LEGION OF FRONTIERSMEN.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 18 November 1924, Page 7

LEGION OF FRONTIERSMEN.

(Contributed.) Tlie previous articles have traversed the history of the Legion from its juception, and*-its aims and objects &ie, it is hoped, more fully understood ihan they were. The Legion is founded on loyaity to the Empire, and every i an wno wears the little badge is imbued \vi + h the spirit of Empire and with, loyalty to the Mother Lodge. The motto of the Legion is “Get there.' There may be obstacles, out they have to be overcome. In the dark days of the nai, when the Great Mother called to her sons on the frontiers of Empire to come to her help in ni-r hour of feed, the men of the Circle Cress responded to the call. There were obstacles, but these men remembered that obstacles are only made to be overcome, and they z-emembered, too, that the Legion’s motto is “Get there.” So they determined to get there by hook or # by crook. Men threw np their farms and left them to their neighbours to look after and joined np. Men who could not join np in. New Zealand paid their own passages to England and enlisted there; and they were welcomed, because men who had lived on the frontiers of Empire and have had to act for themselves, overcoming all kinds of obstacles, have surely learnt initiative and self-reliance, and can be depended on when trouble comes. And in this most far-flung outpost of Empire self-reliance was surely learnt; and, even apart from the war, Frontiersmen know the motto of the Legion and get there. Men ride long distances to attend parades and meetings. A meeting of a certain squadron was to be held at squadron headquarters on a certain night. One member of the squadron lived about 16 miles from the town, and was to attend the meeting. About a couple of miles from home his motor broke down. The trouble could not -be rectified then, so he trudged back to his home for his horses and buggy. He ’phoned his O.C. that he would be in, but that he would be a bit late. Then he started on'a. l6-1 mile journey on a stormy night, withf horses that were soft trom lack of work. He.Jiad to “get there,” so the horses were pushed along. He arrived an hour and a quarter late,, with his horses dead beat. As he had the bocks and correspondence, the meeting had to await his arrival. After the meeting, he started home towards midnight with a. pair of horses that were too done to go much out of a; walk, and took nearly four hours on the homeward journey ; but he got there.

A coastal steamer was beating np the New Zealand coast in the teeth of a gale. It was the meeting night of the troop. The chief mate, chief engineer, two deck hands and two stokehold hands were members of the troop, and they wanted to get home for the meeting. It looked as if their luck was out. The chief officer asked the engineer if there was any chance of driving her a bit. Said the engineer: “Ask the. ‘Old Man. ’ If he, says we may I’ll drive, her.” The captain, on learning the reason, perhaps wanting to get home early too, agreed. The two deck hands went clown below and helped with the fires, and-they “drove her.” The Frontiersmen got to the meeting half-an-hour late, and the ship was laid up for three months. The boilers paid the price; but they got there.”

That is the spirit of the Legion. If a job is to be done they do it. If there are obstacles, well they have to be got over. These are the men who have helped to build our Empire and are helping to keep it what it is—the greatest Empire the world has ever known—rand those are the men who are wanted in the Legion. Hawera has, as yet, no troop of the Legion. There are a few isolated members, but an effort is being made to establish a troop here. For that purpose. a. meeting of those interested is to be held in the Council Chambers on Friday evening next, November 21, at 8 p.m. Colonel Weston, Legion O.C. for Taranaki, and visiting Frontiersmen from New Plymouth, Eltham, and Normariby will be present. All those interested in the Legion of Frontiersmen and its work are cordially invited to be present.