LEGION OF FRONTIERSMEN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 August 1938, Page 7

LEGION OF FRONTIERSMEN

K. SQUADRON FIRST ANNUAL DANCE. FESTIVITY AT RANGITUMAU. (To the Editor.) Sir,—Within easy distance of the local hall at Rangitumau in which K Squadron of the Legion of Frontiersmen chose to hold its first annual dance, on Saturday evening last, a once impregnable Maori stronghold existed (on the apex area of Mount Rangitumau) which was. wont to challenge invasion of any martial sort. Undaunted by the fact that such an invasion of ancient tribal territory hereabouts, would not have reached further than the site of the present road-and-railway bridge, before news of its coming would have been flashed from nearby hilltops to the headquarters stronghold of Rangitumau itself, our local frontiersmen passed along their motored way, unchallenged, to the chosen redoubt for their first social display of friendly intercourse with newer-coming dwellers, in these once all-Maori, battle-disputed domains. Under command of Captain A. Don (their popular 0.C.) a very representative gathering of K Squadron Frontiersmen assembled within the precincts of Rangitumau’s well-kept hall, ■on whose stage earlier-arriving comrades had pitched a replica bell tent (lantern-lit) and food-and-water cauldrons in which (fire-glow effect) appeared to be steaming an oncoming evening forest-arranged meal. To the excellent music of the Udy Orchestra, over fifty couples partnered themselves, under the capable direction of the squadron’s M’s.C., N. Sutherland and N. Crewe. The customary dance competition events were won as follow: —“Statue Waltz,” Mr J. Norling and Miss Grantham; “Monte Carlo,” Mr Armstrong and Miss Kennedy; “Spotlight,” Mr Tilyard and Miss E. Wrigley. The hour of midnight arriving all too soon for one and all present, and the National Anthem played and sung, the long home-going procession of departing vehicles began to make its tortuous way back to Masterton, and further afield in other directions, thus leaving hospitable Rangitumau, and its historic stronghold and adjacent outlook places of almost forgotten memory, once more to ■ rest peaceful and undisturbed in their hard-won homestead family strongholds so picturesquely within orchard and garden enclosures, in all parts of Rangitumau’s all-picturesque hills and valleys,' and glens and glades. —I am, etc., N.J.B. Masterton, August 21.