DAFFODIL DAY.

Evening Star, Issue 24005, 2 October 1941, Page 6

DAFFODIL DAY.

To-morrow is “ Daffodil Day,” the one day in the year when members of the general public are asked to show their appreciation of the valuable work being done by the Dunedin branch of the Plunket Society by responding generously to the appeal made by the energetic workers connected with the annual street sale and collection. Whether or not the activities of the society can be carried out fully during the ensuing year depends to a very great extent on the results of the collection taken on this day, and it is earnestly to be hoped that citizens will not be less • liberal than usual on account of the fact that the need to build up tbo war funds is making some demand on the public purse. The war, in point of fact, is putting more pressure than ever on the workers of the society, and therefore “ Daffodil Day ” should be regarded as another occasion for patriotic effort. Owing largely to the number of babies born to the wives of soldiers, the society never in its history

has had so many calls on tho services of its nurses. It should be noted, moreover, that the Social Security scheme docs not cover the cost of the mothercraft section, which means that those people who benefit from it should make a reasonable donation. The fact that two moro suburban Plunkot rooms bavo been opened (in Mornington and Roslyn) gives an indication of the everincreasing scope of the work. The annual report points out that the greater demand on the services of the society made it necessary to enlarge tho staff. Apart from tho help given to mothers during tho early nursing period good progress has been made in developing the best methods of caring for children of the “toddler” age. As this in itself is a work which has a direct bearing ou the shaping of many a child’s destiny, it is worthy of the utmost public encouragement. A further indication that the Plunket Society is playing an important part in the war effort can be gleaned from tho information that, under the emergency precautions scheme, important duties have been assigned to the society’s workers. It should be realised, therefore, that the street appeal being made to-morrow will have a decided patriotic flavour.