A highly. interesting function took place at the Shanghai Vol-untoer Corps Club on Wednesday afternoon when presentations were made to two senior officers who have recently resigned—Major H. W. Pilcher and Major L. E. Canning, 0.8. The presentation was on the part of the members of the Officers' Mess, and it was an extremely pleasant function attended by over 30 of the officers, including Lt.-Col. T. E. Trueman, 0.8.6. To Major Pilcher a silver cigarette box was presented, while Major Canning received a silver salver.
The Commandant of the Corps, Col. W. F. L. Gordon, ¢.M.c., D.s.0., made the presentation on behalf of the officers, and in doing so said:—We have fore gathered this afternoon to perform a_ very happy ceremony, namely that of marking in a tangible manner our appreciation of the valuable services to us and to the Corps as a whole, of two brother officers, and yet at the same time it is an unhappy ceremony in so far that it marks the -breaking of ties of many years' duration.
There is one aspect of the severance of well and truly tried members from a community that would especially emphasize, and it is one that appeals more to us soldiers than to other corporations of men, and that is "tradition." We soldiers live by tradition, it is the backbone of esprit de corps, and when an officer of many years' service leaves us we lose a link with the past. We lose someone who has been and who has seen and who has carried along with him the traditions handed on to him by past-gone members who in their day had received them over from their seniors, and so it is a time for solemn thought when we bid good-by to old comrades.
You, Major Pilcher have upheld the tradition of the Corps since 1890, a period of 33 years, from private to field officer—a fine record.
You, Major Canning, have borne the heat and burden of the day for 16 years, much of which time was spent og the Staff Officer of the Corps. These -are records to be proud of, and they are records of which the Corps itself is proud.
In asking you two gentlemen to accept these tokens of our esteem and regard for you both, I wish you, on behalf of the officers of the Shanghai Volunteer Corps, every happiness and prosperity in the future, and although you have severed your active service connexion with us, you will always hold a very warm corner in our hearts for all you have done for the Corps, for all
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.