Page:The history and achievements of the Fort Sheridan officers' training camps.djvu/382

 380 THE FORT SHERIDAN ASSOCIATION

25. Generous use of magazines and small games.

26. Money orders written, $25,000 a month. 2 7. Trench service.

In addition the Knights of Columbus maintained a reading room in the Gymnasium under the supervision of Major E. J. Vattman, and the Y. M. C. A. had a rest room during the Second Camp in the southeast room of the Gymnasium.

At the beginning of the Second Fort Sheridan Camp the Department of Morale was originated and organized. It was decided by the Commanding Officer that in addition to the welfare organizations mentioned, that there should be a definite department under the control of the Commanding Officer through which he could secure the best co-operation of all agencies as well as the commanders of companies and the men themselves, in order that there might be maintained the highest standard of morale.

As outlined, the duty of the Director of Morale was to assist the instruct- ors in building up within their companies a spirit of harmony, an enthusiasm for their work, a clear conception of the motives in which the war was under- taken, a high standard of personal living and a definite sense of the large responsibilities of the officers in training and maintaining the morale of their companies in the new^ army.

These directors worked in close harmony with the instructors and with all other agencies in the Camp. Their activities were particularly those within the company life, where they co-operated with the captains in every possible way.

At first many of the men smiled at this new department in the service and those who were entrusted with the responsibility had to withstand their full share of good-natured bantering and witticisms. However, the idea of a Department of Morale as an integral part of an Army organization originating at this time eventually prevailed in the offices of the Secretary of War and was adopted as a Department of the Chief of Staff of the American Armies.

The Commanding Officer had the satisfaction long after the Second Fort Sheridan Camp was closed of receiving an order w^hich w^as sent to every division of the Army instructing them to appoint a Director of Morale for each division. Brigadier-General Munson, a Regular Army officer, was ordered to Washington and put in charge of this department. It operated in this country with a good deal of success in the camps and w^as the parent of the plan w^hich developed after the armistice of placing all matters of welfare work in the Army directly in the control of the Commanding Officer.

Not only did this department aim to give every man in the Camp the very best chance to make the most of his period of training, but in addition it organ- ized a course of training to familiarize the men of the companies with the best methods of taking care of the men under their command. Every Wednesday night a representative of each company met Colonel Ryan and the Director of Morale for an hour in the Gymnasium, at which time a discussion was held covering the four points of intellectual, physical, social and moral interests of the enlisted man.

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