Girls' Marching Team Sponsored By Police

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28434, 14 November 1957, Page 17

Girls' Marching Team Sponsored By Police

VEW ZEALAND’S only police sponsored marching team was formed in Christchurch last week-end by an apprentice electrician, Rex Cox. aged 18. The team, which is sponsored by the local branch of the Police Social Club, consists of girls whose ages range between 11 and 13.

In 1945. a similar team existed in Hastings, but was disbanded several years later. This team held the Dominion championship for two years. Rex Cox's new group has already proved to be very popular and there is a waiting list of nearly 30 girls who want to join. Most of them are daughters of police officers. On Saturday, the girls wore their new uniforms for the first time. They consist of royal blue corduroy vests with blue bowties and matching berets. The skirts are of blue and white gabardine. The team will give its first public display of marching on Sunday week at Rugby Park. Early . next year, it will participate in several championship events.

I Instruction on the finer points of marching will be given to the girls by Rex Cox. who for the last few years has trained several other teams. He has been interested in marching for some years. Only one of the girls has had previous experience. She is the team’s leader, Margaret Larkin, who is a pupil of the Shirley Intermediate school. I A special committee of parents i and police representatives has been formed to look after the interests of the team. The chairman is Mr W. Carruthers and the secretary is Mr G. A. Agnew. Miss M. T. Howard is the third police representative on the committee. All are constables at the Central Police Station. Mr Agnew said that the social club had not sponsored activities for children before. However, there are police cricket and football teams, he said. The Controller-General of Police (Mr S. T. Barnett), has permitted the team to be officially known as the Christchurch Police marching team.