RIFLEMEN’S SOCIAL

Southland Times, Issue 22729, 4 November 1935, Page 9

RIFLEMEN’S SOCIAL

CITY GUARDS CLUB TROPHIES PRESENTED United in a spirit of goodfellowship, those attending the annual smoke social of the City Guards' Defence Rifle Club on Saturday evening spent a most enjoyable time. The president of the club, Mr E. J. McLauchlan, presided over an attendance of over 50. A lengthy toast list was honoured, while amusing vocal items by club members and visitors kept all in the best of humour. During the evening the trophies won during the year were presented. Extending a general welcome to members and visitors, the chairman commented upon the value of such annual social gatherings in fostering goodfellowship among club members. The fellowship that existed among sportsmen was in evidence long after they had lost their skill at the sport itself. Rifle shooting was also aided by exchanging visits between clubs. The actual skill on the range was soon forgotten, but the friendships promoted by the sport were far more enduring. There was also the serious side of rifle shooting, which played an important part in defence training. The chance of men being called to war service at short notice was admittedly unlikely but it was, on the other hand, much more probable than it was 12 months ago. The chairman went on to speak of the difficulty of getting young men to go out on to the open range but the club catered for youthful members by the miniature range, where regular weekly shoots were carried out during the winter. He added that for years riflemen had been firing for cash prizes, but he thought that that aspect was rather overdone. It would be better if the sport were put more on an amateur basis, that men might compete for the sake of the sport itself. The year had been a very successful one. A lot of work had been done on the Otatara range, to which access by a gravelled road would soon ne available. The club had supported an unofficial application by the Prisons Department for a grant of £lOOO towards the stone facing of the Stead street wall. The Government might well have spent the money on this improvement work, which he described as a very necessary one. The toast of “The City Guards Club was proposed by Mr E. W. Wright who said that the team had upheld the honour of the club not only in Southland, but throughout New Zealand. Rifle Clubs’ Service. Replying, Mr William McChesney said that rifle shooting was absolutely essential to the training of a soldier and rifle clubs were doing a great service in training efficient soldiers. The public did not appreciate to the full the valuable work being carried out by rifle clubs, nor did he think that it was appreciated by the Defence Department. The Government was guided by the Minister of Defence and his officers, and the clubs had a hard battle to get the assistance they wanted from the Department. Instancing the value of the rifle clubs’ work, he said that riflemen could compete on more than favourable terms with volunteers on the musketry range. This had been proved at Trentham. “A man who becomes infatuated with the game never never gives it up,” Mr McChesney added. “One will see men who have been shooting for 20 or 30 years attending the annual prize firing at Trentham. Every year at the annual meetings at Dunedin, Christchurch, Invercargill and Gore one sees men who look forward to the fixture not only because of the shooting, but to shake hands with old friends.” Touching on the standard ot rifle shooting in Southland, Mr McChesney said that it compared favourably with anywhere else in New Zealand. Riflemen a few years ago were suffering from an inferiority complex. He could not remember the New Zealand championship teams match ever having been won by a team south of Ashburton. Southlanders had got into the habit of looking upon the trip to Trentham as something of a holiday. Why should not the standard in Southland be just as good as anywhere else? Riflemen had the same opportunity. Things had changed in the last few years, for the two clubs in Invercargill had been recording some outstanding performances. At the last Treatham meeting their confreres, the Invercargill Club, had entered a four-men team for the New Zealand championship. Under, tricky conditions 26 teams had competed, yet the Invercargill Club had finished fourth, three points behind the leading team. That was a very creditable performance and had given new heart to riflemen in Southland. Mr A. R. Wills’s Great Record. Mr McChesney next dealt with the performance of Mr A. R. Wills (Invercargill Club president) who unfortunately through illness was not present that evening. Mr Wills had been shooting since before some of those present were bom. He had 40 years’ or more experience on the range and was a wonderful shot—one of the best in New Zealand. At the end of five days’ shooting at the last Trentham meeting he was leading for the championship, though in the shootoff he was unlucky in not being the winner. His record should, however, be an incentive to young riflemen, who were just as good as anywhere else in New Zealand. Finally, Mr McChesney said that it might be news to visitors to learn that members of the club had to bear all the expense of rifle shooting themselves, though the volunteers had all their equipment provided by the Defence Department. If there were no Defence range the club had to erect it at its own expense, as had been the case at Gore, although at Invercargill the clubs were fortunate in being able to use the Department’s range. The Government ought to encourage rifle clubs by giving practical assistance, he emphasized. Mr F. E. Wright proposed the toast of “The Southland Rifle Association and Sister Clubs,” speaking of the honour done to Southland in having Dr. A. F. Ritchie Crawford elected president of the National Rifle Association. He said that the sister clubs were all composed of good sportsmen with whom their club was always on the friendliest of terms. Mr C. H. Cunningahm, secretary of the Southland Rifle Association, and a member of the Invercargill Club, said in the course of his reply that the Rifle Association had as one of its objects the gathering together of riflemen from the various clubs to find the champion shot of Southland. The association was this year encouraging the B grade shots as much as the A grade riflemen, with an equal number of prizes. He hoped that a large number of young riflemen would enter for the association’s meeting on Boxing Day. Other toasts honoured were: “The Ladies,” proposed by Mr Ulric Smith; “The Press,” proposed by Mr J. T. Wilson; “The Defence Department (Mr Arthur Anderson —Mr J. T. Wilson); “The Performers” and “The Chairman.” The Prize Winners. The following trophies were presented by the chairman: Championship belt, George Nicol; runner-up, A. Wilson. J. T. Wilson Cup, R. Adams. Whitcombe and Cauldwell trophy, A. A. Ford ,MrS J. Flaus’s Christmas cake, A. A. Ford. Craigie Memorial trophy, A. A. Ford. B grade handicap, W. J. Murray. Rankin Cup, J. .Tansley.

President’s Handicap Cup! W. McChesney. Handicap competition, W. McChesney. Miniature shooting trophies: Championship, A. A’. Ford; B grade, S. Mason; Novice handicap, C. Anderson; McLauchlan trophy, R. G. Hawes; silver button, A. M. Hawes; R. Ure handicap trophy, R. Hazley; novice handicap, O. R. G. Harris; A grade, S. Button; egg cup, B. Broomfield. Vocal items, many being of a humorous nature, were given by Messrs Eric Soff, Jack Matheson, W. Jenkinson, E. W. Wright and J. Anthony, while instrumental numbers were played by a quartet, Messrs J. Meldrum, S. Mason, R. McDonald and A. Campbell. Mr A. Wilson played the accompaniments.