PATEA PLUNKET SOCIETY

Patea Mail, Volume XLVIII, 1 June 1925, Page 3

PATEA PLUNKET SOCIETY

baby competition A CONSPICUOUS SUCCESS The annual Plunkct Social Afternoon, with which was combined a Baby Show, was held in St. George’s Sunday Schoolroom on Friday, May 29th, and proved a conspicuous success. The committee was greatly surprised and pleased at the large number of mothers and friends who availed themselves of the invitation to be present. The schoolroom, which in previous years had easily accommodated everyone, was taxed to overflowing. During the afternoon, musical items, which were much enjoyed, were given by the following: —Mrs Moss (songs), Mrs Carey and Miss J. Shcild (piano duct). A dance in Early Victorian costume by Joan Ncilson was also a feature of the afternoon. The baby competition resulted as follows: — UP TO SIX MONTHS Boys —Baby Tinney. Girls—Baby Findlay. . SIX MONTHS TO ONE YEAR ■ Boys—Baby Tcnnet. ; Girls —Baby Murdock. 12 MONTHS TO 18 MONTHS Boys —Baby Railton. Girls —Baby Roots. The competition was in charge of Mcsdames Crabbe and Tcnnct, who left no stone unturned to make it a success. ■ Prizes for the competition were kindly donated by Mcsdames W. F. Shcild, Tennot, Crabbo, Roberts and L. Honcyfield. Afternoon tea was dispensed by the members of the Society, and later, Plunkct Nurse Smith addressed the meeting. ■

Nurse Smith said she regretted that the time she had to give to Patea people each Friday was so short. She then went on to speak of children's needs. Those were correct feeding, recreation, suitable clothing, hygiene and moral and religious training. Practically all babies were boru healthy, and it was a mother’s responsibility to keep her babe healthy. If a mother could not naturally feed her child, then it should be given the nearest substitute —humanised milk. This was the result of years of patient investigation by the author ot the system,—Sir Truby King. No one would buy continually for his own use tinned meat,. tinned fish and tinned milk —why then give a baby tinned or dried food? As to the use of the dummy, the speaker ■ said she would burn everyone she could find. Mothers sometimes said that a dummy would stop a child crying, but the thing to do was to find out why the child was crying. Continuing, Nurse Smith said that she was once called in to see a sick baby, and on asking the mother if she used a dummy, she was told emphatically “No,” the reason being that she knew of someone who had used one for her child. It was very ill, and several doctors were' Called in. ‘ No diagnosis' could bo arrived at, and finally one doctor cut open the baby's dummy. He: fpuud the interior full of filth, and positively crawling. This was an exceptional ease, but however carefully a mother boiled the dummy, two or three times a day, even, flies _ were always about, and it was impossible to keep it sterile. Nurse Smith brought her lecture to a close by saying that she hoped mothers would not wait till their babies were really ill before coming for advice. Just recently a Pluuket mother had told her how much easier it was to look after her baby now she had got it into regular habits. The President (Mrs Sheild) then addressed the meeting, and said she was sure everyone present had thoroughly enjoyed the nurse’s talk to them, and thanked her very much. Mrs Sheild also thanked the smothers and friends for their attendance, and said that the mothers had far exceeded the committee’s hopes. Next year, she Was sure, they would have to engage the Supper Boom of the Town Hall. They were very pleased that the work was growing so well, and new members coming forward. The rooms were kept busy, and as an instance she quoted the sales of Plunket Emulsion. During the last six mouths the sales had totalled £9. The nurse’s advice was always free, and shs was always glad to help any who asked for assistance.