RED CROSS SOCIETY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25866, 9 June 1945, Page 3

RED CROSS SOCIETY

ANNUAL MEETING OF CENTRE Mr Charles V. Smith presided over a large attendance of members at the annual meeting of the Otago centre of the New Zealand Red Cross Society on Thursday afternoon.' Moving the adoption of the annual report and balance sheet, the chairman said the membership of the centre was now 1700. He paid a ' tribute to the various sub-centres for their co-operation and added that during the year these subcentres had loyally carried out Red Cross activities. At present the V.A.’s in the province totalled 417 financial members, and from Otago 23 were overseas, 38 had joined the civil nursing reserve, 28 had taken up their general training and 12 had taken maternity and Karitane training. V.A.’s had assisted When calls had been made for help by the lady superintendent of the Dunedin Public Hospital. Tile transport detachment with a membershio of 30 was doing excellent work. In addition to meeting sick and wounded returned servicemen, pensions men were conveyed to hospital for treatment, and outings were arranged for the men in hospitals and the sick and wounded living in their own homes.

Tlie Junior Red Cross activities, said Mr Smith, had shown a considerable increase, the number of circles in Otago being 38, with an' approximate membership of 837. Sixteen new circles had been formed since the Junior Red Cross organiser commenced work in May of last year. The guild work throughout the province had continued steadily and congratulations had been extended to all sub-centres for their loyal support during the year. Refugee work had increased, a total number of 508 cases having been despatched to the British Red Cross since the outbreak of war. Tire speaker also thanked the sub-centres for their activities in connection with the Hospital canteen and the Ocean Beach remedial centre. Activities carried out in conjunction with the Order of St. John and the New Zealand Red Cross Society, Mr Smith said, had included weekly visits to the Hogpital for the distribution of cigarettes. and other comforts, and participation in guild sewing, which consisted in supplying thousands of hospital garments, including woollen articles of every description. While paying tribute to the splendid work accomplished during the five years of war the chairman stressed the importance of post-war work, stating that the peace-time work following war was a vital necessity. The following office-bearers were elected President, Mr Charles V. Smith; committee—Mrs R. Dawson, Miss E.* L. Wilkin and G. Powley and Mr J. W. Smeaton (Dunedin), Mrs W. H. Elliot (Clarendon), Mrs R, J. E. Smith (Ranfurly), Mrs Drew Miller (Balclutha), Mrs G F. McKellar (St. Clair-Caversham), Mrs T. M. Drain (Anderson’s Bay-Toma-hawk), and Miss J. Stokes (Lawrence).