GEER STARTS CAMPAIGN FOR UNIVERSAL ATHLETICS

When Mr. William H. Geer Director of Physical Education in the University, delivered the opening address at the Eastern District Convention of the American Physical Education Association, held in Atlantic City during the Easter recess, he instigated a movement with such far-reaching results that it remains a topic of interest wherever the subject of Physical Education is discussed.

Speaking before approximately 900 delegates at the convention on the subject "The Athletic Situation in the High Schools", Mr. Geer deplored the existing attitude of High School authorities which countenance and sometimes demands "state Championships" and "National Championships", pleading for an idealism in sport from which ulterior motives might be effaced, and in which the general welfare of the pupil is given primary consideration.

Major's Speech Evoked Reply

Just before Mr. Geer spoke in Atlantic City, Mayor Bader in an address of welcome, pointed out the achievements of the local High School teams, declaring that the townspeople were behind their High School athletes, and would be willing to send representative teams to California if necessary, in order to bring greater glory to Atlantic City. Mayor Bader stated further that they would reward the girls in a like manner as soon as they had good High School teams.

"My speech threw a bombshell into that convention" said Mr. Geer to a CRIMSON reporter yesterday, "and for a time my project was the target for incessant criticism from a few of the delegates who were especially partisan. I suggested the limiting of High School competition to school competition to schools within a reasonable exodus of each other that is athletically related groups, and the adoption of working principles to guide schools in their athletic relations--principles similar to those that have guided the colleges that are members of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

Proposed High School Organization

"I proposed an organization for High Schools similar to the N. C. A. A.", he continued, "in which conditions of membership should obligate subscribing to the principle that High School officials assume responsibility for control and conduct of athletic sports. Members should further agree that amateur sports be utilized in such a way that they might contribute in the largest possible manner to the whole educational process. The welfare of the pupil is to be considered before the advancement of school prestige."

During the time that Mr. Geer remained in Atlantic City, he was constantly called upon to elaborate his suggested innovation, and that he was successful in winning support for his plan is evidenced by his election as President for the coming year, although he had been forced to leave the convention before the conclusion of its sessions in Atlantic City.

Desiring to further his plan, Mr. Geer attended the annual Conference at Bridgewater of the Principals of the Junior and Senior High Schools in Massachusetts immediately after leaving Atlantic City.

Plans Nation-Wide Flght

"I failed to get the support of some High School Athletic Associations while in Atlantic City" said Mr. Geer, "largely because some of the leaders failed to appreciate the function of athletics in the school. These men were willing to subordinate the health of pupils to the winning of post-season championshops after the winning of a rational kind of championship in connection with a tournament of games for an athletically related group of schools. I'm in this fight to the end and have planned a campaign which will bring this project before a great many of the educational institutions in the country."

"At Bridgewater" said Mr. Geer, "I had an opportunity to sit in at the postponed annual meeting of the Massachusetts High School Athletic Association. I never sat through a meeting where the discussion seemed so pointless. Principals of schools were attempting to formulate a set of uniform eligibility rules for all schools in the state. They failed to recognize the utter impossibility of such a task, for conditions vary too much in different sections of the state. The athletically related group of schools in one district may very well have certain athletic traditions of a desirable nature that are not common to schools in other parts of the state.

"The N. C. A. A. early recognized the futility of such proceedure in college athletics. That organization has always operated on the principle that all executive, legislative, and administrative responsibility belongs wholly with the various colleges in the different athletically related groups or conferences. During the twenty years the N. C. A. A. has been in existence, there has been a delightful spirit evidenced by the various members. Recently the departure from the policy of condoning national championships through the sanction of a national track and field meet in Chicago has occasioned adverse comment from some colleges, who feel that the effectiveness of their organization will be seriously curtailed if such practice becomes widespread.

Harvard Athletics Independent.

"We would resent here at Harvard any action by an association which attempted to standardize or formulate detailed eligibility rules to control all our games with Yale and Princeton. We recognize in this instance an independence acquired by an athletically related group and by the same token standardization of eligibility rules by High Schools is impossible.

"It all comes down to this" he concluded, "it is the function of High School athletic authorities to safeguard the health of students to their care. We can't do this by dispatching teams all over the country for intersectional contests, nor can we do it by sanctioning post-season games. If we can't have idealism and its attending benefits in High SchSool athletics, I'd like to know where we can have it."