PLUNKET VISITORS WELCOMED.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 June 1934, Page 18 (Supplement)

PLUNKET VISITORS WELCOMED.

■Miss Pattrick, the retiring director of Plunket nursing in New Zealand, and Miss Fitzgibbon, who is to be her successor, were the guests at an afternoon tea given by Mrs. W. C. Weston, president of the New Plymouth Plunket Society, at her home “Tirotiromoana” on Thursday. About 40 guests were present including representatives from the Inglewood, Waitara and Urenui sub-branches. Vases of spring bulbs and autumn foliage decorated the rooms. Mrs. Weston was dressed in a frock of oyster coloured angel skin lace, with shoes to match.

On their arrival Miss Pattrick and Miss Fitzgibbon were presented with bouquets of flowers by Mrs. Eric Shaw and Mrs. W. R. Wade. Mrs. J. H. Boon welcomed Miss Fitzgibbon, and on behalf of the society wished her a happy and successful term of office. Miss Fitzgibbon said that although she felt it would be difficult to follow in the steps of Miss Pattrick she would do her best to forward the work. Mrs. Weston addressed Miss Pattrick and spoke in high praise of her work. She said all felt sad that this was Miss Pattrick’s last visit in an official capacity, for her visits in the past had always been red-letter days for the society. Miss Pattrick, she said, could be called the mother of Plunket missing—the Lady of the Lamp. While Sir Truby King had had the ideals and the vision it had been Miss Pattrick who had carried them into practice.

Miss Pattrick said she had always liked coming to New Plymouth, for there was a happy spirit in the society, and the branch was well organised, both on the nursing and the business side. She praised the work of Nurse Petersen, charge nurse. She had worked with her for many years and had always found her loyal and capable.

Tribute to the work of Miss Pattrick was also paid by Mrs. C. H. Burgess and Nurse Petersen, while Mrs. H. J. M. Wells spoke on behalf of the subbranches. Mrs. Douglas, a president of 20 years ago, gave' an account of the beginning of the Plunket Society at New Plymouth.