PLUNKET SOCIETY.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19669, 12 July 1929, Page 16

PLUNKET SOCIETY.

annual meeting.

a SUCCESSFUL YEAR

All the accommodation on the second floor of Dixieland was occupied last evening, when the Christchurch Branch of the Plunket Society held its annual meeting. Annual Beport. The annual report stated : The sub-committee set up to secure new rooms laced the new year with one dominant idea —to secure, if possible, the old Chester street Fire Star tion lor a women's rest-room ami Plunket rooms. A Her many meetings and exhaustive enquiries, the sub-cmi-mittuo reported that the Chester street .site was considered the most suitable, taking into consideration the situation and relative cost On October Ist the City Council resolved to take to obtain the use of the Chester street Fir» Station for a Municipal Rest-room and Plunket rooms. As the building reverted to the Reserves Hoard when it ceased to be used as a tire station, it was necessary to pass a Local Bill through Parliament, and the session was then almost over. Strenuous effort* were made to secure the passage of the Hill, which would have poire through even at that late hour had not tho Minister for Lands been fiod that it would Ins opposed. 'lhis was sufficient at that stage in a dying >.<sMon to prevent the passage of tho Hill, and thus many mothers on the outskirts of the suburbs were prevented from reaping tho benefit of the help offered by our nurses, who cannot reach them at present. Bitterly disappointed, wo settled down to wait until next session, full of hope -'at the Council will try to get the Bill through as early in the new session as possible. Our gratitrde must bo offered to the Mayor, who has extended to us a courteous syniDath.v in our efforts, Councillor D. G. Sullivan, and to tho members of tho sub-committee Councillors E. McCombs. G. Manning, J. W. Beanland, and P. W. Sharpenall of whom have given sympathetic attention t» the claims of the women and children. Subsequently the United Burgesses Association passed a resolution in favour of the proposal to adapt the Chester street Fire Station. We are prateful for its support, which Rtrongthens the hands of the City Council in pressing tho passage of the necessary Bill.

Ton delegates from Christchurch and nub-branches attended the general conference of the Society held in W ton frdin August 28th to 31st. Many valuable remits were discussed, and those from the Christchurch branch included one urging Karitane nurses not to advertise In the newspapers for cases when the medium of the registers at the Karitane Hospitals throughout New Zealand is offered to both employers and nurses. The remit arose through the direct imposition of partially-trained or untrained girls advertising for cases and styling themselves Karitane nurseß. The only safeguard to the genuine Karitane nurse wishing to take a case is for all of them to set their faces definitely against advertising, and make use of the registers at Karitane Hospitals, where parents will apply to the matron to secure a nurse's services.

One of the remits passed at the conference deprecated the use of the word * 4 Plunket" as a trade-mark, especially in connexion with tho canvas cots sold in the shops as " Plunket" cots. This type of cot. was discarded years ago for •tmixal reasons, and the deep wicker oots used at Karitane Hospital were now recommended. It was resolved that tradesmen be appealed to not to use the word "Plunket" as a trademark for articles designed for the use of babies. The training of Karitane nurses was extended to occupy 16 months at an entrance fee of £35, the alteration coming into force from September, 1929. It was felt that although some trainees showing special aptitude for the work were completely trained at the end of IS months, others could not learn so quickly, and would be grateful for the extra four months' training arranged for. At the same time, the Society would be more fully equipping the nurses to help the mothers and babies in their own homes. At the conference it was announced that Dr, T. Derrick, of Auckland, had been offered the position of medical director to the Society. We extended a warm welcome to him when he visited Christchnrch with Sir Truby King in November, and he has our warmest wishes for success in his work in the field of child welfare. Flowers for sale reached us from all over the country on Violet Day, September 7th, and the valuable support of the business firms and our hundreds of friends enabled us to raise over £624 during the day. Flowers were sold in the streets and stalls erected in Victoria square for the sale of produce, flowers, cakes, etc. Mrs D. E. Millar raised £64 by the sale of her Violet Day cookery book, where she compiled and sold for the benefit of our funds. We are deeply grateful to her for her tireleus work in compiling and selling the book, and for the help of her assistants on Violet Day, and also to Mrs E. Boulton, who secured many of the necessary advertisements. We also offer our thanks to Mesdames C. Stringer, E. Hulme, and El Boulton, and Messrs G. L. Donaldson, G. N. Fairhnrst, Len. Wilson, and the dozens of others who helped us in various ways to make Violet Day a success—last, but not least, our sub-branch committees, who did yeoman service at the stalls, and whose efforts produced & 189 of the sum raised. The willing spirit of co-operation shown by them is a tribute to the quality of their keen interest in the welfare of the Society as a whole. In August, Mrs F. Graham and a strong committee organised an international cabaret, which was an unqualified success, and resulted in the sum of over £226 being added to our funds. This effort, augmented by £42 7s 6d raised through a bridge drive, alio organised by Mrs Graham, constitutes a record sum raised by a single member of the committee in one year, and Mrs Graham earns our warmest thanks, which we also tender to Miss M. Cooke and those who acted

on the committee, and who worked so hard to achieve success. A sub-committee was set up. consisting of Mesdames A. R. Bloxam, F. Wilding, It. W. Anderson, A McKillop, and subsequently Mesdames V. Turnbull and E. Wanklyn. to take charge of the collection of silver paper which was appealed for from the public. Boxes were placed at various schools, club-houses, business nouses, and in populous parts of the City, where silver paper could be collected. These boxes are cleared at intervals, and the paper is then stored at the Plunket rooms in petrol boxes, and subsequently sorted and packed in a room at Woolston House, very kindly lent for the purpose by Mr C. M Ollivier. When sufficient boxes are packed they will all be shipped to England and sold to a dealer in London. Our objective at present is a ton of paper—the market price of which varies according to the kind of paper —and to secure this amount the labour is amazing. Our grateful thanks are offered to the many wLe have sent us silver paper anonymously. Packets, large and small, reach us from time to time, and this report is our only means of thanking the donors. In holding a "Mothers' Doy" your committee was actuated by two strong motives —one to arrange for Sir Truby King and Dr. Derrick to meet the parents of our Plunket babies. Through the kindness of Sir Heat-on pud Lady Rhodes the garden at Elmwood was lent to us for this occasion —your committee acted as hostesses, and about four hundred parents and subscribers were present. Afternoon tea was served on the lawn, and in a tent an exhibition of ideal food and clothing for the pre-school child was shown by the matron of Karitane Baby Hospital and the Plunket nurses, assisted by the Papanui committee. In April last, a sub-branch was formed in Opawa. Mrs J. G. Hawkins was elected president, Mrs J. Tait hon. secretary, Mrs Gordon Lucas lion, treasurer, and a strong committee was set up to interest itself in the work. Unfortunately, Mrs J. G. Hawkins could act only until she went to Wellington to live, and Opawa lost her valuabe services as president. Mrs Tait, however, stepped into the breach and has most ably carried on with the work which Mrs Hawkins began so successfully. In February Mrs John Deans held a drawing-room meeting at Riccarton House, when a sub-branch was formed in Riccarton, with Mrs Chas. Chilton as president, Mrs Westall hon. secretary, and Mrs H G. Livingstone hon. treasurer. A very strong committee was elected; and, thanks to the generosity of the managers of St. Ninian's Presbyterian Church, the Plunket nurse is enabled to see the Riccarton mothers and babies every Friday afternoon in one of the schoolrooms at the church in Puriri street.

Towards the end of March, Mrs Leonard Banks invited a number of interested residents in Richmond and Shirley to meet at her house to form a sub-branch in that district. For some time past, Nurse Osborne has been seeing mothers and babies at the schoolroom in the Presbyterian Church in Randall street Here we are again indebted to the generosity of the managers of the church, who have made this possible. Many residents relt it was time to set up a sub-branch to take an interest in the work, and a strong committee was elected, with Mrs Banks as president, and Mrs J. F. Poulton as hon. secretary and treasurer.

Through having set up three new sub-branches during the year, our committee has been strengthened by the addition of Mesdames J. Tait, L. JJanks, and our old friend, Mrs C. Chilton, whom wo aro so glad to have represented on our committee again. Mrs J. G. Hawkins'b resignation was received with great regret when she left Christchurch. Her enthusiasm for tho work was so great that we hope she will continue to interest herself in it elsewhere.

It was a matter of congratulation when we obtained the services of Miss M. V. Gibson as assistant honorary treasurer, and she has been a great help to Mrs Godby. We were glad to welcome Mrs Algar Williams back again on the committee after an absence of moro than a year, also Mrs Kenneth Ballantyne and Adjutant Nairn, new members of the committee.

Mrs Leonard Clark has returned to New Zealand and resumed duty on the Committee. We are grateful to Mrs A. R. Bloxam for acting during Mrs Clark's absence, and also for the strenuous work she has put in as convener of the Silver Paper Committee. Mesdames F. Graham, K. Ballantyne, Algar Williams, and Miss M. Cooke were appointed to a sub-eommittee to take charge of the Plunket rooms.

Leave of absence for four months was granted Mrs H. R. Smith, to enable her to visit Honolulu in the interests of the Plunket Society. During her absence Mrs Len Wilson acted as her deputy at our meetings. Mesdames F. Graham and J. Robertson were appointed to the Hospital House Committee during the year.

In moving the adoption of the annual report the Mavor. who presided, said that it was pleasing that they had with them Dr. T. Derrick, of Auckland, Medical Director of the Society. Mr Archer said he had another engagement —a smoke concert —and he was not going to say it was more attractive to him.. (Laughter.) Miracles were worked" in the Karitane Home, which was one of their most interesting institutions. The child question should be looked at from the point of view of the community, as well as that of the individuai mother and home. We had to cultivate a larger self. The number of requests he had from mothers during the war to pray for their sons as individuals rather disgusted him. He had made a rule in his own life and home never to pray for his own boy. except as one of the boys. He did not want him to have any greater security or better time than that of all the other boys who went awav to the Front. The Mayor said he considered the bal-ance-sheet quite sat'sfactory. He noticed there was a small debit balance. This was doe to the subtlety of the president and secretary, he felt sure, for they knew such a state of affairs always appealed better to the public than a substantial credit balance. Four New Branches. Mr H. W. Gourlay seconded the motion. That the work of the society had progressed was certain, he said. Three new branches had been opened in the past year, and a fourth since the report was published. He said the Plunket Societv was carrying out its work in a wonderful way. It was amazing that it could carry on so successfully with such a precarious source of income. Many business men would like to know this secret of the society. Its efforts should elicit the admiration and support of mere man. He hoped that one day the societv would have as quarters a building which would be a monument to Sir Truby King. The motion was carried unanimously. Election of Officers, The following officers for the ensuing year, proposed by the Mayor, were elected en bloc:—President. Mrs J. Cracroft Wilson; vice-presidents, Mesdames E. Boulton, E. Cordner, and J. S. Neville; active members of committee. Mesdames A. S. Adams, G. Aitken, J. K. Archer, H. D. Aeland, L. Clark, F. Graham. P. Greenwood, A. W. Beaven. A. R. Bloxam. E. Garland, E. Harris, O. Rennie, J. Tait, J. McCombs, H. Mcintosh, G. M. Lester, A. McKillop, C. M. Ollivier, J. Robertson J. Studholme, R M. Morten, H. R. Smith. J. Stevenson. H. T. J. Thacker, V. Turnbull, F. Wilding.

E. NVankivn, H. Ballin, A. F. Wright, Hallows Wood, A. Bunz, C. Chilton, L. Banks, Algar Williams, and K. Ballantyne, Adjutant Nairn, and the Misses It. Muir, Ward, and Trotter; country members: Mesdames A. B1 unden, N. McGillivray. F. B Lane, B. Gilmour, and H. A. Knight; honorary members: Mesdames R. W. Anderson, A. Bovle, J. Deans. F. H. Pyne, G. Rhodes, and Miss R. Tabart; honorary secretary. Mrs Cecil Wood; assistant honorary secretary. Miss Cooke; honorary treasurer, Mrs M. H. Godby; assistant honorary treasurer. Miss MV. Gibson; Advisory Board: Messrs H. D. Acland, A H. Bristed, W. H. Clark. G. L. Donaldson, M. H. Godbv, and H. A. Knight: hon. physicians to the Christchurch Karitane Baby Hospital : Dt. P. E. Allison, Dr. L. Averill, Dr. G. M. Lester, Dr. A. C. Sandston, Dr. H. T. D. Acland, Dr. F. V. B-evan-Brown, Dr. B. H. Gilmour. Dr. H. L. Widdowson, and Dr. W. T. Glasgow Medical Director's Address. Dr. Derrick said it was perfectly obvious that the work in Christchurch was going ahead, and in doing so it was keeping step with the rest of New Zealand. The work in Auckland was flourishing exceedingly, and the Society was under the necessity t . increasing its staff immediately. He believed he knew how the Society kept going almost without any visible means of support —it was the devoted work and spontaneous enthusiasm of the various committees. Infuse this into any business and it would go ahead. Sir Truby King had a saying that mankind in the mass was not interested in health. We were all interested in disease, because we might all be affected. That abundant vitality which Nature gave those who followed her laws seemed too difficult to attain. We were satisfied if we had a fair amount of it, but we could not have that abundant health which Nature intended us to have unless we closely followed her laws. The man who had drawn up the aims and objects of the Society was a genius. "To uphold the sacred tie.ss of the body and the duty of health'' epitomised the Society's objects. The dedication here suggested narrowed down their objectives. It was a characteristic of life to be more or less diffuse in our aims, and it was only when concentration of effort took place that it was effective. They must dedicate themselves first of all to the fulfilment of their own life work. The Society would never have done such work unless it had been proficient. It had dedicated itself to the service of mankind. By being themselves object lessons of good health they could play their individual part. The number of people who were A 1 at Lloyd's as far as health was concerned was peculiarly small. Then they could help every good cause. He would ask those present who had not yet become members to do so. All should realise that %*>• *"!»*ket So«ioty preached the gospel or good health, and all should be conversant with its gospel. Good health applied not only to the first twelve months of life, but from pre-natal days to the last days. Unless they made themselves thoroughly au fait with the object of the Society, they could not expect children to follow in their footsteps. Fresb air cost us nothing—it was the chefipest thing in the world. "Have it for 24 hours of the day, in the room in which you work, and in the room iu which you sleep," urged Dr Derrick. He askeo them to study the meaning of the word "recreation.'"' It was while we were sleeping that Nature repaired the waste tissues, and if she did not have the means to do it—fresh air—slie could not succeed. Sir Truby King was not a young man, but he still dreamed dreams, and one of them was that tho children should be looked after by tlie Society right up to school age. Mothers often thought the child could look after itself when it reached the age of 15 months. The feeding habits of people of New Zealand.Appalling. He marvelled at the way feeogle travelling on trains could patr«hi9B the refreshment rooms at every ( station, fhe dietetic problem was one of the greatest facing New Zealand. It was one of the most difficult things la the world to get a well-baked wholemeal loaf. He had not struck one y_ei in Wellington. The clothing m New Zealand had never been so sensible as it was to-day, and he hoped it would not go back to what it was 30 or 35 years ago. Cleanliness, too, was one of the essentials. There was a good deal of misconception about the Society. How many people, he asked, thought that the Society believed that a baby should be brought up on humanised milk. Nurses could not be trained and employed wihtout money, and he wanted to put a plea to the public for support. The Society's work had repaid New Zealand handsomely Its uividend had been an increasingly healthv population. How many children had been saved from a life of ill-health! Dr. Leslie Averill briefly on the subject of pre-maturity. Mrs Cracroft Wilson expressed gratitude to the Mavor. Dr. Derrick, and Dr. Averill for their addresses, also to Mr J. Dickson, proprietor of Dixieland the Press, and others who "ad helped the Society. In the matter of finance they had not quite sucn a good year, she said. This was because they had had to rent another room and the nurses' salaries were now on a sliding scale. Well thev deserved an increase, for, as Sir Truby Iviug had said, the selflessness of the Plunket nurses had never been equalled.