INVESTITURE AT LYTTELTON

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21686, 21 January 1936, Page 10

INVESTITURE AT LYTTELTON

DR. UPHAM HONOURED COLONEL SLEEMAN'S VISIT OF INSPECTION

A visit of inspection was made to the Lyttelton St. John Ambulance' Brigade quarters yesterday afternoon by Colonel J. L. Sleeman, chief commissioner of the brigade overseas, who also invested Dr. C. H. Upham, corps

lecturer and examiner, with the insignia of Serving Brother of the Venerable Order of St. John of Jerusalem.

Because*most of the members of the Lyttelton Railway Ambulance Division and the Lyttelton Nursing Division were at work, there was only a small parade. Colonel Sleeman inspected the parade, the ambulance rooms and the motor-ambulance, and an adjournment was then made to the social hall of the Seamen's Institute.

; Mr J. T. Norton, president of the Lyttelton sub-centre of St. John Ambulance, presided. Those present included the Mayor (Mr F. E. Sutton) and Town Clerk (Mr F. Hobbs), Sir R. Heaton Rhodes, Mrs A. L. Bishop, Dr. F. J. Borrie, Major J. W. Crampton, District Superintendent F. J. Rudd, Divisional Superintendent J. Lister, Mr J. C. White, Corps Superintendent (Dunedin), Mr C. Ellis, organising secretary and transport officer (Lyttelton), Dr. C. H. Upham, Captain F. Holmes-Edge, Messrs A. K. Dyne, G. Halliday, J. N. Neville, E. B. Gilberd, R. C. Skipage, J. Stanley, A. Stanley, and W. C. Cleary. Mr Norton expressed the pleasure of the members at the visit of the chief

commissioner. The Mayor welcomed Colonel Sleeman to Lyttelton, and said that his visit was the more pleasing to Lyttelton residents because it

was the occasion of the honouring of their most esteemed citizen, Dr.^Up-

ham. "Had it been made public that Dr. Upham was to have been presented with this Order here this afternoon," said Mr Sutton, "then this hall would have been all too small to hold the large number of citizens who would have attended." Mr A. Stanley, on behalf of the Lyttelton Toe H, expressed admiration for the work of Dr. Upham for the ambulance brigade. An Old Order Colonel Sleeman said that in the short time he had been in Lyttelton that afternoon he had come to realise

the esteem, indeed he might say, the love, which the people of Lyttelton had for Dr. Upham. The cross of the Order of the Serving Brother, which he was about to present to Dr. Upham, was the oldest in the world, dating

from 847 A.D. The speaker then gave an interesting outline of the work of the Order of St. John in various parts of the world. In a characteristically whimsical speech, Dr. Upham thanked Colonel

Sleeman and the various speakers for their remarks in reference to himself. He said that as a member of the medical profession he was bound to do what he could for sufferers. In recent years his work had been light-

ened by members of the Ambulance Brigade in Lyttelton, and all honour was due to these workers, some of whom were among the ranks of the unemployed, who gave their services so readily to aid those suffering from accident or sickness. Dr. Borrie congratulated Dr. Upham

on his investiture, and said that no one in New Zealand was more deserving of the Order of Serving Brother than Dr. Upham, who had done so much in the causo of humanity.

At the meeting of the Lyttelton Bor-1 ough. Council last night, the council, on the motion of the Mayor (Mr F E Sutton), resolved that a letter be forwarded to Dr. Upham, congratulating him on his investiture. FURTHER INSPECTION HELD

SENIOR DIVISIONS PARADE The senior divisions of the St. John Ambulance Brigade were inspected at the headquarters last evening by Colonel J. L. Sleeman, Chief Commissioner of the St. John Ambulance Brigade overseas. Colonel Sleeman arrived at the headquarters accompanied by the Hon. Sir R. Heaton Rhodes, Knight Commander of the brigade in New Zea-

land. He was conducted through the ranks by Dr. F. J. Borrie, assistant commissioner, together with district officers, and members of the executive of the association. After the inspection members of the Linwood Rover Scout Troop presented to Colonel Sleeman an ice-axe made with an entrenchment tool, for the introduction of which he was responsible A. social was. later held in, ifos hall. '