CITIZEN SOLDIERS

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 96, 17 January 1921, Page 7

CITIZEN SOLDIERS

A COMMUNITY CLUB AT BUCKLE STREET

DEFENCE LEAGUE’S SCHEME

Through the holding of a Citizen Soldiers’ Carnival in the Town Hall from March 5 to 12 (inclusive), the National Defence League hopes to obtain a great part of the £IO,<XH) it requires m order re establish a “community club at Buck e Street for the benefit of the Tern tori al and Senior Cadets of Group V (Wellington City and Suburbs). The main features of the club will be as follow: ■ (1) The club will be used solely tor the benefit of the country’s future defenders (Territorials and Senior Cadets). (2) It will be run on the same lines as * the Sydney Street Soldiers Club, which proved euch a boon to members of reinforcement, drafts in training during the Great War (j.e., it will be staffed by women hostesses, fully representative of the city of Wellington, each night, who will endeavour to show the trainees that their fellow-countrywomen care personally for them, and appreciate the service they ore rendering). (3) If funds permit the club will I>9 equipped with billiard tables, various games, comfortable furniture, a gymnasium, and a lecture hall, and occasionally supper will be provided free of charge. (4) It is confidently, anticipated that the services of many' medical practitioners will be available free of charge to examine, supervise, and generally instruct Territorials and Senior Cadets in regard to their health. In this the Defence League is in a position to announce that it has already secured the interest, enthusiasm, and sympathy of n number of the city’s medical men, and to state that on the establishment of the “community club’’ this work will be duly carried out. (5) A prominent feature of the running of the club will be that leading educationists and medical men will’ deliver lectures upon such subjects as “citizenship,” “personal health and hygiene,” etc.

A general meeting of Defence League members and all others interested will bo held on Thursday evening next for the purpose of appointing committees to take charge of matters connected with the carnival. Mr. R. Hill, secretary of the Town-planning Association, and of “The Starving Children Fund," has accepted the position of organiser for the carnival.