Volunteer Items

Feilding Star, Volume XII, Issue 81, 27 December 1890, Page 2

Volunteer Items

As the Manchester Rifles will meet on Mondaj' next at the usual hour for a parade after which it is intended to discuss the question of forming a rifle club, we publish the following liroi.lar on the subject from the Defence Office, for general information : — " Eepresentations from several country corps having been received by the hon. the Defence Minister, stating that owing to distance from drill shed or ground, it was a matter of difficulty for sufficient members to qualify for capitation ; that the drill undergone by members was, as a rule, only of an elementary nature, as there were so few opportunities when corps could be assembled to-gether for really practical work, and requesting that these corps might be permitted to be formed into rifle clubs, I am instructed by the hon. the Defence Minister to state that he is prepared to consider applications in this direction on the following conditions : " 1. The corps to be disbanded. " 2. The officers of the corps, where desired, to be transferred with present rank and seniority to the unattached active list. " 3. The club to retain as near as possible the designation previously held by corps. "4. The maximum strength of members not to exceed 60. 11 5. The arms now on issue to be retained for club purposes. " 6. A free issue of 100 rounds of ammunition to be made annually. "7. The captain of the club to be responsible for arms on issue to the club, which are to be paraded for inspection twice per annum, at such time and place as the officer commanding the district may appoint. " 8. In the event of an unsatisfactory report upon the state of arms on issue, the club to be dissolved and arms returned to the store. " C. A. Humphry, " Asst. Under Sec. Defence."