CADETS-MARK TIME

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 599, 30 August 1909, Page 4

CADETS-MARK TIME

A CRITICtSWI AJ|D eIIdCESTIONS. .',; : : k ■;new system, of training.'" . ■ ■ , ; :/ *By Echelon.\ ,'. .:I / ■Jin •' a : previous; article (published in Teb Dominion, of August'2s), tho. Writer nsrerted,:.that; the; adoption of n system of military training -in : thp public schools of Now Zealand had, so far as popularising enlistment 'irir the .volunteer vforco ■• is : ■coiicorned, failed to justify the , .expectation's of those interested, and concluded.b'y suggesting that theVßjstem'-pf .traihirig our.'boy soldiers might, with advantage, .be somewhit'amended to]inchidc certain of. the more valuable principle's i .pf:.,trainiri'g set forth in the scheme fr«metl by Lieut.-Gencral R. 'S. S. Badcn*Powcii for his Bdy' Scout's movc- ■ mentl Before -idealing; with , ; the- i system .Voi training referred' to; some! amplification of • the figures quoted/delating; to the ..progress -of : the . cadets' and the. volunteer ■ torc.e, OS, .regards'their numerical strengths, ; may servo .to demonstrate,'.wjth'..greater ; force, the : truth: faftho , assertion, put'forward .m tho •first article:'\: '■•■)■'':K- : ;;<:~- ]•■.'■■?■.■:;■-ti ■."■■■' '.:• ■ -■.•' :'•■ -,■.-.■■■■;•-■ Mero^FlEurcs/:;^ ■■ '■■';/.- : . , . Under tho regulations, the recruiting age ' for the' school "cadet force is'l2,"of:y6un'ge!) if the recruit is'at .least 4ft. 7iiuin hnight. Assuming . Ihat-,he■ spehde \thd 'Inst .threo ■• years' , bf his primary school life in ' the cadets—and; that is 'a .genefOUs'■'assumption •—and that at the age of cighteen.be joins the. volunteer force, then something should •have been heard at -the. end' of' the poriod : 19084909 of the" 10,800 odd.cadets\whoTre-, presented the strength of our juvenile 'army . during the period 1003-1904, iii which period ; the estimated strength ~of tho volunteer force ttas 18,500;pdd., But whatdb we.fitld? From-the. periou , to' the ; .i period--1908-09, tho strength of thp., vpluntcor force has only, increased .from 18,500 odd..to 20,400 ■ odd-r-an,; inci'eaße ' '1900! .'While,' frbtn . WOS-I'SOS the m&le-population of New-Zea-land' has increased by 102,-417.;,''1s further , amplification necessary?; ■: y ■-.■:■■ ;

■'■;• 7' <• -.-'•- :/■ ■■'■'■' Beginning .\.:.-i The truth of the: matter,.l/ honestly bo» ■ V lieve, lies in the fact that we are beginning : .the.seHbus ■business ■ earlyjh period; hnd this'stouldvbejrecoghisod . ;when-.tho heW-'defcncd policy, of;.the;oouhtry )•'.■ ■Iβ put into operation./ It. is, morally-certain .:'.'•"•■ that- r tiie autnorfties >.y/ill, !'at the very . ~ .least, , '■ 6r^anise ; tVio. defenca. scheme jof -the ' .'country on the; foliowih" liucs-.— r • V ' -1. The PublicVSchool Cadets; (compulsory).. "■' '. ■ .2. |)efehco',&adets .(compulsory^for.youths' ■■■.■ 'from .'the ajjes'-of 15 lo iß). : ' ;.";, '"'■'''."•'■'.' ..,' Cluts. \ ; . : ; . ■ . The element of course, he ox'tended 'oyor * 'g'rea%r period; btit what-■' .-.' ■ ever-'biiprJenß the'.fact remains l th'at:inHhe ,: first 'two';ijWm»;'iof :; thfe above scheme wb will v have,eft 'uttnecfeßSaJry,'duplication/of .military I ,: . .training, because.':the.Defence..Cadets lhuct . inevitably rehearse' all .:• th'at ...the' School ..-■■„',■ Cadets ta&y have ,' Why. not, strike' out ' ;'■. the' primary' schools if rom ..t'ho. .': ■... proper,'.' and ;coinmehco.. tile, formal,and;serii, ..: ous business : ''df isoiditrhig' ;, iyith the Defbncb' '■"•• XJadete?',v,': ; '..'-vv v'"' :.':! •;••;•'.- ,; '; : ;: ... . , "-■■> Ab6lisii'''''iirfanlry > *traimh^ , '-' froin the,pub-• :■' . lie scteois' ''m'i dispense with--- '■'■ ■ : I. The woo.deh''dflmmy' rifle.'. ■ j '... '■; ''■ ..'.• 2. Tho Wesley Richards .310 range rifle, •■ ■ whioK;is far; too feavjrior.hoys .between |l 2 '; end. 15. "■''■', ■■ '■'■'■•-■'"•';■''■'. ."•' '.:. ■.■■'' .-' .' ■■ ■■- ;.■■:■• 3. tJlehgatry.caps: and uniform:jerseys. It 'is'.-'beyond fhe'intome of school corps to supply; umfortns and Caps annually to recruits. , : What happens in maliy cases, is.. this:, \Vlien a.'boy join the cadets hfe Ts: supplieti \iith, lot us say, ; a .brand .now...'cap; and Jersey.. .'•'■ 'After."aoout Wo 'years* service )io grows out ,-.' .of these,' aHd i 'is ? eitlicr;pi*vided:wit'h; ajriew.. ■uniform equipment or is 'asked'to ; ; discarded by-a cadet who t has

obtained his discharge, his. own meanwhile being hktlded to u junior corps and issued to a reo'rmt., With carc, tihe writer has known a jersoy and cap to. do servjeo • for nearly four-years, during 'which period t-hoy hnye beeft''wor!r hy as liiiirtj' hs throe'different boys. Speaking from memory, and well within tbo mark, it costs something, liko 7s. ,od. per head to equip h cadet 'Company with neiv caps and jerseys. Taking an 'average, city school, with two cadet companies, jt would require on that basis 'somothing like £15 a year to iW new 1 equipment, assuming that, allowing for' annual recruit drafts and out-grown uniforms, abolit-40 boys, llad .to be provided for. Tito alternative is the system of economy already referred to —a most jindcsirablo system, m most peo-' pie will n.dmit. .4. Bugltis. These could very well be reserved'ror the Defence Cadets. ' ITio system might be pruned down in other directions, but the items mentioned arc sufficient indication of what tlio writer has previously referred to as "the more showy iittT superficial, features of the New Zeahnd .Cidet Atmy." . ' r ' Reconstruction, . Now, tho question is, what can we proVide,: of more -value .immediate and ultiinato In placo of ' tho parade-ground exercises wjiieh. constitute tic' principal feature of cadet training. Go into any public school playground in this city on drill day,-and you'trill M6'bne,; of two, ; companies of cadets' .mitchiltg lip slid down, in twos, : fours, "sections,lino of company,, with sometimes _ai little. physical drill with the rifle .', ahd manual exercises With the rifle., Twice or thrice a year) one sees a whole , battalion of cadets—doiiiß practically , tho same .thing. Go into a cadet battalion camp, .tind you will see—tho samo thing," plus movements iti skirmishing order, elementary tactics, aa it were,, tho principles'of which the cadets ah(l their'.officers dro. mpro-or lesi ignorant. - In place of. all .this,> What' can we' have?Tlio answer'tti'thdt'is! The-training of the' Boy Scout, with something of tho organised control, which .obtains in tho .cadet' corps. I ddtibt wish it-,to be understood that.by tie training,'of the boy. scout I have in .mind tie boy.soout patfols which are coming into existence all over New Zfealatidi as-in Enjj--land. and elsowhoro. In New Zealand' thi3 movement has 1 got on tho wrong lines, but it is so valuable a Work that it is well.worth patting'on right linoe. , '

:.-'■•' ■..'';-' , Tho Sooiit-Catiet. ''. ...,., For'.an school, the organisa-' tion .'arid training , of -its"''.- , "Scout Cadets" mijdvt bo carried t out as follow.— ~.■..'■. 'No. 1 Patrol.—"First-class" Scout-Cadeta (to consist of the senior boys' of the school). .No.' -2 • Patrol.—"Second-class" '•Scout Cadets' (boys from Standard V). • ••;'• •■ '■ ■ No. 3 Patrol.—"Third-class" Scout-Cad«ts (boyß.ff6m Standafd IV).- " . ' - s \'y " ; • Ilacli-patrol wolild : bo cpmmaadedby'a i«apheri' hs scout-masterj who would'appoint scouf-l*aders':t-6 command tno-patrol sections. ' TM:traininb of the' Nbi 3 PaWol ("Thirdclass'.') Scout-Cadet) should be on lines which would pr'enai-o them for tho Work of No: 2 Patrolgl Their work should be. suited to, their years, and, might include observation; walks':(ln which the. general featiir?s.of bhb surroil'ndingei 1 sky, :wcathcri antl easy traffic ■tracks might be studied), topography of tho school district, cljief 'pointe of thq compass, running,, jumping, Bwimming lessons/ climbing,': Useful string ' knots'; laying ■ and ■lighting fires, and so on. : ' '.' ■ ■'-. Fob Nos. 1. and 2 Patrols, . the training woUld be of R similar ,b\lt more advanced and .varied kind.v For No. 2 Patroli-rapre difficult observation tests, traffic tracks, con--tents of' shop'■'■•windows,/, elementary field sketching of the simplest kind, semaphore , signalling, -swimming prescribed.,' distances', elemfentory flrataid and . sitn'ple , bandaging, laying and lighting "fires,- use of, flint and steel, eight points', or.the' compass,, sky at night, direction by the suh by day ami the Southern Cross by night, etc., might be set down. . ' ... '■■• :•■.' • ■:

■ '■ ,-■'•■.;.. ' ;;. . ■' 8.-P'S.TCSt, . ' ' , : y .;, : . "'.■'Por'Np.'l Patrol,. ".8.-P^s I ',test for firstclass '.'scottts Is interesting ■ ahd suggestive :— I s . StfimSO yards,' ■; (N.B.—This hiay bo omitted;-where the doctor certifies,that bath-.

ing is dangerous to the boy's health, in which caso ho must, run a mile in eight minutes', or perform solno equivalent selected by the scout-master.) 2. Must have one shilling: at least in ,the savipgs bank. 3. Signalling; . send 'nnd receive a ■ message cither in semaphore or Morse, 16 words pel minutes, i. Go oh foot or row a boat alono to a point seven ■ miles . away nnd return again, or if conveyed by any vehicle or animal, go to a distance of 16 nitlcs and back, and write a short report on it. It is preferable that he should ttiko two days over it. 5.: Describe or show the proper means of saving life in case of tffo of the-following accidents (allotted by tho examiners): Fire, drowning, runaway cttfi'iage, sower gas,.icebreaking, or bandage an injured patient, or revive apparently .drowned person. 6. Cook satisfactorily two out of the following dishtis, as may bo directed'. Porridge, bacon, hunter's stew; or 'sjcin and cook a rabbit, or pluck and cook, a bird. Also'iiinke a "damper" of half n pound of flour, or a "twist" baked on a thick stick. 7. Read a man cotrcctly, and' draw an intelligiblo rough sketch map. ', Point out a compass direction without the help of a compass. 8. Uso an axe for felling 6t trimming light timber, or, as' altomative, produce an article of carpentry or joinery, or metal Work, , made by him-. ■self satisfactorily. 9. Judge distance, size, numl>ors, or height withih 25 .per cent, error. 10. Bring a tenderfoot trained by himself in the points required for a tenderfoot. ; (This may in special cosee be postponed, tfhen. recruits are not immediately desired,'. Hut :nUst bo carried out within three months,'or the badge withdrawn.) The idea underlying the award of tho badges is to offer, to. the young scout cpntinual inducements for further improving -himself—e.g., from secondclass to first-class scout, and then in , pioneering, signalling; life-saving, and so on.. Musketry, of 'course, should come into the training .of Nos. 1 and 2 Patrols. The boys of No. 2 P.itrol froUld receive-first lessons in aiming ~-and firing on "the- School miniature rifie range, while those or No; 1 would go in for mofo advanced work ih musketry.;. £ .These suggestions are, of course, of a very general, kind. ,U'hat is contehdipd for them is;tlat>e would get more out of tho ScoutCsdet/tban out of tbe military cadet. A Scout-Gadet trained on the lines suggested ■ would make, later'on, a much niorp intelligent, .self-relia-nt, and keener soldier than the ■ product. of the present military cadet system.- . ... :■ ' _ . . -. _.