MILITARY TRAINING

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LIV, Issue LIV, 20 August 1920, Page 5

MILITARY TRAINING

AND PHYSICAL FITNESS

With reference to the training el cadets, it is now generally known of what groat importance the, military authorities consider the physical fitness of the trainee, and in tho syllabus of twining forty pin’ cent, of the time occupied is devoted entirely to drill and games. The general public may not be aware of a recent innovation. which embraces a bi-annual medical inspection and thorough test of all cadet trainees. This work is carried out by officers of the N.Z.E.C. and N.Z.P.S., assisted by voluntary “expert” aid. It covers careful recording of the trainee’s physical health and strength, with a view to correcting faults therein by putting the cadets below standard through physical exorcises specially arranged to correct the faults discovered. The sight, hearing, and teeth are then tested, and failure of a trainee to pass the required tests brings a Jotter to the parent .suggesting that tho buy procure the advice ami attention 0 f :in expert. There is, of course, no obligation on the part oi the parent to carry out the suggestions offered ; but there is no doubt by these means, with the co-operation of the, parents and the trainee, much can be j done to correct physical faults in the; trainee. before the same become: chronic', and past correction. ; This policy of tho Defence Depart-j ment is to be much commended, as.j when tlm bov loaves school he passes: j out of t-hc control of the Education De- j pnrtment, which is also now paying ■ i-nich attention to this part of_a boy’s j training, as well as Ins education, and , thb supervision carries him on till ho; reaches an age when the state of his j physical fitness, heading, and sight up- j peals to him personally as of great importance to his welfare, health, and ; future success in life. i It may be contended that onch ■supervision is a matter for tho boy s parents only—it most certainly is a matter for parental control; but no parents wiT refuse this aid, and in I many cases, owing to parents not tak- | sufficient interest in such matters, a i .mntfe reminder may prove a great i blessing. The bi-annual inspection is J now being carried out during the parlades. ami art interview with the local (area officer on tho state of local boys j was most interesting, in view of recent articles in this paper on dental matters. The examination so_ far has shown local and district trainees to be of quite a high physical standard, thougn there is a- "fairly large proportion much, below tile average height for their age. it is onite exceptional to come across a bov ’with defective hearing or sight; but the state of the teeth has .quite astonished those carrying out this inspection, and it is roughly, estimated that nearly 30 per cent, are classified as verv had, some of which were so bad as" to render the month positively insanitary. A further 20 per cent, were, classified “poor to bad ; of the remainder most were good, simply because the boy, constitutionally, had a good mouth of teeth. Hie. perceiitam whoso mouths showed signs of proper dental attention was remark, ablv .small; also tho percentage whose moutliK showed that insufficient .attention was paid to proper cleansing of the month and brushing of teeth was ■verv much too large.