Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1903-12-17
THE MIDSHIPMEN CONTEST.
Value Given to The Different
Branches in Awarding
HonoS Won.

AAOnOS NOA.
An exciting contest is now going
on at the Naval Academy in which
every midshipman has q part, which
began with the opening of the aca-
demic year and will close only when
the June exercises mark the ending
of the work of the year. This is the
contest for the right to carry the bri-
gade colors and the competition is
| particularly interesting this year be-
cause there are eight competing COM
panies instead of four, as formerly.
The system by which the competition
is governed is absolutely unique and
! it is likely that the equal to it is TO
be found nowhere in college life in
placing a fair comparative value upon
excellence along the different lines
that go to make creditable represen-
tative of the institution.
The schedule of the values assigned
to the different phases of academic
work shows that while the greatest of
Importance is properly attached to
the professional branches seaman
ship, navigation, ordnance, which in
cludes great and small gun practice,
ETC., the sports in which the midship-
men engage is aslo given weight, the
theory being that they have tend
ency to build manly character and TO
inculcate the qualities so necessary in
a man and an officer.
A little short of Thousand points
are awarded in all. Of these five
hundred are assigned TO the purely
professional branches. Under the de-
partment of ordnance two hundred
points are distributed, one half going
to individual proficiency in great gun
target practice by members of the
first class and the other to excellence
in shooting with small arms, in which
all the midshipmen participate indi-
vidually and by companies One hun
dred points are devoted to each for sea-
manship and infantry and artillery
drills. The first company in each of
these five departments receives fifty
points, the second thirty five and the
third fifteen. The work in none of
these lines has been completed except
the target practice with great guns,
in which the first class alone partici-
pated.
Among the sports, football and row.
ing are the most highly regarded and
to each one hundred points are assign
ed. In rowing each member of the
first crew and the coxswain win five
points for his company, and each mem
Der of the second three. The other
points are awarded TO the winners of
the cutter raees-thirteen and six re-
spectively to the company which mans
the first and second crews. Each
member of the first football team wins
three points for his company and each
member of the second team two. The
- ko ..naollx- lod fO
the winners of the series of company
games, but this will not take place
this year. Sailing in cat boats, cutter
and launches follows with eighty
points. These races are contested in
the spring. Base ball is given forty
eight, field and track athletics forty
eight, fencing twenty-six and indoor
gymnastics eighteen. The other
thirty points are awarded in equal
numbers to the company which con-
tains the midshipman winning the
presentation sword, for the one who
has done the most individually to pro-
mote athletics and the Thompson
trophy to the one who has done the
most to promote athletics in general.
From this schedule it can be seen
that very accurate weight is given
IO lllC NdIlOuS C1CIlCnbH III MhAO1t q
youth can develop excellence along
proper and helpful lines. 1t had been
the custom to award the colors to the
company winning the competitive
drill during June week This drill
was a very spectacular feature, but it
was thought much better to introduce
other elements into the competition
for the most highly coveted honor
that the Naval Academy offers. The
companies are commanded by the fol
lowing midshipmen
First Company-Otterson
Second Company-Bassett.
Third Company-Oak.
Fourth Compnay-Tupper
Fifth Company-Druley.
Sixth Company-Dawes.
Seventh Company-HOward.
Eighth Company-Coburn.
Just at present the first company,
commanded by Midshipman John E..
Otterson, of Allegany, Pa, is slightly
ahead ON the points scored so far in
great gun practice and football. The
first company was slightly ahead in
the target practice and also scored a
good number Of the football points.
| The fifth company, commanded by
Midshipman Waldo f. Druley, Of Staff
ord, Conn, is probably second on ac-
count of its:close showing in the tar
get practice, but it only won a few
points in football. The sixth COM
pany, commanded by Midshipman
Robert A. Dawes, of Haverhill, Mass,
won the highest nubmer of points in
| football, but the scoring was so close
| that it did not win a place over the
highest contestants in the quincy
practice.
The part taken by the members Of
each company in the different branch
| es will be carefully noted until the
| end of the scholastic year, and the pre-
j sanfafion of colnrs to the leading COM