Evening star., 1932-03-06

Reserve Officers Association. One Of
/ the trophies is given to the best bat
talon and the other to the best divi-
sion.
! After the muster of the organization
| at o'clock, when the battalion was
officially presented to the board, there
was a check-up of the men present,
and then each division was put through
the manual of arms and later gave
| a demonstration of its infantry train
| ing. Subsequently each division was
taken aboard the desoryer, where gen.
eral drills, including battle quarters
was conducted.
) Following completion of this work
the divisions were returned to the
| armory, where the method of class
room instruction was demonstrated
and the members of the board ex-
| amined various petty officers and men
in the details of their particular lines.
First-aid work also was demonstrated.
Orders have been issued by Lieut..
E. w. Rounds, commanding the Avia-
| tion Reserve Division, for the drills
| Of that organization to be held each
| Thursday night at the local Fleet Re-
serve Armory instead of at the Naval
Air Station at Anacostia.
The Navy Department has an
nounced that the inspection board IN
examining various units throughout
the country has found many good and
some poor methods of instruction In
use Some units, it was pointed out.
have excellent schedules of instruction
covering the years work, a system for
keeping track of courses pursued by
individuals, their progress and the pro-
curement of and accounting for courses
! received.
The board feels, it was said further,
that where there is any doubt OF what
should be taught, the training courses
of the Bureau of Navigation can be
depended upon to furnish the proper
subject matter Attention. 1t was
added, should be paid to the size of
classes, and these should be sufficiently
small and specialized as to insure rapid
progress. AS stressed by the board here
tofore, attention should be given to IL
Illustrating ideas expressed in the text
by using models or graphic representa-
tions.
A further step in development of in
struction is to use the eagle boats or
destroyers available as laboratories in
which to illustrate or confirm theory
studied in the armory instruction pc
riods. The possibilities in this direc-
ton, 1t was pointed out, are great,
offering as they do the means Of study
and operation of systems and items
that the individual or group will be
called upon to operate and of which
there must be real knowledge.
Many Reserve divisions, the depart
ment said, have installed lathes, drill
presses, benches for fitting work, etc,
in order that their engineers and artifi-
GERS may train themselves in simple
mechanical processes. This is to be
encouraged. for every engineer, regard
less of rate, must be able to use his
hands to do useful overhaul and re-
pair work.
The final aid, it was explained, is,
Of course, to have each unit prepared
to do its full part on the annual
cruise with its own men. Full pro-
flciency in this direction is too much
to expect at the present time, the bu-
reau explained, but proper use of the
instructor periods will work toward
realization of this goal 1t is evident
to the board that the greatest present
need is for better training of engineer
compliments of the fleet Reserve units.
The Bureau of Navigation has an
nounced that it has noticed certain
laxness on the part of commanding