Northern light - 01.07.1941, Page 7

NORTHERN LIGHT
5
TOC H UNDER WAY
Within the House at Túngata (i, Reykja-
vík, a Group of Toc H has been meeting
regularly every Tuesday evening since
November under the chairmanship of
Captain E. S. Watkins. Inevitably it has
had its ups and downs as the movement
of troops has from time to time taken
keen men out of reach of the town, but
numbers have on the whole been well
maintained. Members and probationers
now include men from all three services.
A number of pre-war members form the
nucleus of the Group and the first three
new members were elected in March.
Other elections are likely to follow short-
ly. There are at the moment 11 regular
prohationers and we have been glad to
welcome a good number of visitors at
almost every meeting.
Speakers at meetings have included the
following:
Mr. F. M. Shepherd, H.M.Consul-General,
on “Last Days in Germany”.
Major A. R.Wise, M.P. on “The House of
Commons”.
Mr. C. R. S. Harris, Commercial Counsellor
to the Legation, on “South America”.
Mr. S. Finnisson on “Iceland”.
Mr. G. Lockington, of the Y.M.C.A., on
“Australia”.
Lieut. A. L. Martin, a sub-editor of “The
Daily Mirror”, on “Producing a News-
paper”.
At the beginning of April a new series
of talks and discussions was instituted
under the general heading of “Britain
after the War”, and these have attracted
a larger crowd than usual to our meet-
ings. Subjects so far tackled have been
“Education after the War”, “Re-Building
Britain”, “Health and National Fitness”,
and “The Use of Leisure”. For each of
these we have adopted the Toc H prin-
ciple of “bringing the expert to the group”
and we owe a debt of real gratitude to
our fine mixed bag of speakers who have
given a magnificent lead to what has al-
ready proved a most interesting and
thought-provoking series. So far we have
been privileged to listen to Lieut. P. Falk,
Able-Seaman C. G. Organ, L/Cpl. F. R.
Stevenson, Captain D. Goldfinch and Lt/
Colonel J. Fleming. Needless to say, visit-
ors will always be welcome.
Outstanding events have been the Naval
Guest Night on April 22nd when Rear-
Admiral R. J. It. Scott, A.M., R.N., was the
speaker and the whole ground floor of
the House crowded with navy rnen to
hear him, and the Army Guest Night a
rnonth later when the G.O.C. Iceland Force
was the Guest of Honour. A special Air
Force Guest Night is being planned for
July.
The “job” side of Toc H presents many
difficulties to a unit composed of service
men, but the Group has supplied a large
proportion of the volunteer “hosts” who
preside each night at the canteen in the
House.
Sergt. E. Plush is Hon. Secretary of the
Group and Corporal R. P. Soar Hon. Trea-
surer.
30th General Hospital Group.
A Toc H Group meets regularly every
Wednesday evening at 8.30 p.m. in Nissen
Hut No. fi at the 30th General Hospital,
with Private Joe Prestidge, a pre-war
member from Leamington, as its indefat-
igable secretary. The Group has been
instrumental in organising various social
activities for the staff and patients, and
is always willing to tackle any jobs that
come to hand. Visitors will be welcome
at their meetings.
Unattached Toc H members.
It is likely, in fact almost certain, that
there are quite a number of Toc H memb-
ers with the Forces in Iceland, who have
not yet been able to link up with Toc H
in Reykjavík. If this magazine should find
its way into the hands of any such memb-
er, he is invited to write at once to Alec
Churcher at Túngata 6, Reykjavik, Who
will undertake to keep him posted with
news of Toc H on the island.