Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-02-18
NIiIitnrr Drill in the SchooIs.


few ladies and gentlemen, together with
two Or three members of the school committee,
were present yesterday morning at the Wood
land street school house, where they had the
pleasure of Witnessing an exceedingly interest
ing exhibition of infantry drill and of various
gymnastic exercises, by the scholars of Mr.
Hunts excellent grammar school. For the
past two mOnths-but only twice a week and
outside of the regular school honrs-thesc
scholars have been receiving instruction in the
manual of arms, marching, etc., etc.. from Mr..
Chas. T. Pratt, formerly Of the Highland mill
tary school. This, combined with so much
practice among themselves as they could find
time for during the reccsses and after the close
of the school, constituted the amount of prepara-
ton they had been able TO make for the occa-
sion; and yet these two companie5-one of boys
and one of girls-went through the various evO-
lutions of battalion drill with q prompmess
and accuracy that would no be discreditable to
veteran soldiers. As a successful achievement
of what had been attempted, the exhibition
could, indeed, hardly have been more crafty
ing. But, ga great many things belong to
everything" and so among those who read this,
some will be very curious TO ask, what is the
use of subjecting school children, especially
girls, to this sort of disciplined This is a fair
question; but for any adequate discussion of it
there would be need of leisure and space much
beyond what is available here.
One object of military training is to developc
the highest practicable degree of physical eff
cheney; to induce habits of self-control, of
promptitude, order, precision, regularity &C.,
all of which are of most essential service in the
great warfare of life. Any discipline contribute
ing to such ends, is valuable. 1t is great thing
for the average boy, to have his head square on
his shoulders, and his legs and arms where they
should be- even for little while every day; and
what's good in this way for boys, is good for
girls, alsol Years are devoted to the study of
Greek and Latin, by those who never expect to
write or speak those dead languages. Drawing
is becoming very deserVcdly popular study,
but it occupies the time of great many who
never desire to make pictures. Dancing schools
are patronized by persons who almost detest
dancing as an amusement and yet retain just
appreciation of the graceful manners and easy
carriage that are acquired under the dancing
masters training. And the same line of
argument will surely serve to Justify
introducing into the higher grades of the public
schools the cheerful recreation, the invigorating
discipline, and the very valuable personal train
ing that military drill is so well adapted to i'm
part. Viewed in this light, the marching and
manual of arms are only one form of gymnastic
exercise-eXercse of which, in any form, iu-
deed, there seems to be an almost culpable
neglect in the administration of both public and
private educational institutions all over the
country.
Those who are disposed to scowl over what
they have just been reading cannot do better
than 10 pass an hour or two in the Woodland
street schools, aud judge for themselves whether
or not there is any value in the life and ANNA
ton that comes from the systematic and varied
physical training recently introduced there.