COLLEGE RIFLES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 544, 26 June 1909, Page 7

COLLEGE RIFLES.

ANNUAL SMOKE CONCERT. One of tho most onjoyablo social reunions of tho present season was the annual smoke concert of tho College Rifles, hold in tho Masonio Hal] last ovening. Captain C. Harcourt Tumor, Officer Commanding the Company, presided, and among the visiting officers present woro Colonel R. J. Colhns, V.D., of the Council of Defence, Colonel J. R.: Purdy, Director-General of Medical Services, Lieut.-Colonol W. G. Duthio, Commanding tho First Wellington Rifle Battalion, Major A. de B. Brandon (active' list, unattached), Major C. D. Macintosh, First Wellington Rifle Battalion, Captain Davis, V.D., Kelburno Rifles, Captain AVhyto, • D.5.0., Captains- F. B. Burton, and J. A. Cowles, of the Battalion Staff, Captain S. Harconrt (active list, unattached),'and Captain M'Diaroid, Wellington .Highland Rifles. Apologies for absence were received from Licut.-Colonel Cooper, N.Z.G.A.V., Mr. J. P. Firth (Wellington College), Captains Rudman, Henderson, and Courtney,; and Lieut. Prendeville (Eketahuna Mounted Rifles). - •: • The toast, list was illuminated by an excellent series of: felicitous speeches in the happiest vein. • Replying to tho toast of. bis health (proposod by Captain Turner), Colonel Collins said that the First Wellington Rifle Battalion, of which the Collcgo Rifles was an efficient unit, was one of the best in the Dominion. Volunteering' in Wellington /was still alive, and that.he regarded to bo entirely due to the excellent officers which they had. There was a'great deal of. talk about compulsory.military training of late-. As to that, from his official position asa 'member of the Council of Defence, he was not prepared, to offer any opinion. He'would, .however, oxpress a hope that, whatever the future had in store for them, they would always have ,an'efficient organisation for defence. ■

Other toastsV were: —"Major Brandon" '(proposed by Lieutenant-Colonel' Duthie), "Colonel Purdy" ' (proposod by Major Macintosh), "Battalion : Staff" (proposed by Colonel CollinB); "Old Membors" (proposed by Lieutenant- Hutcben),'... "The- Visitors" (proposed by Lieutenant'Mee), "The Ladies," and "The Press." Songs and : other items were'contributed by Colonel \Piirdy, and Messrs. D: A. Kenny, E; H. Parkes, A.' W. Newton, Ji-Dykes, Wilkinson, and Cummins. During the evening the prizes awarded to the .successful competitors in the company's Saturday afternoon matches of tho 19OS-1909 season were awarded'by Major Brandon.,'