BOYS' INSTITUTE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1399, 27 March 1912, Page 9

BOYS' INSTITUTE.

GENERAL GODLEY ON MILITARY TRAINING. The annual meeting of the Wellington Boys' Institute was held last night. Major-General Godley (Commandant of tho New; Zealand Forces) presided, and there was a good attendance of members. Apologies for absence were received from Sir Joseph Ward, tho Rev. Dr. Gibb, and others. Before the motion for the adoption of the report came up, General Godley addressed the meeting. All he had heard of tho work done by the institute, he said, filled him with admiration. He thought great credit was due to tho president (Mr. Troup) for the time he had devoted to the work. Speaking as a soldier, it filled him with pride to find out in reading the report that ono of the members of tho institute had won the Victoria Cross. Referring to the Committee of Instruction, ho thought it was a splendid thing that there could be found in tile city those who were willing to give their time to tho voluntary education of the boys, and the latter should be grateful. He also expressed the hope that tho newbuilding in Tasman Street would prove adequate for tho work. Coming to the question of military training, he was glad to find that the institute had a company of junior cadets, under Captain Simeon, and there was no reason why this company should not beconio ono of tho best in the Dominion. Then they had the Boy Scouts. The latter were no dotibt looking forward to the visit of General BadenPbwell in May next. Tho scheme of military training' in New Zealand was the finest thing in the world for the boys. Perhaps they did not view it too ltc.pefully at first sight, but thoy would all loam to love it when they knew it better. Recently ho had managed to travel round tho camps in different parts of the Dominion, ana was therefore ablo to tell tho meeting something of the working of tho system. About 6000 young men between tho ages of 18 and 21 had already spent their week in camp, and another 2000 were in camp at tho present time From his own personal observations, he had never found anything but the greatest goodwill and tho best spirit of fellowship obtaining throughout. Many of the young men had gono under canvas rather reluctantly, because, as they said, they did not know exactly what was going to happen. All sorts of tales of military lifo had. been in circulation, and served to discourage them.' All these, however, had been falsified. The boys (he called them boys becauso many of them were only 18) were absolutely delighted with their week in camp, and all went away looking forward to tho time when they would be coming out again next year. 'This was what the boys of the institute had to look forward to when they reached tho age. When they joined their regiment and went into camp they would make many friends that they wo'uld otherwiso have no chance of meeting; they would have a jolly time amidst ijlclightful surroundings, and, in addition, they would have tho satisfaction of knowing that all the time they were doing something for their country and for the British Empire. The annual report and balance-sheet (particulars of which have already been published) were adopted. The election of officers resulted as follows:—Patron, his Excellency the Governor; hon. president, tho Rev. Dr. Gibb; president, Mr. G. A. Troup; vice-presi-dents, Dr. J. S. M'Lnurin, Mr. M. D. Menelaus, and Mr. C. S. Moore; hon. vicepresident, Mrs. S. A. Rhodes; hon. secretary, Mr. D. Patteison; hon. treasurer, Mr* W. Crawford Young; hon. auditor, Mr. It. Wilberfoss; hon. physician, Dr. Hogg of management (citizen members), Messrs. A. L. Haylock, D. R. Menzies, R. Pearson, R. Y. Walls, and A. R. Atkinson. Mr. Troup, who has occupied the position of president for some ten years, thanked the meeting for his re-election. He briefly referred to the work iof the past, and stated that the future operations of the institute would be carried out with duo regard to sound finance and without, hampering the Wellington public with debt. lie spoke in appreciative terms of tho military training scheme as being the very thing required to supply the discipline that was lacking in the New Zealand youth, who on all other points compared more than favourably with the youth of other countries. Votes of thanks were accorded the honorary instructors for their work during the year, and to General Godley for presiding at the meetins.