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Session 11. 1912. NEW ZEALAND.

NEW ZEALAND JUNIOR CADETS (REPORT ON THE).

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

The Staff Officer for New Zealand Junior Cadets to the Hon. the Minister of Education, Wellington. 8lR _. Wellington, 14th June, 1912. I have the honour, pursuant to subsection (2) of section 36 of the Defence Act, 1909, to submit the following report on the Junior Cadets of New Zealand for the year ended the 31st March, 1912. Changes of Junior Cadet Headquarters Staff. Major T. W. McDonald, N.Z.S.C, and lately Commandant of the Junior Cadets, left for England on the Ist December, 1911, to be attached for training to the Regular Forces for one year. Appointment of Officer in Charge of Junior Cadet Department. The Hon. the Minister of Education, on the 3rd November, 1911, approved of the appointment of Captain A. C. C. Stevens, N.Z.S.C, to be Staff Officer for Junior Cadets. Junior Cadet Strength. There are 573 primary schools in which the Junior Cadet Department has active interests. During the past year 114 new appointments of Junior Cadet officers were made, and thirty-two resignations were accepted. At nine schools new corps were formed, and three schools on last year's strength were handed over to the Defence Department for purposes of training. The present estimated strength of the Junior Cadets is as under :— Officers (including Scoutmasters at small schools 1910 _ n 1900-10. Increase, where Scout-work is done instead of military drill) .. •• •■ •■ ■■ ] > 315 x ' 233 82 Junior Cadets (including Scout Cadets) 29,308 29,067 241 Grand total, officers and Cadets, 1910 -11 .. 30, 623 30,300 323 Camp of Instruction for Junior Cadet Officers. In January last, during the school holidays, a camp of instruction for Junior Cadet officers was held at Timaru, on the showgrounds of the Agricultural Society, kindly lent for the occasion rent-free. Ninety-three teacher officers attended for instruction, in itself a striking proof of the enthusiasm of the teacher for his Junior Cadet duties. A very useful amount of work was.done. The syllabus of training only contained simple military drill and free gymnastics—or, in other words, just what the teacher would have to impart to his Cadets at school. This camp was run on strictly military lines, and the most pleasing feature about it, perhaps, was the splendid spirit which prevailed—for, in order to keep down expenses, teachers performed all camp fatigues (except cooking) no matter how menial; and we were therefore able to cut down camp attendants to a minimum. There was no sickness of any sort in camp. ~,,,, , , 1 1 1 v. These camps are the only means of getting at the backblock teachers whose school locality precludes the possibility of the Department's Instructors visiting them. The fact that the teachers attending camp gave up a week of their holiday for the purposes of instruction is an eloquent testimony of the keenness which obtains among these officers for the Cadet movement.