WELLINGTON GUARDS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 561, 16 July 1909, Page 6

WELLINGTON GUARDS.

"■<- ANNUAL. SMOKE CONCERT. ' Members and ex-members of,,the Wellington ' Guards celebrated the thirtieth'anniversary of the founding of the company (1870),' at the Garrison Hall, Buckle Street, la6t evening, when nn , onioyhblo smoke concert .was'held. Captain J; Duthie, jun.,/.Officer Commanding the Company, presided, and there: were present among the visitors, Major C. D." Mackintosh - (Battalion Staff), Hon., Captain J'/-O'Sullivan, (General Staff, Defence Stores), 'Lieutenants' W. V. Smith (Active List, unattached),, and Eundlo (Napier. Guards),, ex-Lieutenant ,Coo'gan (oiie of the founders of the c6tnpah'y),'ex-Sergeant F. Town'sendj and Mr. ,G; Z. Quarrie (one of the original organisers of tho volunteer. movement in Onmaru). ■ -. - . ■■'■(": ■• • , I -The toast of "The Battalion Stall" was proposed'by Lieut.- J. G.' Koache,- who referred with pride to the fact that'the First Wellington Eifle Battalion had attained the honour of being first inVname and'also in efficiency, a happy circumstance due very largely, to the efforts:of its official'staff. .He emphasised the necessity of individual effort otf the part of all ranks- to maintain the .prestige and effiqiency of the battalion.,, .... ..';,,- . . Responding to the',toast, Major" C. D. Mac-. - kintosk; had something to say .-about recent criticisms of, the-" Volunteer - system. It had been said that the. Volunteers cost the .coun'try .£216,000 a year.- .'He would.ask them to reflect that there. was another aspect .to that question. The capitation grants were swal-, lowed up in the.; upkeep of the company uniforms, otc.;' the men' got nothing out;, of that. But they: gave np: their time to the country, and if this service was .assessed on' a basis' of a shilling an hour, the, real fact would be, he contended, that the country was indebted to the■ volunteers tb tic tune of J500,000.' . --, Other, toasts' were:—'-Ex-members"-(proposed by Captain Duthie, and responded to by Lieut. W. : Smith); "The Visitors" (proposed by C 61.Sergeatt' Bould, and responded to.by Mr. G. Z. Quarrie);, and "The Press."•'■,-."■.■' During the evening, musical and other items were contributed by. Major Mackintosh, Lieut. W. Smith,' Col.-Sergeant. .Bould, Sergeant' G.' Tinney, Privates'Beattie, "Parkinson, F. Tinney, and Messrs. W,' Harris, (G;;. Tinney;, W. Sneddon, J. Flanagan; W.-Phypers, B. Durney; A. Oakey; A. F. and L. C.- Barnes. The: accompaniments - were played by Mr. A.. Williams. "• •; ,';■: ■' "....'/. Captain,-Duthie also' presented; the -prizes, awarded to the successful riflemen in the com- , pany's shooting competitions, at Trentham during the. past season. The list was as follows:— ' A-Class, first Tinney (Captain Duthie's prize), :1; Corp.; Neal (Captain S; Harcourt's prize), -2;: Pto.'F. Tinney (Mr. S. Stephen's prize); 3. B Class, first series— Pte.-Pine (Lieut.. W. Smith's" prize), 1; Pte. .Hutton (company's prize),. .2; 'Corp. Bailey., (company's prize),. 3. A-Class, second series— Sergt.tG; Tinney (company's prize); 1; Pte. ,T.' Smart/(Col.-Serrf.,, Bould's; prie), 2; Pte., A., Batnes (Pte.-'Sullivan's prize), 3. ,B Class,: seb-. ond ■'. series—Pte. . Trezise Tricker's prize), 1;. Pte.' Hnttbii (companyfs prize), 2; Pte. Treanor (Corp. Bailey's prize), 3. A Class, third series—Pte. M'Whirtcr (Messrs. Ballinger Bros.' prize), ,1; Pte.. T. Barnes (Mx. . S. G. Ross's prize), 2; Sergt. G. Tinney (com--s'aiiy'B prize), : 3.. B Class, third series—Pto; 'reanor (Lieut.;J. ; Koache's prize), 1; Pte. Hut-. ] ton (company's prize), ;2; Pto. Ellis; (Lce.-Corp. i Smith's .prize), 3. ~-' '..'.-'-'' ■' Aggregates—A ClassTrSergt.G; Tinney, Boylo ,-■ Cup, and a special prize; Ptes. A, Barnes and . J. Smart, tied .for second and ■< third,- place, i cqnalvalue of .special prize for same. , B.Clasß i —Love' Memorial Shield, Pte. T. Casserly (and . s'peoial prize); Pte. 8.'.-Trezise, second, special prize. '-B. Class—Best improved-shot", dui'ing • season, (prize given by .'.Sergt.-Fellingham), Pte. , Hutton;:. ';';•''-:"?: .''■',;'.''.■'..-;, '■; .'».■ -.'.''■