RED CROSS SOCIETY

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26869, 23 October 1952, Page 2

RED CROSS SOCIETY

QUARTERLY MEETING

The quarterly meeting of the North Canterbury Centre of the Red Cross Society, which was held yesterday, was very well attended. The president (Lady Wigram) welcomed dele-_ gates and thanked the sub-centres for their continued help and co-operation. She had, she said, just finished packing 80 cases of clothing to send -overseas, and she had received a-letter from the Ministry of Food in London, thanking the centre for gifts of food. Speaking later on the subject of food for Britain; the charman (Mr A. E. Kincaid) said that the British Ministry of Food had ceased to pay freight on food sent to the gift allocation centre in London. However, the British Red Cross had asked for the maximum amount of food to be sent and undertook to pay the freight charges. Mr Kincaid appealed for generous gifts of food, which, he said, would be packed at the depot and shippped by the local executive. “You will have read in the newspapers that the Joint Council of the Red Cross and the Order of St. John has been sacked,” said Mr Kincaid. The National Patriotic Fund Board had taken over the distribution of parcels to 100 per cent, disabled servicemen, but it would not provide parcels for all, as had been done formerly. It would send parcels only to servicemen in sanatoria or mental hospitals. After some discussion, the meeting decided that the Red Cross would provide parcels for 100 per cent, disabled servicemen who were confined to bed or unable to leave their own homes, or who were in straitened circumstances. Sub-centres , undertook to do their best to raise the necessary money for the parcels. It had also become necessary for the Red Cross Society to obtain central premises for headquarters of the society in Wellington, Mr Kincaid said. A property had been bought for £21,000 and of this sum £6OOO was left on mortgage. The building needed renovation and if this were done part of it could be let and would bring in a good, income. He asked sub-centres to make the most liberal donation they could to the centre so that the (mortgage could be paid and necessary repairs undertaken. The executive of the North Canterbury centre had decided to contribute £l5O for the purpose.

Good Neighbour Service Mrs H. Wales, reporting on the work of the Good Neighbour Service, said it was now providing 40 dinners a day twice a week for elderly or infirm persons in their own homes, and when new containers were received

from England, the good neighbours would be able to extend their work. She paid a warm tribute to Miss M. Bain and her helpers, who undertook the cooking and thanked all who helped in the preparation and distribution of the dinners, and the subcentres and other friends for gifts of vegetables, fruit and groceries. The good neighbours had, she said, recently received as gifts a gas stove and an electric stove. Discussing the activities of the voluntary aids, Mrs Wales said members were doing important work for the blood bank at the Christchurch, Hospital. The link group comprising 32 girls from about 14 to 16 years of age, directed by Mrs F. H. Grace, were helping at the creche at the Christchurch Hospital. It was decided to send Christmas parcels to the women patients at the Burwood hospital and to the residents of Rannerdale Home. Lady Wigram said that the men’s detachment was rapidly becoming an effective body, and a garden party in aid of its funds would be held at her home, Park terrace, at the end of November.