Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 123, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 May 1915 — Attention Rensselaer High School Alumni. [ARTICLE]

Attention Rensselaer High School Alumni.

.The Rensselaer high school Alumni banquet will be held at the armory on the evening of June 4th, 1915, at 6:30 o’clock. Tickets- can be procured from Carl Duvall, Treasurer, at Duvall’s Clothing Store. Please procure them as soon as possible.

MILITARY CAMP WAS A SPLENDID SUCCESS Fred Putts Returns From Two Weeks' Stay st Culver—Was s Very Fine Camp.

Fred J. Putts returned Monday from the two weeks’ encampment on Lake Maxinkuckee. This camp consisting of 200 high school hoys chosen by competition from various counties of the state was held under the auspices of the Culver Military Academy between the dates of May 10th and 24th. / The equipment in the form of uniforms, meals and military instruction were furnished the high school boys free of charge. The hoys lived in specially constructed tents with elevated board floors and screen doors. They kept the six army cooks who were sent by the war department from the government cooking school and who prepared their meals, on the verge of despair, as testified by the chef, who said that the youngsters “made away with more grub” than any equal number of recruits he ever ‘ saw.

x Colonel L. R. GignilMat of the academy has long felt that the nation would be benefited, and that President Wilson's ideal of a_.“Citi2fenry trained and accustomed to arm#” would best be realized if some concerted movement were set going to give the boys of high school age some practical military training. To demonstrate the feasibility of the idea' and to show exactly what results can be accomplished even in a short time the trustees of the academy decided to conduct such a camp absolutely free of charge for two hundred boys. The state.educational authorities cooperated freely with the academy and helped in making the selection of the boys from the various counties. Immediately upon the arrival the boys were put into uniform and assigned to companies. Then their instruction began and as they were living in camp under strict routine, this instruction began with reveille at 5:40 ,a. m. and lasted till taps at 9:30 p. m. Soipe periods of their time were devoted to talks and class instruction, which was immediately pnt into practice at the drill trim* When .they came they did not Know the first principles of military organization, of the manual of aims, or of the elementary drills. They left with an improved carriage, with an ability to march in good order, to handle and care for a rifle, to pick and care for a damp site, to do camp cooking, to resuscitate a drowning man or to extend first aid to a wounded one, with a knowledge and practice of the military courtesies, and an understanding of military drill, care and use of the cavalry horse, and with a working knowledge of guard duty, of patrolling and of using the modern trenches tor fighting. For two weeks they lived under strict military discipline and the accurate organization of the military system.' Their instructors were the officers and cacjets of the Culver Military Academy. There was ample recreation for the boys to play tennis or ball, to write letters, or to read in the library, and at night they had a picture show or a talk by some member of the faculty.

It is the hope of the academy authorities that the success of this camp will lead the state authorities to inaugurate some such system of camps for each county and thus in a few years add vastly to our trained citizenry for national defense. Colonel Gignilliat suggests that the county fair grounds which lie idle through a good part of the year furnish the ideal spot upon which to conduct such a camp of instruction for the boys of each county for two or three weeks in the spring or early summer. Some idek of the reaction of the two weeks' experience upon the boys themselves may be gathered from th following sentences gleaned from their letters: “We should consider ourselves exceedingly fortunate and honored to have our names associated with the Culvter Military Academy. I can honestly say that I have enjoyed the past fourteen days more than any others of my life.” “I find that some of us had an incorrect impression about the school and the camp. It is neither ail work, as we had imagined, nor is it all play. There is no neglecting of the duty to the parents who have entrusted the academy with their boys, nor is there a neglect of the recreation that id needful. I have found the boys the ‘finest ever.' ” Adjutant General F. L. Bridges of the state, representing the governor, with his aide, Captain J. J. Toffe, Jr., of the regular army, paid a visit to the oamp last Thursday and inspected the battalion of high school cadets as well as observing their drills. They expressed themselves as being greatfy surprised at the phenomenal accomplishments of the boys during the brief period.