Thus the offenses of which a cadet may be guilty during his residence are recorded against him by a very elaborate and just method, and rise up against him at the period of his graduation. No instance of carelessness or inattention to orders is too trifling to be taken notice of.
If any cadet has more than 100 demerit recorded against him in any six successive months, he is immediately discharged from the Academy as deficient in discipline.
But during the first year’s residence, offenses count one-third less than those committed during the subsequent three years; a cadet of the first year would therefore only be discharged as deficient in discipline who had obtained a demerit of 150 within any period of six successive months.
The marks of demerit of all the fourth class cadets who have not proved deficient in discipline, are wiped out entirely at the end of their first year, and do not therefore affect their relative standing at the period of graduation. The demerit of the first year is only taken into account, so as to determine, in combination with the credits received for progress in study, the relative standing of the cadets in their class for the year next ensuing.
At the final examination, the credit to be allotted to any cadet on the score of discipline is made up by means of the demerit rolls as follows.
Each cadet receives a credit of 16.67 for every month during his residence, in which he has had no demerit recorded against him, to be deducted from his aggregate marks of demerit at the end of his residence. The monthly credit is fixed at 16.67, because that number forms the sixth part of the 100 marks of demerit, which if recorded in six months against any cadet would have occasioned his discharge.
Notwithstanding that the demerit marks of the fourth class are wiped out at the end of the first year, and do not count against the cadets at their final examination, the credit of 16.67 is still allowed to cadets for every month of their first year in which no demerit was recorded against them and deducted from their aggregate marks of demerit at the end of their residence.
The positive marks of merit for discipline due to any cadet at the end of his residence are thus determined. The cadet of the graduating class having the lowest aggregate demerit recorded against him is placed first in discipline, and is credited with the maximum of marks due to that subject, viz., 300. The whole class is then arranged in the same sense, the cadet having the highest demerit being placed last, and receiving only one third of the maximum, viz. 100. The common difference between these limits is then calculated for each cadet of the class, and applied as already explained.
Although the nominal value placed on discipline is represented by the same number of marks only as are allotted to each of the more important branches of study, in fixing the relative standing of cadets at their final examination; it should be remembered that no candidate can reach that period at the Academy who is not fairly well conducted. It would be quite impossible for any cadet to remain at the Academy who had earned for himself the sentence “deficient in discipline,” even though the marks of demerit required for that sentence might have been earned by a succession of minor infractions of discipline. And a cadet who might be guilty of any serious willful offense would be at once removed from the Academy.
Owing to the very limited time allowed for recreation, games are almost unknown; and almost the only athletic amusement indulged in is boating on the river, for which, however, Saturday afternoons afford the only available time.