PLUNKET SOCIETY

Southland Times, Issue 18811, 3 May 1920, Page 7

PLUNKET SOCIETY

ANNUAL REPORT. The committee of the Society for the Health of Women and Children report, inter alia, as follows for the year ending March, 1920: Early in the financial year, a request came from the Children’s House Committee asking for assistance from our Society on a “street day” they were organising. It was agreed that we should help, and Mrs Royds and Mrs Cramond agreed to take charge of a stall, many others being willing to assist. The Plunket party was held in Victoria Hall on September 4. It was a great success and our funds benefited to the amount of £44 19s 4rid. In November a letter was received from Nurse O’Shea tendering her resignation on account of her mother's indifferent health, and asking to be relieved as soon as possible . Her resignation was accepted and the following resolution was passed: “That our Society place on record its deep regret at Nurse O’Shea’s retirement and its high appreciation of her earnest work, and wholehearted devotion to the cause of mothers and babies.” A large farewell was held for Nurse O’Shea, for which Mrs W. Mactdister very kindly lent her garden and grounds. During the afternoon a presentation was made to Nurse O’Shea of a jewel casket containing ninety sovereigns. Word was received in February from the Central Council that Nurse Graham had been appointed to our branch. As no nurse was available to relieve Nurse Graham, the Council stated that they would lend us Nurse Law' until they could send a nurse to Otago Central. In order to extend the work of the Society, the committee decided that a weekly advertisement should appear in each of the local daily papers. Already it has proved beneficial, for numbers of mothers have visited the nurse, who otherwise did not realise that the nurse’s services were free to all. The committee have thought for a considerable time that it was advisable to obtain a new room for the nurse, a room with a brighter and sunnier aspect. After looking at a great many rooms, it was decided to take one in J. K. Watson and Co.’s buildings at a weekly rent of 10s. A summary of the nurse’s work for the year is:—Number of visits to homes, 1816; number of parents and babies to office, 390; number of new cases, 165. The officers of the Society are as follows: —President, Mrs Snow; vice-presidents, Mrs Pearce and Mrs Hawley; treasurer, Mrs James Macalister; secretary, Mrs Crawford; committee, Mcsdames Anderson, Ott, Jenin gs, Rennie, Royds, Sale, W. Todd, Haggitt, Longuet, Callender, Cramond, Stead, Hawke, J. G. Macdonald, Armour, John Macdonald, Lillicrap, A. M. Macdonald, Scandrett, Yule, A. Gilkison, and J. A. Haoan.