OUR SCHOOL CADETS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 610, 13 September 1909, Page 8

OUR SCHOOL CADETS.

THEIR FUTURE TRAINING. ' A NEW . SYLLABUS; Somo''. referenco appeared in. a recent issue to certain. changes, which the. authorities proposed to wake with regard, to the training of onr 'school .cadets. ■ In-the" light of a'recent . article on : the same subject: by' our : military, contributor ("Echelon"), the' following circular, which has' beeir.addr'essed : to officers 'commanding cadet corps, by Major T. W. MUonald, is significant of a change in the right direction:—• ■■'Arrangements,have now been made through the Chief of. the general Staff,' New Zealand! Defence,'Forces,.,for • the, employment 'of members, of. the Permanent Force arid district'staffs'throughout the Dominion .as instructors for the ' Publio School .Cadet Corps. It'is not intended that ; these instructors , should : replace officers in. the. commiirid.of 'corps,- but that they should' render every'.assistance, possible, both in perfecting .the vlatter's .knowledge and in the train-, ing 'of ■■ the; companies; under .their command. The importaneV'of,' the'■physical'development , of the ' that ,a sound systematiccourse of physical, training should receive special attention, and to obtain! the' fullest benefit' from. it; it should be; regular 1 throughout the year. .... . ." : Details of the Scheme. ..i. The ; following . syllabus ,;is - intended as :a guide to instructors, but'may , bo varied: as, .found necessary.' 'The fullest latitude is to ; be ! given to corps:in. giving effect to the spiHt of always' remembering that the' military training ,is .'to . be, co-oruinated with the.;general I ,education system,-.and to; .this 'end the wishes of, the.: headmasters are.- to. receive first consideration. . ... ' •• ' •A.'-On the:.days. suitable for outdoor.: work:. (I). For recruit; squads-r-(a) Physical' training; .(with .(or" without and including ; d£ep-breathing-.'ekoroises when possible, 50 'per cent, of time .allotted; (b) Squad drill, rifle and^ring. exercises, 50 per-, cent, of time al-

(2) Tor oompanies—(a) Physical training (with or: without rifles or'apparatus), 1 and including ideep-breathing ,'exercises .when. possible, but with.' 'slightly;.more' f exertion than- for recruit squads, 50 per cent/ of: time: allotted; (b) Company/training, including, rifle'and firing exercises, :50 per-cent., of time allotted. , i '..'B. On; days that are 'unsuitable for out-door work,-the stjuads.and companies may be taken' together.ihslde , the school for the time allotted to_vdrill,/if?the headmaster's consent is ob'tain«l, an'd any of the following subjects may he. dealt with by either the O.C. or the instructor, 'and -questions relating ,to the, sub-' 'jefct nnder consideration should : be; invited at the- conclusion ■of tho .lecture or demonstrations:— :

oh discipline when 1 possible, quoting' air example .'from/ history; (6) ilecture on the Empire; (c) lecturo on "The History, Compoation of, and how to'fly, tbo Union Jack"; (d)'a demonstration"'of,'aiming; at. a mark- on a..blackboard, :using a sand-bag ..on:-a/table, or .desk-on .'whiph to; rest .-the rifle; (e) : how to simple and useful knots; (f) use of maps, setting; a map, making, conventional signs, and .construction' of simple scales, method of l , using a.' prismatic compass, if one is available, -if' hot, .the ordinary.;magnetio compass.

. Training Camps. ■ ■ • As' the draining of the forms\the foundation" oftho efficiency ■ of the cadet fores it lias Been decided that battalion camps, will not in future be, approved, ■ or capitation be jiaid in. respect of such camps.. .Applications lor, company training camps will, it received, be : considered'on> their merits, but it' must be clearly., understood/,that even these camps are in no. and .must be approved by the; headmaster and ,the--board.V. At company .camps the training will be based', on .the' 'following .syllabus, .'whioh is.'subject to variation,;, as' found necessary:—' ... ; V ' ' Physical training ; musketry' instruction; company drill; exercijes . designed ,to develop the powers of observation; judging distances of objects and persons; finding one's,way by day and . night;; nso of the> magnetic, compass; use of maps; making a report on a piece of country,' or road, or .'river; making rough sketch to illustrate a report;,rendering first aid to the wounded; making camp beds, mattresses, etc."; improvising camp and cooking utensils; making camp kitchens; camp cooking; making tho best of any situation that might arise;.pitching and striking .tents; signalling; tracking ..by. signs; scouting generally'. Company camps must be held at tho nearest suitable place to the' school to which the company belongs, l but in no case, except where special ; authority, is obtained, shall- they !be more than ten miles: away. When there are several companies; in 'the same locality, they may . camp together.-but the instruction shall on no account be combined.' : The battalion commander. should, vfhere possible, supervise, but not lay idown, the methods., which company commanders,employ to train -their companies. In short, tho battalion -commander's 'duty, is to direct hnd ; supervise the training, of a number of: independent nnits. All the bottijlion .-drill necessary can bo done by battalion and halMmttalion. parades, where the companies aw sufficiently close together to admit'-of'it, and elsewhere by wbrking single companies as battalions, -using; each of the four sections to represent a company.!. ■'

.' The case of Stansfield v. the Corporation of Warrington, which raised the'question of the legality of a notico 'of dismissal of,school teachers on the ground ,that ,thoy , wero married, women, has been decided before Mr. Justice. Eve: in the' Chancery Division; An interbi^injunction restraining tho corporation from -acting upon the" poncling : :ho action, having been obtained,; Mr. Sargeoat, for the corporation, said that the notices complained of had now been withdrawn, and that there was not any intention of renewing them. Sir, Robert Finlay, K.C., for the plaintiffs, said that' being so,' there would bo an end of tho case upon the assurance thai no similar notices .would be issued in the .intiiwy '' ; '