St. John Ambulance Brigade

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 160, 10 July 1939, Page 10

St. John Ambulance Brigade

DOMINION COMMANDER VISITS PALMERSTON NORTH The annual inspection of the Palmerston North division of the St. John Ambulance Brigade was held in the Municipal Hall on Saturday evening, when there were present in addition to members representatives of the public of the city and district. Tho speakers made appeals for greater support for the work than was being given and voiced the need for increased membership. The commander of the order in New Zealand, Sir Heaton Rhodes, K.C.M.G., Knight of Justice of the Order of St. John, attended ancl he was accompanied by Mr. C. Falconer, Commander of the Order of St. John, of the New Zealand Coinmandery, Mr. F. Ward, Commissioner for the Wellington district of the St. John Ambulance Brigade, Mr. W. W. Dutton, Assistant Commissioner, Mr. E. Gilbert, cadet supervisor, and Mrs. G. W. Barltrop, lady district superintendent. The local administration was represented by Colonel J. H. Whyte, district officer, and Mr. K. G. Chamberlain, secretary of the association subcentre. I The Palmerston North Division, 49 strong, paraded under acting superin- ' tendent E. Sherry and was composed of •men, nursing sisters and cadets, both boys and girls. Owing to the fact that they were on other duty a number of those in the railway ami hospital sections were unable to be present, but Messrs. H. C. Wilson and . A. Steele, of the railway section, chairman and secretary respectively, represented that body. After he had carried out the inspection Sir Heaton congratulated all ranks on the fine showing they had made and remarked that he was sure that they were equal to what was asked of them. Great things were expected of Palmerston North and he appealed to them to foster their membership. Mr. G. Tremaine, who presided on behalf of the Mayor at the subsequent public meeting, outlined the sacrifices that were made by members of the corps to qualify for their work. On no fewer * than 247 occasions last vear in the eitv

the brigade had attended 347 cases and that showed the great work they were doing. He was pleased to see that the younger generation was playing its part, for there were 35 boys and 50 girl cadets attached to the division. Recently tho division had appealed to the City Council for the use of a hall as headquarters and the engineer had been asked to report on the matter. When that had been done, they could rest assured that the council would give it sympathetic consideration.

An outline of the history of the Order of St. John was given by Sir Heaton Rhodes. The order, he said, had estab lished a hospital in Jerusalem in the year 600 and was a very ancient organisation. Its beginning had been spun sored by Pope Gregory the Great and it had continued to exist throughout the years. Florence Nightingale, for ex ample, had been a Lady of Grace and was honoured for what she hud done at Crimea. Ho was pleased to say that no fewer than 3,000,000 people held St. John certificates. In the September crisis TOO members had been called up for service. Mr. Falconer, speaking of the work of the brigade in the Dominion, recalled visiting Palmerston North during the Napier earthquake and the fine work that had been done by the Mayor and citizens at that time. Some day, a> said, Palmerston North would be cull' I upon to do bigger work than that. The Napier earthquake would not be in it. and it would be Wellington that would be in trouble. On every Saturday afternoon the brigade members attended JBOO cases throughout New Zealand and in 17 different districts were responsible for the ambulance transport. At one time they had maintained a horse ambulance in Palmerston North, but now the work was done by the hospital and tho Free Ambulance. In Christchurch 36,0.09 hours of voluntary service were given in that way. There was also the blood transfusion service aud now a V.A.D. was being formed, the members undergoing specialised training. He outlined the function of the brigade in Wellington under the emergency organisation set up by the Government. Commissioner Ward said that he was pleased to hear of the prospects of in creased membership in Palmerston North and appealed for support foi the establishment of a sectcion in Fending. He knew that the work that tho brigade was doing on the football fields

and in other places was appreciated ia a quiet way. At the conclusion certificates and medals an ere presented by’ Sir Heatoa Rhodes and supper was served t® the gathering. Certificates were gained by the following:— Preliminary Homo Nursing: Margaret Bayley Joan Luxmore, Valerie Calder, Edna Trainer, Ngaire Mackreli, Thelma Proctor, Mary Graham, Shirley Graham, Vera Dalby, Hilda Bennett, Joy Petersen, Queeuie Beattie, Pearl Watts, Joyce Eagle, Marie Garnhaw, Margaret Wateliorn, Marie Griffin, Don Pullyn. First-aid Preliminary: Iris Thomson, Julie Eaton, Edna Thomson, Joyce Eaton.