The Christian Athlete: Military Encampment Keeps the Sabbath
Despite the lure of recreation, soldiers at the local encampment gathered for Sunday services and athletics at the YMCA tent.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Notwithstanding that a number of the men stole away to some shady corners for rest and others of a more strenuous nature indulged in athletics, religious exercises held both yesterday morning and evening in the Young Men's Christian Association tent at the encampment were largely attended. The tent is situated on the edge of the camp quarters. Rev. S. S. Sulliger had charge of the services, while the sermon was preached by Captain Samuel J. Smith, chaplain of the Nineteenth Infantry. 'The Christian Athlete' was the subject and the sermon was particularly applicable to young men. The association headquarters is found to be a very desirable place, as it is provided with reading and writing rooms, which makes it a great convenience for all the men. Secretaries Wilcox and Leavitt and John Makins of Tacoma are in charge of the tent. Although yesterday was Sunday and comparatively no hard work was done, the daily routine was not changed. There were no formal drills during the day, but the Second Washington carried out certain maneuvers, which were witnessed by the visitors from Tacoma and Seattle.
“The Christian Athlete was the subject and the sermon was particularly applicable to young men.”
The role of the YMCA as a 'social hub' for military personnel in the early 20th century provided a moral and recreational bridge for soldiers. Today, such roles are largely internalized within the military or provided by specialized MWR services, but the tension between leisure and discipline remains a constant of camp life.
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