RED CROSS MEN’S DETACHMENTS

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27369, 7 June 1954, Page 7

RED CROSS MEN’S DETACHMENTS

DOMINION COUNCIL MEETS

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, June 5.

The Red Cross movement in New Zealand was a balanced organisation through the increase in strength and importance of the men’s detachments, said the president of the New Zealand Red Cross Society (Dr. A. Gillies), when he opened the Dominion council meeting of the men’s detachments this morning. He said the men’s detachments were now in better shape than ever before, though they had not grown to their war-time strength yet. The voluntary aid detachments were particularly strong, and* the work of the junior movement was acknowledged to be a great asset to the education of children* The chairman of ' the Dominion executive (Mr A. E. Gibbons) urged delegates always to remember that the Red Cross movement was not just a first-aid organisation. It should be able to cope with all sorts of disasters and emergencies. In his annual report, the commandant of the men’s detachments’ (Mr D. H. Peat) outlined the type of rescue and»relief work for which his men were trained. It included air raid precautions, chemical warfare, atomic attack measures, mountain rescue work, flood rescue and relief, fire drill, and general field hygiene. The chairman (Mr F. Morgan) said the Wellington men’s detachment found it difficult to obtain redruits, but the strong cadet movement would eventually bring the detachment up to strength.