THE RIFLE TEAM

The decision of the H. A. A. to lend its support to the formation of a rifle team this winter is a truly important one. In previous years the rifle team was the least of minor sport organizations, and existed without official recognition from the athletic authorities. The outbreak of the war was necessary to bring more forcibly to the minds of these authorities the value of such an organization.

This former attitude, however, was not at all surprising, as it was shared by other colleges. A rifle team's value is one of the many details which the war has brought to the fore. It is now easy to conceive what the worth of a general taking up of the sport throughout the country would be. It would mean scores of expert shots just so much further along in their training for combat. Though rifle teams and gun clubs use small calibre weapons, it is with these that the soldier is given his first and fundamental training, "gallery practice." Expertness with a sub-calibre rifle on a college rifle team would put a man through this training even before he had entered actual military life.

We hope that success will attend the formation of the rifle team tonight. It is an organization which combines sport with instruction, and one which may have great future possibilities.