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Physical
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Training of Omaha
Bovs
and Girls in Schools
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URTNG tho last ten years two things have
lietn emphasized in toniier tion with pub
lic ediHatW'n; and Omaha hus kept
strictly in step with these very impor
tant developments.
First came the question of the
physical training of the children. This
has resulted in organized athletics in every college
and high school of any size In the rountry, and in or
ganized play In all the elementary schools.
Superintendent Davidson, m common with other
advanced educators of the land, says the high schools
of the United States have been particularly fortunate
in the manner they have taken hold of this new form
of work. "It has appealed tremendously to the pupils
and to every thinking patron," he Fays, "as applied to
the public schools. It has resulted in a higher qual
ity of work In the class room on the part of the entire
student body. Whilo many teachers, in their conser
vatism, have failed to catch the true meaning of this
movement In connection with the schools, still the
vast majority are in heart sympathy with It. They
recognize that there can be no true education of the
child without a proper consideration of his physical
nature and well-being."
Tbla, of course-, meaus tbat "a sound mind lu a
rnir:!! bor" Is being lnc'Ftpd on today more than ever
in tha history of education. I'hysii-al eOHioncy is
lipint: recognized ns more and more necessary to the
development of strong, alert mentality.
IIIrIi and (radf Schools Well Fiuipteil.
In this connection Omaha has deep cause to ba
congratulated on account of the lait that its new High
school building is equipped with gymnasiums for both
girls and boys. Then, too. athletics have ben organ
ized in such a way as to command the r,espect of the
whole student body and f-ccuro the enthusiastic sup
port of the entire citizenship. All connected with the
Omaha High school feel that, by reason of this wise
organization of athletics there has conte into the
school work a genuine, wholesome spirit which was
almost entirely wanting before.
The second phase of education upon which extra
emphasis has been placed in the last ten years has
been along the line of making the work of the public
schools more practical. This has been marked by
the introduction of manual training, cooking, sewing
and the various forms of so-called industrial work.
At present in the Omaha High" school cooking has
been Installed, with about 120 girl9 taking the course
regularly in every term, In tne Wsh school manual
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training is elective, yet at this time more than 200
boys are taking this course. With each opening of
the school term a steadily increasing interest is ay
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Physical rrogrens Tlircmgh Drill.
In the elementary schools of Omaha manual train-,
ing is required of students in the fifth, sixth, seventh
and eighth grades. At thia time approximately 4,000'
boys and girls are taking this work in the grades bo
low the High school. Training of the hand goos
right along with training of the mind, and competency
for study and learning is found to be distinctly en
couraged by this feature.
Omaha grade schools equipped with manual train
ing plants are Beals, Cats, Clifton Hill. Columbian,
Comenius, Tarnam, Forest, Franklin, Lake. Leaven
worth, Lothrop, Mason, Monmouth Park. Howard
Kennedy, Pacific, Saunders, Vinton, Walnut Hill and
.Windsor.
In addition to the gymnasium work for the girls
at the High school, and the athletic work for boys and
girls, every boy In the High school is required to be
a member of the Cadet regiment unless excused for a
good and sufficient cause. Thf chief object with this
work for the cadets is physical training rather tiun
military drill. That this prime object Is beinc at
tained will be conceded when one observes the High
school boys of the Cadet regiment. TJieir physical
bearing Is at once apparent as being excellent: they
stand erect, their walk is springy and strong and the
general condition of their health is first-class. They
carry about with them the unmistakable stamp of
physical power and self-reliance.
The Omaha High school cadet regiment is made
up of 400 men in the ranks, commanded by forty-five
commissioned and 11 S noncommissioned officers.
Three battalions constitute the regiment and there is
a band of thirty musicians, including the bugle corps.
Kach battalion has three companies and each com- '
pany has a captain, two lieutenants and ten noncom
missioned officers. Each battalion is commanded by
a major, who has a staff consisting of an adjutant,
quartermaster and sergeant major. Lieutenant W. N.
Haskell, 1. S. A., a: s as colonel of the regiment and
has a commissioned staff. The commandant is the
only officer of the regiment who Is not a cadet. In
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C02VFANT OFFICERS T
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addition to drilling, he lectures on military organiza
tion, discipline, etc.
Strive for Perfection in Hrlll.
It is in the company units the cadets receive their
training as soldiers, and they are put through all the
movements set forth in the infantry drill regulations
of the I'nited States army. Perfection in drill and
true soldierly bearing is encouraced and Ftini'.!ated
by the annual competitive drill held for the companies
in June of each year. The most efficient company
wins the honor of carrying the flag and having posses
sion of the prize cup for one yepr. As an additional
incentive the best drilled man in each company re
ceives a medal, paid for by the company to which he
belongs. The high efficiency of the drill is proven by
the fact that at a recent competitive drill the winning
company was scored 99 22-100 by the army officers
who acted as Judges. Company drills are held twice
a w-eek and battal'on drill once a week. Pattaiinn
and regimental parades are held at regular intervals
and the ceremony of guard mounting is a very formal
and impressive function.
One very effective feature of the cadet work is th
meetings of the commissioned efficers, whereat the
general policy of conducting the regiment, as to dis
cipline and drill, is brought up and discussed with
much earnestness. Ideas presented are accepted or
rejected as they appear worthy or otherwise.
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Hard to tiet F.vruMHl.
Assistant Principal Bernstein, in charge of the
regiment, has devised a new system of keeping the
records and for general discipline. Under his direc
tion Captain and Adjutant Loomls issues excuses, and
in this matter some care has to be exercised, because
it is understood that drill sometimes interferes with
matinee dates and little things of that kind. Sore
feet Is a complaint that prevails quite generally at
times, either actually or in the minds of the cadets.
Trof. Bernstein gives great credit to Lieutenant
Haskell for the high tone and general efficiency of the
regiment. He also insists that people must not un
derestimate the Importance of the military training,
which, as he says, "promotes obedience to authority,
helps the physical condition cf the cadets and shows
the value of student government." Orderliness in
entering and leaving the building Is Insisted on by
Majors Carpenter. Alderson and Parkinson, and only
two grounds for being excused from drill are recog
nized by Prof. I'.ernBtein, under instruction of tho
school board. These are inability to purchase a uni
form and physical disability. Under Prof. Bernstein's
system second-band uniforms are bought and sold,
with (quartermaster Beebe as supervisor and Sergeant
Malcolm Baldrige in direct charge.
CaI-t Feature Has Had Kteady (irovrth.
The cadet regiment had its inception in 1887,
when Wallace Broatch and fifteen other High school
boys formed the fir6t cadet company. The drill was
then purely voluntary. In 1901 the cadets had grown
to six fully equipped companies, formed Into two bat
talions, with Arthur Kilkenny as lieutenant colonel.
This form of organization failed and the next year
the office of lieutenant colonel was dropped and the
highest officer was the senior captain, and the cadets
formed Into one battalion. With the growth of the
city the number of cadets Increased, until in 1909 an
other regiment wak organized, with two battalions of
four companies each. In 1910 came the organization
of the third battalion. Under this formation Voyle
Rector was appointed student colonel of the cadets
He has authority over every officer and private in the
regiment and is in command during the absence of th-commandant.
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