The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-05-21
MILITARY DRILL
Its BENEFITS In Helping Manage a school {
Boys.

Religious people as a rule are far from
being as absurd on the question Of mtii-
tary dsill in the public schools as some Of
the good old ladies Of the ". G. T. U. Rev.
Chas. Ernest Pellew, of the Buruham IN
dustrial Farm, near Morristown, y J.. tells
in The AfrHist Interchange Of the brilliant
Success Of the introduction of military drill
into that Institution:
The farm was founded by religious people.
s supported largely, mainly. by earnest
tnrrch workers. Religion is known % be,
On TIE whole, tie greatest force influencing
'A'"Nina. 40 can b.. made extremely now
eriui Oh en- dren. Why not try that? Not
as one stct0r, aud that an important one.
But IS the ma.n, if not the sole. force de-
pended on 20 govern and rrflrm our bows.
Well, this experiment has been tried for
I some years bar without very great success.
IL II very Eard 20 impress gious ideas on
these bright, active minds, so as to produce
just the desired sG-ef. and alter careful
study we determined 10 Ieiuce the number
OF religious exercises, depending more neon
tie influence u rehuej, hizh-mindeG. IN
te!iigent workers than upon any formal ex-
erc.ses or appeals, and to rely lo- our disci-
pine upon some other agency.
And, with this in view. we put the school
under strict military Discipline. not that OF
a great rriOrmat0ry, bat rather like that Of
q good military school We began by cut
tn2 OIL the early morning chapel and sub
shutting physical exercise. A week OF set
trS-np drills, a3 in the Regular Army,
altered the look Of every boy on the place.
Later we worked them with dumh-belIs.
then with Indian clubs; after month or
SO We gave them saber exercise, and. later
on, they have taken up bayonet drills.
Durng the Winter, every morn NJ before
breakfast, the boys have had their regular
exercise, and the clear, fresh skins. the
bright color, the vigorous active energetic
bearing Of every boy show what results We
are obtaining.
Ihs next step was to put them into mi
form. Oar money was seanty, but we pro-
ylded them with weekday as well as Sun
day suits, and we're able to indulge in some
side-2rms for the officers. to eouiD color
guard and band, and buy good, serviceabIs
guns and bayOnets for the older boys And
the change in the appearance and BEHAVIOR
OF the Boys from the moment they found
themselves looking neat and soldierly was
astonishing. We drilled them reaularly.
thanks to officer of the National G1ard.
who took the greatest interest in his work.
To be sure, they grumbed a httle-wfat
boy would u0t-at the strict discipline en-
forced. Bat they made up for it by their
intense pride and interest in the inspections
and dress parades.
Instead of the early morning chapel on
sunday we gave the boys half an hours
extra sleep. After breakfast, whenever the
weather allowed we would hold inspection
and then march or drive in full uniform,
eolOrs out, band playing, to one of the
neighboring churches. And it was a pretty
sight to see them file into church. with
co!ors IN the front, and to see their behavior
while there They wOnld sit there quietly.
and if by chance some tired farul- boy would
happen to nod during q long sermon, it
would be but a minute or two before he
would start up with a shame-fac look,
with some sharp finger proddiBg m in the
back. Instead Of afternoon chapel we would
have dress-parade, with all the pomp and
ceremony that we could muster, and after
that they would scatter fer long walks over
the hills; and in the evening, as on all other
evenings OF the week, we would assemble
for evening prayers in orr own chapel
For, while we subOrdinated religion a
little, we did not in the least abandon it.
But We are trying to teach a quiet, manly
religion, and to enforce lis precepts by intel
ligent workers both men and women. We
impress on the boys that they mnst help
themselves before they can count on Divine
help We urge them to resist temptation
manfully; and if they fail, TO fight again.
And we thiaS that they more than regain,
from example and personal influence, what
they lose in positive religious instruction.
The boys have done so we'll in the last
seven months. The new tore has appealed
to them. No more sloueh;ng, surliness. con-
slant grumbling, or running away. No more
need for severe pHnishments. Week by
week the reports have come to me- contain
ing full records of every offense aud every
punishment awarded. and week after week
I am astOnished at the results Sometimes
not a single complaint for whole week,
among so boys of such antecedents. And
such slight complaints. "D-s, throwing
stones at the dog. E. RI, disorder in
school. Punishment-depTIYed of skating
privileges for week"
A most serious and troublesome offepse
has always been the running away. The
fIrm is open a bright, active lad can get
away if he really tries. From November to
August last year there were a cases Of run
ming away. From August to March but one,
among the boys regularly on the place.
About Thanksgiving boy, a wre,ched lad,
too, was caught~smOking under the barn.
To avoid punishment, he reused couple Of
lrleDuS anu tley ran on that night. AND,
actually, when the boys heard of it they
wanted to mob him. When he was brought
home they hOwled at him pelted him with
snowballs. "He had dsgraced the farm.
What would BIr. - and Mr.. - thiuk Of
it and of them 2"
For we had developed a loyalty to the
place. / remember wei, last September,
sending a coupe of boys into Albany.
Clean, well-bruShed, looking straight and
sOld:erly in their Sunday uniforms, they
went off feeling happy and proud. Next
day they returned, after spending day and
night in the town; they marched right up
t. the office, and saluted: Sir, we have not
dsgrPeed our uniform"
I wish that there were more space to tell
of the tremendous influence for good we have
found thus far in this military system, and
how boy after boy, sometimes of most un-
promising character has been attracted and
reused by that when nothing else could stir
him. And how the new boys, coming up
and scared, are attracted at
once by the uniforms and the sound of the
drums calling for parade, and how, after
the drills for half an hour, they
sdle up to their friend who has brOughs
them and say, confidently that they think
they will like this place, after ALL" And we
are getting many new boys, now. During