PLUNKET SOCIETY.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18397, 2 June 1925, Page 7

PLUNKET SOCIETY.

OXFORD BRANCH. The Annual meeting o£ the Oxford branch of the Plunket Society was held in the Coronation Hall on Thursday. Mr E. "W. Meyer, chairman of the County Council, presided, and there was a large attendance, the hall being tilled. A -voto of sympathy was passed-.to Mrs Masaey in her bereavement. The seoretary, Mrs W. M. Denne, presented the annual report. It ehowed attendances at the ■ rooms: adults 443, babies and children 317, total 815, a slight increase on' the previous year. It regretted the change of nurse, which was not in the beet interests of the Society. The subscribers' list showed a slight increase. It expressed tho indebtedness of' the Society to the Salvation Army 'for the use of its room for monthly meetings, to tho Oxford 'County Council for a.rest room which was in course of erection; to Nurse Pattrick, Matron Lindschaw, Mrs B. .Gilmour, imd Mrs A. -f. Strang, for helpful addresses given to the Ijjocioty during the year; to Mr W. H. Evans for auditing the accounts, and for other assistance, and to , the Oxford Benevolent and Improvement League for the full proceeds ,of a picture night. During the year a very successful luncheon and afternoon tea' were organised on the local ewe fair day, and an afternoon tea. in June, the proceeds of the latter being devoted to the "Mothers' Cottage" Fund at the Karitane Hospital, Christchurch, to which another subscription was yet to be made. The rest tent erected at the Show on Show Day had been much appreciated. , The balance-sheet, presented by the treasurer (Mrs "Woodfield) showed total receipts, including credit balance at the beginning of the year (£25 17s 9d) to be £127 4s 3Jd. The chief items were annual subscriptions £ls 13a 6d, donation from Oxford County Council for furnishing £9 Ss Bd, proceeds ewe. fair day £sl 13s 6d, afternoon tea for Karitane Mothers' Cottage £l2 14s picture benefit £7 18s lOd. The exfendituro was £B7 3s 9d, leaving a,. oredit alanoe of £4O 0s 7d. The chief items of expenditure were: Five quarterly payments to North Canterbury branch £3l special donation to North Canterbury branch'- £25, donation to Karitane Mothers' Cottage <£l2 14s 4d. / The president, Mrs R. Wolff, commented on- the report, and expressed regret that greater use 'Was not made of the Society by . the mothers. Only !35 per cent, of the babies registered in. the district had been brought to the room. The Society, txisted for the benefit of all, babies,' whether ' eick. or otherwise, ■ and it . would be a good thing for all mothers to secure the benefit of the. advice of the nurse provided. Officers were elected as follows:—President, Mrs Wolff; vice-presidents, Mrs W. Skurr and Mrs R. Henderson; secretary, Mr® W. M. Denne; treasurer, Mrs W. H. Knowles; representative to N.C. Committee, Mrs • W. Skurr; auditor, Mr "W. H. Evans* advisory committee, Dr. Burnett, Messrs W. H. Evans and. C. E. Jones; general committee, the officers and Mesdames Evans, Woodfield, A. Henderson, E.'Skurr, R. E. Judson, E.-Lafl-sen, r~F. Manson, R. Southgate, J. Budge, J. McGrath, F. Debenham, H. Luers, I>. B. Burnett, K. Henderson, N. Lewis, E, Meyer, and 3. Robertson, -and Miss White. Nurse Hill gave a» interesting address m which she stated tho aims of the Society, and how those aims might he-achieved. It did not exist for the benefit of eick babies alone. It was for the training of mothers, and for securing the development not only, of babies, hut of children up to tho at least five years. It aimed to keep health? babies strong, to strengthen piny babies, and to help' toth child' and; mother. She ehowed the great importance cf care heuig devoted to , the child between one and five vears of age, a very critical period, lor if due care were not exercised thia period, all the care exercised on babyhood would be' wasted. . k _ Dr. Burnett urged the importance ol a dental clinic at the school. apd said that if the Society provided the room there would to less- difficulty in securing the gratulated the branch on its progress and the evidence of public support. _ She . contrasted the condition of the . Society in 1908 with that of the present day. She the growing interest that was being, tatten, in the Karitane Hon*. She men subscribers of the Society, and suggested how sporting and other « 0C "^ B could render great assistance to the B.antane Heme by annual contributions A very successful meeting concluded witn afternoon tea-, and a comprehensive vote ot thanks to the apcakersjuidto, those who had in various ways helped the Society.