NATIONAL RESERVE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2407, 12 March 1915, Page 7

NATIONAL RESERVE

RAILWAYMEN'S FIRST PARADE. The first drill of the Railway Section of the National Reserve took place last night, -when 60 men paraded. The drill was conducted by Sergeant-Major Gow, of the Railway Engineers. At' intervals in the drill Major Davis, staff -officer of the National Reserve in Wellington district, addressed the men and complimented them and their instructor on their work, and a demonstration of field ambulance work was given by the Bearer Corps of the Railway Battalions. After the drill the new badges were distributed among the men. Later a general meeting was held, at which it was desided to endeavour to procure the services of more instructors to enable the men to drill in less unwieldy bodies. It was also arranged that drills should be held on two nights in every week, and also that some parades should he held at 5.15 p.m. to suit tho convenience of men who do not wish to give up whole evenings.

A big meeting of 150 Christchurch railwaymen decided to form a branch of the Reserve there, and the movement is being taken up with enthusiasm in Auckland and Dunedin.

A NIGHT AT THE THEATRE.

I At, a meeting of' the National Reserve executive on Wednesday evening it was decided that in order to help to swell the Belgian Fund there should be a "National Reserve night" during the coming season of the Plimmer-Hall Patriotic Comedy Company. The Wellington East, Central, South, Island Bay, Lyall Bay, and Berhampore divisions, are to assemble at the Basin Reserve at the nearest convenient point on the march route, and the Wellington North and lother contingent divisions at the Government Buildings at 7.15 p.m., and each column, headed by a.brass band, will parade through the City to the Grand Opera House where they will witness a performance of "Lady Windermere's Fan."

The theatre on the National Reserve night is to be decorated with bunting and other arrangements are in hand to make the evening a memorable one.