Figure 1.-- This 1932 press photo before the War pictures Balilla boys "studying picture books on military training".

The Balilla program included some para-military training, but we do not yet have much detail on this. There was some basic para-military training conducted by each unit. We do not have much information on just what was involved. One press photo before the War pictures Balilla boys "studying picture books on military training". We note images on boys handling fire arms. And many imsges show boys marching and lining up for insoection. There were Fascist Saturdays and summer camps. Of course more rigorous military training could be conducted at camp than during the fegular Saturday meetings. Para-military training was an important objective of the program. We have, however, few details on the training at this time. The program was structured for the different age levels of the group. The military activities for the Figli della Lupa and the Balilla were limited, but substantial in the Avanguardisti and Giovani Italiane (14 to 18 year olds) and include fire arms training. We note younger children handling replica rifles and learning to load them. More intensive para-military traing was coducted at camps. We do not have information at this time on the para-military activities of older boys.