PLUNKET SOCIETY

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 147, 7 June 1932, Page 5

PLUNKET SOCIETY

THE HASTINGS BRANCH ( ACTIVITIES OF PAST YEAR. REPORT FOR ANNUAL MEETING. The following review of the activities of the Hastings branch of the I’luuket Society during the past year will be presented by Mrs Sunderland to the annual meeting on Thursday next at 3 p.in.: — Personal: It is with the deepest regret that we have to record the death in January of Mrs E. J. W. Hallett, for many years a most loyal and faithful member of our committee. During the year resignations were received with regret from Mrs T. H. Gill, Mrs Geo. McLeod and Mrs N. Buchanan, the last two of whom left the district. In September, Mrs E. V. Simpson sent in her resignation owing to ill-health. This was received with great regret and she was elected an honorary life member of the branch, as a small recognition of her devoted services as hono.ary secretary for twelve years. As her successor has not yet been appointed the acting-president is carrying out both duties temporarily. Mrs Sunderland entertained Mrs Simpson and the committee to tea at her home at Undercliff. During the afternoon Mrs J. H. Williams, on behalf of the members of the committee, presented Mrs Simpson with a leather handbag. Our sympathy is extended to Mrs W. Keith, one of the foundation members of our branch, who has been seriously ill for the last six months, and we here tender our sincerest hopes for her speedy recovery. Four new members have been added to the committee—Mesdames H. A. Fannin, A. R. Greenwood, C. A. Hendry and J. B. Pickering. THE WORK. There is a steady increase m our figures, especially in those of mothers bringing their babies to the rooms, thereby easing the work and expenses of visiting so many homes. Though it is fully recognised that home-visiting is the ideal way oi keeping in touch with the mothers the nurses’ time and the society’s finance are limited. A further curtailment of visiting may have to be made and the committee is at present considering fortnightly visits to the normal baby, as an economy measure.

In August Nurse Martin was able to resume her visits to Crownthorpe and the surrounding districts, these had been discontinued since February owing to the earthquake. Regularly at weekly, fortnightly or monthly intervals the following outlying parts have been visited: —Havelock North, Clive, Whakatu, llaumoana, Te Awanga, Fernhill, Pakipaki, Pukahu, Mangateretere and Twyiord. This, we consider, a most important and essential part of our work, giving mothers living in the country districts an opportunity of getting in touch with the nurses. At both the spring and autumn shows the nurses from Napier and Hastings and members of the committee of the Hastings branch were in attendance. The Girl Guides again gave valuable assistance. Much appreciation was expressed by the mothers for the help and attention given to them and their babies. RELIEF. During the past winter, under the capable supervision of Mrs A. S. Tonkin assisted by other members of the committee, clothing was distributed for 165 babies up to two years old, this being done in co-operation with the Earthquake Relief Committee. We should here like to place on record our grateful thanks to the many kind friends and women’s organisations locally and all over the Dominion who sent us such numerous parcels of baby clothes that we were able to meet the demand. We received also, with gratitude, several donations specially marked for relief purposes which were administered by the executive sub-com-mittee.

While it is impossible to mention every name we cannot let this opportunity pass without specially thanking the Red Cross Society for its gifts of warm baby clothing and several rolls of flannel and flannelette. Motor-car; On her departure for England, Miss Williams generously handed over her Fiat car to the committee for the nurses’ use, thus allowing us to sell! the old Ford car. FINANCE. Owing chiefly to the financial depression our subscriptions have fallen considerably, and it is thanks to the Mayor’s relief fund, the H.B. Rugby Union, the Elsthorpe and MaraetotaraA aimarama Women’s Institutes, the Karitane Products Society, Ltd., through the council of the Plunket Society, Mrs W. F. Wellwood, Mrs H. Gascoyne and Mrs F. E. Nelson, all of whom either gave donations or organised efforts to raise money on our behalf, that we have been able to carry on the work. No general appeal to the public was made in the usual form of shops, from which we have for some years derived a large part of our income, as it was felt that such competition would be unfair to the business people in the town owing to existing conditions. A small jumble sale was held in October which brought in £l7. As anticipated, the year has proved both difficult and strenuous due mainly to earthquake conditions, the result being that several of our mothers and babies were sent to the Truby King Karitane Hospital in Wellington for treatment, which m every case proved most beneficial. We would like to express our thanks to the Wellington committee for their wonderful help and generosity extended to the Hawke’s Bay mothers and babies during the past year. We also would like to thank the Marton branch and Seddonville sub-branch, who sent us so promptly special donations. SUBSCRIPTIONS. Under this heading we should like to quote from the last annual report oi the Marton branch, whoso difficulties in this respect are apparently similar to ours:— "We appeal to all who are receiving help from the nurses to realise that a moral responsibility rests with them to make some return, however small, if they possibly can, in order that other mothers and babies may benefit in their turn. There certainly are cases of genuine inability to give anything at all in the, way of subscriptions, but that never debars any mother or baby from receiving the best the, society can give; but if everyone else gave even a small amount and continued to I give annually, the committee’s prob-1 lems as to ways and means would be |

solved, and less use need be made of special money-raising efforts. In this connection the committee would like to emphasize the fact that there is no amount fixed for the annual subscription. Five shillings is the minimum membership fee and this is very welcome where more cannot be given, but five shillings subscriptions alone would not keep any branch going.” NURSES. We feel that special mention should be made of the manner in which Nurse Martin anq Nurse Campbell have carried out their duties under very trying and difficult conditions. We know that it is greatly owing to their loyalty and faithful services that the work has been carried on so efficiently during the year.

We wish to thank Mrs Hagenson, Matron of the Women’s Rest, for her unfailing courtesy and cheerful help at all times.

Our grateful thanks are also due to tlie Hastings Borough Council for concessions granted from time to time, the Heretaunga Dairy Company for testing milk, Messrs. McCulloch, Butler and Spence for auditing accounts, and the pi ess for continuing to give prominence in their columns to the society’s work. , A summary for the year’s work, with last year’s figures in parenthesis, is as follows :— Cases undei care, (.1172) 1196; new casse, (278) 322; entirely breastfed, (232) 251; partially breastfed, (22) 23; artificially fed, (24) 48; visits to homes, (4757) 4832; visits to office (adults), (6184) 6539; visits to office (babies), (3912) 4437; visits to office (older children), (1132) 1385; telephone calls for advice, (754) 835; letters received, (36) 47; letters written, (23) 36.