THE FRIENDS OF ST. HELENS

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27050, 27 May 1953, Page 2

THE FRIENDS OF ST. HELENS

annual meeting

Mrs E. Sandston was elected president for the fourteenth successive year at the annual meeting of The rrienas of St. Helens, held for the nrst time in the new hospital, Colombo « ee j nortlL There was a very good attendance of members, including Miss Mabel Howard, M.P., the Mayoress Mrs R. M. Macfarlane and the president of the Christchurch branch °£ the National Council of Women (Miss H. K. Lovell-Smith), who were specially welcomed by Mrs Sandston. Another who was specially welcomed w .as Mj-s Bryce, with her 10 months’ old baby, the last baby to be born m the old St. Helens Hospital and the recipient of a gift from The Friends of St Helens. The annual report and the financial statement, presented by the treasurer (Mrs Arthur Rose) were received and Mrs Bose, whose stateemnt showed that the finances of the association were satisfactory said that last year ~25 had been sent to the Queen Charlotte Hospital in London, and £25 to the Mayor of St. Helens for distribution at Christmas. In return 33 letters of thanks had been received from elderly persons in St. Helens, and, from a mother whose baby was one of seven born in the Queen Charlotte Hospital on Christmas Day, had come a letter of thanks and a picture of the seven babies—six girls and one boy. To each of the seven the matron had given a gift from the sum sent by The Friends of St. Helens, Christchurch. The matron of St. Helens Hospital (Miss Flint) thanked the members for their kindness to the patients and on her own behalf and that of her staff thanked them for their unfailing consideration and co-operation. Miss Howard, who during her term as Minister of Health, worked hard to ensure the completion of the new St. Helens, congratulated the friends on their splendid voluntary service which she said nothing could replace. Although she thought there was much waste space at St. Helens, she considered it was a fine hospital, the best St. Helens in the Dominion. Mrs Sandston briefly outlined suggested activities for the coming year and invited suggestions from members. She specially commended the work of Mrs Rose, who had been treasurer since the association was formed 16 years ago. Officers were elected as follows: patron, Mrs W. S. Bean; president, Mrs Sandston; honorary secretary, Mrs Peter Kennedy; assistant honorary secretary, Miss Hilda Nottingham; honorory treasurer, Mrs Rose; vicepresidents, The Mayor and Mayoress (Mr R. M. Macfarlane, M.P., and Mrs Macfarlane), Dr. T. Fletcher Telford, Miss Howard, the president of the National Council of Women (Miss Lovell-Smith), Mrs W. F. KentJohnson, Misses J. Trotter, A. Buckley, M. Enright, M. E. Jones, H. E. Newman, and E. Sparkes; committee, Mesdames L. C. L. Averill, F. Hardy Cookson, E. Friendlander, H. S. Feast, A. H. Hammett, W. Hobbs, Helme, Stewart Hunter, A. J. Jones, J. Lorimer, R. M. Macfarlane, Gardner Miller, C. Hand Newton, D. Orchard, L. Snowden, H. Sturge, T. Fletcher Telford, G. H. Watts, H. Wyatt, Misses M. E. Jones, Nottingham and E. Tod.