YOUTHS’ GOAL.

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 386, 18 March 1937, Page 6

YOUTHS’ GOAL.

Physical Advance. With a irrss' ’ to 'ntroduce nev ideas on physical cultui into .A ustralia, Dr 1. Itz Darns, for 10 years a prominent {(lyfsical rukurist in Germany, iiai*’aMdi-c,a . MeJbi'urne to take up an a^tfoißtmeui. as professor of physical ec-’ealie. Phy ca 'som<-*h. .g which -inc-., .the wsw hac become very -popularsaid Dr Doras, wn-i interviewed in M tbonrr I aided that in .early ev -y country, "tid notably in Bailirk to-day. the Government v as hssS rg it' It tc improve the nitioiiaF.p.ij; ‘.e. “No de i f yc< have heard d read mac-h a" out tha various Youth Movements -in rial/, German-, and Russia,’’ he .ntiitued “I ..-.-ild like to ma - a t clear a 7 the outset that it is not my purpos to introduce jnto Australia any ■-■h mass regimental.on of youth as prevails in these totalitarian States, ’“where everything.,subordinated o the State T “On the cent-ary, onr aim is he individual, not the Stat', i Germany to-day the physical drilling ot youth has reached an ifivan-ed stave. The organisation for this purpose covers the entire co ntry, and the verylarge n imher .i Vc’Jtl Hostels is an important factor, in every distn.-, youth is organised unde, strong leadei in< -on an weer-en as visitors ro Oermat.y 1. you may see large ihodieo of you .-g pe ole swinging along,, sit ring, ana apparently happy, healthy and full of Iff . Stifled. “At the youth ho tels, of which there are hu: Irens all over Germany, a strong community spirit is cultivated, but I feat that the -eg< of the individual is tftffled. In the fi t 10 months- of . last i ar 6,000,0(71T a , :lts were taken on 'holiday, either inside or outside very v cost. "Everyvtiere the,‘Strength through Toy' movement it sts cn M>e suppression Uf, >hs ifldi -.r'ual, and impresses' on him that he is but a uftit -

|IE totalitarian State, so that one may witness the of thou* I sands of young Ger mats marching | out in fours to do mass’ physical exercises on a hot Sunday afternoon. “That is not my idea at all. My • t' Gcbin • at first w II be confined to a small class of about 20 teachers. • specially imeretted in physical cul- ■' ture and it will be based on the | anatomy of bodily exercise. | “Man Tiinnot live by physical jerks I alone! There is more in it iL-H tuat. He must develop his whole personai- ■ ity and not only his anatomy, tnus achieving the ideal of the ancients', who seem to have realised the truth of liiese matters long ago. TH© basis' i modern physical culture is to bring Hhe individual into close association iv. Ith Ms own temperament.

Toning Up the Race.. ■ ‘•perhaps the whole tone of a race | may oe raised by careful investiga- : tic is and its mental and physical : standards raised on a nation-wide 1 basis. That, at least, is the aim in : the totalitarian States, but to what lend? “T 'M'.ink it would be a great jpis- ! take to adopt standards of physical I development, without knowing more. ; nd to say that young Australia ' -hould conform to such standards. Tt for these rasons that I would wish i first to study the youth of the counI ‘'Always at the back of my mind | there is the hope that perhaps, as a . result of our work, we may begin to • move steadily toward our goal of a ■ high-- standard oi physical education tor the youth of the future. Our • , ork d not be spectacular. It will |be low. and at first on a limited ; scale. We shall be e the seed, but gradually J hope we l shall begin ito see the fruits of this work, conducted, as at will be. in the quiet, studious atmosphere of the classroom md the gymnasium. Youth may benefit in the long run by someTresh idefej which we may ibe able to fit into the present system.”