2nd N.Z.E.F. ASSN.

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 55, 9 March 1945, Page 5

2nd N.Z.E.F. ASSN.

DOMINION PRESIDENT'S VISIT WHAKATANE BRANCH FORMED

■Withi the object in yiew of forming a Whakatane Branch of the 2nd N.Z.E.F. Association- a «- preliminary meeting of returned men from the present war '■■■ was held 1 in the Borough' Gouncil Chambers on Tuesday eventing when Mr EX L» Thwaites, Dominion President was present to ouftline the aims and ob- . jectives of the Association. Some twenty returned men were "present, but opinions expressed were :'3n no way in total accord with the formation of a branch of the Association. , In his opening remarks Mr ; Thwaites thanked the sponsors of .the meeting for the invitation to at- ' and went on briefly to outline the construction and working of the "2nd N.Z.E.F. Association. The main difference, he said, between the org- * anisation he represented and the R.S. A. was that the 2nd N.Z.E.F. Association was one organisation whereas the R.S.A. consisted of 97 separate incorporate bodies. Once a ;inan joined the Association he was •entitled to take part in. the pro-? Hiceedings. anywhere in the Dominion ••without hjaving to resign from one branch and jpin up with another. The Association was run similar to' a business concern. The executives elected by members as a whole and not by delegates at a Dominion conference. It was designed to be as and streamlined as any business or other ruling body which * took any part in directing the country's destiny in order that it might -wield the same amount of power. <*■ "The time has come" said Mr 'Thwaites "when parochialism'must go if we are. to have any control -over New Zealand's* doings with the * outside world. We must not adopt the attitude which was taken after the last war. The attitude of sit-, 0 ting back content in the knowledge sthat we have done our bit and are prepared to let others handle the peace. We have seen the effects of 1 this in other countiies as well as in New Zealand. No matter what a sol- . -dier has done in the field of battle, he has- done no more than to prove his citizenship. lie lias done no .more in fighting for his country and his rights than any decent cit.ii | worthy of the name, should do." Mr Thwaites urging that Kiwis should endeavour to lirik up with local organisations, jcake an active part in affairs, and generally put their shoulders to the wheel .as behoved good citizens. He had, w liimself } been a member of the U.S.A. since its inauguration and had a thorough knowledge of its He was proud of the fact that he was a member but at t the same time lie could see where, the weaknesses of that body lay.

■ Tlfe only way to overcome I, those weaknesses was to form an I* Association which moved as one. and I could go into action in a matter of I ihours, presenting a totally united I There need, he said, be no clash- ■ "ing of the two organisations. They I „were definitely not in competition ■ *"with the R.S.A. and every man re* ■ turning had complete freedom as to I which'body he chose to link up with. H_The 2nd N.Z.E.F. was a democratic ■' -one. It. had a following of over 7000 ■ already and with its finances asI sured, was growing daily. I Asked as to why the R.S.A. could I not look after the interests of the I men. returning from this war with- ■ -out the necessity for'forming a sepI* arate association, Mr Thwaites stat- ■ ed that one point had been overI looked. On the completion of the I -war the market would be .flooded ■ with young labour. Many ex-diggers I* ~who were employed on duty in this I "war would also find themselves out ■" of jobs, and these men would not I he able to compete with the younger I and more active ex-servicemen of ■ World War II only. ■-* "If the young chaps took over the H of. the R.S.A. they would H not be able to understand the out- ■ look of the older men," he said. ■ - "Much of the money would go to ■LJhelping young ex-servicemen. We not want to take the old DigI gers' money. They will need every I penny of it and it would be wrong H*'for us to use it for ourselves." ■ A wide diversity of opinion was ■ -expressed as to whether the Asso- ■ ciation was necessary, a number of H the speakers holding the view that ■ 'the R.S.A. as the original organisaI tion was capable of guarding the; I interests of returned men., At the conclusion, a meeting of and intending members for MPthe purpose of a preliminary elecof officers was called. Hb. (Continued in next column)

After a resolution—"That the members and intending members of the 2nd N.Z.E.F. Association ask permission of the executive to form a branch to be known as the Whakatane Branch" was passed _ the preliminary election of officers was entered upon. This resulted as under: — Chairman: Mr S. Mayow. Sec/freasurer: Mr G. Kemp. Committee: Messrs L. W. Dahin R. Martin, J. Erskine and J. Hall.