JUNIOR RED CROSS

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27633, 14 April 1955, Page 2

JUNIOR RED CROSS

VISIT OF NATIONAL DIRECTOR

Miss Janet Studholme, director of the Junior Red Cross in New Zealand, arrived in Christchurch this week. She was entertained at an afternoon tea party by Mrs D. Sergei, organiser of the Junior Red Cross in North Canterbury, and members of her committee. Yesterday Miss Studholme and Mrs Sergei held a meeting of Junior Red Cross members at the Culverden School. Members from the Waiau and Rotherham schools were present. The attendance totalled about 120 girls and boys. These combined meetings are held with the assistance of sub-centre members, who help in arranging the meetings and transport the children. Mrs Bethell, president of the Culverden sub-centre of the Red Cross Society, introduced the visitors, and thanked Mr Ellis, the headmaster of the Culverden School, for allowing the meeting to be held in his school, and all those who had helped to make it a success. Miss Studholme, outlining the work of the Junior Red Cross, told the meeting of the vast numbers of members—43,ooo,ooo juniors in 63 countries. In New Zealand alone, she said, there were nearly 17,000 members in more than 650 schools. Each year, the Junior Red Cross members worked for some specific object. Recently they had been sending dried milk to Malayan children, and at present they were sending help to children in Korea.

Nearly £l5O in money and £3OOO worth of clothes and toilet necessaries had been sent to Korea, said Miss Studholme. Members of the Junior Red Cross also made clothes for leper children in North India, and sent money to pay for tubercular children in Central Europe, to go to hospital in Switzerland.

After the meeting, the Culverden members, under their president. Avril Boot, and the secretary, Marion Craig, provided refreshments for the junior visitors. Tea was served to the senior visitors by the school staff and members of the Culverden sub-centre.