NURSES' MEMORIAL FUND

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23224, 23 June 1937, Page 3

NURSES' MEMORIAL FUND

ANNUAL MEETING OF MEMBERS The twentieth annual meeting of members of the New Zealand Nurses' Memorial Fund was held in the Council Chambers yesterday afternoon. Mr C. Russell Smith presided, and there was a fair attendance of members. In moving the adoption of the annual report and balance sheet, the chairman said they would notice that the capital of the fund had increased during the year by £l3lß, and that it had now reached a total of nearly £30,000. Although the capital fund was increasing somewhat slowly he felt that in the course of time it was going to reach a large amount. He knew of his own knowledge that certain assistance was being given to the fund in wills, and no doubt many others were also making provision in this direction. That being so, he was satisfied that the fund would continue to grow, and would be of great help in the future to those nurses who required some assistance. Since the inception of the fund a sum of no less than £ 17,000 had been distributed in relief to sick nurses. They could therefore realise what a great amount of comfort and happiness had been given to these nurses, and it went to show that the establishment of the fund had been well worth while. The correspondence received by the committee from time to time fully proved that the relief given had been a great comfort. It was gratifying to notice in the accounts that the contributions from the nurses' associations had increased in amount, and also that there had been an increase in the number of as- j sociations contributing. This indi-; cated a real interest in the fund, and also a spirit of sacrifice on the part of the nurses, because a great many of them would not necessarily obtain any benefit jfrom the fund. The expenses had been kept down to a minimum during the year, only totalling 2 per cent, of *he income, and these expenses were chiefly for cheques, exchange, and so on. Referring to the claims the fund had on the general public for support, Mr Smith said he would like to read the following extract from the report:—"lf the work accomplished by the fund were better known, we feel sure it would receive more generous help from the public than is the case at present. The fund is a war memorial dedicated to those women who gave their services and - their lives in the Great War. It commemorates the dead by giving assistance to the living who, through accident or ill-health, are either temporarily or permanently unable to support themselves." This was a great ideal, and while the memorial might have taken the form of a monument in marble or stone he thought it would be admitted that any such inanimate memorial could not compare with a memorial such as they had established—a memorial which reminded them of the work which had been done in the Great War and which also gave relief and help to those nurses who were still with them. He felt that if a greater measure of publicity were given to their fund it would get much greater support, and he thought the committee should give some attention to this matter. Mr Smith said that the working of the fund had gone on smoothly during the year, largely due to the excellent work of their honorary secretary, Mrs H. W. Bundle, and their honorary treasurer, Mr James A. M'Kinnon. These two officers carried out their work in a most efficient manner, and the committee had the utmost confidence in them. During the past 20 years it was interesting to record, said Mr Smith, that the fund had had only two honorary secretaries and two honorary treasurers. The first secretary had been Miss Helen Williams and the first treasurer Mr Chamberlain.—(Applause.) Miss Holford seconded the motion. Miss Hilditch, matron of the Karitane Home, paid a high tribute to the work the officials of the fund were doing on behalf of the nurses of New Zealand. The fund was bringing comfort to many nurses. The motion was carried. OFFICE-BEARERS

Office-bearers were appointed as follows:—President, Sir Lindo Ferguson: vice-presidents. Mr James Begg (Dunedin) and Dr William Young (Wellington); committeeMiss M. J. Lambie and Lady Hosking (Wellington) Mrs Ethel A. Kidd and Mr Oliver Nicholson (Auckland), Miss J. L. Beck and Sir Hugh Acland (Canterbury). Dr R. Burns Watson (Southland), Miss Holford, Miss Lancaster, Miss Theomin, Messrs C. W Rattray and C. Russell Smith (Otago); honorary secretary, Mrs H. W. Bundle: honorary treasurer, Mr James A. M'Kinnon; honorary auditor, Mr W. T Monckman; honorary solicitor Mr A. N. Haggitt.