Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-04-26
EVERYBODY GIVES
PRAISE TO OTTAWA
SCHOOL ANDcADETS
HOWARD WHEELER, ONE OF
WORLDS GREATEST EDITORS
WRITES OF LOCAL INSTiTU-
TlON AND lOTHROP FOLLETT.

1 IiON ANU lO 1hOP fOll6 l.
"Everybody's" magazine in its May
issue devotes page of interesting
reading for Ottawans
Evidencing the fact that Lothrop
Follett, Prot Kingman. the o. II. $.
board of education have made sue
cess OF military training as part OF
the schools curriculum, this great ma
tional publication devotes to the local
school in general and Major Follett in
particular, page of praise for the
work being carried on here.
Pesides its story of the Ottawa sys-
TEN OF military training the story,
written by Howard Wheeler. editor of
'Everybody's,' contains a photo Of
young F'ollett under the caption,
"Lothrop Follett. Ottawa Township
High School Student. who unassisted
Recruited, Organized and Drilled a
Company of One Hundred Students
The account of Ottawa's efforts to
create proper American spirit among
its boys who are attaining the educa-
ton its elegant new school affords,
was contained in an announcement OF
the formation OF the High School Vol
unteers of the United States, t0geth-
er with the list OF officers headed by
Newton d. Baker as honorary presi-
dent and Col. l.. r. Gignilliat, OF Cul-
yer Academy, as president Mr. Wheel
er is chairman of the executive board.
OF Ottawa and Mr.. Follett, he says:
In some places Mr.. American Boy
has jumped into this breach himself.
The boys Of Waukegan and Ottawa
had been wearing the bronze button
of H. s. v. U. s. many months before
Captain Steever and his assistants
come out of the East, as have those
In many other schools. And In OF
tawa we have at least one proof that
this is Mr.. American Boys work and
Mr. American Boys movement.
Ottawa, like a good many other
towns. has been stirred by the Wyom-
ing Idea; but while the other towns
were marking time waiting for some
body to come In, organize, and start
the work from the outside. Ottawa put
the machinery In motion from Within
The one who did 1t was Mr. Iathrop
Follett then a junior in his seven
teenth year in the Ottawa Township
High School
Young Mr.. Follett's equipment con-
sisted of eight weeks of work in the
Summer Naval School at Culver, and
barrels of enthusiasm.
When he returned to Ottawa at the
close Of the summer school he found
his high school much interested in in
PRODUCING the Wyoming training. but
face to face with the problem OF secur-
ing competent instructor, uniforms.
etc. With the consent of the prlnci-
pal, Mr. Charles Fl. Kingman, he got
together the twenty-six boys who at
tended the two weeks camp for high
school students at Culver last May.
With these he proceeded to recruit
company one hundred strong. He or
gan2ed drilled them, and worked
them as only healthy boy Of eigh-
teen--with a conviction They
now have fifty new recruits and the
pride of the town.
And Folett is just one of us-one
Of the growing number of young Am
oricans who believe In SteeVer and
his work He had behind him. OF
course an unusually broad-gage prin-
cipal but even at that, ii has been
pretty big job with no adult mill
tary instructor on the spot. What he
has done should be an inspiration to
other high school men thruout the
country. With more like him. the II.
IS. V. u. s. might be assured that the
great work would 90 on and belong
still more to the American high school
boys--if for whatever reason CAPTAIN
Steeyer and his assistants were obllg
ed to leave 1t in their hands"