DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION SECRETARY'S MINUTES OFFICERS President CLARK W. HETHERINGTON, Jos. Fels Endowment . Chicago, Ill. Wellesley, Mass. New Orleans, La. FIRST SESSION-TUESDAY FORENOON, JULY 11, 1911 The department met in joint session with the Department of School Patrons in Scottish Rite Hall, San Francisco. In the absence of President Hetherington, the meeting was called to order by Mrs. O. Shepard Barnum, president of the Department of School Patrons. A report of the School Health Committee of the Department of School Patrons was read by Mrs. May L. Cheney, appointment secretary, University of California, Berkeley, Cal. A report of the Public Health Education Committee of the American Medical Association was given by Eleanor Seymour, M.D., chairman for California, Los Angeles, Cal. In the absence of Professor Tyler an address was given on "The Health of the Child the Joint Concern of Parent and Teacher," by W. A. Evans, M.D., former health commissioner, Chicago, Ill. Then followed a paper on "Sex Hygiene," by Frances M. Greene, M.D., Cambridge, Mass. Discussion of this paper occupied the afternoon at the Round Table Conference of the Department of School Patrons. The chairman appointed the following Committee on Nominations for the Department of School Patrons: Arthur L. Hamilton, superintendent of schools, Pasadena, Cal. Georgia L. Chamberlin, instructor, University of Chicago, Chicago, Ill. LUCY E. PRICHARD, Secretary pro tempore SECOND SESSION-WEDNESDAY FORENOON, JULY 12, 1911 The meeting was called to order at 9:45 A.M. In the absence of the president and vice-president, Dr. William F. Snow, of the California State Board of Health, presided and gave a paper on "Teaching Twentieth Century Hygiene.” Dr. Corwin, of Pueblo, Colo., sent by the American Medical Association from the Los Angeles meeting in July, gave a discussion on hygiene and sanitation. L. H. Weir, Pacific Coast field secretary of the Playground and Recreation Association of America, Seattle, Wash., gave an address on "The Playground Movement in America," which was discussed by Ethel Moore, president of the Playground Association of California, Oakland, Cal. THIRD SESSION-THURSDAY FORENOON, JULY 13, 1911 This session was a joint meeting with the Department of Rural and Agricultural Education. The minutes will be found with that department. FOURTH SESSION-FRIDAY FORENOON, JULY 14, 1911 In the absence of the president, the meeting was called to order at 10:00 A.M. by Mr. George Braden, who presided. The first part of the meeting was taken up with a discussion of the advisability of organizing a Pacific Coast association of physical education. It was finally decided to organize such a society, and Miss Signe E. Hagelthorn, director of physical education, Mills College, Cal., was elected president. In the absence of John M. Tyler, professor of biology, Amherst College, Amherst, Mass., his paper on the "Physical Education for Girls of High-School Age—The Biological Point of View," was read by Miss Hagelthorn. The paper was discussed by Clelia D. Mosher, director of physical education, Stanford University, Cal.; Everett C. Beach, M.D., director of physical training, public schools, Los Angeles, Cal.; George Braden, central Y.M.C.A., Philadelphia, Pa., and others. The following officers were duly elected for the ensuing year: President-WILBUR P. BOWEN, professor of physical education, State Normal School, Ypsilanti, Mich. Vice-President-GEORGE E. JOHNSON, professor of play, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa. Secretary-BLANCHE TRILLING, associate director of physical training, Chicago Normal School, Chicago, Ill. The meeting then adjourned. SIGNE E. HAGELTHORN, Acting Secretary PAPERS AND DISCUSSIONS REPORT OF THE SCHOOL HEALTH COMMITTEE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL PATRONS, NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION To the Members of the Department of School Patrons of the National Education Association: The School Health Committee of the Department of School Patrons was organized in response to a request from the President of the National Education Association "to ascertain conditions and formulate a plan whereby volunteer organizations can best assist in improving the health conditions of school children." The committee is too young to give a report of work accomplished; it can merely submit its plans and hopes for future service. Believing that concentration of effort upon some one phase of the very large subject of school health would secure the best results, the committee decided to give its attention first to the teaching of the essentials of personal and sex hygiene in the normal schools and other institutions where teachers are prepared. It is unnecessary to mention here the considerations that led to the selection of this particular subject. The mere fact that many of the diseases that are undermining the physical and moral soundness of our men and women are too frequently the result of ignorance of the essentials of personal and sex hygiene justifies the selection. In planning its work the committee had two purposes in view: First, to ascertain conditions; and second, to formulate a plan whereby volunteer organizations might best assist in improving those conditions. The first step toward this was a questionnaire sent to normal schools, education departments of universities and colleges, and state superintendents of public instruction. In this way it was hoped to get information as to where and to what extent this subject is already being taught. The next work of the committee was suggesting plans by which these committees might co-operate with school and health authorities and social and educational organizations in arousing public interest. The suggestions, briefly summarized, are: Give the subject of personal and sex hygiene a place on the program of summer normals and teachers' institutes, in the study courses of all women's organizations, on the programs of their annual meetings; organize a social hygiene committee in each community with a representative from every club or organization interested in social or educational advancement; let this committee, in co-operation with school and city authorities, arrange for free public talks by speakers prepared to discuss the subject. The committee hopes, thru the questionnaire referred to, to have ready for publication in the early fall a full report of what is now being done in normal schools toward instructing teachers in wise methods of presenting the essentials of personal and sex hygiene, with some suggestions that may be helpful in arousing the public to a realization of the need of such instruction. The committee feels that it is encouraging to note in going over the answers already received to question No. 1 of the questionnaire "Are the essentials of personal and sex hygiene taught in the school with which you are associated?"—that out of two hundred answers there are only twenty unqualified "No's." This means that a large percentage of the schools are making some effort to give this instruction, tho only a very few have specific courses. No state reported makes a knowledge of these essentials requisite to obtaining a teacher's certificate, tho Washington has begun to agitate the question. Very rarely is the subject given a place on the programs of teachers' institutes. A few women's clubs include it in their study course. Here again Washington seems to be the banner state, reporting that "The Congress of Mothers includes sex hygiene on all programs." We hope for the coming year this may be true of all the organizations included in the Department of School Patrons. The belief seems to be almost universal among educators that the young men and women of today should have more comprehensive instruction in schools in the physiology and hygiene of sex. The day of the expurgated physiology is passing. While this is true there is a great diversity of opinion as to how and to what extent the subject should be taught, especially in elementary and secondary schools. What is now being done is largely experimental. The part of the joint state committee in this work will be to keep the subject before the people by talks and lectures and reading courses. Teachers should inform themselves and then educate the mothers. In Des Moines the president of the women's clubs in the city, with the superintendent of city schools, constituted a committee to arrange a mothers' meeting at each of the fifty-two schools, and advertised that a physician would speak to them on this subject. The possibilities of such co-operation are limitless. We especially urge that the joint committees try to have the subject given a place on the programs of the teachers' institutes, both county and city. In several states this has proven a most satisfactory means for interesting teachers and thru them the mothers, and here again we realize that the school of today is but a projection of the home, and that teachers and parents must work together for the good of the child. The state committees are advised also to co-operate with the social hygiene societies that are now organized in almost every state. If possible, secure for your state a suitable set of slides for an illustrated talk on personal hygiene that may be used by schools and clubs. While conditions in each state make it necessary that each joint committee shall have its own plans for getting results, yet all should have this common aim-to arouse public interest and to educate mothers and teachers that they may work together intelligently to eliminate from our social life the ugliness of sin and disease and the curse of ignorance. Women's organizations interested in educational progress realize as never before that physical soundness is the basis of efficiency in men and women, and that the mere teaching of school textbooks on physiology and hygiene, from which facts most vital to our physical and moral life are carefully eliminated, is not sufficient to meet the needs of today. There must be something more direct, more practical, more appealing. What shall it be and how shall it be given? If it were the mere planting of new seed in fallow soil the problem would be easy, but too frequently the garden must be weeded first and cleared of things gross and rank in nature. Here is our most serious consideration, lest the stirring of the soil bring forth a more luxuriant growth of weeds. Some interesting comments and suggestions have come to the committee. Many write, "I am fully in sympathy with the purpose; I am in doubt about the method." After an extensive study of the status of personal and sex hygiene in the normals, one president of a large university concludes: "We normals are asleep as far as hygiene is concerned." The professor of hygiene and physical education in another university suggests great caution in presenting the subject, and believes that the teaching should follow and be closely allied with general work in biology; while one of the most eminent educators of the time thinks: "The enthusiasts about raising the moral tone thru biology take too narrow a view of the subject." An eminent |