor-loads of lads and girls, too, could give help in the country and have a happy, healthy time together doing physical work for pleasure in contrast to the office and brain work they did all through the week This scheme had been tried out with great success already in several parts of this country. Another phase of the work which
came rather in the province of recreation and entertainment than physical litness iu its usual sense was the provision of entertainment for the soldiers. Concert parties and social and recreative organizations could be aided in arranging for the amusement of the soldiers, sailors, and air force men in their camps and occupied posts. The Minister expressed satisfaction with the progress made in the organization of rhe physical litness movement. “At this present juncture, it is also our duty—and by no means a happy one—to reorientate our efforts in conformity with the grim realities of war,” said Mr. Parry. “Fortunately, the stage of crisis and uncertainty seems to have passed, and it is possible to come to some conclusions on what we must look forward to.”
The report of the physical welfare officer. Mr. C. R. Bach, showed that the scheme for the employment of area instructors was making sound progress.
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Bibliographic details
Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 4, 29 September 1939, Page 7
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347FITNESS ESSENTIAL Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 4, 29 September 1939, Page 7
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