Our Volunteers.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXXVII, Issue 11754, 3 October 1902, Page 2

Ou r Volunteers.

A USEFUL COMPETTITTION

'"Private" sends us the followin, M-ith a suggestion thai a similar competition might with advantage be arranged for Wahganui: —

Lieut.-Colonel Collins has issued a circular giving particulars of the route marching and field military -competition which is to be held in connection with the Wellington Bifle Battalion on Monday, 10th November. There are to be three prizes— £10, £7 and £5. The following are the conditions laid down:—Teams to consist of

o officer, two non-commissioned officers ( - c to be a sergeant), sixteen rank and file. Corporals and lunce-co-porals may be ivI eluded, but not. lan.ee-serigieant«. Teams I must be composed o-f'duuv enrolled members lof each corps. Members enrolled after 30th September, 1902, may not be included. Drill order, Avith leggings, haversacks, and water-bottles. Arms to be carried must be those on issue to each corps. Teams will fall in at Lower Butt, and be> inspected as laid down in Infantry Training, 1902, section Mio. Points not exceeding 20 will be awarded by the inspecting officer for drill, general appearance and turn- out. The route wlil be from Lower Hutt Railway station to Trentham Rifle Range via the main road (distance 11 miles). No assistance will be allowed from outsiders. Eveiy man must be in his proper place and carrying his .complete equipment at the finish ; no one to leave the ranks during the march unless the whole team halts. All teams must observe the ordin[my rules of the road for vehicles. Teams Ito be started from the Lower Hutt :t intervals of not lee* than five minutes. Teams must march im a military formation I throughout. Time will be taken from the word "March" until the last man of a team has passed the gats at Trentham. Four judges will ba ipjlaced at intervals along the route. They will judge the marching of the various teams. Each judge will award points not exceeding 20. The cadence laid down in the Infantry Training. 1902, section 8, is to be maintained as^ near as possible, i.e.. 128 pace* to the" minute,- or four miles an hour. The distance from Lower Hutt to Trentham Rifle Range is eleven miles, so that the time for march'n- that distance is two hours and three-quarters at the regulation pace, and in which time the team is required to cover the route. One point for every five seconds, or part of five seconds over the time will bo deducted. On arrival at Trentho-m the team must at once proceed without delay to the firing point, and there fire such number of rounds? and at such distances as- may be decided later, at a target or targets which will be allotted to them Points for word of command, manner oJ performing the necessary movements, and hits on the. target will be added to the points for inspection and marching, ar.il the team making the highest, aggregate point* will be declared the winner of t.he fivwt prize, the next two in order taking the second and third prizes.