ZEALANDIA RIFLES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 511, 19 May 1909, Page 5

ZEALANDIA RIFLES.

■'; ANNUAL MEETING. , After parade on. Monday evening, the Zealahdia Rifles held their.'' annual meeting at: the Garrison. Hall, ~ Captain Corrigari ..presiding. ['■ The ' report for the'; volunteer■;". year'• ended .February 28, 1909, was read by the . chairman. The report stated that the work-done, by tho company was highly; satisfactory. It ¥egan tho year with 49 members on the roll andconcluded with a record of 76 efficients, which, it was believed, was a record for any adult infantry corps in tho Dominion. The average attendance at all parades for the year was .40 for each parade; the average attendance of shooting men of the company at ;Tren'tham " on Saturday 'afternoons was ,25,.whi]e.there;.'had.>'also beeri a Wednesday "afternoon squad at Polhill Gully. Tho maximum capitation allowed for the company , was '63,'sp that tho corps returned 13 efficients, in; excess'-, of',.the; complete establishment.'/ A';/ section :.competition : in. a special' " programme '.of infantry duties was . carried , out, points .. being. ..givon on attendance,', /.cleanliness, squad drill, musketry exercises, musketry practice at the range, and musketry, practice in.field work: (targets/at unknown ranges). As the result of the competition; No. 1 section: (Sergeant Hugo), came out first with a total of. 213 points, and.was awarded, the, handsome silver cup which was presented to the company by Mrs. S. A. Rhodes, of "The Grange/' Wade'stown.'_ ■ No. 2 section was- very, close to the winning section, being only one point behind. The Zealandia Rifles have practically; worked out.the scheme on the fines of Captain Richardson's prize essay on how to train an infantry" company. ••./..' : A company camp at Trentham was/held from the Saturday afternoon till Monday: morning, the attendance being fifty. Iri the musketry competition on the ranges under Staff _ Sergt.-Major. Rose_ the sections were exercised in. attack practice, workingin skirmishing order, and taking cover from about 800 yards to the final stage of, say, 250. The target was an 8 by 6 regulation,field firing target, with four crouched figures painted in black on the white ground. An examination of the/targot afterwards showed that 15 per cent, of hitshad been scored, and not less than 50 per. cent, of the shots found a place on the. body. •of . the surprisingly good Tesult, reflecting particular credit uponStaff Sergt-Major Rose. "It is satisfactory,to look back upon the' advance made in the training of; officers and men," concluded the report. "We have in -Wellington the great advantage'.'of being directly under the influence of Colonel Robin, Chief of tho General Staff, who has frequently quietly/and pleasantly directed pur .'energies' and at.odd times dropped into the Drill Hall and overlooked the work done, and given the men tho benefit of his criticism and advice. The appointment of Staff Sergt.-Major Rose has been of immense help, and the. men who have passed through his hands as recruits have certainly leavened >up the whole company."/.' ;,; ;;.' : ; The report.was adopted. . The various committees were elected, and / the new/'syllabus for the,present year was outlined and discussed. Votes of thanks were passed to the donors of prizes. "'.■"..