4

E.—ll

The parade state showed an aggregate attendance of 10,059 Junior Cadets, including several hundreds of Boy Scouts. Considering the long distances some of the cadets had to travel, together with the fact that the reviews took place soon after the beginning of the school year, when a large number of cadets were recruits, the musters were very creditable. 2,671 Senior Cadets, which with 138 bandsmen and 16 staff, also paraded with the Junior Cadets, made a grand total of 12,884 present. I am pleased to record that the mobilisation, demobilisation, camping, and parades were carried out without any serious accident or hitch of any kind, except that the adverse weather-conditions at the Hutt Park made the camp unpleasant, and spoilt the parade from a spectacular point of view. Schedule I contains, the results of the competitions for shields, cups, and District Prize Medals for 1909. All shields and cups will for the future be kept at the schools to which the winners belong. In the syllabus of instruction issued during the year stress was laid on the importance of physical training, 50 per cent, of the time allotted for drill being set apart for this purpose, and, where possible, to include deep-breathing exercises. In order to show what can lie <lono by a systematic course of physical training, accurate records were kept of the lung-capacities of the boys in the Secondary Department of the Greytown District High School before undergoing a course of physical training, and showing the result after a three-months course. The chest-expansion amounted to from ■'! in. to r>l in. [vide Schedule II). The results of a two-months course of deep breathing show remarkable increases in lung-capacities, ranging from 5 to 55 cub. in. (vide Schedule III). Schedule IV contains a statement of expenditure for the year. In the syllabus of training of young officers and members of Cadet Officers' Training Units, physical instruction will be made a prominent feature, for, like the military training, it is only by carefully instructing the teachers that a sound and systematic training of the scholars can be secured. In some districts expert physical culturists have held classes for the training of teachers, the latter deriving great personal benefit therefrom, in addition to being better equipped for the training of their pupils. In July, 1909, the Wanganui Branch of the National Defence League presented for annual competition among the Junior Cadets of New Zealand a champion belt, carrying with it each year a gold medal, for the champion shot of the Dominion ; also a champion shield and medals for the best shooting team of the Dominion. The champion belt was won by Bugler Morgan, of No. 1 Company, Onehunga District High School Cadets, in the first annual competition, the shield being won by the No. 1 Company. Woodville District High School Cadets.

SCHEDULE 1. Kksii.ts ok Competitions k<>i< Shtelds, Cups, and Medals for 1909. (liwernment Chalknge Shields. North Is'and .. .. Not awarded for 1909. The nine highest scores in this competition were made by teams that did not comply with the conditions in one or more respects. The highest-scoring team that complied with the conditions scored only 561 out of a possible 840, and under these exceptional conditions it was thought better not to award the shield to any team for the past year. South Island .. .. Geraldine .. .. .. .. .. ..765 Weekly I'ress Challenge Shield*. Ncrth Island .. .. No. 1 Compajiy, Woodville .. .. .. .. ..798 South Island .. .. Waimate .. .. . • • • .. .. .. 749 Colonial Ammunition Compnqy'e Cups. Combined districts of — Auckland and Hawke's Bay .. Cadet P. Wilson, No. 1 Company, Main School, Napier 87 Taranaki. Wanganui. and Wellington Colour-Sergemil 11. Lorimer, Greytown .. .. 82 Nelson. Marlborough. Grey, West- Lieutenant Alan McDonald, Ashburton .. .. 83 land, North and South Canterbury Otago and Southland .. .. Colour-Sergeant Cowie. District High School, Toko- 81 inairiro