Volunteer Notes.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 208, 27 May 1902, Page 3

Volunteer Notes.

[By Advance Guard ] I hear that tickets are selling well for the Studholme Mounted Rifles’ b ill on Thursday night, audit promises to be a great success. There was rather a poor muster of volunteers of both corps at the troopers’ reception on Saturday week, probably due to short notice and being held on the busiest day. I was sorry to see the band did not put in an appearance, as without it most outdoor functions fall flat. It is to be hoped that before ! the arrival of the Seventh the band : will bo able to muster a good crowd. 1 I notice the Waimate Rifles are going in for more practical work, and I hear that they intend in future, J woither permitting, to do still morn I outside drill. Captain Barclay holds J instruction classes every alternate j Wednesday, and these are being well attended. Last parade was devoted to outpost duty, the men being marched to Gretna Green, where soma good work was done. The Martini rifles are being called in from both local corps, and in future the men’s time will be wholly devoted to th 3 .803.

Li a previous issue of this paper a correspondent writing under the nom d-,- plurao of “ N.Z.” complaiiled that tlm returned troopers were detained unnecessarily by members of the local corps and a few other friends white their aged parents were waiting to take them home. I am surprised to see that exception was taken to the generosity of a few wSll-meaning citizens. There is no denying the fact that the reception given to the returned Sixth Contingenters fell flat when compared with that given to previous contingents. With the short notice given it was impossible to get anything approaching a decent muster from the local corps and the absence of the band made it exceedingly tame, and I think that the action of the gentlemen who entertained them (at their own expense) was fully justified. The Seventh Contingent will be here in a few weeks’ time, and “ N.Z.” will have an opportunity of displaying his patriotism. I would also remind him that a little help is worth a lot of sympathy. I see that Sergeant Stevenson is the only man from the local corps going to attend the school of instruction next month. I wish him every success, and I have no doubt he will benefit by the course, as he is an energetic volunteer. Captain Richardson, of the Temuka Rifles, has resigned his command of the above corps, as he is leaving the district. Captain Richardson was very popular among the officers of the Souta Canterbury battalion, and I am sure they will all regret his departure.