Gun Club

The bitterness of the southerly belies the fact that in quite a short time summer will once again be round to bathe us in a lack of warming sunshine. But D.V. and despite the weather the jolly band of riflemen will be knocking the bull out of the targets the first week of the third term. Not long now! The Club's annual general meeting will be held early in the third term and for those who would like to find out something about the Club this provides an excellent opportunity. Surely no student is so darned wrapped up in his work that he cannot spare a few minutes for the Rifle Club's meeting! Watch the notice-board!

Last season was voted by all members as most successful. Although we cannot drag forth a string of match successes, the season was characterised by extreme keenness and considerable improvement among active members and we like to feel that the winning of the Haslam Shield last Easter with a team of new and relatively inexperienced shots was a worth-while achievement.

We feel that we should take this opportunity of voicing an appreciation of the help given us by the President, Mr. E. W. Mills, and the Vice-President, Mr. H. C. Bollard, who, although they have passed from the ranks of students proper through exigencies of business and so forth, have continued to identify themselves with the Club's activities and to guide us, the new brigade, in all matters both on and off the range. Their moral support on the day of the Haslam shoot and Mr. Bollard's not-so-moral demonstration of how easy bulls were to snipe helped us immensely to pile up a winning aggregate.

P. H. Meakin brought distinction on himself and the Club by securing top score in the Haslam Shield Competition and in being awarded a New Zealand "Blue."

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Next season we hope to be able to enter a team for the Imperial Universities Rifle Match, a competition open to all the Universities of the Empire. In 1924 Victoria were third, being beaten by Sydney and Cambridge. In 1925 Victoria won the match. In 1926 the Club was again third—altogether a record of which any Club might be proud. But we would like to demonstrate that the Club of the middle twenties has no monopoly of match distinctions. We have also the Albert Memorial Trophy, an Australasian match, and the more local competitions in view.

In passing, it might be pointed out that this is probably the most inexpensive of all the better summer sports, thanks to the beneficence of a paternal Government which grants free ammunition, free rail fare to Trentham, and loans perfectly sound rifles free of charge. Ten per cent. cuts make rather drastic inroads on beer money and all these things must be considered.

A note in the rack from would-be members and others, for the Secretary is all that is required. Join the happy band early and avoid the crush.