HAVELOCK

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIX, Issue 251, 22 October 1915, Page 7

HAVELOCK

[from ottr correspondent.] Thursday. THE NATIONAL IIIvSEUVE. About flxteen officers and men attended the foitn.irl.tly drill of the Ho"e)ock mit of the National Reserve last evening—a slight improvement in number as' compared with the three pic\ious diills. The squad was put through some route march n? by Lieut. E 11. SmithA meeting «as afterwards held to consider what steps should he taken to ensure lsirirer attendances at the fortnightly parades Tb* secretary repotted that about half of the sixty ineirbors on the roll bud not attended a single drill, and owing to some having left the district and others living r.t .1 distance, probably only about twenty could now be relied upon to attend or could be regarded as aotive members. Lieut. Smith said that some dissatisfaction had teen expressed nl.out the officers elected. He felt 'quite certain that all the officers would resign if that would mend matters Mr Harrowelnugh suggested that the drills mi;'"l -i:* made more attractive by intioducin-^ ambulance wiuk, minirture viflo-shooting, or signalling.

]Mr Matthews ;.ald he did.not consider that rlu? offcers were called rpon to malic any explanation, as they had lxen elected by the members rhemselvoK and at a vary i\M Meeting. The'('hairmau (Mr W. H. Smith) said the cbject* is were the men who had not the moral courage to attend. Tlev would make very poor soldiers, and were ccitainly not fit to he elected af- officers.

Aiter several other members had t'xpiessed their views, it was eventually decided that the drills ?<e < ontjnuod as usual. A motion was unanimously passed by those present expressing full confidence in the present officers.

Tt was also n folvid that any officer n issing two successive drills without leasoual'le excieu! should forfeit his position.