-
KKxyz3,59957
The paddle seems to be very much the preferred implement in USA schools. When did it first come into widespread use? I am particularly interested in early mentions of the school paddle in dated factual or fictional literature, and in official documents.Have other cultures used the paddle in schools?
GAMES, CONTESTS AND RELAYS By Seward Charle Staley, B.P.E., A.M., Director of the Men’s Gymnasium, Associate Professor of Physical Education, University of Illinois
Illustrated with Diagrams and Photographic Reproductions
New York, A. S. Barnes And Company, 1924
http://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015034 … %3Bseq=130
Chapter VI. Games for the Junior High School Page 116
Paddle the Dummy (12-40 players)
Establish a playing area one hundred feet square. Assemble the group in the center of the playing area. Toss a paddle (a flat stick about two feet long, two inches wide and half an inch thick) or a swatter into the air and call the name of one of the players. The one whose name was called is “It.” He secures the paddle; the other players scatter. “It” chases these players attempting to paddle one of them across the buttocks. Any player so paddled becomes an aid to “It,” his duty being to catch and hold other players until “It” comes and paddles them. All players paddled by “It” join in catching the others. Any player running out of bounds must submit to a free paddling and thereafter joins “It.” This continues until all have joined “It.” The last player paddled is the winner.
[There might be merit in being the first paddled. The swat is likely to be haphazard but lacking the force possible if firmly held by helpers. When larger numbers are playing it might be desirable to check backsides at the end to ensure no one joined the helpers unswatted. A refinement would be for each boy swatted to become the new “It” so that the first “It” is not unfairly privileged.]
The paddle seems to be very much the preferred implement in USA schools. When did it first come into widespread use? I am particularly interested in early mentions of the school paddle in dated factual or fictional literature, and in official documents.Have other cultures used the paddle in schools?
http://hdl.handle.net/2027/coo.31924013085281
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE
Edited by J Weston Walch
Copyright, 1957, by J. Weston Walch, Publisher, Box 1075 Portland, Maine
_____________________
Page 88. When a child’s behavior endangers the lives or welfare of others such striking, biting, throwing rocks, etc., it is well to make an agreement with him to the effect that if he does it again he will be hurt with a paddle. If he does it again, he has then made his own choice.
Contributed by: Ruth B; Pritchard, Principal, Phillips School, Des Moines, Iowa
_____________________
Page 109. When the teacher feels that she has done all that she can do regarding the youngster except paddle she then turns the case over to the principal.
Contributed by: Richard K, Mehaffey, Principal Shadeland Grade School, Indianapolis, 18, Indiana.
_____________________
Page 115. If a talk doesn’t correct the situation, some privileges may be taken away from the child. I strongly recommend the wise use of the paddle (with parent consent) for serious cases of disrespect or use of vulgar language.
Contributed by: Principal, West Elementary School, Littleton, Colorado.
_____________________
Page 129. We use the paddle when we feel that this is the only means of achieving desired results. This method (though not often approved by educators) is accepted in our community and the history of the graduates of the school shows that none has ever been arrested for anything. I am not good enough to eliminate the paddle and get the desired results.
Contributed by: O. L, Parker, Fitzhugh Lee School, Smyrna, Georgia
_____________________
Page 130. In this state we still may use the paddle, which I do as a last resort.
Contributed by: Frank Waddell, Principal, Grand Avenue School, Chickasha, Oklahoma
_____________________
I found no mentions of any other implement.
-
Another_Lurker10K289
The paddle seems to be very much the preferred implement in USA schools. When did it first come into widespread use? I am particularly interested in early mentions of the school paddle in dated factual or fictional literature, and in official documents.Have other cultures used the paddle in schools?
The paddle seems to be very much the preferred implement in USA schools. When did it first come into widespread use? I am particularly interested in early mentions of the school paddle in dated factual or fictional literature, and in official documents.Have other cultures used the paddle in schools?
<div style=”width:100%;background-image:url(“/realm/A_L_123/A_L_trg.gif”);”>My apologies to KK, in that while supplementary to my above post, this is not directly relevant to the thread.
Recalling that I had omitted a term in searching his above linked etext for CP implements I searched ‘swat’ which disclosed the following:
<div style=”padding-left:40px;padding-right:40px;font-style:italic;color:#0000ff;”>Page 136: I am thinking of Johnny in grade 2 who found that he could get his way at home if he threw a tantrum. He tried it in first grade and it worked there too. This year in second grade he tried it once more. This time the teacher calmly (but forcefully) picked him up, gave him one swat across the rear, and put him in his seat. He has been a good boy since that experience.
There are a few times when the best use you can make of the psychology book is on the seat of the pants.
Contributed by: Oden B, Jordal, Principal Lincoln School, Mendota, Illinois.</div>
A universal truth if ever there was one! 
</div>
-
2013holyfamilypenguin1,385
The paddle seems to be very much the preferred implement in USA schools. When did it first come into widespread use? I am particularly interested in early mentions of the school paddle in dated factual or fictional literature, and in official documents.Have other cultures used the paddle in schools?
The state of Oklahoma laws explicitly says switching is permissible. Now, whether that is employed or not is another story.
Oklahoma among 19 states that still allow paddling in public schools, but most … means of discipline, including but not limited to spanking, switching or paddling.
-
KKxyz3,59957
The paddle seems to be very much the preferred implement in USA schools. When did it first come into widespread use? I am particularly interested in early mentions of the school paddle in dated factual or fictional literature, and in official documents.Have other cultures used the paddle in schools?
Another spanking game was mentioned here.
EAL,
Thanks greatly for <s>showing up my slack scholarship</s> teasing out interesting extra details in the Elementary School Discipline book <s>rather than answering tedious emails</s>. Much appreciated.
The paddle seems to be very much the preferred implement in USA schools. When did it first come into widespread use? I am particularly interested in early mentions of the school paddle in dated factual or fictional literature, and in official documents.Have other cultures used the paddle in schools?
Why and how the paddle came to be so widely accepted in US schools, but not elsewhere in the world, remains unexplained. I have outlined possible routes to its adoption here but have found no direct evidence to support any specific route. I have lived in hope of discovering a document that would explain the rational for a particular school district switching to a paddle but have found nothing. (There is no reason to believe there was a direct link between school and slave paddles, as is often suggested. Slavery ended long before compulsory education began.)
During my research, I have come upon the use of “water cures” in US prisons and dunking as a punishment in earlier times. Much more recently, “water boarding” as a means of “enhanced interrogation” (= torture) has been much in the news. I was puzzled by its origin. I now believe modern water boarding is derived from practices that have not been used for many decades, the knowledge of which has been passed down informally through generations. Grandparents may pass stories directly to grandchildren, skipping a generation. The concern was not to leave marks. (The term “water cure” is an allusion to a period when water and cold baths, etc. were used medically.)
Paddles, barrel staves, shingles and the like were common utility items in the early days in the USA. They were often used to administer CP to slaves, criminals, in the military and to children. Paddling, a supposedly milder form of punishment, that did not leave conspicuous marks, became imbedded in the culture. It may have been adopted by school districts because the notion of paddling was part of the culture rather than coming from a specific route.
The law was often rough and ready in pioneer areas, especially in the South. Local residents and vigilantes made up laws as they went. They favoured cheap and quick punishments and relied less on imported customs and laws than in the organised colonies. Those who felt insecure resisted outside influences and interference. Their descendants continue to resist to this day.
-
2013holyfamilypenguin1,385
The paddle seems to be very much the preferred implement in USA schools. When did it first come into widespread use? I am particularly interested in early mentions of the school paddle in dated factual or fictional literature, and in official documents.Have other cultures used the paddle in schools?
KK. This last posting summarizes the research you have done on this fascinating thread. Your diligence has neither gone unnoticed nor unappreciated.
American Way
-
KKxyz3,59957
The paddle seems to be very much the preferred implement in USA schools. When did it first come into widespread use? I am particularly interested in early mentions of the school paddle in dated factual or fictional literature, and in official documents.Have other cultures used the paddle in schools?
The Weekly Caucasian (Lexington MO), 3 February 1872, page 1, col.
[. . .] Our school mistress was a woman. As near as I can remember, she was some fifteen bands high, and was supposed to be eighteen years old the last spring. Her auburn hair was gorgeous red. Her knowledge was extensive; so also was her temper. In her polytechnical calling, she originated the plan of inculcating a lesson, and then driving it in, and clinching the rivets fast with a paddle. Her method of arranging a boy on her lap, when she used that shingle mental and moral invigorator, was really affecting. It may be pleasant – a pretty woman in the lap of a gentleman – but when a boy gets cross-ways, and face downward, on the lap of a lady – gracious heavings ! it used to affect me to tears. [. . .]
This excerpt suggest that shingles were being used as paddles in some schools some time before 1872.
-
Another_Lurker10K289
The paddle seems to be very much the preferred implement in USA schools. When did it first come into widespread use? I am particularly interested in early mentions of the school paddle in dated factual or fictional literature, and in official documents.Have other cultures used the paddle in schools?
<div style=”width:100%;background-image:url(“/realm/A_L_123/A_L_trg.gif”);”>Hello KK,
I am deeply disappointed that you should dismiss as ‘fanciful fiction’ the <s>fantastical ramblings</s> serious letter to the Editor of ‘The Weekly Caucasian’ written by A E Reuben Esq of Mayview, Lafayette County, Missouri on January 25 1872. It is quite clearly a serious and totally truthful account of how one sultry August afternoon the juvenile A E Reuben was first kept in detention and then made the acquaintance of the shingle/paddle wielded by the 18 year old schoolmistress in the mode described in the extract you quote above. An experience of which he says:
Hmm, it seems to have had a similar effect on him to that which my much chronicled experience with Miss B had on me! And in Mr Reuben’s case merely for being unable to spell the word ‘breeches’. Oh, and attempting to secure the schoolmistress to a bench by her ‘gorgeous red’ hair.
There is an amusing twist to this sorry tale of a spectacular spanking of long ago. Those wishing to acquaint themselves with it will have to read the full account, which is to be found a few lines down column 7 of the newspaper front page image to be found here. As this is a serious research thread I am sure that you gave the link to the source material in your above contribution only to have it expunged by Network54 for some inexplicable reason, a fate which I hope my repeat effort will evade.
And completely off-topic, I wonder if anyone has previously encountered ‘gracious heavings‘ as an expression of surprise or intensified emotion? I certainly haven’t, but Googling it indicates it was fairly common in the period concerned.</div>