Feilding Red Cross Society

Manawatu Times, Volume 70, Issue 157, 5 July 1945, Page 2

Feilding Red Cross Society

At the annual meeting of the Feilding branch of the Red Cross Society Mr. T. L. Seddon (president) stated I that interest in the organisation was I still maintained at a high level al- | though membership was now below the 100 mark. The finances were in a good position with a credit balance of £227. The Red Cross ball during the year provided a profit of £7O which had been handed to patriotic funds along with a donation of £3 15s received from the buyers of the Wellington Moat Export Co., Ltd. The V.A-’s and the executive tendered a social evening for returned servicemen, while a welcome had been extended to several V.A.’s who had returned after several years’ arduous service with the forces overseas. Members of the Sewing Guild and V.A.’s had made weekly visits to the Palmerston North Hospital with comforts for sick and wounded. Miss Small, director Junior Red Cross, visited Feilding during the year and gave an interesting address. On account of ill-health Mrs. W. J. Borrie resigned the office of lady superintendent and this proved a great loss to the Society because the successful working of the V.A. Division was largely due to the untiring efforts of this lady. Miss M. Atkinson, another helpful worker, left the district during the year, The branch joined the Crippled Children Society, becoming a life member, and Mr. G. J. Fitzpatrick had been elected a vice-presi-dent of the Manawatu Centre. Concluding his report, Mr. Seddon said that the Society was indebted to a number of persons all of whom could not be mentioned individually, but to them he would extend sincere thanks. He specially mentioned the help received from doctors and nurses and Mr. C. V. N. Broad. The incentive to membership was not so strong, said Mr. Seddon in referring to tho close of the w'ar in Europe. Although the first and still the chief object of the Red Cross is to mitigate the suffering caused by war, there is an analogy between the calamity of war and great national calamities such as epidemics and earthquakes and their requirements, and there are, too, the problems of postwar reconstruction and we do call for volunteers to prepare themselves now for peacetime service as they formerly did for service in

war and wartime emergencies, he con eluded.

The following officers were elected: President, Mr. T. L. Seddou; vice-presi-dents, Messrs J. G. Eliott and G. J. Fitzpatrick and Mrs. F. Mills; committee, Mesdames W. Green, D. Moore, H. C. D. Somerset, Churcher, Misses Crabbe and Tutty and Rev. Ferguson; secretary and treasurer, Mrs. E. Scott; delegates to the Manawatu Centre, Miss Tutty- and Mr. Fitzpatrick; nominee to the North Island Voluntary Aid Division, Miss Crabbe.