WAIOURU CAMP

Camp News, Volume 2, Issue 60, 14 February 1941, Page 4

WAIOURU CAMP

CATHOLIC HUT OPENED ARCHBISHOP O’SHEA PRESENT. •' ______ '/ .’•' > . ' ' Facilities available at Waiouru military camp to meet the spiritual and recreational needs of the troops in training there received a notable addition on Sunday week last, when the new Catholic Hut was declared open by the Camp Commandant (Colonel C. G. Powles) after the building had been formally blessed by Archbishop O’Shea, who visited the camp for. that purpose, accompanied by Monsignor; T. F. Connolly, chairman of the Catholic War Services Fund Board. Others present included many officers of the camp headquarters’ staff, chaplains of Territorial units now at Waiouru, representatives of other organisations in the camp, Father Callaghan (chaplain at Foxton Camp), Fathers Doolaghty and .Lorrigan, of Taihape, and a number of Taihape parishioners, including a ladies’ committee who helped with furnishing the hut and who propose to assist with entertainments.

Archbishop O’Shea thanked those people who had seen the necessity for the establishment of such institutions in the camp. Although the hut was primarily for the spiritual needs of the men, God and the Church recognised that they needed recreation and some attention to the body to make them happy doing their duty while in training as soldiers, he said. He thought that with such amenities provided for them the men would pay better attention to their work as soldiers and become good examples of fitness and military discipline.

Monsignor Connolly spoke on behalf of the Catholic War Services Fund Board, which, he said, was in this matter acting as agent for the National Patriotic Fund Board. He said that the new hut and similar institutions for the men had been provided and furnished from public funds raised by the Patriotic Fund Board. The speaker thanked the board for what it had done and then asked Colonel Powles to declare the hut open.

After stating how beneficial, particularly in such a place as Waiouru, institutions of this kind were, Colonel Powles commended the new hut as being excellent in construction and appointment. He spoke highly of the work done so far by the chaplain (Father Walls,) and said he was glad to see the additional facilities provided for the comfort and recreation of the men.

The new hut, which has a pleasing exterior design in keeping with that of other buildings in the camp, contains a main auditorium and stage (approximately 70 by 30 feet), a private chapel (30 by. 16 feet) for private devotions on week mornings and evenings, and a comfortably furnished and well-lighted reading and writing lounge. At the opposite end of the auditorium to the stage is a buffet where refreshments are dispensed. There are also quarters for the chaplain.

Hitler is a coward in the dental chair, says his former dentist. But he knows no fear when its his army that has to be drilled.