PLAY CENTRES

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27211, 1 December 1953, Page 2

PLAY CENTRES

ANNUAL MEETING OF ASSOCIATION

“The Nursery Play Centre movement, with its sound emphasis upon the importance of the mother, and its moderate cost, has a growing contribution to make in the development and extension of pre-school services in this country,” said Dr. Helen Field, president of the Christchurch Nursery Play Centres’ Association, in her report at the annual meeting held at the Christchurch Teachers’ College yesterday. She expressed her appreciation of the vast fund both of knowledge and practical voluntary service which had been given to the association this year in various ways.

The annual returns showed that the Christchurch association, with its 29 centres, now caters for nearly 1200 preschool children, and that. 745 parents take part in the work of the movement.

A new scheme of administration by which zone officers will link directly with the appropriate officers on local committees was approved for 1954.

Officers were elected as follows: president, Dr. Helen Field: vice-presi-dents, Mesdames R. O. Page, James McMeekan. W. S. Mac Gibbon. Miss Mavis Reese, Dr. P. C. S. Unwin, and Mr C. T. Ford; secretary. Mrs E. B. Dalmer; honorary treasurer, Mr W. S. Mac Gibbon; honorary solicitor. Mr A. C. Brassington; committee, Mesdames J. W. Harley. A. R. Guthrey, G. C. T. Burns, R. Brodie, F. Pankhurst. C. A. Noble, L. Hamilton, Misses J. Hay, N. Jackman, M. Ell, H. F. Freeman, N. Tyndall. J. Mackay. A. Goodman, Messrs J. S. Allen. B. K. Dawber. G. W. Southgate, J. H. Finlayson, and B. G. Dingwall