VOLUNTEER NOTES

King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 132, 18 February 1909, Page 5

VOLUNTEER NOTES

1 The annur.l nvrting of o,'j"n_trs o( ' the 2nJ Rrgirr.rnt Auckland .Mounted J Rifles was hHd in U.f Drill Slu-d Ham- !' ilton on Friday evening last when the ! qucrtion cf the Annual Training Camp and oth-jr matters affecting the welfare :of the regiment were discussed. Colonel Allen Bell presided and there were also present "Major E. M. Cowie (Chaplain), Capt. J. E. Barton (Ad- - jutanl), Capt. A. §.' Brewis (Medical Staff Corps), Cupti W\ R. C. Walker and Lieut. Lewis (Cambridge), Capt. ; J. J. Raynes (Hamilton), Lieut. Rowe (Te Aroha), Lieut. Chas. Cowley (Pay Quartermaster), and Sergt-Major Cok--man (Staff Instructor.) After full discussion it was unanimously decided that subject to the approval of the O.C.Dislrict, the week's annual training take the form of a "Trek" on somewhat the same lines as that successfully carried out some years ago. The various squadrons of the Regiment, with the exception of the Piako Mounted Rifles, will mobilise at the ■ Horse Bazaar, Hamilton, on Saturday, : sth June, and camp there for the nignt. lOn Sunday at 10 a.m., Major E. M. Cowie, Senior Regimental Chaplain, will conduct Divine Service, after which the Regiment will "Trek" to [ Mr J. B. Starkey's property near Morj rinsville. where field firing and the [ competition for the Regimental Shield j will take place on Monday. On Tuesf day the "Trek" will be continued to I Cambridge, |X)rtiot> of the regiment : moving out of camp early, and taking . up a position from which the remainder will attempt to dislodge them when they come in contact, the scheme being worked as nearly as possible on \ active service lines. A scheme of this kind will be carried out on each day during the "Trek," and will undoubtedly prove most useful and instructive to officers and men alike. On arrival at Cambridge on Tuesday evening, the regiment will camp, and a concert will be held in the Public Hall, trekking on to Tc Awamutu to Wednctday, where j a camp fire concert will be arranged j for that evening. On Thursday the regiment will "Trek" on to Hamilton, via the Ohaupo Road, and on Friday the Annual Regimental Sports will be held, concluding with a Military Ball in the Town Hall in the evening. On Saturday the squadrons will disperse to their various headquarters. Given fine weather, the week's training promises to be the most interesting and instructive yet held in the history of the regiment. The organisation of the Regimental Tournament was left in the hands of Capt. Raynes, and the Ball in the hands of Capt. J. E. Barton, and for the purpose of making the latter function the b;st of its kind yet held in the Waikato, the various squadrons guaranteed it to the extent of £25.

The 2nd Regiment is now getting into an extremely strong position, both numerically and financially. Last year it went into camp three times and had a record attendance for the Dominion, an i this year there is a probability of over 300 men assembling for the "Trek."

It hn3 now been arranged that the Easter Manoeuvres for the Auckland Military District will be held in the Waikato instead of New Lynn. The camp will probabty- be on Mr J. U. Starkey's property at Morrinsville, where there is splendid country to manoeuvre over, and where artillery practice can take place with shell. Colonel Robin, Chief of the General Staff, will in all probability be present.

Colonel R. I!. Davies, Insp'ctorGcneral, and Colonel G. C. B. Wolfe, will be present at the 2nd Regiment's annual training.

Lieut-Colonel Bell was present at the annual inspection of the Ist Infantry Batallion at Avondale on Saturday, and also at the A Battery's shell practice north of Takapuna on Sunday.