Levin and District Volunteers

Horowhenua Chronicle, 8 October 1915, Page 3

Levin and District Volunteers

i-AREWiiXL. ihe people oi Levin gathered in good numuer last iugiu in utc tving\s Tiieatre to say iarcncli to lias town and districts volunteers lor the .Ninth Reinforcements, which go into camp at Trentiiam on 'iue.,day, in.si. Tne lunction took the form oi a "..-ocitii and dance, and was organised by the Levin Ladies' i'atriotk- Society, ami. as is usual with Mich ma iters undertaken by this excellent organisation, it proved a great .success. Advantage was taken oi the large tloor space available in the theatre, and the centre w-'.s kept clear for tlie dancing which started early, the interval between ij;'ie dances being taken up by musical items and recitation. Mrs Kecdwell and Messrs Eccleton and Thompson contributed this portion ol the program, and a line picture entitled ''Tlearts Adrift,"' was .shown by Mr Earland, manager of the King's Theatre. The stage was nicely decorated with flags an:l llowers. At the request of ilie Mayor .Mr I. Mclntyre delivered a brief, but feeling farewell speech to the men. It tre(jueiitly wa.s punctuated with applause. Mr Mclntyre said that the he could hardly express his gratitude at being sisked to say farewell to those who were going to fight for our country and our empire (applause). A lot of them had passed through his hands at school, and Used to raise their hats to him : now :e raised his hat to t!iem (applause). "He wa.s keeping a record ol all those who left for the front, hut it ivas liard to keep it complete. lie 'hoped that- tlie record would be placed in a prominent place in the school, and after peace was declared, 'which all hoped would bo soon, people would point out the names .is those who had tought for their country in the great war (applause)." Altogether, lie had on Ins list so far. the namos of over thirty old Levin schoolhoys, and the addition of the names of some of those present would bring it close up to forty (applause). Tie hoped that when the war was over, they would have the .great majority of the alien back with them (applause).

Mr McTntyre paid a high tribute to his teaching .staff, -when, at the comlnenoGiricnt of the war. three of t.s ineinhcris volunteered : of those, two "hart hcen ■wounded and one killed. 'I havo no wish to cast a gloom over tlie proceedings, l)iif. I feel this keenly.'' One 0? Ills old pupils. .J. Cameron, who Iliad gone to study dentistry at rMiihdoiphia •iii.JfmC-rica, now was helping it: a-htftpltal in j<Yanee. In conclusion lie advised' them to "keep fit." (Applause). Three hearty cheers were given for the men, and the audience standing sang "For they are .Jolly Good Fellows." This was followed hy another round of hearty cheers. An excellent supper with, tea and coffee then was handed around, and afterwards dancing was resumed. The following are the names of the volunteers present at the fanvell:—C. Hook. T). C. Young. U. Pringlo. U. Cameron, W. Foskott, J. T). G. Glassford. TJ .Dean. IT. McDonald. W. Cmopcr, G. Johnson, .T. Thompson. C. Howe. A. Sapwoll. - Phillips. A. Kennedy, and P. Lee.