The first thing to do in the organization is to enroll
at least one physician, who becomes the surgeon of
the company. His name, together with that of
the secretary of the unit, should be filed with the
Senior Service Corps, of New Haven, Connecticut, or
with the National Security League, of New York City,
in order that any additional information or directions
may be forwarded promptly.
The division of labor in the work should be from ten
to fifteen minutes of the setting-up exercises, and
from forty-five to fifty minutes of the outdoor work.
It has been found upon scientific test that this is
the best division, and the outdoor work should follow
the setting-up exercises immediately, since the men
are then in condition to benefit from the fact that
they have opened up their chest cavity and are taking
in more fresh air and oxygen.
The best way to start a unit is to get ten or a dozen
leaders together at dinner or luncheon and organize;
then pick out other men who are of importance in the
community and add them to the charter number.
The editors of the local papers are usually very glad
to lend their powerful assistance toward the project.
It is not necessary to have the outdoor work partake
of the nature of military drill, but a certain amount
of this, added after the second or third week, lends
interest and also produces excellent results in muscular
control.
In order to understand the various prescribed movements
and exercises the following explanations should be
carefully studied, of course, in connection with the
illustrative photographs.
It is particularly necessary that the leader should
thoroughly familiarize himself with the movements
and positions, for many of the men will not take the
trouble to study the manual by themselves, or they
may be unable to spare time for anything but the actual
drill. It is the leader’s business to instruct,
and the progress of his squad or company will be in
direct proportion to his knowledge and capacity to
inspire real interest in and enthusiasm for the work.
Each movement must be executed perfectly and exactly
or the benefit therefrom will not be fully assured.
Much depends upon the leader; a man should be selected
who has the gift of leadership.
In giving the commands care should be taken to discriminate
between the explanatory and executive parts of the
order, making a decided pause between. For example,
in “Forward March!” “Forward”
is the explanatory or warning word; then, after a
perceptible pause, the executive word “March!”
should be given in a crisp, decisive tone of voice.
The command “Attention!” is but one word,
but it is the custom to divide it syllabically, thus,
“Atten-shun!” All other commands taken
from the military manuals have their proper warning
and executive words; for example: “Count—Off!”
“About—Face!” “Right—Face!”
“Company—Halt!” “To the
Rear—March!” “Double Time—March!”
etc. The exceptions are the commands, “Rest!”
“At Ease!” and “Fall Out!”
