PLUNKET SOCIETY.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume V, Issue 1339, 29 May 1918, Page 2 (Supplement)

PLUNKET SOCIETY.

ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting in connection with the Royal N.Z. Society for the Health of Women and Children, otherwise the Phniket Society, was held in the Art Gallery this morning. The Mayor, Mr H. Holland presided, in conjunction with the president of the society, Mrs W. W. Morton. ANNUAL REPORT The annual report stated that the year which had just passed would be memorable in the history of the society for the signal honour conferred upon the founder, Dr. Truby King, who on the King's Birthday became a Companion of the most distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George. Equally memorable was the Baby Hospital campaign, by means of which £IO,OOO was raised to establish a Baby Hospital on PlunkjCt principles. The report recounted matters connected with the purchase of'Albury Cottage, on Cashmere Hills, complete with 4A acres of land for £3500. At a meeting held during the month it was unanimously resolved that, in compliment to the founder of the society, the hospital be named "The Christchureli Karitane Baby Hospital." Owing, to the many inquiries at present made as to whether the Christchurch Karitane Hospital would train Plunket nurses, the report explained that at present these were only trained in Dunedin, and that Christchurch would train Karitane baby, nurses. A Plunket nurse must, to begin with, hold a hospital or maternity certificate. If hospital trained, she required three months' training at Dunedin; if maternity trained, six months. For either course she paid a fee of £ls. A Karitane baby nurse needed no previous training, she was admitted to a Karitane Hospital as a probationer for 12 months, paying a fee of £2O. At the end of that time she sat for an examination, and if successful received a certificate, and was equipped for work as a child's trained nurse in a private 1 family. For such nurses there was a great demand. Apart from the Baby Hospital campaign, the society recorded a very successful year, so successful, indeed, that, the rooms in Chancery Lane were quite inadequate to the demands made upon them, and the question of obtaining further accommodation would have to be faced. The nursing staff consisted of Plunket nurses Hansard, Mackie and Withell, and Karitane Nurse Scott, the Government having given the society permission to employ a Karitane nurse to assist during war time. During the year branches of the society had been started at Darfieid, Sheffield, Lincoln, Greenpark, Tai Tapu and Springston. Kaiapoi was hoping to begin work regularly soon. A summary of the nurses' work for the year showed that the regular visits ; of. mothers to the office had totalled 3677, casual visits 2538, country visits 5£9,. total 6,804. The visits.paid to homes numbered 2773, breast-fed babies dealt: with (new) 520, correspondence 140, booklets on "Feeding and Care of: Baby" distributed 338, addresses given 4. In the country work section there j were records of 1012 visits of .adults to rooms, children 1185, new babies 158, new adults 144, breastfed babies dealt with (new) 57. <

The statement of receipts and expenditure showed that the revenue for the year was £558 3/3, and there was a credit bajanee of £2 13/-. Liabilities were put down at £79 7/4, " and assets at £l9O 10/-, leaving a credit of £llO 16/3.

A statement in regard to the 83V7 Hospital showed that the receipts included donations amounting to £10,055 10/8, repayment of deposits £BOOO, and interest received £95 12/4. Expenditure showed:—Organising expenses £BS 3/6, hospital expenses £B2 6/8, land purchase and improvements £3550, deposits and investments £14,100, balance £18,151 3/-. Assets were put down at £9983 12/10, there.being no liabilities.

In moving the adoption of the report and balance-sheet, the chairman congratulated the society ,upon the very successful year's work, and commented on the satisfaction which the honour conferred by the King on Dr. Truby King had given throughout the Dominion. He also congratulated the society on the very successful campaign for the establishment of a Baby Hospital. He contrasted the low percentage of infant mortality prevailing in Christchurch with the statistics quoted of various American cities, and he attributed the enviable position this city held, to the ministrations of the Plunket Society. Mr W. H. Clark seconded the Mayor's motion, and also congratulated the society on the noble work it had accomplished. Mrs W. W. Morton spoke on matters connected with the establishment of the hospital, and stated that the lady engaged as matron, Miss Margaret Smith, was prepared to come sooner than was at first contemplated, and would superintend all the furnishing and arranging of the hospital. Mrs Morton paid a high tribute to the committee, saying that she thought there had never been a stronger or more united committee. The Advisory Board also, had grown much larger, and more valuable than it had ever been before. The honorary secretary and treasurer (Mrs A. H. 'Bristed and Miss Rose Tabart) were also warmly thanked. As for the success of the campaign on behalf of- the Baby Hospital, that, as everyone knew, was due mostly to Mr G. L. Donaldson, the organiser. The officers were all re-elected unanimously, the following names being added to the committee:—Mrs R. W. Anderson, and. Mrs R. E. Alexander (Lincoln College). Dr. Lester moved a vote of thanks to Mrs Morton, which was carried by acclamation. "Votes of thanks to the committee, secretary and treasurer, Mr H. D. Acland (president of Building Committee), and Mr M. 11. Godby were also carried. Mr Acland, in replying, said that any credit in connection with the building ■plans was due, not to him, but to the ladies of the committee, who had threshed out every detail previously.