Northwestern Military Academy - Yearbook (Highland Park, IL)

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8 THE TARGET Military Department HERE are military schools and there are military schools. In U some the military is paramount to everything else, even the acad- Y ,Q ' emic taking second place. Other schools go to the other extreme, l the military being but a side issue and proving not only of no value to the student but frequently actually detrimental. At Northwestern the military goes hand in hand with the academic W and while not encroaching in the least upon the time devoted to study, it is made a prominent feature of the school's work. It has always been our aim to have a well drilled battalion, and well drilled detachments in the other arms of the service 5 but it has been deemed, if anything, more important than this to teach the students the military as a science, and much of our work is devoted to cross country marches, camp life, road-map making and experimenting with new equipments for military work. It has been this side of our military life which has attracted so much attention not only from the war department of the United States but from foreign governments, and it has done much to place the school among the highest and best known. Cn the opening of school everything looked encouraging for a fine bat- talion, but we had not as yet met the difficulty of the new regulations and it was quickly found that the advantage that had always come with a large attendance of old boys was working just opposite from what it had here- tofore, especially as far as the battalion drills were concerned. The plebes had nothing but to learn the new regulations, while the year- lings and upper class men had not only to learn the new regulations but to unlearn all they had acquired in the past. Cf course, our work started with the time-honored setting up drills the first day. It impressed even the old men that there had been a general relaxation during the vacation months. A week's time, however, made its impression and before there had been many squad drills the corps began to assume its usual military appearance. Despite the difference of the new regulations, Commencement Day saw as usual a fine battalion although there does not seem to be the pretty movements in the new battalion drill that there was in the old. ,The sabre detachment under Capt. Yule quickly became proiicient and a marked increase of the arm muscles showed the physical value of the exercise. A The artillery detachment, also under Captain Yule is able instruction, succeeded not only in making an enormous amount of noise and breaking out the usual number of windows, but put up a very snappy drill as well. One section of the artillery had experience in cross country work this year, going overland 80 miles to camp and back.

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5' e ... .. 1- ., . 1 .,- -- V . . , r Uh00ls, In 31' extreme, Only of 110 elltalg At 5 aCadQH1ie devoted to r allil well 511 deemed, military as shes, camp TI' military d so much but from imong the I,HI16llEll- tions and ph a. large had here- ed, The ie year- tions but drills the general .made DS began ay SHW Y pretil ent find of the 11Clil0u: reakillg S Well. ' yflflrr 'i C 5ki'i .Lg THE 'TARGET 9 Military Department-Continued The bicycle corps, under Capt. Mylrea's enthusiastic leadership, suc- ceeded in getting the usual number of punctures as well as the usual number of pleasant runs and encampments. The auto battery did not get back from St. Louis Exposition until late in the fall, and as a result did not have the usual number of accidents to report. Lieut. Cooly is working on the Dwyer carriage and promises to show. us a novel addition to our Auto Battery next year. Especial mention is due the crack company under Capt. Mylrea. This organization has developed very rapidly. While but three years of age, vit is an organization that every Northwestern man is proud of, one of the greatest honors that can be conferred on a cadet being his selection to this organization. Especial mention is due the band. Prof. Colburn, under whose able leadership it has been, has developed an organization that would have done rcles. While there were a number of boys who had had considerable experience and were therefore especially helpful, most of the credit should be given the leader whose enthusiasm and correct ear gave the music of the organization a finish. The annual encampment was a few miles up the Rock River from Rockford, Ill. While a success in every way, it is a question whether the social life was not for once in Northwestern Camp History paramount to the military. VVe had a beautifullocation for camp and ideal weather, and the hospitable people of Rockford could not seemingly do enough to add to the pleasure of the occasion. It is not necessary here to make mention of the sad parting nor incidentally the number of changes made in the invitations to the senior dance on the return to the Academy. credit even in professional ci .f '- Q .4 L - e 1 r fe -e 1t- r 'A . ., K C Q , ? - f U. I i GD, G On ' Q . I Gi -