This Popular German-American Organization Will Soon be Nine Years Old.
ATHLETIC TRAINING ITS BEST KNOWN WORK
Following is the seventh in a series of articles on the history of Altoona Societies:
Altoona's German-Americans are well organized, but none of their associations is more popular than the Altoona Turngemeinde, which has its hall at 710 Fifteenth street. This association combines gymnastic with its social features. It is famous for the athletes it turns out and the several big trophies won by its teams are displayed at the home.
The Altoona Turngemeinde was organized in November, 1902, so that it will be nine years old next month. Twenty-six men formed the association at first and it has grown until it now has 183 names on its roster. The men mainly responsible for the starting of the club were: Louis G. Lamade, the well-known German editor: Fred Jaeckel, F. S. Wiederkehr, Joseph Ebner, Fred Kunzli, A. Winkler, Herman Schmidt, Louis Siegrist, W. Azinger and O. Ebeling.
The following charter members are still affiliated with the association: L. G. Lamade, A. Azinger, Joseph Ebner, A. Winkler, H. Sabathne, Math. Stehle, A. Steuer, Herman Schmidt, Fred Wiederkehr, Louis Siegrist, Otto Ebeling, John Kazmaier, Matthias Oeffinger, Martin Roesch, E. Thieme, William Heller, George Budde, and Fred Schneider.
The Turners were first organized at Ninth avenue and Thirteenth street, and after meeting here moved to the present hall. The hall in which the association now meets is its home, having been purchased not a great while ago. The value of this hall is $15,000. While the society has some liabilities, what it owns is far in advance of what it owes, and its finances may be said to be in the excellent class.
The Turners are best known by their athletic accomplishments. They have an excellent gymnasium, and have an open field at the corner of Eighth avenue and Fifteenth street, next door to their hall, where they engage in athletic sport. One has only to see the well-formed bodies of the men and youths who take the German gymnastic training to see how excellent it is as a body-builder. The local Turners have classes for children and adults, and have the students taught by competent teachers. Each year exhibitions are given by the classes and the society endeavors In every way to promote physical culture on all sides.
Only last spring the society sent a committee to the Altoona school board, asking that a new course in physical culture be established in the Altoona high school. It was contended by the society that the boys who need physical culture most never get it in the high school. Everyone familiar with conditions at the school knows that this state of affairs exists. The Turners want the school board to equip the gymnasiums with suitable apparatus and to place competent instructors there to take charge of the classes. It is expected that something will be done in this matter before long.
The society has frequently shown that it is desirous of impressing the public with the necessity of physical culture. Not long ago a set of films showing athletic meets was brought here at considerable expense by the local society and was exhibited free In the Altoona high school auditorium.
The Altoona Turngemeinde is a branch of the District Pittsburg, which is composed of twenty-eight like societies. This district is, in turn, a branch of the North American Gymnastic union, whose headquarters are at present in Indianapolis, Indiana.
To quote from its own official literature, "The North American Gymnastic union is a league of gymnastic societies of the United States of America, organized for the purpose of bringing up men and women strong In body, mind and morals, and of promoting the dissemination of liberal and progressive ideas."
"We, the members of this union, recognize in the harmonious education of body and mind, one of the most important prerequisites for establishing, preserving, and perfecting a true democracy.
"We make it a duty of our society to organize adult and juvenile classes for the purpose of pursuing courses of physical culture based on rational principles, and to further the intellectual and moral welfare of pupils and adults by establishing suitable schools, and providing for instructive lectures and debates."
The rules of the North American Gymnastic union show that the society aims to make good American citizenship. In the rules appears the following: "Candidates for admission to a society belonging to the union must be not less than 18 years of age. They must be of irreproachable character and must either be citizens of the United States or have taken the necessary steps for becoming citizens."
Like all the other German societies, the Turngemeinde caters to more than its immediate members. In the German-American associations as in no other clubs the families of the members are remembered when it comes to arranging for celebrations, classes, etc. In addition to its gymnastic features, the Turners have many social attractions. They now have a singing society in connection with their association.
The officers of the Turngemeinde at present are as follows: President, August Rafner; vice president, Joseph Ebner; first instructor, William Reppe; second instructor, Ed. Furrer; first physical director, Professor Hugo Thomas; second physical director, Christ Wurgler; recording and corresponding secretary, Alfred Winkler; financial secretary, Robert Schroeder; treasurer, Jacob Hausaman; trustees, Otto Ebeling, Louis Naue and J. Stumberg.
Altoona Tribune, Altoona, Pa., Thursday, October 19, 1911, page 5