Awarded Highest Red Cross Honour

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30286, 12 November 1963, Page 2

Awarded Highest Red Cross Honour

When the New Zealand Red Cross Society made Mrs D. J. Wales, of Christchurch, a Counsellor of Honour last week, it recognised a record of outstanding service dating back to 1939. This appointment is the highest honour bestowed by the society. There are only 22 in New Zealand and the number is limited to 25.

The citation with the award, announced at the society's Dominion council meeting in Wellington, read: “She has devoted herself to the service of others, and her vision and courage have been a means of opening up many new avenues of Red Cross service.” From 1946 to 1958 Mrs Wales was centre commandant of the voluntary aid detachment in the North Canterbury area. Since 1958 she has been centre field officer, a position she holds with distinction. Mrs Wales was responsible for the inauguration of the centre’s meals-on-wheels project of the Good Neighbour scheme. The success of this service is largely due to her courage, her enterprise and organising ability, both in the initial stages and later as chairman of the committee responsible for its operation. Because of her initiative a library service for elderly persons, who cannot go out, has been instituted by the North Canterbury centre. Lonely and sick old folk are Mrs Wales’ chief concern as a home-visiting field officer for the society and as an individual. She represents the Red Cross on the Christchurch Aged People’s Welfare Council and is a vice-president. She also belongs to many other organisations and clubs associated with the welfare of the aged.

Mrs Wales was the first president of the Cashmere sub-centre of the Red Cross Society, formed in 1939. Since then she has been actively engaged in most of the society’s community projects. At the time of Ballantyne’s fire she organised the voluntary aids for general duties. She is also an

executive and council member of the Junior Red Cross in the North Canterbury district. Immediate-past president of the Soroptimist Club of Christchurch, Mrs Wales is one of its delegates to the Christchurch branch of the National Council of Women. She is a committee member of the Canterbury Mental Health Association and a provincial council member of the Girl Guide Association. A keen church worker, Mrs Wales is enrolling member of the Redcliffs branch of the Mothers’ Union and a member of the church committee of St. Andrew’s Church, Redcliffs.