NEW VOLUNTEER PLAN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20887, 1 June 1931, Page 12

NEW VOLUNTEER PLAN.

APPEAL FOR SUPPORT.

FIELD ARTILLERY REUNION. CHIEF OF FORCES WELCOMED. Past members of tho A Battery N.Z. Field Artillery Volunteers rallied more tlinil 100 strong on Saturday evening to welcome one of I heir number, Ma jorGeneral W. L. If. Sinclair-Burgess, who lms just been appointed General Officer Commanding the New Zealand' Forces. The gathering partook of the nature of a social reunion.

An appeal to those present to use their influence in support of the new volunteer scheme of military training was made by General Sinclair-Burgess when responding to the toast of bis name. " I am here trying to introduce and to explain something of the new scheme," he said. "It is the territorial force we have re-estab-lished on a system of voluntary enlistment. I am very hopeful that we shall have a reasonable success. I think wo shall; and what inspires 1110 to think so are meetings like this." Seven Batteries Jpr Auckland. The territorial forces were bused on records which went back long before tho South African War, and the A battery breathed a spirit which would last, if ho mistook not, for the term of their natural lives. Tho men of the A battery still had work to do for it. It was intended to re-establish seven batteries in Auckland, and that was a big undertaking besides all tho oilier units. Whether Auckland could do it ho did not know, but ho asked them to use their influenco —and many of them held very influential positions—to make it possible for the younger generation to copy the work they bad done. Ho expressed the deepest appreciation of the welcome given him. " Could Not Be in Better Hands." The chairman, Lieutenant Colonel C. E. Newman, in welcoming tho guest of honour earlier in the evening, said the battery as well as General Sinclair-Bur-gess had been honoured by his appointment. He expressed the opinion that the new volunteer scheme could not bo in better hands, and promised that if there was anything they could do to assist every member of the old battery would bo behind General Sinclair-Burgess. 'J lie toast of tho guest of the evening was proposed by the Mayor, Mr. G. W. Hutchison, Mr. A. Baragwanath and Mr. F. A. Woods. They recalled tho splendid service their guest had given when he was a member of tho battery and expressed the battery's pride in his promotion.

Tho toast of " the Regiment " was proposed by Colonel J. E. Duigan and responded to by Major-General Sir George Richardson.