LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Chronicle (Levin), 19 August 1946, Page 4

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

ANZAC DAY SERVICES Sir, — The unfortunate and for the most part ill-informed publicity that has recently appeared. in the Press generally, and in your columns, too, on the above sub1 ject is doing a great deal of harm and causing serious misunderstandings, and I feel that it is necessary, . that a statement should be made" setting out the real facts of the pbsition. • . , At the meeting of the N.Z.R.S.A. 1 .Dominion council, held last June, ■there was a discussion on the question of the' possibility of being able to implement . the non-sectarian plank in the R.S.A. constitution, so that at the official . Anzac Day service men and women of all religious denominations could attend and take part therein. • To this end the Dominion executive committee was instructed to see whether it was not possible to arrange' some form of service which would be acceptable co all religious denominations, and in particuiar to the members of one large body, who up to the present have 4iot found it possible to cooperate. The resolution went on to say that as and when this form of service could be drafted, it was to oe circulated to all branches for -,heir consideration, and could -only be adopted if approved by- a majority of the branches, and even then could not be made mandatory, as all our branches are fully autonomaus. Where the information -has come from that the Dominion executive had prepared a form of service mmpietely eliminating the religious side, I am at a loss to know, because no. such form of service has yet been drafted, let alone circulated to branches. My experience of the judgment of the .members of our association, gained from an executive experience of nearly 30 years, is that the cross section of the community represented in our ranks can always . be relied on to come to a wise decision on matters that affect various sections of the community, and the general public can rely that our 130,000 members take the question of the observance of Anzac Day very seriously, and no hasty or ill-consider-ed decision will be arrived at. The official attitude of the association on the question of Bible in schools is an indication that its members do realise the necessity of a sound religious background in the lives of the community. I feel it encumbent on me to say that the association does not require any direction from pressure groups, representing various religious denominations, in order tp arrive at a correct decision. Ip fact I wonder what these religious organisations would say if the R.S.A. attempted to dictate to them on some matter concerning the conduct of their particuiar form of service. Regarding the suggestion contained iifSa letter from a correspondent appearing in your columns r.ecently, that I had hinted that this matter would be dealt with by legislation, I would like to say that the amending legislation referred to is only . to bring the Anzac Day Act into line with the changed conditions that have occurred since it was enacted, and to make Anzac Day a day of commemoration for those who served and those who made the supreme sacrifice in all wars waged by the Crown. — Yours, etc., H. B. BURDEKIN, District vice-president, N.Z.R.S.A. Levin, August 19t