ST. JOHN AMBULANCE ASSOCIATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 3040, 19 June 1912, Page 5

ST. JOHN AMBULANCE ASSOCIATION.

| ANNUAL MEETING. Tho twenty-third annual meeting of the St. John Ambulance Association was held in the Early Settlers' Hall on the 13th. Mr C. E. btathaji!. M.P., presided over an attendance which included not only members of the association, but many of the general public. ' — i Tba Chairman read a number of apologies for absence, including letters froni the president (Sir J. S. Williams), Bishop Nevill, Mr" John Roberts, C.M.G., and Mr. J. H. Hcsking, K.C. He went on to give an account of th? rise several centuries ago of the o-der of which *'he St. John Ambulance is a department. The transport service, he might say, was at tee disposal of any person who telephoned for it. If a person was i able to pay for it. he was expected to cay, ; but if, after inquiry, the person using it had not sufficient means, the conveyance , was granted absolutely free of charge. The association also did good work through its classes. If an accident occurred some Person or.uld come forward to give assistance ; who had received lessons at the ambulance classes. The Chairman .also referred to Lho work of the energetio secretary (Mr Bone), who left no stone unturned to make tho ' association a success.—(Applause.) j Dr Colquhoun moved the adoption of tho ' report. The association, by its work, had solved a problem that educationalists had been dreaming about, and thinking about, for many years. No one could go through such a course as the association gave without some exact knowledge of the wonderful machine that his body was and of the wonderful. functions .it performed. Besides helping in cases of . accident ami injury, the association had taken up other important branches of work—the nursing branch and the ambulance branch. Speaking as a medical man who iiad been many years in pract:oe in Dunedin, he could emphatically bear witness to the value of the nursing scheme of tho association- Any family in poor circumstances could be supplied frcu with a nurse- who was second to none in the com-munity.—-(Applause.) And if there was an ! accident on the street or a sick person in a house to be removed to the Hospital, tho ambulance came along without a moment's uni.eoessa.ry waste of time. That hi itself was a great and beneficent activity, and one which further recommended the association to tho public. What he had said led liim on now to *ay this': When he read the report it was with a feeling of shook that ho learned the state of the finances of the association. That such an institution should be hampered for funds seemed to him to be an extraordinary anomaly. He could not say it was a disgrace to the community, because he had no doubt that most people in tho community were, like himself, in absolute ignorance that the association was in , financial difficulties. It was some consolation to the gentlemen who had been working so earnestly for the association that no sooner was the report published than subscriptions began to come in.—(Applause.) He did not believe that such an association would be allowed to languish for want of funds in a community where, in the past, it had received generous support. It had too many olaims upon them all.— (Applause.) The Rev. Mr Dutton seconded the motion. He strongly recommended to tho sympathy of the public the remarks of Dr Colquhoun with regard to the finances of the association.

The report and balance sheet were adopted. Dr Will drew attention to the words in the report: "The classes in Duuedin have not received the support which they should have done." He urged the members to <lo all they could to improve the attendance at the classes, and thus forward the interests of the association. He referred to the mistake that was ofterr made by people of giving spirits to injured porsous. It wps a great mistake. Every doctor of experience would say that he knew of cases of accident in which their work had been seriously handicapped by the foolish attention of friends who adopted this course. No mistakes of the sort were made by persons who received lessons from the association.

Mr Bone (secretary) said the committee had decided to hold the usual classes during the winter, but it could not definitely state on whut nights they would be held iintil it knew how many students were coming forward. It was hoped, therefore, that intending students wo Eld enrol as soon as possible, so that the ihJcosory ariangements could be made with/ the instructors. During the evening the speeches word pleasantly interspersed with musical itemg. as follows :—Vocal duet, Misses Inglis and Pridham; vocal solo. Mr Stewart; vocal

solo, Miss Inglis; vocal solo, Mr Stewart. Mr Facey acted as accompanist. The Chairman, iir closing the meeting, hoped they would all take to heart th« words of advice given to them by th« speakers and endeavour, if they oould not attend the classes themselves, to encourage others to join, and if they could not help in that way they might assist hy contributing something to the funds—(Applause.) Oft behalf or th© association, he thanked the ladies and gentlemen who had so kindly entertained them that night with musical items.—(Applause.) i. °" the "notion of Mr G. Moir, seconded by Mr W L. Logie, votes of thanks were also accorded Mr Statham for presiding and' the speakers for their addresses. In forwarding his apology for non-attend-ance, owing to absence from tDunedin, Mr John Roberts enclosed a cheque for £5 towards the funds of the association.