"THE PRESS SHIP" COT

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22338, 28 February 1938, Page 2

"THE PRESS SHIP" COT

OFFICIAL OPENING GATHERING AT CHOLMONDELEY HOME "The Press Ship" "Scatterjoy" cot was officially opened at the Cholmondeley Memorial Children's Home on Saturday afternoon in the presence of a large and representative gathering of shipmates, their parents and friends, the Cholmondeley Home Committee, the Women's Division of the Farmers' Union of Governor's Bay, and many others who have been interested in this venture by the children to help other children.

It is a little more than a year since the proposal to maintain a cot at the Cholmondeley Home for the use of convalescent children was mooted in "The Gay Gazette." The children worked wholeheartedly to raise the sum of £26 to help children gain health and strength in this home by the sea for a period of 12 months. The idea met with such enthusiastic support, that not only was the £26 raised for the first year, but there was a large credit balance for the next year. At the end of the. year £BO had been raised, and this was augmented by a gift of £2O from the directors of the Christchurch Press Company, Ltd., making a total of just more than £IOO. The official opening of the cot, which had been postponed because of the epidemic of infantile paralysis last year' has been eagerly anticipated by the shipmates, and Saturday was a red letter day in their history. In the morning a number of children walked over the hills to Governor's Bay, and later, three bus-loads of children, and many in private cars, motored over for the ceremony at 3.15 p.m. Shipmates motored from Springbank, the Seagull Club from Rokeby, near Rakaia, attended in full force under the supervision of Mr B. Ziegler. the Woodend Club sent a party of representatives with Mrs Eder in charge, ..and the Wellington Club was/also represented.

Opening: Ceremony Mrs Derisley Wood, president of the women's committee of Cholmondeley Home ; in welcoming "Lady Gay" and the visitors, said the cot was entirely the work of the children. Without their captain, "Lady Gay," they might have done good work, but they would not have achieved what they had done Without her guidance. She explained to shipmates that the cot would always be in readiness for any of their mates who needed to recover their health and strength. Not only had the cot been endowed by the children,* but they furnished the funds to take the children to Governor's Bay. "Shipmates bid fair to grow into fine men and women with the training 'Lady Gay' has given them, and they will always be ready to help those in need," added Mrs Wood, who declared the cot .open. "The Press Ship" . Mayor Miss Helen Watson, Mayor of • "The Press Ship" Parliament, thanked the committee of the home and the visitors for then 4 kind interest In "The Press Ship" work,. It was a joy and satisfaction to shipmates to help those less fortunate than themselves, and they appreciated- • the guidance.. of *'L)idy Gay" and the assistance given so willingly by their friends, and by adult helpers.

"Sister Scatterjoy" "Lady Gay" thanked Mrs Derisley Wood, the Cholmondeley Home committee, Mrs V. E. Mayor (matron), the Women's Division of the Farmers' Union at Governor's Bay, Miss I. M. Martin, th«} shipmates cot committee, and Mrs White, of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, for the help they had given. She referred to the interest the late Mrs C. H. Wagstaff, formerly secretary of the women's committee of the home, had taken in the shipmates' plans for the cot. "Lady Gay" explained that 15 years ago "Sister Scatterjoy" had started the children's movement m Christchurch. Her motto had been "Spread sunshine, scatter joy." That was why it had been decided to call the cot the "Scatterjoy" cot. Mr B Ziegler, headmaster of Rokeby School and leader of the Seagull Club, said that he h\d learnt that the more one worked with children, the. more one got to like them. He was sure that the thousands of other country members who had not had the opportunity to visit Governor's Bay, would be thinking of the ceremony that afternoon The efforts of the children had been well rewarded, for at the end of the year they were able to see that they had done something for somebody else. The aim of the shipmates was to "try to do something for somebody else" and they had achieved that aim. It was true that children provided a great driving force, said Mr Ziegler, but without the direction of their able captain, they would probably just go round in circles. Afternoon tea was served on the wide veranda, and a birthday cake, made and presented"-by Mrs D. Hay, was cut by Misses Susie Evatt and Clare Langley, of the Wellington Shipmates' Club, and Beverly Aymes. Later, visitors inspected the home, and admired the painting of "The Press 'Ship" above the Scatterjoy cot. Music was supplied during the afternoon by the courtesy of Messrs Cordery, Wells, and Company, Ltd., who had lent and installed a radiola.