ALL IN TOGETHER

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 3, Issue 266, 3 February 1941, Page 5

ALL IN TOGETHER

men of the home guard

FARMERS' WEEKLY NIGHT OUT

There is no class distinction in the Home Guard. It is a ease of "AH in together, all sorts of weather." So when the local Home Guard parades once a week at a country hall tlie ranks are full of ex-Lieu-tenants, ex-Sergcant-Majors, ex-full-blown privates of the First New Zealand Expeditionary Force, as well as others who are new recruits. Men who own several farms may be seen right-d resting with those who own only one or none at all. Those who have parked their 8-cylinder 1940 model cars outside the hall are in the ranks with those who drove up in 4-cylinder 1930 cars, or. who have no car at all. The great tiling about it all is that all the men for iliree or four miles around', young and mid/lle-aged, are getting together as they never did before.

All this is to the good. People in the country do not see enough oi" .each other. In rural England people seem to live in villages. In the Ncav Zealand countryside folks live half a mile or so from cacii other, and I:*vc few excuses for meeting. It is only when farmers come to town —once a week, fortnight or month—that they see a lot of other farmers. But now they nrc rolling up for one night a week at the Home Guard parades, and getting to know each other really well.

Whatever may luivc been the idea of the organisers of the Home Guard movement it is going to be a general social institution. What the Women's Institutes and W.D.F.U have been for country women—a means of getting together on terms of soci-il equality—so the Home Guard promises to be for country men. Of course some farmers meet each other at stock sales and other places where farmers congregate. But everyone is at the Home Guard parade—farmers and non-farmers —rich and poor fall in together—no getting together into high and low groups as people do when, they congregate in main streets. In that, the Home Guard promises to be the only real Gentlemen's Club which country districts have ever known. Tt fills the part played in town'; by Orphans Clubs and Lodges.

All the men of the rural areas can get together in the Home Guard platoon. This includes the young fellows in their teens who often are doing men's work in men's clothes for no regular wage, but just the pocket money that "Dad" deals out now and then. To these youngsters the Home Guard is a sort of college education. They meet on terms of equality with veterans of the last war and men of standing in the community. They will get to know lots of youths of their own age.

One 1<) year old who went along with his returned soldier father to ;i parade not sc far from Whakalane remarked that he knew only lii; 1 f a dozen ct tlu- 50 or so present —he had been ir. the district about a year. No doubt he will get to know everyone there before the year is out. These youngsters have not had any militaiy drill, such as they m'glit have .had if they had been privileged to attend a secondary school, or had the old-time compulsory military training been in force. So they wili learn something at the Home Guard parades, even if it is only how to do "about turn" and "right turn."

This Home Guard business can be given a touch o/ humour. What fi glorious opportunity for the henpeeked head of the household Avho is never allowed out at night to mix with "the boys" and get off the domestic chain. For two hours on parade he can look a-nd act like a man who fears nobody. For the rest of the week he may be taking orde&s frown his better half. All sorts of excuses have been invented (according to the humorous entertainers and artists) by husbands wanting to escape from home. Now thay merely have to say. "'l'm off lo the Home Guard to-night." And on coming home late the gallant one can always explain that the Home Guard went for a roufce march

or discussed tactics and so on

Of course, going on parade once a may have its drawbacks. Thursday night seems a popular night for home-guarding in the country, fo fho self-sacrificing home guardsmen will have to forgo the pleasure of listening in to "The

■Continued at foot of ixcxt cohrm;)

Fourth Form at St Percy's'' and

rther radio serials relished even by the wisest men. Stiil it's great

to get out and have a yarn and a

•moke with one's neighbours. r i here ; s no lack of "s,tand-easies" and "smokos" in the Home Guard drill syllabus. So it should be popular with men who don't get much chance to talk at home.