Volunteer Notes.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 403, 28 January 1904, Page 5

Volunteer Notes.

[By « Lyddite."]

Colonel Robin will pay his annual visit to this district next Tuesday evening, February 2nd. A parade will be held at 7.30 p.m at the orderly room, and a large muster is expected to turn out on the occasion. As no parade has been held since the encampment, volunteers generally will feel a bit rusty, and it is hoped, that there will be a good attendance at the parade to be held this evening. ; ; A shooting match will be fired for to-day and on Saturday, for a trophy presented by Mr F Gorman, the ranges being 300, 500, and 600 yds. As this rophy is a valuable one members will no doubt appreciate the generosity of the donor, and also turn out in fair numbers to compete for the prize, I hear of a fair number of members who intend to resign, after having served the necessary period. If such takes place, it will weaken the corps to such an extent that there will be nothing left but to disband. To avoid this I would urge those to reconsider their verdict, and also for members to do their, utmost to get recruits to join On dit, I hear of a private match eventuating shortly between an honorary member and an ex-volunteer.

The Volunteer Force of the colony shows a total strength of 227 corps, comprising 965 officers and 14,383 noncommissioned officers and men. Wellington has 70 corps, 5 staff-officers, and 296 officers; Ofcago, 50 corps, 212 officers; ficers; Canterbury, 40 corps,/169 officers; and Nelson, 18 corps, 84. officers; while the numbers of noncommissioned officers and men in the several Volunteer districts are:— Wellington, 4340; Otago, 3335; A uckland, 3069; Canterbury, 2576 •: and Nelson, 1063. Theie are also 40 defence cadet corps, having a total strength of 91 officers and 1923 rank and file, and 2237 members of defence rifle clubs.