Bridgewater State University - Alpha Yearbook (Bridgewater, MA)

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natural effflrts Value the in. IGP char. Hraeter, her, and 'S Gnd is Sports to. ld be led uning by to prove r in both r growth, evidence the com- alm equi- 't toward erve and advance .cal Edu' rivilegCS if attain' JRDON. Mature Stubv. St. Louis Exposition as last year'.s edition of the QFF15iiRINGi exhibit illustrated the course in Nature Study as arranged' by? V K Mr. A. C. Boyden and pursued in this school. it vvas planned with considerable care so as to show, educators and teachers generally the fundamental principles governing the-work and its distribu- tionein. different grades. . . - -, i -Q . One of the educational journals commenting on the Nature 'Study Exhibit said5 The exhibit from' the Model School at Bridgewater is pre- eminently the fullest and richest and the mostcarefully- prepared nature work in the whole educational exhibit. It was arranged under the person- al supervision of Mr. Arthur C. Boyden,'who.for twenty-tive years has been an enthusiast in nature Work and is -today the leading exponent of Nature Study in -Massachusetts. it it it it Mr. Boyden has brought to his work not only the requisite scientiiic knowledge but a fine appreciation of' the principles underlyingzthe grtowth of the child mind, and of the limita- tions and capacities of children. S - 4 .r . ' Itfis understood-that a gold niedal and adiploma are to be forth. coming to Mr. Boyden and the school respectively as tokens of the success of the work as planned and executed, BRENELLE HUNT. 25 HE .MGDEL Schoolexhibit which was being forwarded thef was going to press took the first prize in that subject. Thei

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s we find one of the most effectual means to a natural in well chosen .play . development of the human powers. Through them and the higher forms of athletics the child and youth give spontaneous and joyous expression to self activity, learn their relationship to their comrades and to respect the rights of others. The necessary determination and perseverance in efforts to reach a desired goal serve as a preparation to meet the grim realities of later life and overcome obstacles to success. I p ' In speaking of athletics, President Eliot of Harvard says: I value them not chiefly for their physical effect, though that is very valuable, but 'more for their moral effect, for their effect on the moral fibre of the in- dividual. Their great value comes from the fact that they develop char- acter and this is what counts. Indeed it is the development of character, which especially 'counts with the student who is to become a teacher, and the gymnastic and athletic training which fails to emphasize this end is meaningless. ' There should be a wise selection of all exercises, games and sports to be presented to the Normal student, and in all the games he should be led to study their educational value and develop their inherent meaning by clean, wholesome play. The opportunity should be afforded him to prove the intrinsic value of such games.as'Foot-ball and Basket-ball, for in both of them lie the germs of a vigorous development and character growth, when they are played with the highest form of self-control, the evidence of which is shown in the subordination of a selfish interest to the com- mon welfare, and the acceptance of defeat and victory with the calm equi- poise that comes from the knowledge of legitimate individual effort toward the desired end. It is peculiarly the province of the Normal Schools to preserve and purify our national games. Where so much has been done to advance the physical needs, it shall be the aim of the Department of Physical Edu- cation in Bridgewater, to realize in full measure the scope of the privileges and opportunities provided and to establish the highest standard of attain- ment in its various branches. ELIZABETH F.. GORDON. 1 24 planned generalll' tionfin. di One Exhibit 5 eminentlj work in t al superv been an 1 Nature S work not the princ tions and It-'is coming t. of the wc

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Elma flbaterf' HERE HAD been a need long felt in our school for a song -' that would express our loyalty. There were a few songs, H ' more expressive of fun than of deep feeling, which were ' ' sung to old familiar tunes, but nothing that really belonged to us. . Last june, just before the Biennial Reunion, sheets of music bearing the name Alma Mater were distributed throughout the school. We had a song which was all ournown. The words and the music were written solely for the Bridgewater State Normal School, and were dedicated to our Principal, Mr. Albert G. Boyden. The matter had been kept secret, so the issue of the music came as a surprise to most of us. The words of Alma Mater were written by Miss Zelma Lucas, 1904, then a member of our school and now a teacher at Plymouth. The music was composed by Mr. William Lester Bates, a graduate from our school in 1892, and now sub-master in the George Putnam school in Boston. The song has proved worthy of our enthusiasm. Its theme is loyal- ty,-not merely the zest of school spirit which enlivens social life and athletics, but the deep, intense love which time has no power to change. It is the strong tie that makes the graduates of the school turn back and remember forever the, precepts learned there. It is the spirit that makes Biennial Day so bright, the wonder of the younger members of the school, when old faces grow young again, and all cares are forgotten inlthe joy of being back once more amid the loved surroundings. Alma Mater is a song of praise and love to the fostering mother who has given and still gives so much to her children. Much of the meaning is expressed by the way in which the song is sung. Faces grow earnest when the first chords are struck, and one by one we gather around the piano and sing with all our hearts, as we can sing only something that we love. No gathering is complete without the singing of Alma Mater, and we are sure that the years will not make us 26 forget wvfds Worthy 6