R.S.A. MEMBERSHIP

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 123, 26 May 1937, Page 13

R.S.A. MEMBERSHIP

WIDENING THE RANKS

SIR A. RUSSELL'S .'■■• SUGGESTION jff The opinion • that' the .time 'was approaching when it might be advisable to consider the question.of admitting to membership- of the .Returned Soldiers' Association men .vho had not served in the war, was expressed by General Sir Andrew Russell at a conversazione ' held by the Christchurch R.S.A. on tti* occasion of the official opening of the new lounge, reports the ."Star-Sun." ■: • Sir : Andrew, -who was Dominion president of the association ..for many, years, said-that when he was- -first elected to the position about 1921 or 1922, the membership was falling rapidly from the very high-figures .it had reached at the close of the war, to a bare 5000 or 6000. . Practically only the stalwarts of .'the association were then left—men who realised the immense amount of; work that was required, to be done oh behalf of returned soldiers and their, dependants.. It was very largely through the moderation of the Returned Soldiers' Association of those days, said Sir Andrew, that Its wishes ' arid needs were met not only promptly, but sympathetically by the various Gov--ernments in office. The membership began to increase steadily and climbed up to 26,000 or 27,000, ■ and /tie was pleased to learn that the membership ■. of the Ch'ristchurch association was ahead,of what it was last year. He did not think it could go on increasing and it- was becoming a very serious question as .to whether the ranks should riot be opened to those serving their country now. It was a difficult question, h but he thought that something • would have-to be done eventually to. keep the old show alive.

Mr. W. E. Leadley, president of the Christchurch association, said he thought the membership would continue to grow for a number of years. It had been growing since 1927 and this year had' -reached a total of 30,000. So far" as Christchurch was concerned a membership campaign was being launched and. it. Syas hoped to reach a total of 3000 this year. That seemed an ambitious task\ but he wrfs satisfied that it could be done.