INSTRUCTION TO THE VOLUNTEER.

Southland Times, Issue 3331, 22 February 1879, Page 2

INSTRUCTIO N TO THE VOLUNTEER.

c~*EDITOfr sired and indispensable "objects the "Volunteer force of New Zealand stiould^have in view is to appoint i<i this,' our onlyjjefenee of the colony, officers who will and are de:terhiine^:«o; "l^n^^eirid^^^o^gggl^g; them to instact;tlie..nien^jader "their com-' mand. The great' r dra\vbaclc' to the • force ingeneral ,out : her^e,, is the constant and continual change in; selecting men "to act as ; officer,s. ; No sooner elected v iliani\ again: resigning, we 'have Gazette notices" con-.! tiriuallyc ■; It was only lately, m;_a.Gonversaf ti6ri ! 'l -ihad with anewly-xaised cbmpanyji that a member said to me-^'lgo and atf; "tend the;; parades ; whenever .called. ( . Tjie,, great' drawback^'.' he cohtiiiuedv ' " is' that : we. can learn nbthmg- ; - for neither; commissioned npr';noti?;-'cp)n-tnissioned officers s ' know ' their* and consenuently we are^^vnfar.tiii the'J background -as, ever." ; As an, ;old: soldier observes, " a really good non r commiss[ioned . officer is of more? inti;insic rvalue than, ja bookwonn.. .':/■ I griant," ;he : says, "education ought to be prized, ; ,but more, especially the learning gained in,. the ranks,, Avhere men v aie taught how to rule; giiide,>md instruct the v recruit' in 1 ' thew manly dutibs of . • a" x ; sbldier. ! f Non-commissioned ofecera ; do this," ,and it is "chiefly owing ■ to their' instructions that '?the : ; J Bntish ; Army gathfers- the harvest .of Repeated' .victories:'' Our volunteers should enter .with more heart ;and soul : in:trying to .become .efficient, they are no worse circumistanced but here, for the necessary time to give to instruction, than the 203, 212 brave felloAvs who give up ■Jevery spare moment at home as .Yplunteers^and %^ 0 have now ahi arejjdail^ reaping the ; benefit ,. of ; the careful framing they have rec^ved atthe hands of the. gentlemen . they hav'e jap:pointed as officers^-rand thp; pains-taking of the rionVcommissioned rank,jr'fo[ letrri their duty. Squad drill, and ,'settmg,.' lip drill is very much' needed both for officers arid menjrrf or nothing looks Avbrsei Either for .offiqier, or '^itiaa in the ranks, than the latter deficiency ;or'tends more to spoil the appearance; ; of if , b.qdy. , of ; men, than ; clumsy, ;" 'round shouldered, head : stooping, or slouching members. The avoidance :of this" is to be looked *£of intliesmartiiess of officers, especially the non-couimissibned ones. The great desiie should be to"see their companies turn, out., to a man the picture of. neatness^ ana-Sthe well set up soldier, ilt is aIV viei?y: well; as I have/ heard said, for men to say "Oh we are only Volunteers,"- this will not do. Volunteers ; have sworn to do their duty to tlieir Spv^e'reigrij and wlieri under armsVtneyl arejust as much the real soldier as that brave fellow, who "gives up all ; to' become the servant; !b£ the .State for ! nb r ' r 6tlier putpqse, , than u \ ! tp;V,.do\,-"anidv, r .go'. ever ordered — or storm the cannon .mouth. Tjiere jiuje niany sp-calledi^gpp'd;. instructors of drill; ;i One may ; gbr<s^hia i commands so rapidly as to be indistinct; ■- One .dniwls, or sings it, or gives no caution whatever, or tires his men while he is repeating and reiterating explanations,; or loses his temper, and thensgive^way to rough language; and tihbther-i'gives a command and then allows/ .thp^;inpyeme,nt ( to ibe^dpne in a slovenly idle manner, without 'an' eye to detector,. judgment to .correct, av ; fault. Tliis last is the very worst kind'of instruc- ; tionf or it engenders inattention,' looseness, and in the end, confusion in a volunteer ; force, as in the- British- service. If officers know their duty, and fry to discharge their diitieffin "a "straigfit~f^bMaMy^m^nly;" W'a^ they \will be sure to. become endeared, to their l inenj and thus they inay maintain good training, and have their nwu ready.t6 give Kelp,' protection, hand coutage at any time' and; hpur:-r-^Yoixrs,'&c., . '■'- > .■".■■il ; -::.-.-;:-:fe; .■■ .>.';]',-, ..^^UJIY;., :.