PERSONAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 June 1942, Page 2

PERSONAL

Mrs K. McMullen, Masterton, has received advice that her husband has safely reached his destination overseas. “This is historic,” said the president of the New Zealand Returned Services Association, Mr Perry, M.L.C., in announcing last night to the association’s conference that Sister L. Higginson, matron of the Greytown Hospital, had been elected president of the Greytown R.S.A. They had had to wait till 1942 for a woman to become president of a local R.S.A. branch, he remarked. A veteran of the Maori wars and one of the best known Natives in Hawke's Bay, Hone Puriri has died at Bridge Pa (3 miles from Hastings) at the age of 102 years. He was one. ol the oldest Maoris in the Dominion. During the Maori wars of the 60’s he fought on the side of the pakeha and was awarded the New Zealand Wai Medal. Till this year he took his place among the veterans in the Anzac Day parade at Hastings. He had resided at Bridge Pa for many years. Sir R. Heaton Rhodes will receive the gold badge of life membership of the New Zealand Returned Services Association as the result of a resolution of the association's conference at Wellington. The presentation of the badge to Sir Heaton was proposed by representatives of the Christchurch branch, who pointed out that he had given outstanding service both to returned soldiers and to the Empire, either one of which activities would have qualified him for the badge according to the rules. Mr Perry, M.L.C., was re-elected Dominion president of the New Zealand Returned Services’ Association at the conclusion of the annual conference last night. Other officers were elected as follows: Dominion vice-pre-sident, Mr B. J. Jacobs; district vicepresidents, Mr T. A. Bishop, (Auckland), Mr E. Edwards (Waikato-Bay of Plenty), Mr W. H. Caiman (Welling-ton-Taranaki-West Coast), Mr G. B. Menzies (Wellington-East Coast), Mr W G Welsh (Canterbury-Nelson-Marlborough- Westland), Mr H. Crawford (Otago-Southland); hon. treasurer, Mr J. D. Harper; executinve committee, Messrs C. W. Batten, K. Henry, C O Bell, P. H. D. Bennett, G. A. Havd'en, E. C Hale, A. T. Duncan, A. Cowles, H. B. Burdekin, R. W. Fenton and W. E. Leadley.