VALUABLE SERVICE ST. JOHN AMBULANCE NOTES PETONE COURT SOUTHLAND HIGH SCHOOL O.B.A.

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 59, 11 March 1937, Page 14

VALUABLE SERVICE

ST. JOHN AMBULANCE NOTES

PETONE COURT

SOUTHLAND HIGH SCHOOL 0.8.A.

BLOOD TRANSFUSION

MORE MEMBERS NEEDED

The fact that the calls on the Wellington Blood Transfusion Service were increasing faster than the membership was stressed by the retiring president (Mr. F. Castle), when discussing the report, extracts from which have already been published, at the association's annual meeting last night. He had noticed from the records, he said, that the Hospital Board used 83 per cent, of the transfusions, and he was sure the service was appreciated. He appealed to the members to endeavour to increase the membership. Dr. R. B. Martin, in seconding the adoption of the report, said that since extracts had been published in the newspapers 14 applications for membership had been received. Blood-let-ting was a very old practice, he said, and in the olden days there had been a society of barbers and surgeons. It had taken 250 years to shake off the barbers. Quite a few blood transfusion societies had now been formed in New Zealand, but, he was sorry to say, they were not all run on the principle of voluntary donations. Service on a paid basis, he considered, was on a lower plane than voluntary service. Mr. C. M. Luke, in proposing the election of officers, commended the work of the service. He had known cases, he said, where the transfusion of blood had saved lives. An address on the utility of the ser-

vice was given by Sic James Elliott, chairman of the Wellington Centre of the St. John AmbuL'ipce Association, and a lecture on "Ffeiemophilia" was given by Dr. Rolland /O'Regan.

Officers were electc.xi for the ensuing year as follows:—P. Resident, . Mr. J. Glover; committee, .Dr. C. Gordon Kemp (chairman),,; Drs. Rolland O'Regan, P. P. Lyncfy, H. K. Pacey, T. F. Corkill, R. B. M/'irtin, D. Mac Donald Wilson; hon. js« cretary and treasurer, Mr. C. Me-acJien; hon. auditor, Mr. Harold H. MilfrWr. PROGRES B MADE. "I am very pless^d to note the progress made by t/ne Wellington Blood Transfusion Serv jc'e," said Sir James Elliott, in his adifijress. Blood transfusion associations' 'had been established in the four main ./centres, he said, and it was probable Uhat several smaller towns would alsoj soon be served. Referring to the remarks of another speaker, Sir Jam jfes said that voluntary service was und bubtedly the best, attracting, as it di jrjl., a much better type of person. In' JBielgium, where, the donors were pa S/d, 38 of 97 applicants were rejected i g 1935, and in London, where the ser ifices were given free, only 22 were r pjected out of 591. In Russia the vie tims of road .accidents were used f^"- '; blood transfusion purposes, their bl jood being kept in storage until it i i/as necessary. He believed that cc {-operation between the associations of/'.New Zealand would be brought about;i by a conference to be held soon ancf so irregularities would be prevented!.! The service was a fine one and staojl as a memorial to its founder and Organiser, Mr. C. Meachen, who, with tfciej noble aid of the donors, had done sticbi fine work.

A very yd ell-attended' meeting of members of i the Wellington Corps was held on Tui* sday night in the Brigade Hall, Viviart Street, the Corps Superintendent. Mn. F. Elvines, presiding. Mr. F. Ward, -A! ssistant Commissioner,. and members oS the district staff were also present. J \ very interesting lecture, plentifully,: illustrated with . coloured lantern plaf tes was given by Dr. Beaumont, of j Wellington, the subject of his lecture being "The Construction and Diseases of the Eye." Dr. Beaumont ma Of', his talk exceptionally clear and discussed the subject from all points qf;view. A number of questions were as'fed at the conclusion of the lecture p. c d to these Dr. Beaumont gave very ful" V replies. Mr. WartJ proposed a very J gearty vote of thanks to the lecturer ,'and this was carried with acclamatic m.

Durin £ the course of the meeting, Mrs. R. J3etts, Lady Superintendent of the We J lington South Nursing Division, w a s presented with the five-year bar to -S.er service medal, and was also the rec i* pient of many messages of good will ai Hi success on behalf of the team from b\er division which is proceeding to>; England to take part in jubilee celebi:; itions of the Order of St. John durin g the Coronation period. Mr. 7 Elvines stated that Rugby football :m latches would be played at Athletic JPark on Easter Saturday and Mon (2/iy and he had arranged for members ' *of the divisions concerned to be on c ity. We' riington East Division. 1 !ne fortnightly meeting of the Wellin f ton East Division was held last we t.k, a fair number of members being pr {sent. The competition for the C! tallenge Cup was continued, the leader on the night's work again being M i\ W. Goodwin, with Messrs. Boseley ai id McGrath runners-up. The work o: £.' the evening was most satisfactory. 'Mr. T. Allcock, -ambulance officer, an-

nounced f/is impending resignation from the division on account of his appointment to the Transport ;Department. Members expressed their regret at thei loss of such a valuable'officer, but v nshed him every success in his new .'.jphere of work. The Superintendent. ' Mr. W. Whiteley, also expressed ,'his regret at the departure of Mr. Allcifjck, stating that his services would be i greatly missed by himself as . well as ] members of the division. It was decided that a photograph of Mr. ; Allcock be procured and kept as a peri manent:record of his work as an officer. The Wr llington Railway Division asked, tlirough the Superintendent, • whethe:r some of the members of the ■ divisiort would attend their meetings . and asffist with the training of recruits. It wais unanimously decided to accede : to the request and to give all the help 1 possilvtfe. . Mr; .F. Pycroft was instructed to make, 'inquiries about new equipment 1 for the division and to report at the next meeting as to cost. Th ; increase of membership of the divis ion was discussed, in view of the pubLic duties undertaken by the division., and especially in view of the fact that the football and winter sports season 'was fast approaching. I!sports of first-aid cases dealt with aruft public duties performed since the las t meeing were handed in by members. -\- : ; ' . ; . ■. Wlillington South Division. ■ The Wellington South Nursing Divisjion met last Tuesday, Mrs. Preston ji.r.esiding. Individual first-aid was f rue work of the evening, being superj/feed by Mrs. Gaunt. During the /svening, Mrs. Gaby presented three / service stars, the recipients being Misses R. McCarthy, F. Peach, and .■Mrs. Trail. • v : '■'-'.■ , ? ) Mrs. Gaby stated that she had read , with interest the annual report and ■ and wished to compli'Ement the division on the work it had Wone during the past year. She ex-

pressed the hope that in the event of Mrs. Betts going abroad with the team, the division would work just as hard to ■maintain its efficiency. .. ■ . Mrs. Preston endorsed Mrs. Gaby's remarks and then presented the Waters Rose Bowl to Miss Carroll.' : Mrs/Betts welcomed Miss Kopke to the. division. . • • - ; - A letter from Dr. Line, congratulating the division on : its year's work, was received with much appreciation. Mrs. Gaunt expressed , her willingness to take charge of Athletic for the football season during the absence of Mrs.1. Betts.- , ■ Arrangements were made for a jumble sale to be held on March 16. Thanks are extended to the following for donations: —Wellington Harbour Board, £10; Brigade members, £5; and Miss F. Peach, a further donation of 255. The cadets met in the early evening and practised various slings and drill. Pat McCarthy was presented with the Preston Cup. . The ' cadets were in charge of Mrs. Collins and Mrs. Miles. , : Wellington Division. . The fortnightly meeting of the Wellington Ambulance Division was held last Monday in the Brigade Hall, Vivian Street, there being present three officers and eighteen other ranks, despite the fact that a number of members of the division wez~e in camp at Dannevirke as members of the 2nd Field Ambulance, New Zealand Medical Corps. In addition, the division was favoured with a visit from a member of the Huntly Ambulance Division, Mr. C. Hutcheson, and twelve members of the Police Training Depot, Newtown, were also present. Mr. S. C. Smith, divisional superintendent, stated that he was very glad to be able to welcome the visitors, and trusted that they would be impressed by the work carried out during the evening. '..■ ■. A probationer member, Mr. W. Babington, was introduced to the active strength of the division, having qualified at a recent first-aid examination of the association! The practical work of the evening consisted of triangular, bandaging and its various application under the guidance of Sergeant C. R. G. Fuller who demonstrated the different methods o£ bandaging at the same time explaining the signs and symptoms of the various injuries treated.

Cases in the Petone Court yesterday were dealt with by Mr. H. P. Lawry, S.M.

John Kirkpatrick Wilson was fined 30s for driving without due care and attention.

For hawking goods,without a licence, Victor Frederick Sidney Edhouse was fined £2. ■ Driving a motor-cycle not equipped with a warning device cost Benjamin Pogson £1. Charles Henry Melhuish was fined 10s for driving a truck without a licence. For driving a motor-car so loaded as to be liable to cause injury to a person (a person riding on the running board), Leslie Anderson was fined £1.

The formation of a local branch of the Southland- High School Old Boys' Association was. decided on at a meeting in Wellington: this week. Mr. A. C. Mitchell, who presided, stressed the fact that the movement should not be purely in the city .but should embody the whole of the. province. The following committee . was appointed to convene a general, meeting early in April:—Messrs.' A. Thomson, J. Taylor and J. Cameron. Messrs. J. H. V. McElhinney and J. ■O. Macpherson were appointed provisional joint secretaries.