THE NURSERY

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 3828, 10 May 1913, Page 4

THE NURSERY

GOVERNMENT HEALTH CAMPAIPN.

In Juno, 1912, tho Minister of Public Health, struck by the steady decline in the infantile death -rate, and recognising that tho Society for the Health of Women and Children was performing a beneficent public function wherever it had been established, decided that the work should bo still further extended. For this, purpose he arrange that Dr Truby King, tho founder of tho Society, should bo released from his other official duties in order to undertake an extensive loc'turing tour throughout tho whole Dominion, with tho object of sotting up permanent organisations in every place visited, for the purpose of carrying on tho work. Local committees were to be formed in every township where a body a earnest women could bo got together who would devote themselves to furthering tho welfare of tho women and children in their neighborhood, in tho direction indicated by the aimg imd objects of the Society, as set forth on the inside of tho cover of this report.

REPRESENTATIVE COMMITTEES

In tho formation of committees special emphasis was laid on tho necessity of members being as widely representative as including all religious sects and all classes of tho community.' From ono centre it was expected' that a Plunkei Nurse could -work the townships within a radius, of 50 miles or so. The nurse would bo resident at the centre, and would make.periodical visits to the neighboring towns and tho outlying districts, every week, every month, every quarter, or every six months or so according to circumstances. The local committee in each case would arrange matters beforc-

hand—visits to schools, mothers’ meetings, demonstrations, homes to be visited, etc.—so that tho utmost use could bo made of the nurse’s time. Between tho nurse’s visits the local committee would carry on the work. • It ■is usually found possible in every community to secure ono or two capablo, large-hearted women who, haying gained knowledge or received benefit themselves, prov able and willing to assist their neighbors. Besides tho lectures, and the establishment of committees and Plunket nurses, the Minister of Public Health wished Dr King to get into touch with the local newspapers in each centre, so that tho circulation of' tho Society’s “Our Babies” column might bo still further extended.

LECTURING TOUR, Dr and Mrs King started on tho campaign last July, and concluded it in December. Their journeyings extended from Whangarci and Dargaville iff the north to the Bluff and Orepuki in the south. Over 60 now committees wore formed, making up tho branches of the Society to 70 in all. Ono hundred public lectures were delivered most of them being illustrated by lantern slides, and 26 committee meetings were attended, where addresses were delivered, questions answered, and plans for working discussed. Tho newspaper editors were called on in tho various places visited, and, besides proving most sympthetic, practically all of them agreed to help on tho work of the Society by publishing tho weekly “Our Babies” column. In, localities where branches of the Society already oxisted, meetings had been, arranged beforehand by the local eoihmitteos, In order to effect this, many of tho members had gone round the country at great personal expense and trouble, addressing meetings, arousing interest, and assuring good attendances by getting togeither committees to arrange matters ahead. This greatly facilitated the work of the lecturer, and added much to the success of the tour, as most of the temporary committees formed the basis of tho permanent associations. ■ln districts where such preliminary work had not been done the task was much harder, because leading people and tliose likely to bo interested had to bo sought out personally and interviewed, and all arrangements for lectures, etc., had to be made. However, in most places in the Dominion the Society already had some ardent supporters, and many babies were brought to tho meetings who had been reared on the lines advocated by tV< Society for the Health of Women and Children, or, as the mother often pul it, “Ho was brought up on tho Sec tty’s book.”

INCLINING AND TRAINING SCHOOL-GIRLS FOR HOME LIFE.

Every year more and more attenyon is being given by tho Society as a wholo to co-operating wtiii educational authorities with a view to kindling and quickening tho interest," feeling, and capabilities of girls in the direction of homo life, especially in matters affecting their own health and happiness and bearing on tho caro and nurture of babies and little children. *■ In tho eourso of their recent tour of t!io Dominion, Dr and Mrs Truby King visited a n'tunbor of schools, and addresses on “Health and Fitness” were given both to boys and girls. They found that by far the keenest interest and enthusiasm were manifested where girls wero given a living demonstration on babyhood, everything shown being referred directly or indirectly to a real live, winsome baby brought into the classroom fot tho purpose by ono of tho Society’s nurses. This has also been tho experience where it has been tried by the Plunket nurses themselves; and the master of one of our leading Technical Schools has assured us that the influence of a well-thought-out sympathetic series of such talks an practical demonstrations given by the local Plunket nurse to the girls and young women of his own school proved most welcome, attractive and beneficent in its influence.