PLUNKET SOCIETY.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 16112, 28 April 1923, Page 9

PLUNKET SOCIETY.

REPORT.

The following reports in connection with the Royal Society for the Healtli of Women and Children will be presented at the eleventh annual meeting on Monday next: —. HON. SECRETARY’S REPORT. * The work of the Society has gone on steadily during the year 1922-23. Nurse Elliott has successfully carried on her work and given general satisfaction. It is always gratifying to the committee to hear—as we frequently do—unsolicited praise of our nurse and the Society’s work.

On August 12 some members of the committee had a stall in the street for the sale of spring ffowers, which effort resulted in the sum of £32 5s beingadded to our funds.

OH September 30 we had a sale of cakes, small goods, etc., in Mr. Lysnar’s shop in Peel street, kindly lent for the. occasion. The result of this effort amounted to £73 8s 9d. The General Conference was held in Wellington on July 26, 26, and 27. Mrs. Nolan attended as our delegate. -Miss Pattrick, organising director of Plunket Nurses in New Zealand, paid her first visit to Gisborne from February 21 to 23. Her visit was both instructive and useful, a, great pleasure to the committee and all who met her. The executive consulted her on Thursday morning, and in the evening a committee meeting was held, and an enjoyable time spent by all present listening to her address about her work in England, on the Continent, and in New Zealand. On Friday afternoon, in the Vicarage grounds, an .afternoon tea was given by the committee to enable Miss Pattrick tb meet the mothers and babies. She spoke in a very helpful and delightful manner td the mothers. She promises us a longer visit at an early date. Mrs. F. deLautour’s resignation as a member of the committee was received in November, as she was , leaving for England. We were extremely sorry to lose j Mrs. F. deLautoui- as she was a very capable member. * Mrs. Tattersfield’s resignation was also received with regret. ‘The Society wishes to place on record their regret at the death of Mr. Chisholm, a Iff ember of the Advisory Board, His place has been filled by Mr. Thompson, manager of the Bank of New ‘Zealand, who succeeded Mr. Chisholm. The membership of the Society has considerably increased since last year, but it is not yet as large as we have a right to expect, in view of the great amount of work being done by our nurse | and once move our committee appeals to all mothers who have been helped in the rearing of the children by the Plunket Nurse, to show' their appreciation and sympathy by becoming regular yearly subscribers. Our minimum fee in only ss, but a steady yearly income is of great value to the committee in the planning and carrying out of its work.

The sum of £IOO recently on deposit with the Borough Council and the sum of £l5O deposited with the Gisborne Sheep farmers’ Frozen Meat Co., have, been handed to the honorary solicitor and now form part of a mortgage securing £3OO held in the pains q£ Messrs Blair and Cederwglj as tyustees. Attention is .tfrawp to ffie Statement, of the building fund a t the end fif qUV report-. I(> bps sppn tfiaf- thy amount in’haqfi js fiuitp a s.iijistaiitial one, but it is nqt y<fi, nearly sufficient, to justify the committee ip establishing a hospital. There are at present three 'Eyritane hospitals in the Dominion, Mi o,f which, grp subsidised by the Gp.ve.nv ment. The (ifoyprnment! I\ag definitely stated it ayijl npi subsidise any new hospital ip ‘ffie mpaqtjnm.. Our tfiaqkg are duo to Mr ,T. Blair, our honorary solicitor, to the Borough Council for free tramway 'pass to our nurpe, tp the Y.W.C.A., and the Girls’ Emergency P.Uh, for. Mi/: \tse of their respective - WUjJs for our meetings, to Mr Aickmn hooks, to Miss Aft) bridge and Miss Robertson for typewriting, to tfio . and to Mr Geq. Lygrmr for Um use of his shop. T, Blair, lion. see. NURSE'S REPORT'.

The onnnal report .for the year ending March 31st-, 1923, is ae Jolow» : Number of babies on list 1858, H;ew babies the year 194, breast fed 99, otuipiaUy fed 53; supplemented 31 _ weaning,, at end of nursing period lly/'isits to homes 2250, adults' ’to 1 office LOl, babies to office; p«3, diarrhoea. t.cated 53, ipsfruptiqfis in making H;l. 48, expectant piptjipiig received 17, letters written 17, afiyicjby long-dist-ance telephone 24, 1 During the year there were four deaths! Of these , three w«e of babies already under medical trs.tmen.t and seriously ill when Die nui so; ttdvkk* was sought. The fourth was thj of a baby who had suffered from concisions from birth. Although there wasa considerable number of diarrhoea ytes during the hot weather, ail made (ood recovery. Notwithstanding the prominence given to the subject there is still a great deal of mißundcistanng in the minds of many as to what work of the Plunket Society really is/Rhe yisft of Miss Pattrick was much {predated, by the mothers, although mrefc was 1 expressed that she was unaV to. stuy long enough to give them a .“talks” on general baby nianagemeV— Annie E. Elliott, Plunket nurse. SEWING COMMITTEE'S R*OUT.

The Sewing Committee haveypt the bos in the office supplied wit a full set of baby clothes for the iiurko sell at cost price, or give away if ntasary, to expectant mothevs whose najs are on the Society’s books. Oompli sets of paper patterns cut from .pa;tty* supplied by Karitane-Hanis ■ Hospl aye also to be had from the nursoy 1» per set. Wo are very pleased Weed to receive from Miss A. L. lUe\ome very neatly made little gar men) C ut from the Society's patterns, mad by some of her -.young pupils, olaopmo very useful knitted dresses, jackofLte. mnde by some young girls in thoyunfty. flfio older membeW are .%ys very pleased to welcome the 'We;: generation in this work, \