Te Aroha Rifle Club.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVI, Issue 43081, 13 April 1907, Page 3

Te Aroha Rifle Club.

THE SMOKE SOCIAL. ADDITIONAL NOTES. When replying to the toast of the “Past Volunteer Officers,” proposed by Mr Salmon at the social, on Wednesday night, Captain Pavitt stated that he joined the Volunteers in 1860, and in 1865 became an officer. Subsequently he was captain of the Engineers and afterwards major. He was with the Second Engineers, a company of men who were boring a tunnel through the Port Hills in .Canterbury, from Lyttelton to the plain. This was in about the year 1865. He was captain of the Engineers there, and a large camp of jolly men they were, mostly great shots, whilst all took a great interest in shooting. His experience in Volunteering, he said, had been a very happy one, and he wished the time would come over again if he xould come across such splendid men as he dealt .with in the past. 1 Ex-captain Somers said that when he first joined the Volunteers in Auckland be first went through a course of drill, after which he was promoted to the rank of corporal. Three months later he was raised to lieutenant, and soon afterwards was promoted to captain, in which capacity he served for three years. Lieutenant Wild, in a reminiscent mood, said that he first joined the Volunteers as a unit of the Hamilton Light Infantry, with which corps he put in put in his recruit drill. Later on he came to Te Aroha as sergeant, where he helped Captain Pavitt in Volunteering matters, and assisted him in teaching the raw recruits. Lieutenant Wild recalled several amusing incidents that were well remembered, and caused much laughter amongst several of the Club members present who had witnessed them.

Sergeant Dixon was full of amusing anecdotes and military reminiscences, which he had experienced since joining the Scottish Highlanders in 1882, at about Ihe time when General Gordon was killed at Khartoum. .Ex-Lieutenant Scott said he bad firsi joined the Volunteers, under Captain Pavitt, and had only risen by attending strictly to all parades and drills, in which att< qtion Coloursergeant Stanley had run hip; very close. He went on with the old company until it was formed into the Piako Mounted Rifles. Ex-lieutenant Gavin thanked Mr Salmon for drawing attention to the times when they were Volunteering. He thought it was 1865 that he joined the naval Brigade, which at that time used to drill in the Custom-shed in Auckland. He was put in the ranks under Captain Grant, who was the drill instructor. He related several amusing experiences, and also"stated that Mr Alfred Kidd, M.H.R., was at that time a comrade. Whilst quite a new recruit Private Gavin waß put with a more advanced squad, and in consequence of a slight hitch in unfixing his bayonet, evoked from the captain a remark that was the reverse of complimentary. Then he rapidly improved himself by a little quiet drill at home, with the result that shortly afterwards he was called forward as fugleman, and before long he rose to lieutenant. He still had a testimonial from that Brigade, and jje valued it almost more than any other piece pf furniture in bis house. He stuck to the Brigade until the Battle of Parihaka, of whioh, no doubt, his hearers all knew. On that occasion 1,250 men were sent down to take one man, and to the oredit of the British fiag, they took him, said Mr Gavin, although the man was unarmed. (Laughter). They were two months away, hut had all been engaged for'three months, but In spite of that ..engagement they only received two months’ Kpay. This piece of financial manoeuvring Ttas the means of breaking up Volunteering at the Thames. His company was only allowed to be 100 strong, but they had fifty over that number, for which the company bought the uniforms. So strong was the feeling against the Defence Department, that Mr John Bryce, the Minister for Defence at that time, was burnt in effigy at the Thames. It was the wind-up of Volunteering, and it had never looked up smce. He remembered two men coming over the mountain track to Te Axoha—there was other road in thtoo days—asking-hita to go to Thames ready to proceed to Parihaka. Major Murray sent wonl that ihe men wanted him l to go with tem. He Trent Thames, and announced tfia porps the situation was, and prdered all those men who would gq to Parihaka tp step two paces forward, to which every man responded. However, he advised the married men to stay at home, and all but a few reckless spirits did so. The late Major Pitt was in command of that particular battalion, and Colonel Roberts over the whole, and everyone had a most.enjoyable time. In fact, he never spent a better thirteen years in his life than during the time he belonged to the Naval Brigade. He had once scored 1,001 votes at the Licensing Bench election, and as only 300 of the votes were given him in Te Aroha he always put down the bulk of the remainder to the old members of the Naval Brigade who had formed committees to help him. Every young fellow, said Mr Gavin, ehould jojn $ rifl£nor Vdlunteer’coips, akifc'cbuM hot fail to set them up. He said said that in the old days it was strictly understood that men who drank were not taken into the Brigade. As an instance of the immense good done by Volunteering, he related the case of two young men who used to come from the bush into the town to drink at nights for want of something bettpr to dp. They tagged to bp enlisted go that they would have Something to keep them away from the publichouse when they came to the town. Their request was acceded to, and they finally made two excellent Volunteers .