Page:The history and achievements of the Fort Sheridan officers' training camps.djvu/196

 194 THE FORT SHERIDAN ASSOCIATION

and studies other than mihtary, was under the supervision of that organization which had men on its staff w^hose time w^as devoted entirely to encouraging those activities which would be of greatest all around benefit to the men — the Y. M. C. A.

Just as the Y. M. C. A. moved with the troops to the Border in 1916, so did one of its huts grow^ up together w^ith the quarters of the men at Fort Sheridan. The building consisted of a lecture and entertainment hall large enough to seat over 500 people; library, game and music rooms (also used as committee rooms), five small study rooms, w^riting tables to accommodate over one hundred men at a time, moving picture booth, and rooms for five secretaries. Mr. G. M. Martin, General Secretary, w^as in charge. Associated with him were Chaplains Charles W. Gilkey and Myron E. Adams, in charge of religious and educational activities; Mr. E. C. Stevens, director of social activities; Mr. H. B. Miller (later appointed Camp Athletic Officer by Colonel Nicholson), in charge of physical and recreative activities, and Mr. J. H. Nudkiff.

Some such a center as that afforded by the Y. M. C. A. in a training camp is more than a luxury. It is a necessity. And all members of the camps at Sheridan will agree that, thanks to the able secretaries working there, the need at the Fort w^as admirably filled. Fourteen classes in French were organ- ized out of the "Young College" of 400 who applied for the course. Each company had its athletic officer, and inter-company ball games w^ere accord- ingly arranged. Every Tuesday and Thursday evening band concerts w^ere given. There were amateur theatricals, movies, or both, once a w^eek. On Sundays services w^ere held where could be heard such interesting men as Chaplain Gilkey, Chaplain Adams, Dr. John Timothy Stone and Dean Shailer Matthews. Among other speakers heard during the week were Julius Rosen- w^ald. President Harry Pratt Judson, Dr. W. A. Evans, Homer Rodeheaver, Major Koehler and Colonel Nicholson. The "Y" was ever open and ready to serve the men of the Camp. Many w^ho for the first time at Fort Sheridan became acquainted w^ith the work w^hich it was striving to do became and remained its staunch friends ever after.

There were others, too, in the Camp w^hose main purpose w^as to serve. These w^ere the Boy Scouts who reported for duty during the opening days of the Camp. They acted as guides to bewildered recruits. They served long tedious hours as orderlies. They performed innumerable odd tasks and errands for instructors and students who had little time for details. And last but not least, they acted as carriers and distributors for that most-looked- forw^ard-to treat of the day — the mail. It is hardly necessary to say that during the early days especially their services w^ere w^ell nigh indispensable.

Physical examinations — most dread of all things to the man who was eager to get into the fray — commenced their threatening grind the last week of the first month of training. Every man was supposed to have had an exam- ination of some sort before filing his application for admission, but many of these examinations had not been thorough and were of course conducted by

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