RED CROSS SOCIETY

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25932, 12 October 1949, Page 2

RED CROSS SOCIETY

MRS J. MOWBRAY TRIPP HONOURED The Councillor of Honour badge of the New Zealand Red Cross Society was presented to Mrs J. Mowbray Tripp, by the director-genera] of Red Cross Voluntary Aids in New Zealand (Miss H. Iris Crooke) at a special gathering at the home of Lady Wigram, Park terrace. Mrs Tripp’s Red Cross service began with the First World War. In 1915 she was on the staff of the British Red Cross at Devonshire House, and she later went to France for a short time. The early and successful start made in Red Cross work in the Geraldine county in April, 1939, was due mainly to the vision, leadership, and organising ability of Mrs Tripp. She was the first centre commandant of the voluntary aids detachment and was instrumental in forming the 17 subcentres, one of which was the first Maori sub-centre in the South Island. A valued member of the Executive for many years. Mrs Tripp was active in emphasising the necessity for the independence of-Red Cross funds, freedom from Government control as well as fighting for the status of voluntary aids oversea. As New Zealand assistant commissioner, Mrs Tripp went to England in 1944, where she was attached to the British Red Cross Headquarters and the war organisation in London. She was the only New Zealand representative at the first Advisory Conference in Geneva, and she attended the Board of Governors meeting in Paris at the conclusion of the war.

“THE CLOTHES SHOP ” £328 RAISED The gross takings of “The Clothes Shop’ held last month were £328, with a few small amounts yet to come in, and after paying expenses, which included rent of hall, advertising and cartage, the net profit will be £3OO. This was reported at a meeting of “The Clothes Shop” committee yesterday, with Mrs J. G. Collins presiding. The money raised by “The Clothes Shop” during the last 15 years has been used to help the blind and needy and in recent years it has made grants of coal to the blind of Christchurch during the winter. These grants have amounted to at least £lOO each year. At the meeting yesterday it was decided to send food to the value of £lOO for distribution among the blind in England and Lady Clark-Hall. Mrs L. A. Bennett and Miss P. Boyle were elected a sub-committee to make necessary arrangements. Three large parcels of warm clothing, it was reported. are also being sent to the needy blind in Britain. Thanks were expressed to all who had worked for “The Clothes Shop” and to the many friends, including well-wishers in the country and on the West Coast, who had sent splendid gifts with which to stock the shop. EVIE HAYES FIRST APPEARANCE AT AGE OF FOUR Evie Hayes, who is now appearing in Christchurch in the musical comedy. “Annie Get Your Gun,” has been playing the role of Annie Oakley, a leading character in the comedy, iur the last two and a half years, and far from being tired of the part she enjoys it. 2 . This comedy was of a new type, she said, in that it got away from the old mythical kingdom idea and was a down to earth realistic story centred in America with colourful personalities known to every American from birth—Sitting Bull, Buffalo Dill, and Annie Oakley. The present company has played the comedy for two and a half years in Australia, will - pend five months in New. Zealand, and then return to Australia -for another eight months. - - This is- Evie Hayes’s first part in musical comedy, and although she finds the work strenuous she enjoys the variety offered by the part—singing, acting, pathos and comedy. She says it is “a dream part.” Evie Hayes made her first appearance at the age of four. Her mother was an aspiring young artist, and on Evie’s birth devoted all her energies to shaping a stage career for the child. Her father also gave her a theatre background, and is on the staff of M.G.M. at Hollywood at present. She was seen in child vaudeville acts and in some small film parts. In “The Circus” as the bare-back rider she acted as understudy to Jackie Coogan. After seven years’ schooling designed to fit her for a career, she went to Hollywood and played in some small parts alongside Rita Hayworth, Jetty Grable and Ann Dvorak. As she has jived in Hollywood it holds no glamour for her, she says. She was not enamoured of a film career and she is inclined to believe that the film executives held a reciprocal feeling for her. Since that time she has been travelling in vaudeville and revue companies. She was in New Zealand last 10 years ago. and on that occasion, with her husband, she did some shooting in the high country of the South Island. She recalls that she shot two deer. She gives an exhibition of her marksmanship in the current musical comedy, but is not inclined on this occasion to see sport in the wilds of New Zealand. KINDERGARTEN UNION BIENNIAL MEETING AT WELLINGTON (New Zealand Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Oct. 11. The greatest number of delegates yet to attend a conference of the New Zealand Free Kindergarten Union are assembled in Wellington for the biennial meeting of the union, which opened to-day. Mrs J. A. Doctor, president of the union, said that in two years the number of associations had grown from 13 to 18. Lady Freyberg opened the conference, which was also addressed by the Minister of Education (Mr T. H. McCombs). Extending the Government's thanks for the “selfless, unremitting” work of the associations, Mr McCombs said this activity for children was one of national importance. The latest statistics showed that 5470 children were on free kindergarten rolls. BUSINESSMEN ENTERTAIN THEIR WIVES Last evening members of the Christchurch Businessmen’s Club, celebrating “Ladies’ Evening,” entertained their wives in right royal style. Two hundred and twelve guests—a record number—assembled in the ballroom at the Mayfair, where they were welcomed by the president (Mr H. M. Bannehr) and Mrs Bannehr, assisted by the honorary secretary of the club, Mr G. W. Oliver. The club meets fortnightly during the year, but only on one occasion annually arc their womenfolk invited to join them. This important event took place last night and was greatly enjoyed. After buffet tea had been served some clever juggling tricks were done by Mr J. Williamson, and songs were sung by Mr W. Toomey, for whom Mrs George Russell was accompanist. The whole party attended the opening performance of “Annie Get Your Gun’’ at the Theatre Royal, and later all the guests were entertained at supper at the Mayfair by Mr and Mrs Bannehr, who received individual and collective expressions of thanks from members and their wives. Mias H. Iris Crooke (Wellington), who has been the guest of Lady Wigram, Park terrace, left *for the south yesterday. Mrs Williams (Hawke’s Bay) is Lady Wigram’s guest at present.