Red Cross Appeal TARGET OF $300,000

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32220, 12 February 1970, Page 2

Red Cross Appeal TARGET OF $300,000

The national target on I 1 Red Cross appeal day, top be held oh May 2, was ( $300,000 this year, saidij the chairman of the I (North Canterbury Centre IJ of Red Cross (Mr A. B. , Duncan) yesterday. < Speaking at the quarterly I meeting of delegates from j sub-centres, Mr Duncan said , | the target had been raised , I this year after the success- j iful collection of $200,000 last j year, $36,000 of which had ] ! come from the North Canterbury centre. , Mr Duncan said the North ( Canterbury centre had set a ] fine standard at the appeal ( and had given “a good prod” j to others who had doubted a good return on appeal day He also approved a sugges- . I tion from members at the j meeting that the times of 1 collection be widely adverj lised before appeal day this 1 I year for the convenience ofI! the public. Speaking on his recent trip ! to the Philippines as the New ! Zealand Red Cross delegate to ! the conference of the National 1 Philippines Fund-raising In- ' stitute. Mr Duncan said a great deal of national organ- ' ising went into fund-raising 1 drivpc hv Red Crncv cnnintioc I

overseas. DELEGATES The conference had been attended by delegates from India, Indonesia. Singapore, Cambodia. Laos, Vietnam, Japan, the United States, Mexico, Australia, and New Zealand. Fund-raising was mostly carried out by direct appeal to the upper classes in Asian countries and the response had been extremely good, according to delegates. Mr Duncan said.

He said that in a country such as Japan, where the collection of money was forbidden by law, the Red Cross Society there held a membership drive instead, and over s2oom a year was raised from the 100 yen (SNZ2B) annual subscription fee. The United States delegate had reported that advertising costs for the annual appeal for their society were only 2.3 per cent of funds raised because of a Government decree that broadcasting authorities give 25 per cent of their turnover for charity —hence free advertising. During discussions on Biafra at the meeting, Mr I Duncan said a recent circular from the Nigerian Red Cross! Society had stated that the I former Biafran Red Cross Society had joined forces with ; I the Nigerian society and a ; great deal of work was being, j carried out. NIGERIAN REPORTS

“It has been made cleai that the Nigerian Red Cross wants to do this job on its own but with assistance from others. I would sooner believe their report on the work they are doing than newspaper re ports that nothing is going on over there," Mr Duncan said. He said the most valuable form of assistance that could be given would be monetary

rather than sending teams there.

The meeting also discussed the mobile welfare teams project being carried out by the! North Canterbury centrel which would take the form of a mobile medical clinic set up in a caravan with the usel of a utility vehicle carrying] up to 10 people. The president of the centre | (Mrs J. B. Hay) said people; with nursing training were i needed for the teams and this; included any former or retired nurses even if they had I had only little training. ! She said training courses would be beginning soon and once the equipment was ] bought it would need only a good team to put the project: into action. TRAINING COURSES Nine-week training courses' in home nursing would also ! be beginning soon, she said. I Requests for children’s clothing were made at the, meeting, the most needed i items being babies’ knitted singlets, boys’ grey cotton shirts and trousers (all sizes), girls’ cotton dresses, and children’s- underwear (new) in all sizes. Members were also urged to recruit as many new, young members for Red Cross as possible this year. Mrs Hay said the 25 cents annual membership fee was “an insurance against loneli-i ness” at some point for many i women.

“Find new members, tell them to join officially at least and sometime, when they feel bored, lonely, or depressed they might well find that a telephone call would show them they were badly needed.” she said. SERVICE MEDALS

Long-service medals were presented to 14 members at I the meeting. Those who received medals for 30 years of service were: Misses M. Bruce, E. Fitch, G. Page, B. Thom-: ton, R. H. Williams, Mesdames E. P. Henderson, F. j McDowell, M. A. Marriott, S. ■ M. Tucker, E. Wise, and E. M. Byrne

Twenty-year service medals were presented to Mesdames M. J. Cameron, M. Rhodes, and L. Williams. A vote of appreciation was given to Miss R. H. Williams, of North New Brighton (30 years service), who, aged 94, was still knitting nigs for the Red Cross.