Castle Heights Military Academy - Yearbook (Lebanon, TN)

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5 CADET STAFF

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And so this process of moulding the boy, most of it while he is utterly unconscious that it is happening, goes on day after day in every phase of his school life. The ideal of discipline at Castle Heights is nothing but a continuous efort to apply 100 per cent. common sense. THE HONOR SYSTEM Yet any system of discipline that failed to take into consideration the higher nature of the boy would be a specious pretext. All its results would he on the surface. It would he a thing of shadow, not of substance. Every Castle Heights cadet lives under the Honor System. His word is good. If it is not good, he leaves the Academy. When a cadet is reported, he goes to the Commandant's office, where the charge against him is read to him. He may reply, Sir, the report is correct, or Sir, the report is correct: may I explain? in which case he is given every opportunity to explain the circum- stances: or he may say, Sir, the report is incorrect, upon which the charge is at once removed. This same implicit trust characterizes the reception of the cadet's every official utterance or written statement. When the Cadet Officer of the Day signs his inspection return, he certifies on honor to the strict performance of his duty. When the Cadet Division Officer checks .up at call to quarters, he merely knocks at the door and calls Right? The reply, Right, Sir, signifies the orderly's statement, on his honor, that the cadets supposed to be in the room are present. When a cadet says in the class-room, Sir, I am excused from reciting to-day, his word is accepted. Through examination period the same high standard of ideals prevails. The Honor System has been unanimously endorsed and adopted by the Corps of Cadets of Castle Heights as the present and future standard of the Academy. The administration of the system is in the hands of an Honor Council of cadets appointed by the Commandant, and approved by the President, with whom always sits a faculty officer. In the rare instances in which matters come before this tribunal for adjudication, 71

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no extreme step is ever taken until the case has been carefully re- viewed before a Faculty Court. The Corps of Cadets, acting under the Honor System, is unanimously pledged not to haze, lay hands on, or humilate any new cadet. A DAY AT CASTLE HEIGHTS Castle Heights has a happy suggestion for those fathers and mothers who entrust their sons to its care: ' Let the clock at home time the boy at school. Castle Heights is prepared to tell you, in advance, just what your boy in all likelihood will be doing at any hour of the day or night while he is a cadet at the Academy. Q The rigid military system and the unescapable oversight make this possible. The cadet day at Castle Heights begins at 6:20 A. M., when first call sounds. Reveille is five minutes later: and if you look at your clock at 6:35, when assembly is sounding on the Hilltop, you may know that the cadet body, your son among its members, is in company formation, and that his name is being called by a first sergeant. He is fully uniformed. During the good weather of the Fall and Spring he immediately goes through setting-up exercises in the open air, after which he hurries to put his quarters in order for police inspection. His room, by the way, must remain in perfect condition until dinner, for at some hour in the morning it will be inspected again by a faculty officer. ' . When your clock at home points to 7 o'clock, your boy is going in to breakfast at the Academy. At the word of command, the long lines march steadily and silently, every head to the front, into the mesfyhell' Where YO'-11' Son goes immediately to his chair, standing leehmel lt at attention until he hears the command Seats There is a movement Of Chairs, and again a silence until the command Rest The tables aCC0mm0date eight or ten cadets each, the ranking men at Elie laead and foot respectively. On these devolves the responsibility OI' il C COIlduCt of the table: but here and there around the attractive hall are faculty tables as we families, join regularly with the cadet body. , 1 - Sick call sounds at 7:4 ll, where the ofhcers, their wives and 0, as the Corps marches out from breakfast, 73