The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-12-07 00:00:00

goal ad istrict *.; Ws.

ANNUAL DISTRIBUTION OF PRIZES TO
THE STOURBRIDGE VOLUNTEERS.

The annual distribution of the prizes to the
9th Worcestershire (Stourbridge) Volunteers
took place in the Corn Exchange, on Monday
evening. There was a full attendance of officers
and men, and also a good number of spectators.
Preparatory to giving the prizes to the men
Captain Walker addressed them. He said they
had assembled there, as they were no doubt
aware, under orders that had been issued to them,
as they had done for several years, to receive a
number of prizes which had been very liberally
Presented to the corps for competition by the
inhabitants of the town and neighbourhood.
Whatever a commanding officer may do, or desire
to do to encourage the men to become efficient,
he was perfectly satisfied that there was nothing
that would induce them to become more efficient,
than the feeling that had been exhibited towards
them by those parties who had subscribed, and
he therefore attached great importance to the
kind feeling which had been exhibited on the part
of the inhabitants of the town in presenting the
presents. He believed it did a great deal of
of good, and tended to raise the efficiency of the
corps, and he would take opportunity of tender-
ing, on behalf of the corps, his very warmest
thanks to those persons who had kindly given
the prizes. Before he presented the prizes to
the men he would give them a few statistics in
reference to the state of the corps during the
past year. They had done very well, but they
might endeavour to do better still in the future.
The number of members at the beginning of the
year was 122, that was this time last year. Since
that time 25 more members had joined, and 28
had retired, and the number of members in the
corps at present was 119. It was very satisfac-
tory to him to be able to state that out of the
119 members every one of them had passed as
efficient— (cheers)—end there was not a single
man in the corps left behind. The number of
extra-efficients was 91 ; that number having
passed into the second class. There was yet a
considerable number who were not yet extra-effi-
cient ; but this was because a good number of
them belonged to the band. There were only
four men of the corps who were not extra-effiffients
—(cheers). There were in the;first class 51, and
in the second class 40, making a total of 91 ; and
he could only say for his own part that he was
perfectly satisfied with the state of the corps.
They were equal, if not superior, to any other
corps in the county (great cheering). The
number of drills attended during the year had
been—company drills, 34; battalion drills, 0;
squad drills, 56; making a total of 96. There
would be a slight alteration in the regulation of
the drills. During the past if a company drill
were ordered and a respectable number of men
attended it, they counted that as one of their list,
but in future a certain number would have to at-
tend, or it would not be counted, and it would
become the duty of every volunteer to attend the
drills when ordered. It was necessary that the
officers and non-commissioned officers should
attend the drills as their duties were more com-
plex than those of the privates, and therefore
more difficult of becoming proficient in. The
tirst set of prizes to be given were a cup presen-
ted by himself and 19 other prizes which were
given to be shot for by the 20 men who had at-
tended the greatest number of drills during the
year. These were prizes he had always great
pleasure in presenting. It was hardly fair for a
Mal who was a good shot, and who had not at-
tended many dials, to go to the butts and make
a good score, and carry off a prize which, in his
opinion, he did not merit. But in future they
would have the prizes for drill and shooting com-
bined. He had intended to present 20 prizes in
this class, but he would have to present 22 as the
three last men on the list had attended an equal
number of drills. The next competition was one
in which all tha members could enter, and thanks
to the liberality of the people of the neighbour-
hood there were 24 prizes to be distributed. The
next was the recruits' competition, in which there
were 8 prizes ; and there was another for the
non-commissioned officers, in which there were 2
prizes. He would not detain them longer, but
at once proceed to distribute the prizes, hoping
that the kindness of those who had subscribed
would influence them to do better in future than
they had ever done in the past. He trusted that
each one would look after his own duties, and not
after the duties of others, and if they worked on
this busts they would certainly keep the corps
efficient—(cheers).

LIST OF PRIZES.
Prizes shot for by 20 members of the coils
who have attended the greatest number of drills
during the year :-Ist prize, Captain Walker's
Cup and 80s, Private Reynolds; second prize,
Sergeant Wright, 20e; 3rd, Private Hill, 15s;
4th, William Dunn, 108 ; sth, Eli Dunn, 10s;
6th, Sergeant Round, teapot, presented by Mr.
llealy ; 7th, William Cooke, hat, presented by
Messrs. Doody and Millinchip ; Bth, - Cardoe,
shirt, presented by Mr. Bluusom ; 9th, S. Bache,
barrel of ale, presented by Mr. J. Hughes; 10th,
- Lees, cake, presented by Mr. H. Taylor; 11th,
A. Saunders, I bottles of spirits, presented by
Mr. H. Roweliffe ; 12th, A. Jones, tea, presented
by Mr. Jones ; 13th, R. Morris, gaiters, presen-
ted by Mr. B. Richards; 14th, Alfred Johnson,
3 bottles of spirits, presented by Mr. Hughes;
15th, H. Cope, flask, presented by Quarter-huas•
ter Marten; 16th, C. Price, hat, presented by
Mr. Stanley; 17th, William Campbell, jar, pre.
sented by 51r. Flavell ; 18th, T. Everett, waist.
coat, presented by Mr. 1. Stevens; 19th, Chris-
topher Ty rer, guernsey shirt, presented by Mr.
20th, John Griffiths, pipe, presented by
Mr. leke ; 21st, Thomas Everton, boots, presen-
ted by Messrs. Adams.
GENERAL COMPETITION.
Ist prize, - Cardoe, Lieutenant Walker's Cup,
and A 2; 2nd, Sergeant Harris, 20s; Brd, Private
Henry Bird, 15:4; 4th, Corporal Dunn, lOs ; sth,
Thomas Harper, 1.0 s; sth, Robert Wright, casket
presented by Mr. Emery; 7th, G. Dunn, lamp,
presented by Mr. E. Breeze ; Bth, Win. Walker,
umbrella, presented by Mr. Rice; Oth, Corporal
Male, hat, presented by Mr. Thompson, Hagley•
road; 10th, Corporal Perks, fiddle, presented
by Mr. Stringer; 11th, Sergeant Round, dres-
sing case, presented by Messrs Perry and Yeld ;
12th, A. Bridgwater, ring, presented by Mr. E.
Blurton ; 13th, William Hill, 3 bottles of spirits,
presented by Mr. J. Bristow; 14th, J. Hunt, 3
bottles of spirits, presented by Mr. Allen, and 6
glasses, presented by Mr. Hatton; 15th, Colour.
sergeant Chapman, 3 bottles of spirits, presented
by Mr. Brown; 16th, G. Homes, cigar case and
cigars, presented Mr. S. Field; 17th, T. Perkins,
tea and biscuits, presented by Mr. J. Hill ; 18th,
Charles Price, trousers, presented by Mr. Frank-
lin ; 10th, William Dunn, hat, presented by Mr.
Marks; 20th, Corporal Egan tea, presented by
Mr. Chamberlain; 21st, It. Egan,
barrel of ale,
presented by Mr. J. Bailey; 22nd, Alfred Jones,
bird cage, presented by Mr. Timmins; 23rd, J.
Griffiths, rolling pin and paste board, presented
by Mr. A. Cooke and Mr. Preece; 24th, A.
Palmer, tea and biscuits, presented by Mr.
Edwards.