Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-12-07
DISTRICT MILITIA ORDERS.
Permanent Boards of Examination
Regulations to Promote Efficiency.

matters of great interest TO members OF the
national guard. The first of these orders. No.
30. says In its first paragraph: battalion COM
manders will appoint permanent boards of ex-
animation in their respective battaiions, to be
of two first heutenants and one Sec
ond lieutenant, each from different companies,
to examine enlisted men nominated by captains
of companies for appointment as non-commis-
stoned officers. No man will be thus appointed
unless certified by the board of examination as
thoroughly competent for the position to which
The last paragraph Of the same order saws:
''The company of infantry recently mustered
into the national guard aud known as the War
Department Rifles is hereby assigned as COM
pany c, sixth battalion"
IN THE INTERESTS OF EFFICIENCY.
Order No. SO is one of the most important
and most interesting ever issued in the history
of the militia of this or any other country and
is as follows:
For the purpose of stimulating the enlisted
men Of the national guard to acquire knowl-
edge OF the duties of soldier and attain a high
standard of efficiency the following regulations
are hereby established:
/. Commanding officers of regiments are
hereby directed to appoint permanent boards
or examination, to consist of one captain one
first lieutenant and one second lieutenant and
fix regular monthly meetings of such boards.
Any enlisted man, upon making application
through his company commander, shall be per
mitted to appear before the regimental board
which shall examine him as TO his qaalifca-
tons to be non-commissioned officer. All
men certified by the boards as competent shall
thereupon receive from their regimental COM
mander certificate OF the examination he has
passed. Reglmental commanders will publish
IN orders at the end of each quarter the names
OF all men who have been awarded such certif-
Gates.
2 Any non-commissioned officer, or any pri-
vate who has received the certificate of a reg
mental board as competent to be non-com-
mlssloned officer, upon making application
through his immediate commanding officer,
shall be permitted to appear before the brigade
board OF examination, which shall examine
him as to his qualifications to be commits
stoned officer. Every man certificdby this board
as competent Shall thereupon receive from the
commanding general a certificate of the exam
ination he has passed, and his name will be
published in general orders. He will also be
awarded a suitable badge designating the rank
for which he has been found competent which
badge he will be entitled to wear when in uni
form on all occasions of duty or ceremony.
g. Enlisted men awarded certificates in ac-
cordance with the above regulations will be
known as candidates for promotion" and will
have the title candidate" prefixed to that of
their rank in all returns orders and CORE
spondence in which their names appear The
position of candidate" will be a specially hon.
orable one. Those who have been awarded
certificates of qualification as non-commis-
Dioned officers will lie allowed to attend the
battalion schools of non-commissoned officers
and those who have been awarded certificates
OF qualifications as commissioned officers will
be allowed to attend the brigade school of Off
GERS. Candidates will not be subject to trial
for military pffapsaa fnr
a general court-martial. For any misconduct
or offense ordinarily within the jurisdiction of
a company or battalion court-martial "candi-
date" will be reported to the authority that
conferred his certificate, and if upon proper
hearing he Is found guilty he may be deprived of
his certificate and the position and privileges
conferred by it.
4. Selections for promotions from the "can-
dIdates"-they having by general fitness and
marked ability shown themselves well qualified
20 I'LL positions OF special trust and confidence
Will render less difficult the prescribed duty of
commanding officers who nominate and ap-
point, and, while particularly promoting the
efficiency of their organizations, will inure to
the benefit OF the national guard generally.
JOHNNY, GET YOUR GUN.
No. "a is devoted exclusively to the subject of
rifle practice. In this, after urging officers to
attain proficiency in advance of their several
SOAhhAohuo, NOhs lays OOWu Tic rule
that a full score will consist of FIVE shots each
at 200 yards standing, 800 yards kneeling or sit
ting, 500 yards lying down prone, 600 yards ly.
ing down prone or on the side or back. The
regular course OF practice for the ensuing veal
will require not less than two full scores in the
gallery and two full scores on the range, max
ing eighty shots in all.
How will we be classiied?" has been aues-
ton which the guard has debated very vigor-
ously. The general has settled that in the
following paragraphs:
Every officer and man now in the COM
mand, and every one hereafter joining,
will be entered upon the rolls of the
organization to which he belongs as assigned
to the third class and at the end of the year.
practice will be assigned to class in firing ac-
cording TO his proficiency
The class Of firing to which any officer or man
belongs will be determined at the end of the
practice year from the aggregate of the total
OF the two best full scores he has made in the
gallery and the two best full scores he has
made on the range, as follows:
Third class-All who have failed to fire two
full scores in the gallery and two full scores on
the range, or, having shot such scores, have
made an aggregate Of less than 100.
Second class-All who have fired two or more
full scores in the gallery and two or more full
scores on the range, and from the best two of
each have made an aggregate Of not less than
100
hss Oidtoo-All WHO nave ureQ TWO or more
full scores in the gallery and two or more full
scores on the range, and from the best two of
each have made an aggregate of not less than
200.
Marksmen--All who have fred two or more
full scores in the gallery and two or more full
scores on the range, and from the best two of
each have made an aggregate Of not less than
$50.
Sharpshooters-A who have fired two or
more full scores in the gallery and two or more
full scores on the range, and from the best two
OF each have made an aggregate of not less
than 800.
At the end of the practice year, or upon the
receipt at these headquarters of the final CLASH
ication Of a company for the prescribed prac-
tice OF the year, certificate Of their qualifica-
ton will be issued to each sharpshooter and
marksman reported, and to each sharpshooter
a silver badge, and to each marksman a pair of
marksman's buttons, as prescribed in para
graph 5O9-5l5 of "Blunts small-arms firing
regulations"
MATCHES AND COMPETITION
Matches between individual soldiers, and be-
tween teams representing different organize
tions, will be established as soon as it is consid
cred that the instruction of the command has
sufficiently far advanced to warrant them.
Regulations for conducting such matches will
be hereafter promulgated, and prizes estab-
Ished for the successful competitors.
->~>-
Oyster Pirates Captured.
Capt. Howard Of the Maryland state steamer
Governor Thomas, seized yesterday five oyster
vessels which had been dredging in Tangier
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