PLUNKET SOCIETY WORK

Taranaki Daily News, 7 May 1934, Page 11

PLUNKET SOCIETY WORK

REVIEW IN ANNUAL REPORT 1200 MORE VISITS THIS YEAR. OVER £6OO OF CREDIT BALANCE. The 16th annual meeting Of the New Plymouth branch of the Royal New Zealand Society for the Health of aiid Children (PlUnket Society) Will be held to-day. The annual report States that the branch’s activities m out its service to mothers and babies in the Taranaki northern districts had been maintained throughout the year, though not marked by any outstanding eV Th? nurses Md been in attendance at the PlUnket rooms, CoUrtehay Street, and at the Out-stations, as under: Central rooms: Daily, from 2 p.m. to 4 Wednesdays and Fridays, 9.30 a.m. to 11.30 alto Saturdays and Sundays excepted). Anglican Church, MoturoJ Tuesdays, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Church, Fitzroy: Thursdays, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Inglewood rooms: Wednesday, 130 to 4 p.ni. Waiters rooms: Fridays, 2 p.m. to 4 P.m. VrenUi rooms: Alternate, Mondays 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Central districts to Okato: Homes visited alternate MOn&Ndarly 1200 mdre Visits had been paid by mothers and children the Plufficet rooms this year than last, while there had been little variation to the number Of Visits paid by the nurses to homes m and around New Plymouth. The average number of Visits paid to homes was 12 daily. ENCOURAGING RESULTS. The work, of the pre-natal section continued to grow, thd attendance and results proving most encouraging. Worthy ; of mention WSs the correspondence which passed between. the nurses and those mothers who could not regularly bring their little ones to the. rooms. . The committee had . co-operated with local organisations in their efforts to alleviate distress, and through the S eneF ' osity of members and friends of the society the nurses had been enable to distribute warm clothing ahd food Supplies to parents in indigent circumstances. Special thanks were due to Mrs. D. Blackley and those who worked with her. The three sub-branches at Waitara, Inglewood and Urenui continued to do good work'. , . For the nursing staff the year had been an arduous one, the difficult times Sing an inched demand for their services. Seven babies from the district were admitted to the Stewart Kantane Hospital, Wanganui, with beneficial results. ' ADDITIONS TO FINANCE. The committee t had added to the finances by holding the usual Baby Day appeal on November 24, the sum of £314 i being raised. This Was £44 less than last (year’s effort, but to counterbalance that deficiency approximately £32 was bankled as the result of a Plunket ball hold on July 12, ahd ih November a further £6 odd was collected, from a children’s fancy -dress party. Thanks were tendered to the country districts who contributed liberally in money and goods towards the Baby Day total; to the Y.W.C.A., who at the last moment undertook all. arrangements iri connection With the flower Stell and handed in a sum of £8; to Messrs. M - Gruer’s, who staged a mannequin parade for appeal funds; and to all who helped on Baby Day. A return of £23 from the Better Baby Club boxes did not equal last year’s figures. CREDIT BALANCE OF £616. The branch had a credit balance of cash in the bank ahd in hand amounting to £616. The "Truby' King Plunket House building fund,” with accrued interest, stodd at £221. As ih March, 1933, £2OO was on fixed deposit. Expenditure throughout the year had been guarded and showed a decrease, but the necessity of heavy liabilities was hdt far distant. Consideration must shortly be given to the erection of a new FlUhket building. Again the committee Stressed the need of more annual subscribers. In August the council and the headquarters branch at Dunedin suffered a severe loss in the passhig-away of their president, Mrs. J. A. Johnstone. Her work was admired by every branch of the society in New Zealand. Mrs. R. Cock, a patroness of the branch, was offered sympathy in her recent accident.

Thanks were extended to the executive of the council in Dunedin, Miss Pattrick, director of Plunket nursing, and MISS HOddinott, administrative secretary, for assistance in dealing With the business of the branch.

During the year resignations had been regretfully received from Mesdatnes T. H. Bates, W. B. HOsking and Alex Strang. The committee desired to thank all those who had given donations and assistance during the year, and Mr. J. Brailsford, Who on July 5 lectured on the life and work of the general president, Sir Truby King, C.M.G.

Thanks were .also due to the Government for subsidies towards nurses’ salaries; to the chairman (Mr. R. Cock) and the trustees of the New Plymouth Savings Bank for a donation of £25; to Mr. S. G. Smith, M.P., for his interest and assistance; to the Press for its consistent support and co-operation; to the Agricultural and Pastoral Society for free, space at the shows; to the Fitzroy Methodist officials and the Moturoa Anglican officials for. the free use of their. churches; to the members of the Advisory Board; to Mr. J. C. Nicholson, hon. solicitor; to Mr. J. S. S. Medley, hon. auditor; to Mr. T. H. Bates, hon. architect; to the Borough Council for free passes oh the trams; to the Moturoa freezing works graders for milk testing; and to the nurses for the excellent way in Which they had carried out their many duties.