Youth role for R.S.A.?

Press, 10 June 1980, Page 1

Youth role for R.S.A.?

PA Wellington The Returned Services Association. should participate in youth work, the Dominion, president (Mr W. D. Leuchars) told the R.S.A.’s Dominion council in Wellington last evening. “The growing unruliness of young people” made it imperative, after the decline of the school cadet system — “a scheme which enabled tens of thousands of schoolboys to take part in a disciplined activity which yielded good life-long benefits” — that help and guidance be given to help carry them through their

formative years, said Mr Leuchars, v . “The association has proposed that the Government should examine the feasibility of universal national youth community service,” he said. “After several' years of repeated submissions, the Government has set up a working party to examine the proposal.” Mr Leuchars said the R.S.A. believed that it had legitimate role to play in persuading the Government to help inculcate in children a greater responsibility to their community. It also believed that the

community expected the R.S.A. to take a lively interest in defence matters, and to oppose subversive elements. This was policy, and all branches had also been asked to take an active interest in civil defence. Mr Leuchars said that the R.S.A. proposed to remove restrictions on service members. “The growing number of local R.S.A.s which have accepted service members indicates that quite soon most R.S.A.s will welcome these younger men and women into their associations and the clubs,” he said.