CHILD WELFARE

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 266, 5 August 1932, Page 8

CHILD WELFARE

Health Camp at Otaki FINANCE PROBLEM ; Undoubted Value of Effort i YEAR’S WORK IN REVIEW ••The value of this work must appeal to the community,” said the ! Minister of Health, Hon. J. .A. ; Young, at the first annual meeting j of the Wellington Children’s Health ! • Camp Association. “I have no doubt that its progress will be eternal and great as long as we have civilised ■government in this country. ’ . Mr. Young said that the greatest alm and happiness In family life was the care of the children; to see that they were brought Into the world and launched with a sound constitution preparatory to the healthy development of the mentality later in life. In that respect the community had its responsibilities. There were, however, through economic or other reasons, cases where children were not given that reasonable opporttihity for development, and the acquisition of good health and a sound con'stitutibn, ‘,, . . ! The Minister praised the efforts of the association, and spoke of the splendid work done by Dr. Elizabeth Gunn and Dr. Ada Paterson in treating children suffering from malnutrition. He emphasised the nature of the discipline imposed on the children in the health camps at Tuakina and elsewhere. He also eulogised similar work that was being done in Canterbury, the Waikato, and by the Sunshine League in Auckland. He hoped that people would recognise this useful and beneficial work to create healthy children, and that those who could would devote at least some of their wealth to enable this magnificent work to be carried on. Worthy Institution. ; The Mayor, Mr. T. 0. A. Hislop, who occupied the chair, moved the adoption of the annual report and balance-sheet He traced the formation of the association in 1929 up to the present time, and said that the movement was now firmly established.' Its basic idea was that prevention was better than cure, having for Its 'object the provision of a chance tp chib, dren of poor parents to have an occasional holiday in the country under controlled conditions. Such children: as they handled were not those who were actually ill; the movement ensured that children suffering from lackof nutriment and unfortunate environment should be given an opportunity to develop naturally in good healthy surroundings. It had already justified itself. The camp at Otaki was started early this year, and a large number of children had been accommodated. The result of a four weeks’ course was simply astounding, and made them all realise what could be done with care and good food under healthy, wellordered conditions. There were definite proofs of the benefits of the care and treatment the camp afforded such children. "I am happy to think that this has been the case.” ( Mr. Hislop. “and that the people of Wellington can now be looked to with renewed confidence to support this very worthy institution that is doing so much for child welfare.” . < Public-spirited Man. In seconding the motion, Dr, H. E. Gibbs acknowledged the association’s great debt of gratitude to Mr. Byron Brown for the gift of land at Otaki he had made for this purpose and to the Government for the useful hospital it had brought down from Rotorua and re-erected at Otaki. Both were gifts of very great potential value for the children of this community. Perhaps because they had come by the camp so easily, the people did not value it so much as if it had necessitated greater effort. Finance Chief Difficulty. I • “Our chief difficulty is finance,” said Dr. Gibbs. “We started with no funds and no endowment of any kind Ito carry on. As a matter of fact, we started In debt, taking a chance that money would come in from the sale ■of health stamps. A start was made (with 55 children, who were taken in for four weeks, without any adequate finance, but through the help of the Otaki people and the farmers of the district we were able to carry on. • “We are now hoping that the ladies ‘committee, which will act as an auxiliary, will assist in this regard,” said Dr. Gibbs. “The Smith Family showed us how to finance the thing by getting .people to adopt children, and we hope later on to be able to take in 100 children week by weeK, and so keep the camp open the year round. I do not feel that we can take any more with safety. I hope that now we have gained the confidence of the people of Wellington finance will not be so difficult in the future.” . . Mr. J. J. Clark, representing the Education Board, suggested that 1/- per head per year on the 28.0U0 children attending the Wellington schools would finance the health camp, and proposed that something on those lines might be tried through the Education Board. Mr. E. S. Hylton, secretary of the Education Board, said that the Government was helping the association materially by supplying two teachers, providing a grant equal to that given to a school with the same attendance, and providing books and school equipment for the camp. He expressed the association’s thanks to the Minister in that regard ‘ Election of Officers.

The election of officers resulted as follows: — Patron, the Minister of Health, the Hon. J A. Young: president, His Worship the Mayor, Mr. T. C. A. Hislop: vice-president, Mr. Bryon Brown: honorary vice-presi-dents. Lady Myers. Mrs. H. E. Gibbs. Dr. W. E. Herbert. Lady Buckleton. Sir Truby King. Mrs. Macarthy Reid. Mrs. J. S. Elliott, Mrs. J. P. Firth. Mrs. Alex Grav. Mrs. P. Fraser. Lady McGavin. Mrs. Colin Holmes, Dr. Agnes Bennett, the Mayoress of Wellington. Mrs. T. C. A. Hislop, the

Mayor of Otaki, Mr. C. Atmore. Honourable Dr. W. E. Collins. Mr. C. M. Luke. Mrs. Colin Holmes, Mrs. Henry Hall. Mr. -O. McNamara, and Dr. Helen Bakewell; honorary medical advisers. Dr. J. S. Elliott, Dr. Alexander Gillies. Dr. Hugh Short. Dr. T. F. Corkill. Dr. E. G. Atmore. Dr. D. S. Milne. Dr. H. E. Gibbs. Dr. Walter S. Robertson. Dr. Montgomery Spencer. Dr. Francis; executive committee, representatives of Returned Soldiers' Association. Dr. H. E. Gibbs. Dr. Ada Paterson. Dr. Helen Bakewell, Smith Family representative. School Committees’ Federation, representative of Education Board. Misg Magill (Edvcatlo.nal Institute), the Mayor of Olakt, and Dr. Agnes Bennett. General committee: Dr. H. E. Gibbs, representing Rotary Club: Dr. Ada Paterson. representing DirectorGeneral of Health: Dr. Helen Bakewell, representing School Medical Services: one representative of the Education Board and Education Department; Miss Magill, representing Wellington branch Educational Institute: Mr. C. Atmore. Mayor of Otaki: one representative representing the Smith Family; Messrs. C. H. Pinnock and N. A. Ingrnm. representing School Committees’ Federation: Dr. McCrae, representing Returned Soldiers' Association: Mr. Howarth, representing Headmasters' Association: Mr. F. Coombs. Mrs. Hylton. Dr. Agnes Bennett. representing British Medical Association: Miss Johnstoh, representing Red Cross Society: Mr. J. A. Cowles. Among those preeent at the meeting were the Director-General of Health, Dr. Watt, and several representatives of the medical and; education professions.