R.S.A.'S INFLUENCE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 123, 26 May 1943, Page 4

R.S.A.'S INFLUENCE

STABILISING ROLE SIR CYRIL NBWALL'S COMMENT (P.A.) WELLINGTON, this day. In opening the twenty-seventh annual conference of the N.Z.R.fa.A. to-day the Governor-General, Sir Cyril Newall, said the association was composed of citizens who understood the meaning of loyalty and discipline, and knew what courage and endurance meant. '' The R.S.A. must exercise a stabilising and beneficial influence on the community, he said. Its good name depended as much on what was put into it as on what was taken out. He would like to see more members taking a more active part in public life, not as an association, but as individuals. It would be the end of the association if it became political. The same qualities as were needed to win the war were needed to win the peace. Sir Cyril said he, would like to think tnat every one of the men overseas would join the association on his return, and wished that the association should go from strength to strength attending to the interests 'of those who had helped the Empire and worthily done thenduty for the Dominion. The annual report stated that there had been a further increase in membership, the total being 42,167, as against 39,937 at the end of March, 1942. Included in the figure was 3644 from the present war. Since the outbreak of hostilities the increase in membership | had been 10,618.