CRIPPLED CHILDREN

Greymouth Evening Star, 8 November 1944, Page 8

CRIPPLED CHILDREN

SOCIETY’S ANNUAL MEETING, WELLINGTON, November 7. In spite of certain difficulties caused by war-time, conditions, no case registered with the New Zealand Crippled Children Society had been neglected in any way, said the president, Sir Charles Norwood, at the annual meeting to-day. “We are justly proud of our effort during the last nine years,” he added. The Society had received the benefit of the very best professional diagnosis and subsequent medical treatment of cases. Sir Alexander Roberts, chairman of the executive council, said registered cases had increased from 1409 in 1937 to 4164 in 1944. For 1944 subscribers throughout New Zealand totalled 7741, an Increase of 825 since the previous year. Of these 688 were life members. The financial position of the Society was secure, and the council had decided this year to distribute £2955 to branches. It also recommended the setting aside of £5OO to establish a permanent secretariat, £350 to purchase a talkie machine and «film library, and £5OO for travelling orthopaedic clinics. Referring to the proposed secretariat, he said that as post-war work the Society would have to devpte some of its energies to a national publicity scheme, drawing public attention to the causes of various crippling diseases and the methods by which children could receive medical attention and subsequently be placed as useful citizens. It was the opinion of the council, he said, that the travelling clinics had given the Society a true basis for the carrying out of its aims and objects, and it had recommended to the Director-General of Health that the work should be extended to those districts where such facilities were not yet available. A delegate from Gisborne reported that some difficulty had been experienced on account of the diffdence of Maoris in giving information about cases requiring treatment, and in allowing them to be taken away for treatment, but that was gradually being overcome. Sir Charles Norwood was re-elected president. Mrs. T. H. Lowry and Major-General F. T. Bowerbank were elected vice-presidents in place of the late Mr. T. H. Lowry, and the late Mr. F. Campbell. Other officers, including the executive council, were re-elect-ed. The annual conference of the Society is to be held in the New Year.