Drill Hall & Rifle Range

Southern Cross, Volume 10, Issue 10, 7 June 1902, Page 9

Drill Hall & Rifle Range

Yolunt»..*r and Rifle Club members are incited to contribute to this column Items of news, diagrams of targets reports of matches, meetings, and all events of interest to volunteers and shooting men will be received. Address “ Magpie,” Sotjthesn Cboss Office.

Parade nights of local corps : Garrison Band, Mondays and Thursdays ; City Guards, Mondays, regularly ; Oreti Rifles, Tuesdays, regularly; Awarua Rifles, Fridays, regularly; Mercantile Rifles, Wednesdays, regularly; the Gore Rifles parade regularly, Government Inspection being held on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays in each month ; Southland Mounted Rifles, town contingent, foot parades arery second Thursday at Garrison Hall, mounted parades every fourth Wednesday afternoon at Waikiwi; Winton, Thornbury and Otautau contingent parade as per dates on cards issued to each member. Wallace Mounted Rifles; Wairio and Nightcaps Divisions : Saturday nights; Otautau Division; Monday nights. NOTES BY “MAGPIE*” The Garrison social on Tuesday evening was a brilliant success, and one of the first things visitors did was to express their delight with the splendidly decorated interior. The committee all round deserve congratulations on the undoubted success of the gathering. Many wer6 sceptical as to the capabilities of the floor for dancing, but as prepared by Sergt. Robinson and assistants, it was very nearly perfect, and the same may be said, in fact, of all the arrangements made by the management, *= * * I expect to see a very large crowd at the Hall on Monday evening, when the committee have the assistance of the Battalion. Band in providing a promenade concert. These are always popular functions, and with the addition of the committee’s attractions, this one should be a great success in every way. * The quarterly examination of officers usually furnishes a fair number of candidates. That held on Tuesday and Wednesday under the super vision of Majors Hawkins and Henderson, Capts. McKay and Murphy, and Staff Sergt.-Major Knee, brought forward almost a record, some 16, representing mounted and infantry corps throughout the district, going through the ordeal with varying degrees of success. Truth to say, these exams, are now severe enough not to be lightly undertaken. * To an interested volunteer or budding H.C.0., these exams, are most useful and instructive, and it is a pity they do not receive better musters. One corps, with a good reputation, which it is in a fair way to lose in this respect, had 16 all told on parade. Verb. sap.

*■ , • It is not often a rifle match ends m a dead heat, but that between the Oreti Rifles and the Rifle Club, in connection with the latter’s championship meeting on Tuesday, did so, each side scoring 803 points for 10 men, ranges 300, 600 and 600 yards. The match was keenly contested and some excellent scoring done, notably by Surgeon - Capt. McKnight 90, Q.M.-Sergt. O’Toole 90, Lieut. Lennie 83, and Sergt. Lyall 82, for the Oretis ; and Mr A. R. Wills 94, Sergt.Major Knee 88, Mr W. Oraigie 87, and Mr R. Prentice 82 for the Rifle Club. The Club’s championship was won for the fourth time by. Mr Wills with 148, Dr McKnight the| Nicol trophy with 140, while Sergt. Major Knee 139, and Q.M.-Sergt. O’Toole 130, were close up. * * *= The Oreti Rifles’ social, originally fixed for 19th inst. has, I am informed, been postponed to July 3rd, owing to the hall having previously been engaged, and the fact overlooked by the lessee.