ST. JOHN AMBULANCE ASSOCIATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 3250, 28 June 1916, Page 3

ST. JOHN AMBULANCE ASSOCIATION.

ANNUAL REPORT. The annual report of tho Central Comtral Committee of the St. John Ambulance Association (Dunedin Centre) contains the following clauses: —"During the year the district nurses have paid 4000 visits. During the year two street collections were taken up. The first Red Cross flay day resulted in £2610 being collected, and tho second, tho King's Red Cross appeal, yielded £7OB 16s lOd. Conations to the Red Cross "War Fund amounted to £377. Among tho items of expenditure were £7OO to the Governor on account of the King's Red Cross appeal, £S&O_ to Lady Godley s Convalescent Home in Egypt, and £377 to St. John's Gate, London. The district nursing- scheme involved an expenditure of about £2OO. The provision of hospital clothing and surgical dressings occupied the attention of tho committee, and tho work became of such magnitude that it was necessary to appoint a special Red Cross subcommittee, and ultimately it was found desirable to establish a Red Cross branch of the association. Over 100 bales and cases of hospital clothing, etc., were forwarded to Wellington for tho hospital ships Maheno and Marama, and about 40 cases to St. John's Guts, London. During the year 1495 student.'* attended tho first-aid and home nursing lectures, 904 obtained certificates, 64 qualified for medallions, and 26 for labels, these numbers being far in oxcess of those recorded in previous years. The finances* have been considerably helped by the generous manner in which the majority of lecturers and examiners have donated their fees. A number of men and students who attended last year's classes are now on aotiv* service. The number of transport cases for the year was 380. Tho work for the coming year will entail heavy expenditure." Tho annual report of the Oamaru branch states that, two classes were held—first aid and nursing,—and the membership of both constituted a record in tho history of tho association, there being no fewer than 27 in the former and 43 in the latter. Tho bulanco sheet shows a credit balance of £7. The report of the Invercargill branch states that the association in Invercargill took a new lease of life in June, 1915, when the branch was put on a sound footing. The first-aid and # nursing classes were well attended —51 ladies and 20 men receiving first-aid certificates, and 53 ladies receiving nursing certificates. The purchase of a motor ambulance was taken in hand and money raised for the purchase, but on account of the war some delay will probably take place before its completion. A large proportion of the men certificate-holders and class members have enlisted, and their knowledge of first aid has been found a valuable asset in their military work. Tho season for 1916 has started well, with 100 ladies and 24 men in the first-aid classes. The. sum of £l5O was forwarded from Invercargill for Trafalgar Day appeal.