NORWOOD PLANS PREPAREDNESS
At Enthusiastic Meeting of Citizens
NORWOOD, March 30—A meeting for the purpose of organizing a school for military training and for recruiting was held last evening under the auspices of the recruiting committee of the Norwood Committee on Public Safety at the gymnasium of the Norwood Civic Association. About 300 men were present.
Chairman James T. Wellington of the recruiting committee opened the meeting, and introduced Chairman H. M. Plimpton of the Committee on Public Safety, who explained the plan and purpose of organizing the men of Norwood for military training, so that if war comes those who wish to go may be prepared and the others act as home guard. He urged the raising of 1000 men for the purpose.
A detail from the 1st Corps of Cadets was present, including Lieut Ralph H. Hallett, Sergt Harry Spencer, and Corp Schauffler, also a detail of the machine company of the Cadets, with their gun mounted on its auto truck. In the machine gun detail were Corp Williams, Corp Andrews, and privates Flanders, Emerson, Lyman, and Boyd.
Lieut Hallett gave a talk on preparedness and the urgency of having such a school for military training as was planned. He invited all the men who wished to undertake military training to sign cards which were passed around, stating what they were willing to do in the work of preparedness. He offered the services of officers to train such a school as Mr. Plimpton suggested.
Remarks were also made by Judge James A. Halloran, who urged everyone to sign the cards, saying that every man and woman in Norwood was wanted to sign.
After the meeting, the Cadets talked with various groups and instructed those who filled out cards for the military training school to be established here or the home guard company.
James M. Folan was the first to sign and pass in his card for the home guard company or military training school.
The machine gun detail gave an exemplification of the work of their gun outside the hall. Sec K. E. Smullin announced that those who wished could enroll any time at the Civic Association. A large number signed the cards for military training, after the meeting.
30 Mar 1917, Fri The Boston Globe