The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-08-09

0Eo2I A4ke8, III, aug. s-oASse
Sam II entertaining over . thous-
and American youths at VACATION
camps this summer. The vacation
camp for the sons of the wealthy
has already q regular institution OF
our summer life. Hundreds Vi
parents pay . large sum OF money
to send their boys to- private camps
during the summer where they will
receive plain food, plenty Of reSu-
ular exercise and q wholesome
amount of discipline. This sum-
mer the navy has invited any high
school boy OF sixteen or over to be-
come . temporary sailor. and spend
six weeks Of his summer vacation
at a naval training station, with all
the advantages Of vacation camp
and none Of the expense. In fact.
he is paid the same wages as an
apprentice seaman, $33 q month.
Tho summer naval schools. as
these vacation camps are called.
were started to advertise the navy
and help recruiting. There is one
camp here and another in the east.
The boys enlist for . period OF
three months. six weeks to b
spent in active service and NJ
weeks in the naval reserve force.
when they go home" says Lieu
tenant Robert Wyman, head OF the
summer naval school here, I'VE
hope they will talk about the navy.
In fact, we expect them to spread
the news around pretty thoroughly
that there is q navy. AS they COME
from all over the country this will
have the effect of spreading an in
telligent interest in the service
through the land. We have ,7O7 men
in, the school now from almost ev-
cry state in the union except the
eastern states"
The boys seem to take to camp
life like a duck to water. in spite
Of the fact that most Of them have
never lived away from home be-
fore. and many of them came with
very little idea of what a sailors
life was like. One youth from the
far west, for example, who was
among the first arrivals, was p1,
into rather makeshift quarters the
first night and told that he would
be sent to the regular barracks In
day or two as soon as things were
ready.
,, Sent His Own Furniture.
"Oh, that's quite all right" he
replied obligingly, beaming at the
officer in charge Of him. Jus
put me any place. I'm having my
own furniture sent on from home
and l can manage anything until il
arrives"
When the news was broken Il
him that his furniture for the sum
mer would consist of hammocl
and a sea bag, he adapted himself
to that idea quite as pleasantly
One of the best features OF thu
summer school is the way it strip
life of all non-essentials and throw
bows from all stations Of life to
gether in one big democratic com
munity, boys who have had ever,
luxury, and boys who are there be
cause they want to earn the $33
month to help them through schoo
next year.
Many of the rockies we're Trough
to the station by their proud ant
anxious parents. Some OF them ar
rived in state in limousines. A for
mer commandant Of the Grea
Lakes Naval Training Station, AMI
a prominent army officer, both de
livered their sons to Lieutenan
Wyman with the request that he y
not sparing of discipline, not tina
their boys needed it especially. the.
FASTENED to add, but simply be
cause they realized the value G
strict military training in aiding
young men to cope with life in gen
eral. The mothers who come witt
their sons, on the other hand, ar
more anxious about such subjects
as fresh milk and eggs. and wheth
er sailors wear rubbers, and as 10
discipline, they hope Lieutenan
Wyman will do his best to promot
a gentle homelike atmosphere.
Dudley Dowell, who came VI
from Little Rock, Arkansas, witt
twenty other boys, Is most en-
thusiastic about the school. Dude,