GOLDEN BAY R.S.A.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 26 August 1941, Page 2

GOLDEN BAY R.S.A.

1 ANNUAL RE-UNION HELD e. rl The Golden Bay Returned Soldiers’ 1 b Association held its annual re-union on - Saturday evening when there was an ~ i attendance of about 40 members. A n 1 large number of apologies for absence v were received the intervention of shift e work at Tarakohe preventing many from attending. After dinner, a short toast-list commencing with “The King,” was honoured, the president (Mr N. L. Bensej mann) acting as toastmaster. 15 The toast, “The N.Z.R.5.A..” was pro posed by Mr G. E. Boyes, who paid a ° tribute to the really good work the association was doing in the interests of the returned men and expressed the opinion that the very efficient organM isation that at present existed would . prove equally helpful to the soldiers returning from the present war. The reply was in the hands of Mr K. „ W. Baird. As one of the first members " ,of the Nelson Returned Soldiers’ Association. Mr Baird briefly traced the hisa tory of the association in the Nelson ' district. At the outset, he said there p ‘ had Leen a certain amount of hap- . hazardness. but it was pleasing to be 1 ;ablt. to say that through the years the , organisation generally had improved .. out of sight. With the cor version of the Golden Bay branch into a separate body more satisfactory control of the f affairs of local ex-servicemen had been .brought about. In proposing the toast o* “The Comj. bined Services.” Mr F. Robertson stressed the inter-dependency of all three services—the Army. the Navy and the Air Force. History had shown i that, in many instances, one branch n * could not achieve the best results withf] out the assistance and co-operation of . the others. New Zealanders had learne O'’ in the last war especially how little e the land armies could have done \Othe lou the Navy’s help. The toast was replied to by Messrs n E. H. Nee,, J. Vaughan and A. O. is,'Emms. The latter drew attention to [the great work that was being done by the Merchant Marine —a service for which they should be most thankful in j war-time. j “The Nurses” was proposed bj Mr J. [Roche and responded to by Mr P. R. j' | Wood. One could not speak too highly ’Mof members of the nursing profession, t [who deserved great credit for the humanitarian work they were doing. * .Their work, trying enough in times of ' peace, was even more arduous and 10 ' i nerve-racking under war conditions. 4 Proposing the toast. “The Visitors,” Mr A. H. Rose extended a very warm welcome to several soldiers on leave, who were guests of the association for the evening. Mr Rose also referred to o proposed setting up of a separate association for the returned men of the present war. He considered it would ’' be a great pity if this came about, as any new organisations could only have as its objectives the aims to which the ■rj N.Z.R.S.A. had pledged itself. Private H. Ashworth and Signaller D. Boyd, in their replies, both stressed st the fact that they were looking forward .. on their return to being able to join the ' old R.S.A. The toast of ‘The Pianist” was pro[j [posed by Mr Bensemann and replied to I| by Mr R. C.A. Jones. The toasts were ( j j interspersed with items and community i singing. j At a short business meeting held I prior to the re union, arrangements for | the annual R.S.A. concert were adv a need a further step. The concert is if |to be held in the Golden Bay Theatre » : about the middle of October. Proceeds