27,000 In Junior Red Cross

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31987, 14 May 1969, Page 10

27,000 In Junior Red Cross

Membership of the New Zealand Junior Red Cross increased in the last year to more than 27,000, says the director of the movement (Miss J. Studholhie) in her annual report. There was also a great interest in the whole of the movement's training programme, a total of 6875 certificates being issued, including 1100 to secondary schools, she says. Service work by members included relief in New Zealand hospitals, help for handicapped ypung people and children, children’s and babies' homes, and lonely and shut-in people. Fresh fields for service assistance to senior citizens’ was continually being found, and assistance increased year by year. Juniors had also had opportunities in some centres to go out with the meals-on-wheels services in the holi-

days, the report says. Many had helped in combined efforts with adults in various work. Many fund-raising methods had been held. Overseas aid was provided for refugees, victims of disasters, leprosy patients, handicapped persons, and undernourished children in Vietnam, Iran, India, Hong Kong, Korea, Western Samoa, Fiji, Singapore, Nepal, Malaysia, Greece, Tonga, Nigeria-Biafra, Rarotonga, and Switzerland.

Eighty-seven cases of clothing valued at $6830 were sent overseas, as well as 3781 friendship bags, 1512 toys, 214 quilts, 38 health kits, about 732 new garments, and 5351 cakes of soap for Vietnam. Gifts for overseas relief amounted to $7,094.91, including $190.18 from the sale of tea coupons and $59.71 from stamps. Gifts for local relief through New Zealand Red Cross centres totalled $558.24. Substantial sums of money were also spent on gifts and

local relief, which did not show in the reports. Album and stamp exchanges had been made with several countries, 2349 stamp greeting cards had been sent and exchanges received, and material for overseas exhibitions had been sent to Ireland, India, Korea, and Pakistan.

A successful national leadership course had been held, the report says, as well as week-end leadership camps, rallies, study days, and leaders* and delegates’ meetings. Several new advertisements were required for the Junior Red Cross magazine and with costs always rising new subscribers must also be found if it was to be kept at its present standard, says the report. “As this is the only magazine produced in this society at present, it would seem that far more copies could be used for publicity,” the report says.