The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1917-09-06
LESSON NO. 4
GETTING READY FOR CAMP

preceding Lessons: l. Your Post of
Honor. g. Making Good as a Sol
der. 8. Nine Soldierly Qualities.)
Your real training for your duties as
a soldier will begin after you and your
comrades are assembled at the train
ing camps. However, there are few
simple things you can do during the
next few weeks which will be of decid-
ed value in getting you started along
the right lines.
The simplest thing, and perhaps, the
most useful Of all, is to begin at once
to practice correct habits of standing
and walking. Even in civilian life a
mans reputation in his community
yer, and for that matter his own self
respects determined to a surprising
extent by his bearing. The man who
slouches feels like SLOUGH. The man
who holds his head up faces the world
with confidence and courage.
If this is true in civilian life, it. is
ten times more true in military life.
For a soldier must always be strongly
marked by his snap, his precision, and
his yigor. He can not have these traits
unless he carries himself like a soldier.
THE BEARING OF A SOLDIER
Few people without military train
ing have a correct idea of what is
meant by the position and the bearing
of soldier. They are apt to imagine
that 1t means strut or an extremely
strained attitude. Or, more frequently,
they think that the term can properly
be applied to any erect position. The
truth Of the case, however, is that
there is definite procedure to follow
in order to place yourself in what is
known in the army as ''the position of
a soldier" it is the position which the
dismounted soldier always assumes at
the command attention except as it
may be slightly modified to enable
him to carry properly any arms he
may have in his hands.
1t will be we'll for you to memorize
paragraph 81 of the Infantry Drill Reg
ulations, which gives the complete and
accurate description of the position of
the soldier. This paragraph is slightly
paraphrased and simplified in the de.
scription following: Keep in mind
that there are ten elements which
must be properly adjusted to each 9th.
er, and check yourself up to see that
eacn one OF them is properly placed.
+ l. Heels-On the same line and as
near each other as possible; most men
should be able to stand with heels
touching each other.
4 2. Feet-Turned out equally and
forming an angle of about As degrees.
3. Knees Straight without stiffness
4. Hips-Level and drawn back
slightly; body erect and resting equal
ly on hips.
5. Chest-Lifted and arched.
8. Shoulders-Square and falling
equally.
Z. Arms Hanging naturally.
8. Hands - Hanging naturally
thumb along the seam of the trousers
=. Head-Erect and squarely to the
front; chin drawn in so that axis of
head and neck is vertical (means that
q straight line drawn through the cen
ter OF head and neck should be yer.
tlcaD eyes straight to the front.
10. Entire body-Weight of BODY
resting equally upon the heels and
balls of the feet.
Note especially that you are not re-
quired to stand in strained attitude.
You are to be alert but not tense.
One of the very best things you can
do today is to. spend fifteen minutes
practising this position, getting it
right. Keep this up every day until
you report at camp. In the army, as
In every day, life, first impressions are
The first impression you
make on your officers and fellows will
depend, more than You probably
realize, on the manner in which you
stand and walk.