CITIZENS' DEFENCE CORPS

Sun (Christchurch), Volume II, Issue 565, 1 December 1915, Page 11

CITIZENS' DEFENCE CORPS

MEETING OF OFFICERS' CLuttJ

A meeting of the Officers' and Noncommissioned Officers' * Club of the Citizens' Defence Corps was held at the Recruiting Office, Hereford Street, on Monday evening. There was a large attendance. Owing to the absence of Captain Adam Smith through illness, Captain C. B. Morris was voted to the chair.

Conditions of. the; competition for the Tait Cup were discussed,- and it was decided that the competition should be open to teams of 16 men and a n.c.o. A sub-committee consisting of Captains Hardy (adjutant) and Morris was set up to draw up the drill conditions. It was decided that miniature rifleshooting should be a feature of the competition, and Sergeants Beaven and Walker, and Corporal Piercy were appointed a sub-committee to deal with the shooting conditions. The commandant (Mr J. J. Dougall) announced that a school for the instruction of officers and n.c.o's was to be formed, and on his motion it was agreed that Captain Morris should take charge of it. As the new regulations submitted to the Minister of Defence by the recent conference at Wellington provide that all officers shall qualify by examination, it is essential that they shall become efficient, and the school will give them the opportunity of obtaining the necesary knowledge and experience. The commandant and Captain Morris reported on the work done by the recent Wellington conference.

It was decided that the last Monday in every month should be the club's meeting night. From recent indications there has been a big revival of interest in the corps, and recruits are coming forward freely. The fact that official recognition has been accorded by the Government has put new heart into the whole undertaking.