A.A. OFFICERS' VISIT

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 182, 19 November 1941, Page 5

A.A. OFFICERS' VISIT

MEMBERSHIP GROWS DESPITE WAR

ADDRESS AND FILMS SHOWN

The work of the Automobile Association (Auckland) Inc. was explained to local motorists by executive officers at an A.A. meeting of members on Thursday night. His Worship the Mayor, Mr 13. S. Barry, presided, the attendance being large. Those attending from headquarters at Auckland were W. B. L. Power (Member of the Executive Council), R. E. Champtaloup (Touring Manager), S. Ringer (Chief Safety Instructor). Mr H. L. Dixon, local patrol officer was in attendance. Increased Membership After apologising for the absence of the president (Mr F. G. Farrell) Mr Power commented that, though we had passed through two years of Avar, the membership of the Association had increased from 33,000 at the outbreak to sliglitly under 36,000 to-day. Close on two thousand members of the Association were on active service and he regretted having to report that more than a score had already mare the supreme sacrifice. On Active Se.rvice Twelve of our own staff, continued Mr Power, have joined the forces. Our Assistant Engineer, Lt. Wilson, we very much regret died recently in New Zealand of injuries received overseas. Mr John Culpan of the Touring Department, a pilot of the Royal Air Force is a prisoner of war in Germany. Those who remain at home are concerned in many ways with the Avar effort. All the girls of our staff are in cine organisation or another, stated Mr Poavct—the Red Cross Transport Section, the Women's War Service Auxiliary, and Committees for Entertainment of Soldiers. Male members of the staff are doing duty on E.P.S., Fire Fighting, Home -Guard and Territorial Forces. Behind the War Effort Mr Power declared that the Automobile Association had contributed liberally to the A*arious Avar funds and through its members provides transport and entertainment for members of the fighting forces passing through Auckland. More than aOO Fire Brigade Auxiliaries and hundreds, of Si. John Ambulance and other Emergency Precaution drivers had been enrolled through the Association. The Touring Department with its specialised knowledge of roads and communications had been of the greatest help to the Intelligence Department of the Army, said the speaker Avho also intimated that the Touring Manager, Mr R. E. Champtaloup, had been very intimately connected Avitli the Army and Home Guard in regard to the preparation of maps. Mr PoAver also commented on the valuable service l rendered to the country by the Technical Engineer--ing Department. Mr G. P. Robertson, Technical Engineer and the country patrols in their own time, had been conducting evening classes for ladies, training them in the 1 mechanical operation of heavy vehicles and fitting them to undertake transport duties in an emergency. Local Membership I,n the Whakatane district, Mr R. E. Champtaloup said, motorists had solidly supported the 1 Automobile Association, and he expressed the thanks of the A.A. for the continued. co-operation of local motorists which had made it possible for the txocutive council to maintain the high standard of serA r ice which Avas a feature of the Association's activities. Touring of necessity was reduced and although staff had been depleted by enlistment, no. pains were spared to keep the literature, inapis and other touring data up to the highest state of efficiency. Comment AA r as also made concerning the greatly improved monthly A.A. bulletin to members. This, it was claimed must be greatly read as tAveh'e month's previously the Association had incorporated illustrations of- knitted balaclavas and socks for men of the armed forces. More than 6000 requests had been received at A.A. headquarters for the pat tern and knitting instructions. Films' Screened With the business side of the meeting formally closed a vote oi thanks AA'as accorded the 1 chair folloAving Avhich the Association's coV oured movie pictures of travel lr overseas countries Avere screened, together Avitli the A.A.'s latest production, a Child Safety Educational (ilm entitled "Safe Ways."

" ,; rn]prj in' next column)

Safety First Instructor Mir S. Ringer, the Chiid Safety Instructor, demonstrated the A.A. method of imparting road safety knowledge to school children. He gave a typical safety first commentary during the screening of the film "Safe Ways," the audience being visibly impressed with the very tealistic manner in which the children were taught the dangers of infringing the safety rules when walking to and from school.