Evening star., 1937-09-19
THOUGH not required by tt

THOUGH not required by the
n Navy Departments syllabus
"A of training, the officers and
4 4 men of the 1st Battalion,
United States Naval Reserves in the
District of Columbia, will take in
number of extra-curricula activities
during the coming year. under plans
which have been formulated by the
battalion commander. 1t was pointed
out that there are many naval activi-
ties here, both within and without the
Navy Yard reservation, which would
be Of material benefit to the members
OF the battalion, and they are to be
conducted on regular tours.
These new activities were inaugu-
rated last Tuesday night, when the
I'd Fleet Division was taken to the
Navy Diving School in the Washing
ton Navy Yard, where officers of the
regular establishment gave them some
practical instruction in diving and
also delivered lecture on the sub
ject. Next Tuesday night, it was said,
the 1st and Sd Fleet Divisions will
receive the same instruction, these two
outfits having just completed their
annual period of sea training.
Plans are being formulated to pro-
vide instruction in other activities,
both in the Navy Yard and other
places here where the Navy is operAt-
ing. including the Naval Research
Laboratory at Bellevue, D. c., and the
Naval Observatory. Present plans call
for sending all of the quartermasters
and signal men on special trip to
the Naval Observatory to study the
activities there and to listen to a lec-
ture on the rudiments Of navigation
Take No Additional Time.
These activities, it was said, viii no,
take any additional time OF the off,
GERS and men, as it is proposed to give
| them on the regular drill nights
However, it is believed that this plar
of instruction, although not following
the regular system, will prove as val.
liable to the officers and men as the
regular class room instruction. Al
the same time the regular syllabu,
of instruction will be carried out OF
a more intensive plan in order to ge
all of the lessons in to make up fol
the time taken by the divisions in visit.
ing the other naval activities here.
Reports flltering out indicate tha
the three divisions composing tn
local Reserve battalion made ex
cellent scores with the big guns OF
the destroyers aboard which the,
made their annual training cruise.
this year. The LIST and Sd Flee
Divisions returned last week aboars
the United States destroyers Dickin
son and Decatur, thus completing tn,
sea training for the local outfits fo
the current training season. On tn.
basis Of the preliminary reports, it wa
said, the local battalion should attain
very high standing among the othel
battalions Of the country when thu
reports are tabulated.
With the sea training out of the way
the three divisions now will buckle
down to preparations for the annua
armory inspection, when a board O
Regular officers from the Navy De.
partment conducts a series of tests Il
determine the relative state of eff
cheney of the organizations, and thei
preparedness to proceed to sea upol
short notice in the event of an emer
gency.
Although no definite date for tn
inspection has been set by the inspec
ton board, indications have beer
given that the tests this year will b
conducted some drill night during tb,
late Winter.
Battalion at High Point.
1t will be an intensive prepara
tory campaign this year, it wa.
indicated by the officers, for they ar,
determined to reach first place thi
year, spurred by the fact that the di.
visions and the battalion as a who'll,
reached the highest point in it's his.
tory as result of last years inspec.
tions. OF the 36 battalions in tn,
country the local outfit stood sixth a.
. result Of the tests of last year, anc