JUNIOR RED CROSS
N.Z. Representative Returns 16 NATIONALITIES AT CONFERENCE Wearing a specially-made Red Cross uniform with New Zealand shoulder tabs, 17-year-old Miss Norma Craig, of Ohai, Southland, who was chosen from 16,000 Junior Red Cross members to represent New Zealand at the International Junior Red Cross conference in Australia, returned to Christchurch by air yesterday and was met by her parents, Mr R. D. Craig and Mrs Craig. Last evening they motored to Rakaia, and they will spend a few days with Mr Craig’s parents, Mr and Mrs G. D. Craig, at Geraldine, before returning to Southland. Miss Craig, who completed four years’ study at Southland Girls’ High School last year, will come to Christchurch in March to study dental nursing. Sixteen nationalities were represented at the Junior Red Cross conference, which was held in a Toe H permanent camp under the lighthouse at Point Lonsdale, 50 miles from Melbourne, said Miss Craig. The local surf life-savers, who were on duty on the beach at the time, shared part of the building, and had meals with members, and for their benefit arranged a surf carnival. They also gave members training in surf safety. A noted aboriginal boomerang thrower, Mr W. Onus, showed members how to throw boomerangs and all visitors were given souvenir boomerangs. One visitor learned the knack of throwing his boomerang and was delighted when it returned to him, she said.
Miss Craig and other delegates were given many souvenirs of their visit, and members themselves had a busy time exchanging their national Red Cross badges. Some ran out of badges and will have to send their exchanges by mail from their homelands. Countries Represented Four Americans, children of civilians who have been living in Japan for several months, and one Japanese girl made the trip from Japan with Dr. Robert Paton. The Philippines, Siam, Ceylon, India, Malaya, Indonesia, . and Pakistan were among the countries represented. Some of the older members of the Junior Red Cross from the. Far East impressed or amused young members by their “cards,” which bore their names and said they were representatives of the Junior Red Cross of certain countries.
With Miss Barbara Coke (whose name is pronounced Cook), director of the British Junior Red Cross who will visit New Zealand next month, Miss Craig and two other international representatives attended a Red Cross camp at Narrabeen, New South Wales, after the closing of the conference. The hoisting of the international flags with the Red Cross flag on opening day was one of the most impressive ceremonies at the conference, said Miss Craig. Members gathered in national dress for the ceremony. When Lady Slim, wife of the Gover-nor-General of Australia (Sir William Slim) arrived by air from Canberra to close the conference last Friday, the flag ceremony was reversed, with the lowering of the flags. Australian Junior Red Crosss members, wearing white frocks, red capes and white veils, formed a guard of honour for Lady Slim. Australian boys at the conference wore white shirts, with the Red Cross emblem on the pocket, and navy trousers. International boys wore all white uniforms, with the Red Cross emblem on the shirts. Many international visitors who gave reports at the conference said there were far more boys than girls in the Junior Red Cross in their countries. The boys learn handcrafts as well as first aid. The girls learn also home nursing. Miss Craig’s contribution to a programme of national dances was a Maori stick dance.
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Bibliographic details
Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27877, 27 January 1956, Page 2
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581JUNIOR RED CROSS Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27877, 27 January 1956, Page 2
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