South Christchurch R.S.A. Rooms Opened

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30830, 16 August 1965, Page 14

South Christchurch R.S.A. Rooms Opened

The acquisition of club room facilities meant the fulfilment of a great ambition, but it was by no means the end of the road, the Dominion president of the New Zealand Returned Services’ Association (Mr Hamilton Mitchell) told members of the south Christchurch suburban committee of the R.S.A. when officially opening their first club rooms in Tennyson street on Saturday.

“The strength of the R.S.A. is not in the great metropolitan associations but in branches such as this,” Mr Mitchell said. “It is in the suburban branches that the real work of the association is done. In this building you have a community focal point and a home. "You now have the opportunity of returning something to the community. Former servicemen have a tremendous debt to the general public. In the last two decades we have been helped as have the servicemen of no other country, so I hope your club rooms will be used for the benefit of the community as a whole.” Mr Mitchell said returned servicemen were a dying race If their end were brought about the association would have achieved its purpose “When that happens, whatever assets we have will go bark to the community. “We can help pay our debt bv fostering new generations as thev come up. and I urge that whenever possible you make your facilities available to the youth of your commun itv” Mr Mitchell said former ser-

vicemen could help repay the community by encouraging young men to join the armed forces for short-term service, or as a career. “We may be on the verge of another struggle and we are badly in need of young men for all our services.”

Other speakers were the Mayor of Christchurch (Mr G. Manning), the president of the Christchurch R.S.A. (Mr D. Barrett), the chairman of the south Christchurch suburban committee (Mr C. R. Trotter), the secretary (Mr F. W. K. Humphreys) and Mr J. Cent, of Dunedin, a former chairman of the committee. Specially invited guests included local members of Parliament, Miss M. B. Howard and Messrs J. Mathison, H. J. Walker and M. A. Connelly, the deputy mayor (Mr H. P Smith) and the town clerk (Mr C. S. Bowie). More than 80 persons attended the opening of the premises which were formerly owned by the Albion Rugby Football Club. The building was originally a branch of the Trinity Congregational Church and was later bought by the Roman Catholic Church. In addition to the main hall there is a spacious supper room, cloak rooms and kitchen facilities.