Good Work For Year By Junior Red Cross

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28888, 7 May 1959, Page 2

Good Work For Year By Junior Red Cross

A fine year of service to the community by junior members of the North Canterbury Red Cross Society was reported by the centre organiser (.Miss T. G. Eldridge) at the annual meeting in Lady Wigram hall yesterday. “There are now 94 junior circles with 2537 members,” Miss Eldridge said, “and members are steadily increasing.”

Gifts by juniors during the year amounted to more than £3BO. This sum included money for overseas relief to Korea and Malaya, leper children in hospitals, the aged and the crippled. In addition, more than £3OOO worth of goods, such as new and used clothing, toys, scrapbooks, quilts, ditty bags and toilet articles had been collected by junior circles, some of which were sent to the Cook Islands, Niue Island, Korea and Borneo in response to urgent need. Local hospitals and homes, such as Burwood, Calvary, the Christchurch hospital, children’s homes and health camps were supplied with toys, books and scrapbooks and one circle paid the subscription for a magazine for Rannerdale home. Local distress caused by fire was also relieved by donations from juniors. Helping the Aged

The efforts of the children at the annual Red Cross stall raised £5l. A special feature of the stall, known as “operation cones,” was a collection of pine cones, gathered and bagged for sale by the children and their helpers. “An encouraging feature of the work of the juniors this year has been the increased interest shown in helping aged folk in the city m the circles’ own districts,” Miss Eldridge reported. During the Christmas season many circle members visited homes for the aged when gifts were presented

and carols sung to entertain the elderly. At least 14 institutions were visited.

Juniors participated too in the work of the Good Neighbour Service which supplies meals three times a week to housebound persons. School children sent fruit, vegetables, eggs and jam throughout the year to assist with the menus and on a special day, a junior accompanied each driver of the car delivering meals and presented a gift to each dinner recipient. North Canterbury juniors won first place in the post-primary and primary poster competitions and first, second and third places in the play writing contest.

Health Classes Sister I. Allan reported on the success of health, home nursing and first aid classes in primary and post-primary schools. Sixteen classes made up of 580 pupils were active, she said. Results of juniors’ examinations were as follows: Health and first aid—392 passes (111 with honours); first aid, 55 passes (22 with honours); home nursing 59 passes (30 with honours). Discussing the new two-year syllabus set down by the Dominion Red Cross for health classes. Sister Allen said it was too early yet to evaluate the system fully. The idea behind lengthening the period from one to two years was to introduce more gradual tuition with more tests, quizzes and class interest than had been possible in the shorter course. From this angle the redesigned system was more interesting and I stimulating to the children she said.

High praise was given for the women members of the Red Cross centre, liaison officers between sub-centres and schools and helpers who stood behind the juniors at all times, encouraging them, guiding them and keeping up their interest. ‘‘Without these willing workers in the schools and sub-centres the Junior Red Cross could not function,” Mrs R. I. Brake (president North Canterbury Centre) said.

Mr A. E. Kincaid (chairman North Canterbury Centre) presided at the meeting.

The following officers were elected to the North Canterbury Junior Red Cross Council: Chairman. Miss T. G. Eldridge; secretary. Miss B. Hulse, Mrs R I. Brake, Mrs M. B. Warren (representing centre executive); Miss M. Peate (representing Voluntary Aid Detachments); Miss B. Thornton (representing link cadets); Mrs W. p. Bunt (representing Good Neighbour Service); Mr S. Farquhar (representing Education Board); Mrs I. Allan (tutor sister); Representing teachers—Misses M. Tozer, I. Boyle, F. Morland and R. Hay; representing city sub-centres, Mesdames J. Tobin, L. Lewis, E. Millton. N. G. Saunders and Miss P. Haylock; representing country sub-centres. Mesdames L. Gough, C. Tyler, B. Halliday. L. Higginson and F. Turner; and Mesdames D. L. Wales, H. Turner and Miss A. Merton.