Lawrence High School - Lawrencian Yearbook (Falmouth, MA)

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The Lawrencian VALUES IN ATHLETICS Salutatory: — Members of the school commit- tee, our superintendent, our prin- cipal, members of the faculty, parents, friends, and schoolmates: — It is my pleasure on behalf of the graduating class to welcome you to our graduation exercises. We wish to thank you for the interest and help which you have given us throughout our school life, and we hope that you will enjoy our pro- gram tonight. Many of the great lessons of life come from the games we play in youth. There are a great many advantages to physical develop- ment, and it should be remembered that a fit mind lives only in a fine body. The idea of the importance of physical development has been in existence since the start of civil- ization. Let us go back to the ancient Greeks, who had a high degree of culture, and see how they went about securing a fit body. The Greeks were noted for their intel- lectual ability, and no race has ever surpassed them in physical de- velopment. The importance of having a strong body is clearly shown by the emphasis which the Greek peo- ple placed on their Olympic Games. For more than a thousand years the Olympic Games were held ev- ery fourth year in honor of Zeus, the highest of the Gods. These games were held in the most beau- tiful valley i n Greece. Of the many statues on the field the one of Zeus, made of ivory and gold, is the finest, being reckoned as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. At first, the only event in these Olympic Games was a two-hundred yard dash, but later the pentathlon, a five-fold match, took its place. The only prizes for these contests were olive wreaths. When the vic- tors returned to their native cities they received extraordinary honors, Statues were erected to them and they held the place of honor on public occasions. Often they were exempted from taxes, and in some cities they lived at public expense. These games exerted such a pro- found influence on the Greeks that a sacred truce was proclaimed be- fore the opening of the festival, and if any cities were at war, fighting ceased during the celebration. By means of these contests friendship and unity were increased. A Roman emperor finally did away with the Olympic Games. Although the Romans were a powerful nation, they did not put so much emphasis on athletics. The chief sport of the Romans was the gladiatorial contests which were held mainly for the entertainment of the nobles and because of the lust for human conflict. Prisoners of war and criminals were usually the participants in these cruel com- bats. Caesar once gave a show where three hundred twenty couples fought, and Titus gave an exhibi- tion of gladiators, wild beasts, and sea fights that lasted for a hun- dred days, in which ten thousand men fought. Such contests were stopped by the splendid daring of a monk who rushed into the arena and strove to part two gladiators. The infuriated spectators stoned him to death, but his brave sacri- fice had its reward, for the emperor forbade gladiatorial contests from that day on. During this period