VOLUNTEER RIFLE ASSOCIATION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 222, 12 June 1908, Page 4

VOLUNTEER RIFLE ASSOCIATION.

'ANNUAL REPORT. The annual meeting of the Wellington District Volunteer Association ' will be held at the Garrison Hall this evening. The ■■ annua I roport to be prosented to members .refers ■ to the very email membership list of the past year. It is hoped that" nn improvement in this respect will be achieved during the coming season. Most unfavourable., weather .was experienced. for the ride meeting on November 9; 1307, and only through the perseverance and good management of Captain C. Harcourt Turner, who acted as Range Officer, was the meeting concluded in the one day. fiiergt. Guy (Wellington Guards) won the belt with the fine ecore of 187 points, compiled in heavy rain. Sapper Gower (Per-' manent Forces Rifle Club) secured the ju®or trophy with an aggregate of 167 points. The' Lee-Enfield - rifle, given to the highest scorer in the Grand Aggregate Match, was won by Corpl. Smart,. of the Guards. For the Teams Match, of five men aside, six teams competed, the result being as follows "D" Battery, .690 points. Wellington Guards, 655. . Highland Rifles, 680. ■■ .-■ Notwithstanding the small number of entries; caused'partly. by the heavy rain and partly by the fact that somo of the. local corps were/engaged at the Palmerston North 'Military Tournament, - the . finances of the association ■ did. not ■ suffer to any great os-t-ent, and the Association will commence the corning season with a credit balance of four shillings aud sixpence'.. In order to provide an .attractive prize•list for the next rifle meeting the Executive strongly recommends that every effort be made to obtain the consent of the Officer Commanding the Battalion to 'allow thd Association tb'carry out the competitions for the next grant, .voted, to tho Wellington District for tho encouragement of rifle shootwithout this assistance, the association is heavily handicapped financially., Garrison Shield competitions were held, bythe 'Association, and a series of threo matches fired, open to teams of ten men from Garrison Corps. The following teams entered: Seniors—City Bifles, Wellington Guards, Post and Telegraph' No. 1 team, and' Highland Rifles. ' • ' Engineers, College Rifles,' Post .-''aud-/ Telegraph -Rifles No. ,2 team,'-Zealaridia-'-Rifles, and the Permanent Forces'-Riflo Club. Ths Senior _ competition was won by the' Wellington'' City Rifles, and 'the Junior by the -Post and Telegraph Rifles' No. 2 team. It is gl-eatly to be. regretted that th'eshields,, thoilgh already competed for three'tim'e'si are still noii-e'xistent. . ■ " Monetary and other assistance was 'rendered to the Association during the year"by : the following "gentlemen, to whom the thanks of members are due:—Messrs. J. G. W. Aitken, ai.P;;. -and - T.' Mi- Wilfordr M.P;, Hon. T. W.'" Hislop, Messrs. * 'C.' H. Izard.' r. -JI.R., .. and- i'\V.; 11. P. Bar-;' l>ei\ M.P., Colonel Cnllms.. Major Br'Atidbp, 1 ! Major.' Mackintosh, Captains C. 'Harcourt Turner, .Morris, Wra.v, ■ ;Duthi.s; CorrigSn,' Samuels, Boobs,' Lieutenants Pa&'e, Mee, Collins, Hutchen, and Smith. 'Private S. F. M'Lean (Highland Rifles) donated a trophy, which was allotted " for V the Junior Aggregate, won by Sapper Gower/ -The followjhg recommendations of , tho Committee will be considered at the annual meeting':— 1. That the date of tho Association's next riflo meeting be fixed at this annual meeting. ' .... ■; 2. That a sub-committeo bo appointed to couipleto the canvass - for subscriptions towards the' Garrison Shields Fund;,3. That early representation be made to tho Officer Commanding the First-.Welling-ton -Battalion' to urge that officer to allow'the Assooiatioiv to oarry out tho. competitions• for tho next Government grant, provided to foster rifle..shooting in the'. Wellington trict. ... • ... .4. That application - be niade to tho Defence Department for a-free-grant of ball ammunition, - with which to carry out the next annual riflo meeting.