VOLUNTEER AND SERVICE JOTTINGS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13707, 25 March 1908, Page 4

VOLUNTEER AND SERVICE JOTTINGS.

BY SENTINEL. I Lieutenant Sktthk, of the Royal New Zealand Engineers, is to bo married at Devonport to-morrow. In future the No. 2 Native Rifles will drill on Thursday evenings, ami to-morrow the signalling section will bo examined. Lieutenant-Colonel Wolfe is at present on a visit to the, Thames district, while Captain Carpenter has been granted leave of absence until the end of the present month. The annual meeting of the No. 1 Native Rifles was held on Monday evening, and subsequently a smoke concert took place. This company is in a prosperous condition at present. Lieutenant J. "Ewan, of No. 2 Company Garrison Artillery, was presented with the Colonial Auxiliary Forces' long service medal at tho parade of the Garrison Artillery Division oa Friday evening, and bunnor 11. K. Nelson, of No. 3 Company, received the New Zealand Volunteer Service medal.

The cadet companies at the three Auckland secondary schools continue to flourish, and it is expected that the one at the Grammar School will shortly bo formed into a battalion. The Kings College battalion by the wav, will be the senior cadet battalion of the Dominion under the now regulations. The lads at this school take a very keen interest, in volunteering, and it, is expected that a fourth company will be formed shortly.

The first match for the champion belt of No. 2 Company Garrison Artillery will be fired at Penrose on Saturday, the range, being 200vds and 500 yds. Entries will close with Bombardier Bell at the orderly-room to-day. No. 3 Native Rifles ..will fare the second match for the company a champion belt or. Saturday over the same ranges while the seventh and final competition tor Lieut-Colonel J. Heed's aggregate trophy wid be fired simultaneously. Colovr-». - geant King is leading for the trophy by 18 points.

Sergeant R. W. Woods, of the Auckland Mounted Bines, is having honours thrust upon him. Last week he M deservedly promoted to the position of Regan tal Quartermaster-Sergeant, while the members of the Non-commissioned Officers Olub elected him president at their annual meeting on Friday evening. _ Sergeant ooda is one of the most enthusiastic volunteers in the Auckland province, and should he continue to throw the same zeal into his work as he has been doing in the past, it should not be long before he is again promoted.

A parade of the Hamilton. and Ngaruawahia troop of the Second Regiment A.AI.K. was held on Saturday evening for the purpose of electing a captain to succeed Major Allen Bell, who has been promoted- to the command of the regiment, write our Hamilton corresnondent. Forty-seven of all ranks were on parade. Lieutenant J. 0. Ravnes was elected. The squadron is a strong one. There are 70 on the roll, and 20 men have joined the ranks at Karamu. On Friday next Major Bell, accompanied by Staff-Sergeant-Major Coleman, will visit Kuramu for the purpose of swearing in the recruits. After the ceremony a social, will be held under the auspices of the National League.

The Boer flag, which was taken from the town flagstaff at Pittsburg during the South African war by a member of Plummet a column, and subsequently secured by the late Captain Mankham, who presented it to the Northern Club and who in turn handed it over to the Auckland Garrison Officers' Club, is now hanging in a prominent position in the club's social room. The flag is of great historic value, and the action of the members of the Northern Club is much appreciated by the recipients. In the billiard-room at the same club there hangs an Orange Free State flag, which was presented by Captain Knyvett, of No. 1 Company Garrison xirtillerv. who saw service in South Africa with the Queensland Bushmen.

T» is pleasing to note that prospects in connection with the Easter manoeuvres are now- bearing a much brighter appearance than thev were a few weeks ago, and the Seddon Horse and Auckland Mounted Rifles ai-o expected to he well represented at the camp. The Seddon Horse will go under canvas seven days prior to Easter, and they are expected to muster about 30 strong at the manoeuvres. Of course there will be some volunteers -who claim that they cannot attend the manoeuvres owing to various ills, but Lieutenant-Colonel Reed has made ample provision for such emergencies amongst, the. local infantry, and has issued a battalion order to the effect that officers commanding companies must not grant leave without first referring the matter to him, and further, that those men who consider that they aro not medically fit to attend camp must he examined by Surgeon-Captain Lindsay at the Drill Hall on the evening of April 15.

The animal meeting of the Auckland Garrison Non-commissioned Officers' Club was held in the club room of the Drill Hall on Friday evening, Battalion Sergeant-Major Jackson (president) presiding over, an attendance of between 30 and 40 members. The annual report stated that the general position of the club was very satisfactory, and the membership had been well maintained, 14 companies and 11 individual members having joined during the year, giving an aggregate membership of about 150. _ The financial position was also reported as sound. The following officers were elected for the ensuing year: President, Regimental Quartermaster-Sergeant R. Woods (First Regiment A.M.R. staff); vice-president, Sergeant H. Poile (First Battalion A.I.V. staff!: secretary and treasurer. Corporal 1). Hamilton (A Battery Field Artillery); auditors. Sergeant 0. Parker and Sergeant A. Dow: general committee, Staff SergeantMajor At well, Battalion Sergeant-Major Jackson, Sergeant-Major .1. Robertson, Colour-Sergeant Gibson, Colour-Sergeant Ta~lor, Colour-Sergeant Woods, Sergeants Goldeustodt, Ellingham, Kretschmar, Hanham, Pilkington, and Corporal Nelly. Owing to the artillery division being on parade the election of representatives for that branch was deferred. Ball committee, officers of the club (ex officio), Sergeant-Major H. Bickcrton, Drum-Major Frieker, Battalion Sergeant-Major Jackson, Sergeants W. Morgan, Burgess, and Busby.

Although rifle-shooting has a strong hold on many of our local volunteers, it is considered that a. greater number of " shoot' istvs' - would journey out to Penrose on Saturday afternoons if tho train arrangements wero more convenient. At; present trains lcavo tho Auckland station at 12.50 p.m. and 1.10 p.m., and there is one returning from Penrose at 4.30 p.m., and another shortly after five o'clock. As many of the volunteers do not get away from business until one o'clock, it is seen that they have little time left them in which to catch the train, and very often they sacrifice their lunch in an attempt to do so. Then, again, when they arrive at Penrose they are obliged to walk about, a mile in order to reach the range, and by the time everything is in order for shooting it is about half-past two o'clock. After a stay of about two hours they are compelled to rush away in order to catch a train for town, and this is most awkward when a match is in progress, and besides the light is often very favourable for shooting up till six o'clock, so that the men are. obliged to forego an hour's practice. If they do not catch either of tho aforementioned trains they are obliged to wait two hours at Penrose for another, and they ar rivo back in Auckland between seven p.m. and eight p.m. In Wellington a special train is run to Trcntham for volunteers every Saturday afternoon, and it is largely patronised. Recognising that such an advantage locally would do much to popularise tl)3 Penrose range, Captain S. A. Grant, adjutant to the First Infantry Battalion, who acted as range officer at tho recent Trentham meeting, in company with Captains R. G. Cox (president) and W. Sheppard, Lieutenants M. N. Atkinson, G. T. Kretschmar, J. F. Potter, and Sergeant ,7. F. Atkinson, representing the council of the Auckland Rifle Association, waited on LieutenantColonel Collins, and pointed out the desirableness of such an innovation being established_ in Auckland. Licut.-Colonef Collins received the Aucklandors very favourably, and informed'*them that he would refer tho matter to tho proper quarters, and that a reply would be forthcoming shortly. In making the request the deputation suggested that if the Government should decide to put on such a train it should he run to the crossing, which is only about 400-ds from the range. Major Bartletf urged the adoption of a. similar hchenic twelve months ago, but, without success. The reply in the > -present instance will bo watohod for with interest.