R.S.A. BADGES

Grey River Argus, 21 May 1941, Page 10

R.S.A. BADGES

The following circular has been received from the General Secretary of the New Zealand Association (Mr. S'. J. Harrison) by the local Brancn of the Returned Soldiers’ Association: —

The badge of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association Is to* day a familiar emblem, which Is proudly worn on the coat lapel of ex-members of the forces who served the Empire overseas during previous wars and also by soldiers who have returned to New Zealand from the present war. It is not general-iy known, however, that this badge Is not the property of the soldier concerned, but is issued to him by the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association, lor use only as long as he remains a financial member of the Association. When the New Zealand ex-service-men visited Australia in 1938, they found that their Australian comrades were wearing a date attachment to their badges, indicating that they were financial members of their organisation. This was considered to be an excellent scheme, ana It was later adopted by the N.Z.R.S.A.

The first date attachment issued to its members was coloured red, and was for the year ended March 31, 1941. The date attachment for the present year is coloured blue, and it is the intention of the Association to issue to its members a different coloured attachment for each year.

The N.Z.R.S.A. advises that in future no badges should be worn without the datd attachment, and returned soldiers who are unfinancial with the Association called upon either to obtain a' date attachment, or to return their badges to the nearest Secretary of the R.S.A, or to the General Secretary, N.Z.K. S.A., P.O. Box 1010, Wellington.