The last standing chapter of RSA offshoot Tin Hat Club is in Gore and looking for new members to carry on the almost forgotten tradition.
The Tin Hat Club began in the 1930s when the Wellington RSA started an orchestra, choir and concert group as a depression-era employment scheme.
The club grew in popularity, getting its name from the helmet that was turned upside-down and passed around to collect donations during the show.
The Gore faction of the club was started up in 1951 and current member Andrew Martin said much like the RSA, the group has changed from a war-time necessity to more of a social function for locals.
He said the group have celebrations six times a year that they call "tattoos" where there is a "tin hat band" playing, they play games of chance, raffles are drawn and a special speaker comes and talks about their life.
The speaker is different every time, and in the past they have had local real estate agent and Gore Country Music Club president Julie Mitchell and country musician Jeff Rea.
Gore Tin Hat president Jenny Lyon said they had nine tables last time, which were "pretty near" all full.
Though reasonably successful, Ms Lyon said the club needed to change tack slightly, to catch some new, younger members, so the relic of New Zealand war time history was not lost.
"We should have been doing it a few years ago," said Ms Lyon.
Mr Martin’s wife Willi said of the group, "we’re not as young as we look".
But Mr Martin said he wanted the club to progress to its next stage of life, to target some fresher ideas, while still upholding the tradition and remembering returned service men and women.
"If you don’t change, it’ll never happen," he said.
"That’s the crossroads we are at now."
Ms Lyon wanted to also invite more contemporary returned services, and their families, to enjoy the get together.
The group have retained some old relics from their past, including an old hand-painted sign, that must have been used for old tattoos, Ms Lyon said.
They also keep a log book of every tattoo with the names, performers and speakers recorded since 1951.
Jenny Lyon can be contacted on 027 305 4534.
