Ohio Mechanics Institute - OMIA Yearbook (Cincinnati, OH)

Page 62 text:

THE OHIO MECHANICS INSTITUTE RIFLE CLUB Americans, since before our great nation was conceived, have been fine rifle shots. This fact was demonstrated to the world, and especially to England, at Lexington, Massachusetts, 1775 when the pride of England's army was chased back to Boston by a handful of farmers armed with flintlocks. The reputation was established at Bunker Hill, when every Shot left a gap in the ranks of the Red Coats. And so on to the present day. Last year the' United States Olympic Team returned from Europe, victors, having defeated the worldts best. When President Wilson sent out the call for volunteers to leave their pursuit to shoulder a rifle in defence of the worldts peace, about one million answered, and by the time the Armistice Was signed, over four million men had donned the olive drab and more than half that number were in France. Some had plenty of rifle practice ever there, with human beings as targets, and some did not have enough, but practically all of them became familiar with fire- arms, and liked to shoot. So in 1919 a few Federal Board students at O. M. I. aided by a member of the faculty, Mr. Stanley Runck, who is a great lover of the sport, got into communication with the Director of Civilian Markmanship, W'ashington, D. C., having in view the organization of a rifle club at this school. They received instructions, and With the consent of President John T. Faig; and the Board of Directors of O. M. I. built in the sub-basement 0f the Institute building a range that has no equal in Cincinnati. Application was made to the United States War Departmnt for the necessary rifles, ammu- nition, targets, target carriers, etc., and upon receipt of these sup plies everything was in readiness for firing. The purpose of the club was to stimulate interest in rifle and pistol shooting among the civilian students, and to give the Service men an opportunity to meet on equal grounds after classes where all were more familiar with their subjects than they were in the class rooms. The American Olympic Pistol Team Won Championship of World at Olympic Games 1920 with Remington Metallic Cartridges STANDARD 20-YARD REVOLVER AND PISTOL TARGET SCORE L She? with Smifh a Wess- NAME Earl h g QCRQQL'L DATE r I DISTANCE Mr

Page 61 text:

ALUM NI ASSOCIATION The Alumni Association of the Ohio Mechanics Institute has been organized for some years and was, until recently, under the leadership of Mr. C. W. Luhn of the class of ,02. Activities of the Association were discontinued with the coming of the war, and little or nothing was done until last year at the commencement dinner. There the As- sociation was revived by the naming of a committee which was in- structed to prepare for and call a meeting of the alumni. This com- mittee consisted of Albert Erkins, chairman, Ernst Richter, Howard Ecker, J12, S. A. Johnson, Luke Harig, and C. H. Perry. After several committee meetings, the first meeting was called and held on the night of Nov. 15, in the tea room of the Institute. Mr. Luhn presided over the meeting, and a new and important chapter was written in the history of the Association. The constitution, Which was prepared by the committee, was voted upon and passed. Thus the reorganization was begun, and an execu- tive council of nine was chosen as the constitution provided. Mr. Albert Erkins was elected president for the year 1922e23. Stand- ving committees on membership, finance, and entertainment were named. The executive council and the three standing committees held a joint meeting in the faculty room on the night of Jan. 3. The by-laws had been prepared by a committee and were passed at this meeting. Membership and plans for increasing it were discussed at length. Membership in the Association must be built up, and this is the most important question confronting it today. There are many reasons why we should have an Alumni Association, the most promi- nent one being that it affords an excellent means to former students of continuing social and establishing professional contacts. The O. M. I. is an old and Well established school, and offers courses not to be found elsewhere in the country. That every former student of the O. M. I. will be proud to become a member of the Alumni Asso- ciation goes without saying. There are plenty of graduates and former students scattered over this country and in other countries who are eligible to join this Association. It is surprismg to note how many prominent men of this country have been students at the O. M. I. And in Cincinnati if you should chance to mention that you have at tended the O. M. I., it is not an uncommon occurrence to have the per- son whom you tell this say that he also attended the O. M. I. at one time or another. Last year one hundred and four students graduated from the various courses of the Institute. Many of these students left for different parts of the country to take positions of various kinds. The fact that they are separated makes it more necessary that they belong to the Association, but at the same time this fact also makes it hard to get in touch with them. We readily see that with a class as large as this, or nearly 50, joining our alumni each year, there is no reason why the membership in the Association should not mount to large figures. The most important act of the Association was the provision in the constitution for the publishing of a bulletin four times a year.. A bulletin committee and staff were named, and already two copies have been printed. The bulletin is an excellent means of keeping the members informed of the activities of the Association, occurrences at the school in which they are interested, and affords a means of mem- bers getting into touch with each other. The Alumni Association is still young, and its membership is not yet large. If you are not already a member, you should send in your application. If you are already a member, you should urge every former student with whom you can get in touch to send in his appli- cation. eAlfred G. Decatur

Page 63 text:

About two hundred men were members of the club the first year, and nothing could have been more conducive to good fellowship and fraternalization than this club. The ochers elected the first year were: R. W. Taylor, president; B. M. Trew, secretary; E. 0. Evans, treasurer; Mr. Stanley Runck, range oHicer. B. M. Trew left school shortly after this election, and A. G. Decatur finished the year as secretary. The second year the same men were again elected and served diligently and faithfully. The third year was much harder, as so many men had left School, new men coming in, and studies were getting harder for the men who stayed, thus leaving less time for rifle practice. The civilian stud- ents showed no desire to take up the sport. But at a meeting of the Club in Whetstone Hall, September 18, 1923, officers were elected and resolutions to carry on were adopted. The omcers elected were: Mr. Stanley Runck, president; Edward Ottensmeyer, Vice-president; Burl Mansberger, treasurer; Mr. John M. Russ, rahge officer, a member of the faculty; Earl L, Jackson, sec- retary. Ammunition was requisitioned and issued, and firing resumed. Some excellent shooting was done by Mr. Russ, using a Smith KL Wes- son 38-caliber, D. A. revolver. He has Jesse James, Bill Hart, and all the other old-time gun slingers backed off the range. We are all thankful that he doesnlt shoot math at us in the man- ner that he throws lead at the targets. We feel that the club has done a good work in bringing together men who do not meet in class and who probably Would remain strang- ers to each other if it was not for their common love of shooting. Of the sport itself, we could write a book, and not do justice to our subject, but we feel that the sport is so well known, we shall say only that, in our opinion, it has no equal, indoors 01' in the fields. In closing, we wish to add that our only regret is that so few civilian studentsl names appear on our roll, and that we desire more hearty co-operation from them next year. They will never regret a moments time spent on the range, for we know that once taken up, the sport will always retain their enthusiasm. Earl L. Jackson AFTER RIDING ONE FLOOR