THE VOLUNTEERS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6132, 19 March 1898, Page 5

THE VOLUNTEERS.

At the parade of the Kaiapoi volunteers in the drillshed on Friday evening there was an attendance of forty-eight, including Captain T. Millar and Colour-Sergeant Blackwell. The men were put through the usual course, and were informed that the annual meeting would be held on Friday next at 7.30 p.m., and the field day on Saturday, March 26. Pour recruits were admitted to the company. The annual general meeting of the Lyttelton Naval Artillery was held on Monday last, Lieutenant Joyce in the chair. The Secretary presented a balancesheet showing a debit of MO. This, the Chairman stated, was owing to the removing and re-erecting of the boatshed, and he hoped that the Government would subsidise the amount. The Chairman stated that the corps had been very successful during the year. Out of sixty-eight members on the roll sixty-seven had earned capitation, and of sixty-one members who had presented themselves for examination in gunnery fifty-eight had passed and earned the badge and £1. There had also been keen competition for the gun-layers' badge, nearly all the members competing. In the matter of rifle shooting they had done better than before, having twelve members who had gained marksmen's badges. Lieutenant-Commandant Joyce was" sorry to say that they bad lost the services of I ieutenant Torlesse by his removal to Wellington. Lieutenant-Com-mandant Joyce promoted Gunners Hewstone and Knowles to be leading gunners. The election of committees was as follows : Finance Committee, Chief Petty-officer Toomey, Petty-officers Wallace, Jones and Ralph and Gunner Hewstone, with the officers; Firing Committee, Chief Pettyofficer Toomey, Petty-officers Jones and Ralph, Bugler Porteous, and Gunners Fenton, Day and J. Brown; Secretary, Gunner Eanies (re-elected); Petty-officer Clarke, custodian of arms, uniforms, &c, (re-elected). The meeting was adjourned until Monday, March 21.