VOLUNTEER AND SERVICE JOTTINGS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13482, 8 May 1907, Page 4

VOLUNTEER AND SERVICE JOTTINGS.

BY SENTINEL. The Franklin Mounted Rifles will hold their annual ball on the 31st inst. The third monthly social of the Non-Com-missioned Officers' Club will be held in the Hibernian Hall this evening. Sergeant-Major Attwell gave a lecture to No. 1 Company • Native Rifles on Monday evening, on " Knotting and Splicing." The annual competitions for the Government prize medals will be fired throughout the jiatiict on Saturday, the 18th inst. "': The Drill Hall : will not be available for volunteer parades from rthe 18th to the 25th inst., owing to the Winter Show, which is to be held in the hall and adjacent buildings on these dates. r .;-,,- Lieutenant Vaughan, of No. - 8 Company Garrison Artillery, has succeeded in passing his examination in theory, and has received his proficiency ; certificate. He goes up for his practical examination shortly. .'. No.' 9 Company Garrison Artillery will hold an i inspection parade with busbies at the Drill Hall at a-quarter to eight to-night. After the parade the annual meeting of the company's football club will be held. The final trophy matches of the Akarana Rifle Club will be fired on Saturday afternoon, on the club's range at Penrose. Mr. J. H. Langley's trophies will form a very fitting close to a very successful season. Mr. E. G. Williams, bandmaster of the Garrison band, has presented a trophy to be fired for annually by members of the band. The first match was fired at Mr. Hazard's miniature range, Queen-street, last week, and resulted in a win for Mr. H. A. Merson.' V '"■ * , '. ■ -;■,' '- : .', .' The first of a series of winter socials, to be held under the auspices of the Non-Com-missioned Officers' Club,, will be held in the- clubj room, at the Drill Hall, on Saturday e-vening. A first-class * musical programme is promised, and refreshments will also be provided. It is hoped that there will bo a large attendance-. The First Infantry Battalion, under Lieu-tenant-Colonel '■; J. R. Reed, was inspected by Lieutenant-Colonel Wolfe, officer commanding the .district, in the Drill Hall, on Wednesday-evening last. There was an excellent muster. After the inspection, the battalion. marched up to the Domain, where a series of manoeuvres were carried out. On Thursday evening last the members of the Garrison Band assembled to say " Good-bye" to, their bandmaster,- Mr. E. G. Williams, who is about to pay a business visit to San Francisco. Sergeant J. R. Williamson, on behalf of the subscribers, presented the departing bandmaster with a handsome shield as a token, of the high .: esteem in which . he .is held. The recipient suitably: replied. Mr. Williams will be in San Francisco for several months, after which he will return to Auckland, to take permanent charge of the Garrison - Band. 'Mr. Percy Williams hasbeen elected to carry out'. the duties of acting-bandmaster in the meantime. On Tuesday and Thursday evenings of last week the Eden Cadets fired the first of a series of matches for trophies presented by Captain Shepherd and Lieutenant Jaggs. The firing was conducted at the corps' miniature range, which ; has been fitted, up by Mr. Pond. Some excellent shooting was done, the highest scorers being: Cadet Cosgrave 43, Colour-Sergeant' Gray 41, .Cadet Holland 40, Sergeant Campbell 37, Sergeant Smith 37, Cadet; Gray 34, Cadet Asmus. 34, Cadet Vernon 31, : Cadet McQuilliam 30. The cadets have also been presented with a handsome clock by Lieutenant Siuel, as an aggregato■prize for six months. Points will be awarded for attendance at parades. , A number, of the cadets having been drafted into - senior corps, there ; are; now vacancies for several good boys ,in the company. L -.. Efforts, I understand,, are being' made to get , up a benefit , for,, Sergeant-Major Morgan, ■■' the popular caretaker of ~' the Penrose rifle ranged .who r .'still! suffering from ,the, effects of an injury lie received while carrying out his duties two years ago.- The benefit, if it can lie arranged, will consist of a ; ' grand : military ■ parade ; in ;, the ; : Domain, on Sunday, May 26. The various bands will be present, -arid will give selections, and ; the public * will be asked to contribute. It is hoped by this means that a substantial amount will :be raised. v v The ,- sanction of Lieutenant-Cojonel Wolfe, officer commanding the district, has yet' to be given to holding "the parade. The "Powerful and several other, vessels of the Australasian squadron will be in port at the time, and the promoters hope to be able to secure a detachment to be present in the Domain. The Harris cup, which has been presented' for competition among the three Native corps,will be fired for at the Penrose range on Saturday next. The following team has been selected to represent No. 2 Company: Lieutenant Richardson, ; - Colour-Sergeant Taylor,, Sergeants '', Phillips, Pricker, . and Strong, Corporals McMurtrid, Lance Corporals Jillings and Danrell, Privates Vincent, Westray, and Watson. ; The team to represent No. 3 Company will be chosen from the following:-— Kretschmar and Bodle, Colour-Sergeant King, Sergeants Rowles, Hogan, and Kretsohmar, Corporals Hogan and -Wait, Corporal Barringer, and Privates HuntlyC. Williams, W. R. Williams, and Roxburgh. The ranges will be 200 yds and 500 yds, with seven!shots and one sighter' at each. No. 2 Natives are the present holders of the cup, having won it last year. " .; The time for receiving entries for the military tournament to be held at Hamilton oil May 24 (Empire Day) expires on Friday next, the 10th inst. The secretary of the committee (Lieutenant Raynes) advises me that special excursion fares will be issued to visiting competitors, and that these, together with the visiting public, will be able to return to their respective destinations immediately? after the tournament, special trains having been arranged for. For officers a lemon-slicing and tilting competition, a ladies' bracelet race, • and some dismounted events have been added to the already extensive programme, and it is hoped that officers will set their men a good examplo by entering, and having good fields. Post entries, will bo received for the officers' events, but the secretary will be pleased to get the names of any. officers intending to compete, so that they may be included in the catalogue.' . " ." .-.; ~,' ,- '

•-The routine work on the training-ship Amokura (says the New Zealand Times) is progressing in a : very satisfactory manner. There wero 24 "boys on board at the commencement of the term, but this total has been reduced by two—one of the first batch being dismissed,; and the other •; was so incurably homesick (he is over 15 years of age) that he was allowed to return to his parents. The boys; generally," are shaping very well indeed, and their only fault—if it is a fault— in the fact that they want to learn too quickly. Captain _ Hooper hopes to have the present boys sufficiently advanced to enable him to receive another batch in about three weeks. By doing this,, he will have a senior and a junior class. The staff of instructors now on the ship relates* to the .seamanship portion of the routine only, and comprises the following:— tain Hooper, R.N.; instructors,' J. Power (late H.M.s. Challenger), E. Penman (late H.M.S. Penguin), P. F. Morris (late H.M.s. Pylades), and J. Butler (late H.M.s. Challenger). The chief officer and chief engineer have not yet been appointed.