Anyone else get a Presidential Fitness badge in school? I guess that's

[BR_Parkway]

why I'm an evil lib'rul, I got indoctrinated back then

http://www.presidentschallenge.org/home_kids.aspx

[tosh]

1. Yep, another indoctrinated evil lib'rul here. nt.

[Critters2]

2. My sister did. We were in the same PE class at the time.

The bitch. :)

[JohnnyLib2]

10. heh

:rofl:

[countingbluecars]

3. The Presidential Academic and Fitness awards

are a really big deal in elementary school. They have the President's signature. Will the wingnut parents refuse to let their kids accept them while Obama is the President?

[coffeenap]

4. They still give out the certificates--

my daughter got one last year under * - decided NOT to keep it due to the "yuck" factor. (Atta girl!)

[RoccoR5955]

5. I got one eons ago. I guess my indoctrination started early.

Not only did they have that evil fitness badge, but after the national anthem, they made us all sing "This Land is Your Land" in assembly. Growing up, I thought it was an "official" patriotic song. Maybe that's where my liberalism started, in Elementary school.

That was almost 50 years ago. Some friends tell me that we get more conservative with age, but I find that it is just the opposite with me. Oh well.

[bikebloke]

9. We were taught Woody Guthrie.

Both grade school and junior high school. No wonder I'm a commie heathen.

I don't remember any badges handed out. We just had to take the President's fitness test. Everyone hated the 600 yard run - I guess it was 600 yards with 5 times around the field.

[corpseratemedia]

6. yup, sewed it on my little jean jacket

[Greybnk48]

7. I got one in 1960 when I was in 7th grade.

It was an embroidered patch with JFK's image on it that we sewed on to the arm of our gym suits--anyone remember those ugly blue suits we had to wear (just the girls of course)?

[quiller4]

12. I was in third grade when I won mine in 1960. n/t

[alarimer]

8. No, I could never do it.

It made me feel like shit, like a failure, for not getting it.
For being a terrible athlete not to be able to do a few pushups or run a mile fast enough. Whatever the requirements were, I failed at them. Even though I was on sports teams. I was in good shape, just not at the "Presidential" level. Another program designed to make some kids feel inferior because they are not good enough athletes, even if they are otherwise in good health.

Now it looks more sensible but at the time I was in school, it required that you run a mile in under 12 or 13 minutes (I can't remember exactly and, for me, running at a 12 minute pace is FAST, even though it is slow to most people), do some pushup, climb a rope (I never could do that) and some other things I could never do, like pull-up (or whatever the equivalent was for girls- I could do neither one).

So maybe I am thinking of a different program.

[Jankyn]

11. I'm another one...

..who never could make it. Just too pudgy and asthmatic, though my asthma was undiagnosed at the time.

But most of the kids in my school did earn 'em, and my P.E. teacher won an award for the percentage of kids who'd passed over a period of time (can't remember the details; middle age is taking over).

I coveted those things, though. One of my jock friends had the badges sewed down the sleeves of her letter jacket. It was so cool.

[cyberswede]

13. I remember the "bent arm hang"

Boys did pull ups, and girls did the "bent arm hang." That was a nice little piece of hell.

Oh - and the 600 yard run-walk. I hated that fucking thing.

[woodsprite]

14. My daughter is going to increase her volunteer hours

from the required 60 to 100+ before graduation. She said if she does 100+, she gets a commendation from the Pres. She said because it's Obama, she wants to do 100+. If Bush had still been in office, she said she probably wouldn't be pushing for the increase.

[Stephanie]

15. I was Queen of the Rope Climb

Nobody could beat me!