Wentworth Military Academy - Yearbook (Lexington, MO)

Page 19 text:

¥E N T¥0 RTH MILITARY ACADEMY Coi.uxu: Chemical Laboratory airy naturally accompanies military training and the bearing of the cadets in social con- tact is always a matter for favorable com- Mtuic The school offers exceptional opportunities to boys who have musical talent in its band, orchestra, and glee club. Frequently during past years the Academy Band has been called upon to furnish music in parades in Kansas City and nearby cities, and in ex- ecution and appearance it did not suffer in comparison with the large professional bands appearing on the same occasions. The orchestra plays for chapel, receptions and dances. From time to time solo num- bers are given and the corps engages in com- munity singing. Developed While the discipline at Wentworth is firm it is not at all harsh. Very little punishment of any kind is necessary. The punishment that is assigned is always of a military na- ture and not the kind which will in any way humiliate a boy- Students who cannot be handled without physical compulsion are sent home. The aim of the disciplinary department is the development of personalities. Hence a great deal of responsibility rests on the students themselves. Students are allowed considerable freedom in regard to their per- sonal conduct and there is no elaborate or rigid set of rules. Many cases of disci- pline are handled by the students themselves and the conduct of the student body is the result of popular sentiment rather than of an oppressive system of regulations. In short the plan of Wentworth has as its object the developing of American citi- zens—men who are mentally alert, phys- ically sound, and courageous enough to take prominent parts in the educational, religious, commercial and physical life of their munities. -13-

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N T¥0 RTH MILITARY ACADEMY TnE Quartermaster ' s Store Calls thenici These exercises have been developed after years of thought by the expert in charge of the gymnasium work at West Point, and they are used by the entire United States Army. They are the most effective and complete set of calisthenic drill ever developed. They reach every muscle of the body, giving that muscular roundness, erectness, and graceful- ness of carriage which only such exercises can give. An officer of the United States Army, who has recently had two boys in Wentworth, said : One of the greatest ben- efits has been in the physical improvement. The military training and athletic exercises have straightened the boys ' backs and given them a carriage that 1 did not hope for them to acquire in one year. Work in the Gymnasium During bad weather, when it is impossible to have outdoor drill, much of the drill period is devoted to gymnasium work. This work is very interesting and highly beneficial for physical development. The gymnasium is open at all times and during recreation hours many of the cadets find profitable pleasure in boxing, wrestling, and working on the various gymnasium apparatus. Teams in tumbling are developed under an expert instructor and give occasional exhibi- tions at basketball games or at home talent shows. Social Life The social life of the Academy is abund- antly adequate to give the students the recre- ation, culture, and ease of manner whicli properly go with a good education. A class in dancing and social usage of twelve lessons is conducted each year by Mrs. Katherine B. Jones of Kansas City for all students who desire the instruction. Parties and entertainments are given at intervals at such times as not to interfere with the regular work. The spirit of chiv- -12-

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¥E N T¥0 RTH MILITARY ACADEMY Cuff l)Rr T. Approach to U.xjncton !iRn«F. LOCATION EX1NGT0N is the county seat of Lafayette County. It has a population of about 5,000 and is remarkably well equipped with excellent store juildings, public edifices, handsome residences and broad brick street. It has excellent systems of electric light, waterworks, gas and sewerage. Some two hundred and ten feet above the river, the lo- cation is as beautiful and healthful as can be found. On one of the bluffs of the river not far from where Wentworth Military Academy stands was fought the battle of Lexington, which was an important battle of the late Civil War. Lexington is an old town and its population includes many of the oldest and most cultured families of the state. The cadets are therefore thrown with refined people in their social life. The town is just forty-two miles from Kansas City. It is easily reached by two branches of the Missouri Pacific and the main line of the Santa Fe and the Wabash, of which the I exington station is Henrietta, where Lexington buses meet all trains. Lex- ington is also on roads 20 and 13 of the Missouri system and two bus lines operate over the hard road between Lexington and Kansas City. The Lexington is located in central Missouri. The climate here is ideal for a school, since it is cool enough to be invigorating and to offer the winter sports, such as skating and sleighing, and at the same time it is mild enough not to subject the students to the rigors of a more northern locality. The cadets can be out of doors comfortably prac- tically all of the school year. Fuawra Gardens at the Bridge Approach