The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-08-28
FORK UNION IDEA
IS SPLENDID ONE
Military Training for Students
is Growing in
Popularity
SETS HIGH STANDARD
TO BE LIVED UP TO
No Cadet is Excused and the
: Ones Working Their Way
Through Are Highly
Commended
(By Dr. W, f, Hatcher. }

ne Qi ! htt' 1 A'dIslIS
takes to do first class work as
secondary scnool, 1t s=sk5 20 be
equa Ito the best in the family OF
academies And seeks moreover TO
maintain a e'ghborly and CO. opera
tive relationship with other institu~
tions Of its class. Its peculiar Gis-
tinction lis its military system. This
feature was adJptad after long ard
sol or thinking. The school began
with the amatu"s military feature
We had worthy and efficient mead
Of Our military department -~~~tt tte in
ed soldier, ana Wr pu. the GONs in
unifor,n1 and good work vas dohe IN
the way .1t dcli and dislIg ine. IT
was aeon found. however, sh2t the
actual military idea cp9ld not to
brought to my high pClnt Of CHI
cheney unless the seho0s had BEHIND
1t some final and adequate authority.
II WAS with some awkWafdress aud
rnisglring that tbs SCHOOL determined
10 appeal TO the var department. or
the United Sta1cs govern nett "a COM
fer military equipment upe me
school and 10 detail An officer. To
our grateful surprise the autho' ~.'es
favored our sat, Ani II Was guile \
proud event when a graduate Of West
Point, one who had seen uuCa service
on the Pacific c last ard l., tbs Ihl}'p-
pines. came - take chgslba II iht
military work ll &; a, aheaiN-
The effect Was Immediate. power
ful and almost magical A. once
the military idea became one ~ the
commanding distinctions of Fork
Union. And the name was changed
to the Fork Union Military Academy.
For seven years this arrangement has
been In happy and helpful operation.
OF course the military education at
Fork Union Is not 50 extensive as al
the governmental schools. But II is
gwen In the spirit Of those schools
given 10y 81 military expert. and regd-
larry Inspected under the authority NJ
the war department as 10 Its quality
and fatthfulness. The srhool mas
never failed under the searching IN
spections of the United States officers
who are sent to look into its work.
Standard II High.
And lts standards Of efficiency have
grown higher and higher every year
Its object is not really To- edpfaie
the cadets for permanent military
service. and only Il few Of them have
gone on with their military educa-
Ntion after they have left Fork Mon
And in most Of these cases the> We're
young men who took their training
at Fork Union with a View 81 going
to the higher military Institutions,
The Fork Union trustees are thor
oughly settled in their conviction as
20 the value Of the military idea. They
End that the results Of the system
80 far beyond even their most fanci-
fHf expectations. Tho yaxSsa ~rf, h g
system becomes more and more aTf-
parent every session, The economy IN
dress is well GRITTY Of mention. sihe
cadets are kept in uniform and one
t. Na },{s IN r.
ing value. several suits al the COM
mon Way OF dressing.
In many cases one dress suit and
one fatigue suit lasts ful! session.
and. indeed. in ever so many cases
they last two sessions The cadets
are required to keep their uniforms
thoroughly clean. in perfect repair
and to wear them all the time out
side Of their rooms. No cadet is al
lowed to appear at the table or reci-
tation In any other dress. This does
away with that inordinate rivalry ana
extravaganza In dress which boys OF
ample means are 80 prone To indulge
in. The unlforming Of the boys is a
great consolation OF the economic or
der 60 the parents
Day systematically Divided.
The systematic quality OF the mill
tary training Is something that the
average hoy AttaS aAia lftE1N wei y
much The twenty -four hours are d.
vided to the last second, as to what
the boy shall do with his time. He
has TO move on the minute, while
ample opportunity for sleep and exer-
else is provided. the boy gets no other
time but that which Is given him for
that purpose. And even them his iib-
critics are restricted to such limits as
will keep him under observation.
From the moment the bugle blows
him out Of the bed and blows him
back again at night. his duties and
pleasures are scheduled, and he Is
constantly under law. But the ar
rangemcnts is so flexible and orderly
that he has abundant freedom. Tar
diness. forgetfuiness sinking and
vain excuses do not go at the academy.
The young fellow who has had his
way at home finds 1t rather trying al
first. Occasionally some of the weaker
sort write home and the chicken
hearted father or mother takes the
soft darling home. and that invariably
to his undoing. These cases are. how
ever, very rare. The dormant man
Illness of boys springs into play and
brings out their innate vigor and en-
durance. Punishment for failure In
these things Is never omitted, 1t il
no uncommon sight TO see the cadets
walking OH the penalties or theiI
neglects. But II must not be sup
posed that there Is any peculiar odium
that pertains to those who are pun
ished for breaking the rules.
Last fall just before the closing for
the holidays Captain Edwin N. Macon
the commandant. gave a banquet Ia
the -Four Hour Cadets" They were
as much as four hou shrdlu
the boys who had walked guard as
much as foue- hours during the SEES
sion. And when some one too curious
and also too superficial. was asked
II the object of the function was to
honor the offenders. the captain re-
piled that ut ought to be understood
that the offenses OF these boys were
against the strict regulations of mill
tary law and not crimes at all in the
civil sense" He said he gave the
1Continued on Seventh PaEe.l