PAHIATUA RED CROSS SOCIETY.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLX, Issue 14730, 16 May 1941, Page 5

PAHIATUA RED CROSS SOCIETY.

ADDRESS BY VOLUNTARY AID DIRECTOR VISIT BY MISS TENNANT. Miss Tennant* R.N.R.M., Director of Voluntary Aids for the New Zealand Red Cross Society, addressed a representative gathering of . Red Cross members, V.A.’s and A-'Transport in the Wesley Hall, last night. Mr S. K. Siddells, president, was in the chair, and welcomed Miss Tennent on behalf of the members. Mrs Li. T. Herbert, Mrs H. M. Guy and Miss Tylee were on the platform. Miss Tennenf, opened her address giving brief details of the tradition of the Red Cross. In 1859, a Swiss, named Dunint, horrified in finding wounded unattended on the battlefield in Italy, organised peasants to care for them. He then spent four years and all his fortunes in getting the Governments of Europe to take action. A convention was arranged at Geneva in 1864 to form an international society to train aid in time of peace to serve in time of war. This society was accorded the privilege of neutrality and Government recognition in all countries. As a compliment to Dunant, the Swiss flag with colours reversed was taken as the societies’ emblem. The work of the Red Cross is : (1) To train Auxiliaries (V.A.’s), (2) To trace prisoners of war. (3) To found training schools for nurses in backward countries. (4) To promote interest in national welfare. Opportunities for V.A.’s. These may serve under trained nurses in military hospitals such as: — (1) Clearing stations for hospital ships. (2)‘ Other hospitals having soldiers’ wards. (3) Aerodromes with medical services attached, and in emergency hospitals which might be set up in time of war or epidemic. V. As receive remuneration for their services and still retain their status. to or instead of VTAT’s sixty -hour hospital training, cooking or care of hospital linen can be taken. Miss Tennent stressed the point that all work of Red Cross ‘Societies must be limited to the sick and wounded, otherwise it is a breach of neutrality.

Miss Tennent made clear the reof the Red Cross to the [YV.W.S.A. The latter organisation, she explained, compiles a register of the woman-power of New Zealand. The Red Cross registers en bloc as a society. If V.A.’s are required, they are appointed by the Red Cross and work with the hospital personnel under the Ministry of Health, whereas the W.W.S.A. is controlled by a different department of the Government. Mrs Tattle on behalf of the V.A. s and Transport, expressed appreciation of Miss Tennant’s address, and kindness in coming this distance. Mr S. K. Siddells mentioned the work being done by’ the following registered nurses in training classes: Mesdames 1.. T. Herbert, H. M. Guy, Thoed, G. H. Smith, Vaughan, ,Wilton, and Miss Sergeant. At the end of the meeting the president formally moved the motion that Pahiatua be made a centre. It was seconded by Mrs Guy, ana carried. Miss Tennent presented the certificates for the 60-hour hospital training to the following:— Misses E. Austin, J. Austin, L. Brown, M. McSherry, M. Tylee, G. Bisset and F. Buckingham. Mrs Herbert presented Miss Tennent with a box of flowers, and a vote of thanks was carried with acclamation.