DEFENCE RIFLE CLUB.

Timaru Herald, Volume CVIII, Issue 16821, 29 May 1919, Page 2

DEFENCE RIFLE CLUB.

■ -;:•;. ANNUAL■. aiMETINGJ, The meeting <ji tho Timaru Defence itille Ciuii was 1 Jic.d in Hutu: emstKi s ivuuinb fast . nuriio, wnen tuere. was a fair attendance, itio President (Mr M. Higg'uis), occupied tie chair.---Foster, who lately -returned; from the Prom;, was : given an m y*S welcome by the meeting The President stated that tike roll stood a-D- about the same number as last year, tax honorary members had been s*™* <*; -living., eight, Tl le ..Woni suv.ngt| was 77, tot n largo number had;- leftthis diifafc, or resigiie'di aiidTt . WJPPM Jo? 25 to be struck off. ■p 1 , 6 *? T el £ m&n J wllose discharge would be applied .for later Tliirtv-nin-e ■membfl?.ilf l<**.bu active service, and-of these : . twelve hid' -not feb returned" It wafc with regret that lie had to say that' six would never return as they had made tfljfe supreme, sacrifice. Weekly shoots had been heUd during the season two: and thre&-rahgo coinpetiftoms beitig field, _ and somo very good sc o res w**9 recorded. The average attendance was J wel 7 e t,. Club . championship- had been decided on the iareragg :■• systems, the win^r' being Rifleman Jones, with W. JJratishiwv as runner-up. LieuteCol. Gabites's mefdai was wton bv Rifleman R, Moore with a score of 94. .No team matches were fixed during the'-season'. The members of the Club competed at the Otago Easter meeting with considerable success, RiJftemah. Hogg annexing tilie Otaga bliamp.onship, a highly meritorious performance." The Club's team' secured second place in the teams' matdh,—a good performance,Matters generally, an. the range, had worked wu!l during.the swason. With regard to finance, the Club had sufficient funds to provide a fair pi-iztj list and show a credit balance. Tne President thanked the vice-president, secretary, committee, and ail who had helped to keep the Club going. The. Club had spent £IOO on their range, and they ©w?d nothing on it. The balance sheet showed a credit? balance of £lB 10s:

Tlie President proposed the adoption* of the report and balance sheet. '

_ Suggestions were invited for popularising the Ciub, and several were" discussed. '.;

It was stated tihiat new rifles wjere required, and that some new onest were, liktly to bfe issued soon. , \ The matter of piravMing' a Roll of Honour was also discussed, and it unanimously resolved thai ?uch a, Roll should ba prepared and suitably framed. It was decided that the subscription for'the current yean- shon.d be 7s 6d. The election of 'officers .resulted as follows:—Patron, Mr J. Craigie, M.P. Vice-Pajtrons, Messrs Wm. Raymond (Mayor), Major Boys, Captain Arthur Rhodes, D.5.0., M.G, J. Maliug Dr Barclay, J. L. Gillies, Lt.-001. Gabites. J. P. Murphy, Lieut. P, A. Ef. worthy i W. Evans, Major E. A. Holdgate, Major Wain, and Captain Oakey, M.C. President, Mr . Mark Higgi'nS. Vicepresident, Mr \V. E. Jones. Hon. secretary, Mr W. E. Boys. Hon -treasurer,; Mr M. HiggLns. Hon. auditors, Miessrsi J. O'Leary and W. Murray. Committee, tihe officers above named and Messrs J. ToneycUffe, E. Lewis, W. Fosier, A. Ralston, \Y. Bradshaw, R. Mooi-e, A. Wilson, and.G. B. Lamborh. Handicapper, Sir W % E.. Boys..'''." ] ; This oolncluded the? formal .' busjhessf but before dispersing, .ail .present sat down to a hot supper, and after tihis :tl>e priises won during tiie past sejisorl .weW presented by Mr Higgins, the w'/niners being heartily aipplaltaed. The winners were as fouoivs: — ' '■•'■". "

No. 1 match, W. E. Boys 1, F...-3ie\vda-' 2. No. 2 match, W. E. Boys I } \V. Bradshaw 2, W. E. Jones 3. No; 3 matchj W." E. Jones I, A; Ralston 2. No. 4 mattlhj F. Hiogg lj.W. Bradshaw 2. No. 5 match, R, Moote 1, F. Aiciiama 'J., "W. Murray 3. No. ti match,. F.' Adams 1, W. E. Bwys 2.. No. 7 match, R, Moore 1, F. A.tiams-2.' No.- 8 match, W. Bradslnaw 1, H. B. 2,W v K Jones 3. Nio. 9 match, J. Toiieycliffa ■l, H. D. Blair 2. No. 10 match, W. E. Jones 1, A. Wilson 2. No. 11 inatcJA, R. Moore l 3 A. Wilson % : Wr Es Boys 3. No, 12 match, W. Bradshaw. 1, E. Hogg 2. N!o. 13 match, "'H/D.Biaii'li F Lewis 2. No. 14 match, W. E. Jones 1, W. E. Boy s 2, W. Bradshaw 3. Club championslhlip, W. E. Jones 1, WBradshaw 2, R. Moore 3. ' f Half an hour was devoted to speech l making, all present having something to say regarding tlbeir experiences at shooting competitions, and the apparently bright future ahead of the Club. The' point was stressed tihat miniature nfle shooting was the best passible training for Shooting with the larger weapon; and Rifleman "Foster, who gave a most interesting account of the, training which the soldiers, wens given in, marksmanship in England, • said fhati the military authorities there recognised that shooting with the miniature rifle was tlhe best grounding a soldier could have. He added that no man w»s( allowteid to leave England for the Front until he fed become thoroughly dent with tlhe rifle. At both the business meeting and the after-supper talk the nfcmost enthusiasm was sbwn, and it wag decided to op&M this season, on next Monday night. The gathering closed with a verse of the National Amtihem. A matter not mentioned in -the foregoing, is reported imdiPr a v -separate heading. : .•',.;:' ■••;.