Extracurricula—Midshipmen Organizations And Activities

No recitations today. All hands being employed repairing damages after the ball.”

In these words, on January 16, 1846, a Midshipman Officer of the Day recorded the first extracurricular activity of the new Naval School, then three months old.

The “damages” may have been merely the removal of furnishings from rooms normally used for school purposes and the hanging of decorations, since the ball, which was “numerously attended by ladies and gentlemen from various parts of the union,” was said to have been given “with great éclat.”

Probably neither those who cleared up the halls nor the officers who granted the holiday for that purpose could have imagined that, a century later, the giving of a ball would be only one of nearly two-score far-reaching activities that the midshipmen carry on simultaneously without any interruption of the academic schedule.

This first ball was followed a year later by another more elaborate, and more notable because of the great number of its distinguished guests. Entries in the Journal in January, 1847, note, “19 mechanics and 7 laborers employed preparing the new Mess Hall for grand Naval Ball” and “A salute of 17 guns in honor of a visit from the Hon’ble Secretary of the Navy and the Naval Committee from both Houses. . . . During the night a grand Ball.”

The listing of the names of twelve midshipmen Managers on the formal invitation to this second ball was a public recognition of midshipmen as leaders of school activities. The placing of the name of the Superintendent, Commander Franklin Buchanan, and of the Executive Officer, Lieutenant James H. Ward, at the head of this list of Managers gave an official sponsorship and a prestige which the several dance committees have not lost; for balls and hops are apparently the one student activity, both approved and popular, throughout the one hundred years of the Naval Academy.

It became customary to give a ball near the holidays and to hold “extemporized dancing parties which were known as hops.” Although the latter were intended to be less formal than the Naval Balls, one in 1860 is described in the Journal as “a very tasty and elegant affair.” Even in the first few years, customs that have continued throughout the century were gradually taking shape. In 1859 a dancing instructor is mentioned, and the midshipmen who had signed the “Tobacco Pledge” were permitted to visit Annapolis for the purpose of escorting ladies to the ball.

Perhaps the one feature of extracurricular life which, along with hops and balls, has continued from the beginning of the Naval Academy is the provision for the religious needs of the midshipmen. Over and above the requirement of daily prayers, there is discernible even in the earliest years that kindly interest through which the Chaplains have contributed much toward the morale of the institution. The first Chaplain, the Reverend George Jones, gave a friendly thought to the midshipmen’s leisure hours when he arranged in the Lyceum, which they might visit, a display of the flags and other trophies of American naval battles. His thought for their welfare went further. Whether experience in examinations at the end of the first year had demonstrated the midshipmen’s need for greater dependence upon divine aid is a question, but at the end of the second academic year, we find this entry by the Officer of the Day: “At 11:10 the Midshipmen assembled in the Lyceum for examination in Gunnery. The session was opened with prayer by Chaplain Jones.” Gunnery was evidently not the only subject for which the students were “Standing in the Need of Prayer,” for Chaplain Jones rendered the same service each day during the period of examinations.

There was surprisingly little provision for music in the early days, particularly so, in view of the varied program that later developed. It is true that, for the Naval Balls, the United States Marine Band was sent on temporary duty from Washington, but the daily needs of the new institution were met by a drummer and a fifer, or sometimes a bugler, until 1853 when, on May 17, “the barque Union came to anchor in the harbor having on board a Band for the Academy.”¹ The informal sings, however, held “behind the Battery,” brought forth original verses to be sung to popular airs, such as these in tribute to the long second-summer leave, which are still sung, in part, by the midshipmen:

Come all ye gallant middies
Who are going on furlough,
We’ll sing the song of liberty,
We’re going for to go.

Take your tobacco lively
And pass the grog around,
We’ll have a jolly time to-night
Before we’re homeward bound.

Our sweethearts waiting for us,
With eyes brimful of tears,
Will welcome us back home again
From an absence of two years.²

Although formal musical organizations did not come to the Naval Academy until some years later, the suspension of a midshipman in 1864 for “positive disobedience of orders in playing on a musical instrument on Sunday evening” is evidence that individuals indulged their fondness for music. It would seem, however, that there was no place such as is now provided, where the midshipmen might practice upon musical instruments; otherwise, Vice Admiral David D. Porter would have been spared the necessity of addressing the following order to Midshipman Robert Means Thompson of the Class of 1868, who later became the benefactor of the Naval Academy for whom Thompson Stadium is named:

U. S. Naval Academy
Annapolis, Md.
Oct. 25, 1867

Order:

Midshipman Thompson, (1st Class) who plays so abominably on a fish horn will oblige me by going outside the limits when he wants to practice or he will find himself “coming out of the little end of the horn.”

David D. Porter
Vice Admiral and Supt. N. A.³

Although a limited time in the daily program was left for recreation, a number of writers comment on the lack of organized group activities during the first twenty years. Benjamin says that the only amusements within the walls were the “stag hops” on Saturdays and that, if more amusements or more athletic sports had been allowed, there would have been fewer infractions of discipline. The Oldsters, men who had had several years at sea, and some of whom were veterans of the Mexican War, carried on extracurricular activities of their own through the Owls, the Crickets, and other unauthorized clubs which dined, and sometimes wined, in town. Their sudden release from the restraint of shipboard is said to have led to “mild outbreaks of card playing and frenching.”⁴

Among early restrictions, the following are interesting since some of them have now not only passed from the list of prohibitions, but are even included among the approved activities:

No student shall visit, any hotel,. . . oyster- house, .... or any place of public entertainment .. . without special permission of the Superintendent.

Students are prohibited from receiving any books, or taking any newspaper or other . . . publication, without special permission . . . and no such permission shall be given for more than one newspaper to each student, and then only on condition of its being paid for in advance.

Students are strictly forbidden the use of tobacco in any form.

Any student who shall play at cards, chess, backgammon, or any game of chance, bring, or cause to be brought within the limits of the Academy, any cards, dice or other implements used in such games, may be dismissed from the naval service.

Officers too were sometimes subject to restrictions, as in the regulations of 1856:

Officers, Assistant Professors, or Clerks, occupying rooms in any of the buildings recognized as Student quarters, are to do nothing therein disturbful to students in the way of entertainments. No card playing, smoking of tobacco, or, in short, anything calculated to exercise an improper exciting influence over the minds and desires of the students is to take place in those rooms.

From a notation in the Journal of the Santee, it appears that the situation was well controlled, for four midshipmen were arrested for “having cards in possession with intention of playing same.”

To balance these restrictions, students were permitted to visit the Library, the Lyceum, and officers’ quarters during “vacation hours,” and, with special permission, to use the boats for pleasure. Lack of group recreation, however, should not be interpreted as a policy of withholding all normal enjoyment. In his address at the formal opening of the Naval School, October 10, 1845, Commander Buchanan said; “Every indulgence consistent with the rules and regulations of the institution will be granted to those who merit it.” From the many permissions for short leaves noted in the Journal during the first three years, it appears that either Commander Buchanan was generous in making good his promise or midshipmen in large numbers merited his indulgence. The granting of privileges remained largely on an individual basis for some years. The regulations of 1855 say: “On very particular occasions, the Superintendent may grant leave during the week to those who shall have deserved such indulgence by exemplary conduct.”

Among the special privileges of the first few years were a “vacation” on Washington’s birthday, fireworks on the Fourth of July, a lecture on Temperance, permission to go hunting, and a general permission in 1852 “to visit Annapolis for the purpose of seeing the circus,” a privilege repeated in several succeeding years.

In spite of the lack of regularity for group activities, occasional entertainments were held from the beginning of the Academy. The Lady of Lyons, a play of great popularity by Bulwer-Lytton, was given by midshipmen in 1846 at the theater on Duke of Gloucester Street. The purchase of this building by the Presbyterians for remodeling into a church prevented further performances in town, but original dramatics were continued from time to time in the Yard.

The Lawrence Literary Society, a voluntary association founded by the graduating class of 1858 and named for Captain James Lawrence, is mentioned by Marshall as first among the “Amusements.” At an open meeting in 1859, a Reverend Mr. Gallagher lectured before the society and a “concourse of spectators.” Its meetings were discontinued when the upper classes were called to duty at sea at the outbreak of hostilities in 1861. It is regrettable that the whereabouts of the papers of this first approved midshipman’s society is not known. They might reveal whether Perry’s banner bearing Lawrence’s words, “Don’t Give Up the Ship,” which was among the trophies hung by Chaplain Jones in the Lyceum, may have inspired the name.

Although hops and balls are the most noteworthy feature of midshipman activity at the Naval Academy prior to its removal to Newport in 1861, there were signs of other customs which were gradually to expand into the present extensive program.

The first Graduation Exercises were held in the Chapel in 1854. They consisted merely of a prayer by the Chaplain, a short address by the Superintendent, and the presentation of certificates. But by 1858 there were indications of the glamor of June Weeks to come, for the “Ladies favored the occasion by their presence, and numbered not a few in the chapel.”

A photograph of the Brigade was taken in 1860, and in March, 1861, within a few weeks of the outbreak of war, a “photographist” came into the Yard and took pictures of officers, buildings, ships, and members of the graduating class. Although the war interrupted this practice for some years, these “Autographs and Photographs of the Class of 1861,” bound into an album, became the first Class Book, predecessor of the Lucky Bag. The pictures are an interesting portrayal of fashions in neckties, haircuts, and even whiskers. The anchors on the collars are of different design and pinned at different angles.

It is an interesting fact that, among the many regulations, a few have been carried with little variation for the entire one hundred years. One of these is the prohibition against joining any unauthorized association or club. The years have, however, made a difference in its application—for then, there were no clubs authorized; today, a midshipman has a wide choice from many more than he could possibly attend.

Sometimes a regulation which, at the beginning, was regarded merely as a rule has so changed in the esteem in which it has come to be held that it is now looked upon as a cherished tradition. Perhaps the best example is the requirement for prayers before breakfast. Today in the great Mess Hall, 3,000 midshipmen join each morning in the Lord’s Prayer. This is followed by a brief prayer for the day. So much has this custom become a part of the life and tradition of the Academy, that, if the Chaplain is ever detained, a midshipman or an officer on duty reads the second prayer. Every weekday morning for a hundred years!

Although it is likely that there were casual choirs before that date, from notes in the Journal of the Santee at Newport in 1864, which mention liberty granted to members of the choir on Saturday and the reorganization of the choir at the opening of the fall season, that organization is established as more than eighty years old, and one of the oldest of the Academy. The midshipmen themselves deserve great credit for this contribution to life at the Naval Academy, since in the early days they often carried on the choir without instruction other than that given by one of their own number. Sometimes an officer, or the wife of an officer, was the leader. For years the organist was provided by subscriptions. In 1879, Lieutenant Commander Charles J. Train, then an instructor in Navigation, was the leader of the choir. He inaugurated the custom of singing at the close of chapel service on Sunday morning the one stanza:

Eternal Father! strong to save,
Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,
Who bid’st the mighty ocean deep
Its own appointed limits keep:
O hear us when we cry to Thee
For those in peril on the sea.

For about two-thirds of a century, therefore, the choir has carried on a custom that has long since become a tradition, one that is regarded by many as the most moving feature of life at the Naval Academy.

Within a few years after the Naval Academy was returned to Annapolis in 1865, a complete reorganization came about, and with it there came also an expanding program of cadet activities. There was little change in objectives, but a radical change in the method of obtaining them. Much of what was then counted as extracurricular amusement is now included in the physical training program. The new Ball Clubs, Boat Clubs, Boxing and Bowling are a part of the story of athletics at the Naval Academy and will therefore not be described here.

Although not so recognized at the time, nevertheless the cadet activities during the decade or two after the war were varied enough to be grouped into the five sections into which extracurricular activities are now classified. The Badge of the Class of 1867, for instance, may be regarded as the forerunner of the Class Crest, the committee for which is now one of the regularly approved Class Activities. Within this group also were the class balls—the First Class Ball in January, and the ball given in June by the Second Class in honor of the Graduating Class.

Like their predecessors before the Civil War, these balls were of an elegance to attract national attention. An official description of the Naval Academy prepared at the direction of the Superintendent in 1869 says that hops and balls were “believed to have a very refining influence upon the young gentlemen” and “are certainly very attractive to officers and to the guests present.” According to Harper's Weekly, for a ball in 1869 the interior of the old fort had been transformed into a “fairy-like paradise.”⁵ And of this same event, a reporter for the Army and Navy Journal had to this to say:

I never saw, on a similar occasion, so little confusion and crowding, or a better supper. ... I will say for the middies . . . that they are capable of dancing, probably forever, for they treat a ball as they would a cruise: they divide themselves into starboard and port watches, and with great cunning relieve one another at regular intervals.⁶

Can it be that the midshipmen, or cadets as they were called at that time, originated “cutting in”?

Entertainments given on the night before holidays, shows of the Ethiopian Minstrel Troupe, class theatricals, and the getting-up of costumes and scenery for all of them, might have been assigned, then as now, to Production Groups. The plays, “Married Life” and “Mrs. Jarley’s Wax Works” were given for the benefit of the Naval Academy Band which, in new uniforms, “swung down before the line on parade in a way that aroused the delighted admiration of every youngster in the battalion.” A Cadet Dramatic Society gave “our Boys” in 1879.

Musical productions paralleled dramatic ones. Gilbert and Sullivan’s “H.M.S. Pinafore” and “Trial by Jury” were presented, the latter by the Annapolis Dramatic Association composed of naval officers and townspeople.

Hobbies, which is the third group of current extracurricular activities, were followed then, not in clubs, but individually—such as riding, or the great new privilege that came with the introduction of City Water into the Academy in 1867. Above the requirement of one bath a week, a midshipman might enjoy others as recreation, provided he “pay the Barber six cents extra.” This latter opportunity, however, was well controlled since, “Any Midshipmen violating the regulations will be prohibited from bathing, unless otherwise ordered, by the Superintendent.”

Such present activities as the Radio Club or the Sound Unit are forecast by the opportunity given the midshipmen in 1878 of attending an “exposition of Edison’s phonograph” in the gymnasium.

The choir, and the Young Men’s Christian Association which came to the Academy in 1878, were the Regimental, or in those days Battalion, Activities. Although the Bible Class met on Saturday evening, and regular meetings of the “Y” were at five o’clock on Sunday when “it was somewhat inconvenient on account of appointments made by the cadets to meet their friends for walking in the grounds,”⁸ nevertheless, the attendance compared favorably with that at civilian colleges. The timelessness of the work of this association is reflected in a comment by Chaplain H. H. Clark, more potent now, perhaps, than when he wrote it in the first Y. M. C. A. Handbook in 1891: “The crude notion that the ideals of any high profession can be realized without the aid of religion is passing away.”

Publications, the fifth section of midshipman activities, began with “Shakings,” a collection of pen-and-ink sketches of midshipman life, by Park Benjamin of the Class of 1867. These drawings, “continued during intervals of study and recreation, and not intended for the public eye,” picture much of the off-the-record activity of the midshipmen. A drawing of some of the midshipmen in the fire-room, roasting potatoes through the bottom door of the furnace, carries these lines:

Thus long ago
Ere heaving billows learned to blow
And organs yet were mute,
Thus middies roasted “spuds” below
And poked the fires to boot.

Fag Ends, printed ten years later, although not strictly a midshipman publication, contained much that originated with them. Its glossary of slang is apparently the first of a long list of such “dictionaries.”

The successes and the failures of these early efforts toward providing reasonable recreation for the midshipmen laid the foundations upon which the present program has been built. The character of the thirty-eight midshipman activities now approved has developed naturally, not merely to provide pleasurable occupation, but also to meet needs as they have arisen. To illustrate, when midshipmen realized that naval officers must make countless speeches at dedications and before societies, and that senior officers are often called upon to preside at meetings and over boards, there came into being Quarterdeck, the midshipmen’s public-speaking and debating organization. Likewise, when some of them came to see the time and the effort given by a thousand or two thousand midshipmen who, before each hop, must write letters to answer innumerable questions such as “How do I get there?” “What do I wear?” —The Log brought out the Drag’s Hand Book.

Life in Bancroft Hall is in some ways similar to that of any community of 3,000 adult citizens. In other respects, it is somewhat like a home. The activities must therefore meet both the personal and the community needs. When people expect guests, for instance, they meet them, show them to their rooms, and try to make them comfortable. Hence the need of a Reception Committee not only to guide visiting athletic teams through the miles of corridors in Bancroft Hall, but also to act as hosts during their stay.

Not every midshipman’s activity is for the benefit of midshipmen alone. Through its Christmas Card, for example, the Regiment has for many years expressed its spirit and its traditions to friends and relatives everywhere. Sometimes, in meeting their own needs, the midshipmen have reached out to meet the needs of others. Perhaps the most recent outstanding example of such a service is the immediate acceptance by wartime training schools for midshipmen, and even by a number of ships, of “The Prayer of a Midshipman.” Early in 1938, a few midshipmen came to the Chaplain of the Naval Academy saying that, although there were prayers for the Naval Service, a number of midshipmen felt the need for a prayer of their own. That prayer was shortly provided:

Almighty Father, whose way is in the sea, whose paths are in the great waters, whose command is over all and whose love never faileth: Let me be aware of Thy presence and obedient to Thy will. Keep me true to my best self, guarding me against dishonesty in purpose and in deed, and helping me so to live that I can stand unashamed and unafraid before my shipmates, my loved ones, and Thee. Protect those in whose love I live. Give me the will to do the work of a man and to accept my share of responsibilities with a strong heart and a cheerful mind. Make me faithful to my duties and mindful of the traditions of the Service of which I am a part. If I am inclined to doubt, steady my faith; if I am tempted, make me strong to resist; if I should miss the mark, give me courage to try again. Guide me with the light of truth and keep before me the life of Him by whose example and help I trust to obtain the answer to my prayer, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

After its use on a few Sunday mornings, The Log published the prayer without mention of its authorship. The midshipmen soon made it their own and it became their own part of the Sunday morning chapel service.

Some months ago, an official of a great university which is now carrying an officer training program for reserve midshipmen, attended Sunday morning service at the Naval Academy Chapel. As he was leaving, he said to the Chaplain, “I am glad to find that you are using down here the same ‘Prayer of a Midshipman’ that we use.”

“We have been using it here for several years,” the Chaplain answered.

The visitor left without knowing that he had been speaking to the author of that prayer, Chaplain William N. Thomas, who had written it in response to an expressed need of the midshipmen.

The war has caused the temporary suspension of three approved activities: the Orchestra, the Midshipmen’s Drum and Bugle Corps, and the Radio Club. The thirty-five remaining do not encroach upon the accelerated program because, with an occasional exception such as working to a date line on one of the publications, all are carried on within the hours of liberty. The truly vast transactions of these groups have been built up, not by the granting of more leisure, but by an intelligent use of leisure already given. Most of the business meetings must be limited to a half-hour between dinner and evening study. And these meetings “click.” There is no dillydallying and no waiting for late comers.

The early policy of trivial restrictions has given way to one which uses the things a midshipman likes to do as an individual, to promote a higher morale within the regiment. Instead of the old method, “Knife out in church ... 2 demerits; Casting reflections with a mirror ... 2 demerits;” the plan nowadays is to provide a shop or a model- room where the midshipman may whittle or experiment. Participation in the things he wants to do is, in itself, an evidence of satisfactorily performing what he must do; for no one whose academic standing is unsatisfactory may take part in any performance or program, and the privilege of using workshops or organization offices is automatically canceled for any midshipman who is “unsat.” Any one who assumes an office or a chairmanship is held definitely responsible for the work that the appointment entails. The responsibilities are often great—the negotiation of contracts, the handling of funds amounting to thousands of dollars, accurate accounting, and delicate negotiations between classes or groups. However heavy the burdens, no midshipman may gain financially. Those who handle funds of any except small amounts are bonded, and accounts are subject to official audit.

Subject to the approval of the Commandant, the groups choose their own leaders or chairmen. Within the general rules for operation, each group is allowed as much freedom of action as is possible. To illustrate, a list of. from fifteen to twenty plays that might be produced on the rather inadequate stage of the Auditorium are suggested each year by the coach. From that list the Masqueraders themselves choose a play they would like to put on, and not for many years has it been necessary to veto any selection.

While working within a group, each midshipman is judged by what he contributes to the success of that group. “Rates” are off. A Plebe may be a soloist for the Glee Club or the leading lady of the Masqueraders, if his talent warrants it.

During Graduation Week of each year Certificates of Participation are awarded to members of each group who have worked wholeheartedly and successfully within the unit. The number of awards is determined by the character and importance of the individual unit.

Although the many activities—scientific, literary, artistic, musical, religious, administrative-fall naturally into the five groups already mentioned, a number of them are more or less interdependent. The Art Club and the Photographic Club, for instance, supply material of high standard for the many publications and programs.

Projects pertaining to the various classes are promoted by the Class Activities Groups. Officers and committees within this section design and assist in the selection of a Crest for the Fourth Class; assist in the design, selection, and purchase of class rings; plan and manage the Farewell Ball and the Ring Dance; foster good will among classes; and publish the Lucky Bag.

The Lucky Bag is the annual publication of the Regiment and the Class Book of the Graduating Class. From the first volume in 1894, it has held true to its name, for a “Lucky Bag” is a compartment aboard ship for the stowage of misplaced belongings found about ship. Each volume is a storehouse of information covering life at the Naval Academy. A large portion of the book is devoted to photographs and somewhat candid sketches of the graduates, as their classmates know them. The remainder is given to summaries of the yearly activities of the Academy’s organizations and sports. Although the full implication of its “vernacular” is sometimes lost upon the uninitiated, it does an excellent job of reporting, and is a valuable historical record. In the handsome centennial edition of 1845-1945, the Lucky Bag fittingly recognizes the Naval Academy’s One Hundred Years.

The dramatic and musical shows are put on by the Production Groups. The Juice Gang which manages the lights and electrical equipment, the Stage Gang, and the Property Gang are all able allies of the Masqueraders and the Musical Clubs; in fact, they are necessary to the successful operation of these organizations.

Even in time of war, the musically inclined have a choice of three outlets-—the Glee Club, the Mandolin Club, or the N. A. Ten which is the midshipmen’s Big-Name Band. Because they are dependent upon the same helpers and have many interests in common, there is now on foot a movement to combine the Masqueraders and the Musical Clubs into one organization under a single group of officers, as was the setup at the time of their organization in 1907.

Originally too, the dramatic and musical groups joined in the same entertainment. By looking over the programs of the more than thirty-seven years, it is possible to follow the things social and scientific that have been vital to the midshipmen, as for example, two songs on early programs: “Come Along in My Chug, Chug, Katie”; and “I’d Rather Two-Step than Waltz, Bill.”

Difficulties beset every production of the Masqueraders. In addition to the problems involved in presenting a Broadway success with inadequate facilities, there is practically no time in the weekly schedule when the whole play can be rehearsed. In consequence, members of the cast give up much of their Saturday afternoon liberty. Most of the coaching must be done in short periods in the late afternoon and must, therefore, stretch out over many months. Costuming presents unusual handicaps. To be a midshipman, one must be sound of body and strong of limb. Drilling makes for Size 10 shoes. There are no sweetly “delicate” midshipmen from whom to choose the ladies of the cast. A few years ago, a performance had to be postponed for six weeks because the “leading lady” got kicked in the head in a soccer game. But in spite of all obstacles, performances are creditable, and the midshipmen love their play-acting.

Through the seven clubs of the Professional or Hobby Groups, the midshipmen may indulge their enthusiasm for boats, stamps, foreign languages, mathematics, model building, and motion picture and sound equipment. The Sound Unit may give concerts in Memorial Hall and Smoke Park, and may rig up public address systems when operated by midshipmen. The Chess Club is evidence of the now honorable standing of a game which, if played ninety years ago, could have meant dismissal from the Naval Service.

Ten groups, ranging in importance and dignity from the keepers of Navy Bill, the Goat, to the publishing of a weekly paper, The Log, are classified under Regimental Activities. There are Cheer Leaders; the Choir; committees that welcome visiting athletic teams and act as their guides, and that plan the pep-rallies before the games, and welcome the returning teams; and the Press Detail that co-operates with radio broadcasters, photographers, and reporters at the games, and mans the public address system in the stadium.

For about thirty years The Log has been carrying out its purpose as announced in its first issue: “To keep the Brigade informed of the various happenings in our little world, and occasionally to make a smile creep over the features of the saddest among us.” Aside from its humor, it original drawings, its portrayal of the adventures of Salty Sam and of Midshipman J. Gish, The Log, is the advance publicity agent for all midshipman activities. For working up the interest and bringing out the crowds, The Log deserves a hearty hand. And it has made good its intention of making “every midshipman in the Brigade look forward to Friday night.”

Two religious organizations, the Newman Club of Catholic midshipmen and the Naval Academy Christian Association, meet on alternate Sunday evenings. Both are becoming increasingly important factors in inspirational help for the midshipmen. The older of these, the Christian Association, is the successor to the earlier Y. M. C. A.

The lowest point of a midshipman’s morale is on Sunday night. Liberty is over and the Drags are gone. A few years ago, the Naval Academy Christian Association undertook to do something about it. The Sunday night meeting was made so vital that, instead of perhaps a hundred that formerly attended, the numbers in a hall that seats one thousand are now limited only by the space for standees, for all crowd in, who can. A short devotional exercise is followed by a speaker—a war correspondent, perhaps, or some one such as Captain Eddie Rickenbacker, who has dared or suffered, and has come through with a philosophy of “Heads Up,” no matter what happens. There is good music—a nationally known quartette, a famous harpist, a singer of negro spirituals. The Sunday night meeting gives the midshipman something to carry with him into the week that follows.

The artistic and literary activities of the Midshipmen are directed through the Trident Society. Its accomplishments over a period of twenty years are little short of amazing. In addition to such occasional performance as compiling a book of Navy Songs and the publishing of a book of verse, Anchors Aweigh, its nine units provide the Regiment with a Christmas Card; provide an exchange of art work incident to the various publications, and a means of improving the quality of art work within the Academy through an annual exhibition; care for and supervise the issue of books in the Bancroft Hall House Libraries, one for each Battalion; provide an exchange of photographic work for the publications and a means of improving its quality; through Quarterdeck foster and develop speaking ability; publish Reef Points, the Plebe’s Handbook of essential information about the Naval Academy; design and publish a desk calendar for the Regiment; and publish the Trident Magazine.

Reef Points, originally published by the Y. M. C. A., is now a book of 200 pages which contains everything a Fourth Classman ought to know, from instruction to “Watch Your Rates, Mister” and a dictionary of Naval Academy slang, to plates of campaign ribbons illustrated in color.

The Trident Magazine, published four times a year, is dedicated “to Navy Men everywhere and to those inquiring minds who value highly the navy as it appears in art and literature.” It has now taken on a more practical purpose and carries professional articles of current interest, and some of general appeal,- such as “the Place of Religion in the World To-day” by the late Bishop James E. Freeman. The Trident presents some of the excellent photography by midshipmen who make that their hobby.

Even without mention of the Bulletin, the Gymkanas, and the class shows of the past; and without those additional current enjoyments, the singing of Christmas carols, the collection of toys for the Christmas dinner and their later distribution to the hospitals; the mystery and the wonder of it all is, how do the midshipmen do so much?

There have been snags and discouragements—and sometimes indiscretions by the overly enthusiastic. Some years ago, a midshipman was saved from dismissal only because he had asked permission to offer “unofficially” his suggestion that they “could make a lot of money” at one of the carnivals if an officer would volunteer to push his head through a hole in a sheet and allow a try at it with a soft ball “at a quarter a throw.”

Two assumptions underlie the present policy regarding extracurricular activities at the Naval Academy: first, if playing a saxaphone or editing the school paper can help to make life worth while for a boy at home, it is likely that they can help to make it worth while when that boy becomes a midshipman; and, secondly, the residents of Bancroft Hall, like the intelligent citizens of a town or city, have a natural interest in helping to solve the problems, social, recreational, and religious, that arise in their own community.

The program lives and grows, based upon the belief that those activities which help to give balance to a man and to enrich his life as a midshipman will also lift the morale of the Regiment and tend to promote wellbeing within the Naval Service.