SOCIAL SIDE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20025, 25 August 1939, Page 14

SOCIAL SIDE

TERRITORIAL FORCE ASSOCIATION FORMED WAIROA MEETING (Special to the Herald.) WAIROA, this day. The move to form a Territorial Association in Wairoa to foster interest in the defence unit in this district received enthusiastic support at the public meeting held in the Borough Council chambers to discuss the proposal. There was a good attendance, including people from as far distant as Waikaremoana, and it was unanimously decided that an association be formed. ' Captain B. Barrington, Wellington, central military district recruiting officer, was present to outline the objects of the association, and he was accompanied by Lieutenant R. H. Perrett, of defence headquarters in Gisborne. The meeting was presided over by the Mayor of Wairoa, Mr. H. L. Barker, who extended a welcome to Captain Barrington and to Lieutenant Perrett. The Mayor stated that there was a very active branch of the Defence League in Wairoa, but he did not see that the league and the association would run counter to one another. The two organisations, in his opinion, could work very well together. Recruiting Campaign

In speaking of the objects of the Territorial Association, Captain Barrington referred; to the recruiting campaign, which, he stated, had been a great success. It was the object to begin with a territorial force of 16,000 as recommended by the Pacific conference on ddflen.ce, and that number had been exceeded, the force being about 17,000 strong to-day. He expressed appreciation of the manner in which the young men in this district had responded,, and added that he wanted to take the opportunity of publicly thanking Mr. I. C. Moore, secretary of the Wairoa branch of the Defence League, and his band of workers for the part they had played in encouraging the young men in Wairoa. The object was, he said, to train those recruits and make them efficient in the shortest time possible. It was not desired that once the young men had been put into khaki that citizens should think their responsibilities had finished, and it was to retain the interest of citizens generally that the territorial associations were being firmed l .

There were, he said, many young men who were willing to do their part providing some interest was taken, in them toy the older citizens who were unable to play an active part in defence, and it was for the purpose of permanently lining these citizens up with the territorials that the associations were being formed. Officers Elected Captain Barrington then enlarged on the objects of the association. He mentioned the important part the association could play in the social and recreational activities of the teri ritorials, and also the part it could play in getting men leave from their employment to enable them to attend camps and parades. At the conclusion of Captain Barrington’s address Mr. C. V. Chamberlain moved that a Territorial Association be formed in Wairoa and that it receive the wholehearted support of every person in the district. It was, he stated, a move in the right direction. The motion was seconded by Major J. O. Scott, who stated that this provided a splendid opportunity for all to get behind the territorials.

The motion was carried, _ and the following officers were elected: —• President, Mr. C. V. Chamberlain; secretary, Mr, H. Trewby; executive. Messrs. D. Robertson, C. M. Pilkington, I. C. Moore, H. L. Harker, H. Bayly, J. O. Scott, T. E. Kelly, J. Cherry, L. Cheriton, A. T. Carroll, J. M. Taylor, W. Haraki, A. Rarere and D. Evans. ,