Page "White Guard (Finland)" Paragraph 15

The local White Guards ' function in the following 20 years — up to the Winter War — was a mixture of Veteran Corps and Home Guards.

After 1921 the White Guard organisation consisted of the General Staff, White Guard districts and local White Guard chapters.

Every municipality had at least a single chapter, which in part acted as an NGO ( non-governmental organization ) but in military affairs was part of the national chain of command.

In an economical sense, each chapter was responsible for its own funding, although it received a minor grant from the state budget.

The White Guard was active in numerous areas of Finnish life.

It organised sports activities, especially cross-country skiing, shooting, orienteering and Finnish baseball.

For fundraising, the chapters organised numerous informal events and lotteries.

It is estimated that about one-fifth of all get-togethers in Finland were organised by the White Guard.

To this end, the White Guard chapters had several hundred choirs, orchestras and theatre groups.