The Washington herald., 1915-12-18
HEAR PLANS FOR
CADET reform
High School Officers Told Of
Scheme to Place Regi-
ment on New Basis.
RIFLE MATCHES PLANNED
Preparedness Basic Idea a-Instructor
Denies He Hopes to Turn Out
Merely Trained Fighters.

Officers of the District High Schoo
| cadet regiment assembled at Mckinley
Manual Training School last night and
heard outlined the plans for the reor.
ganization OF the regiment on a more
military basis. The reorganization calls
| for the introduction of rifle practice and
/ the instruction of the officers in the
scientific direction of their troops.
| Lieut.. z. z. Steever, u. s. A., who is
to assist Mai. waIlach McCathram. in
structor of the regiment. in establishing
the new system, scored last night the
| idea that there is any intention Of max
| ing trained soldiers of high school boys.
Although he admitted 1t would give the
| boys the foundation of military train
| ing, he stated that the real object was to
| turn out good citizens"
| Heretofore the entire work Of the regi-
| ment has consisted in the rehearsal OF
close formation drills. Under the new
plan, which goes into effect as soon as
| the cadets return from the Christmas
holidays, every Saturday will be devoted
| to rifle practice on the Congress Heights
range of the District National Guard and
| at the Winthrop Heights range Of the
| Marine Corps.
Matches Are Planned.
In order to encourage efficiency. all
Will pc competitive Inc OdlcS Ior
the competitive matches between the OFF,
GERS of the various schools. in which the
winners will be awarded split campaign
ribbons. are: February 4, Western and
Eastern; February 5, Central and Nc
Kinley; February II, Business and Nc
Kinley's second group; February L, Gen.
trails second group and Business second
group.
The four winning groups in these pre-
liminaries will met In semi-inal matches
on February IS and 10, when semi-final
badges will be awarded. On February %
the winners in the semi-fnals meet to
decide the championship for the Dis.
trict.
From January to . Lieut.. Steever
and Maj. McCathram will deliver lectures
to the officers at Mckinley Manual
Training School.
On January / the two lieutenants of
each company will divide their company
into platoons. each taking one for COM
petitive rife matches The two platoons
of each company then will engage in
preliminary contests to determine which
is the "marksman" platoon Beginning
April q, the "marksman" piatoons of
the several companies will engage in
interschool matches The winners of
these matches then will engage in semi
finals.
May will See the battle royal between
the winning semi-final companies for the
champion '.marksman'' company of the
District Sometime between May IS and
the regiment will be reviewed by army
officers on the White Lot. The competi
live drill will be held in June.
Americanied swism Plan.
feature Of the plan will be the ap-
,ointment OF a girl sponsor by each COM |
,any. Each company and each rife |
match platoon will elect its sponsor from |
he girls of their respective schools
In the troop leadership matches be- |
ween the officers. the twelve-inch |
map will be used to give the |
men an idea of how to handle their |
roops in the field.
To the winners Of all competitive |
matches an appropriate honor badge. re-
the regular army campaign rib
IONS. will be given.
AS soon as school closes in June the
q dets will be sent to a summer training
amp somewhere near the District. The
have asked Congress for
1000 to defray the expenses of this camp.
ut IL the Appropriation Is not made an
fort will be made to go to camp by hav-
1g the boys pay a small amount of the
expenses. Each cadet must have the
'ritten consent of his parents to 20 to
he camp.
The plan. which has been perfected by
lieut. Steever after four years of study.
known as the "Americanized-Swfs
ystem for citizenship training. 1t is un-
erstood that the city and school officials
New York. Pittsburgh and Cincinnati
re considering the advisability of follow
lg the example Of the National Capital