58 COPYRIGHT, 1925 BY SMALL, MAYNARD & COMPANY Second Printing, February, 1926 Printed in the United States of America THE MURRAY PRINTING COMPANY CAMBRIDGE, MASS. THE BOSTON BOOKBINDING COMPANY CAMBRIDGE, MASS. INTRODUCTION Langour is not in your heart, -MATTHEW ARNOLD. So wrote the poet of his father, Dr. Thomas Arnold, the head of Rugby. Nor does it express merely a filial tribute of appreciation: it breathes forth the idealization of a headmaster by a schoolboy. Consider for the moment the headmaster and his educational vantage point. He is the embodiment of time-shrouded traditions. His ideas, his influence permeate the school's entire life. Venerated and loved, he controls and guides the destiny of innumerable boys. And this privilege does not cease at graduation. Το the different colleges, to the remoter corners of the world the invisible thread extends. His position is, indeed, unique and commanding. In these times, educational theories and practices are a bountiful source of discussion. The daily press, magazines and alumni journals contribute to the stream. Every one becomes his own critic! And yet amid these healthy and desirable speculations one phase is little stressed the headmaster and the problems of the preparatory school. Perhaps it is because he is geographically removed from the main current. The busy world may forget him temporarily in his country solitude, and he, perchance, forget us and our swiftly moving life. This should not be. In our giant age of progress, educational concepts, too, are in a state of flux. There is unquestionably greater need than ever for more sympathetic coöperation between the school and the college. Difficult questions come to mind at once. Is there not, for example, too much of what we may call the professional organizing spirit creeping into our preparatory schools? Dr. Howe's able chapter on the influence of athletics in the school strikes deep at this problem. The intense competitive spirit which demands a victory at all costs, the increased physical proficiency, but the lowered standards of sportsmanship, the disproportionate emphasis on mythical "championships," the coach on the bench manipulating his team |