PLUNKET SOCIETY

Taranaki Daily News, 11 April 1935, Page 14

PLUNKET SOCIETY

NEW PLYMOUTH COMMITTEE. The monthly meeting of the New Plymouth Plunket committee was held on Monday afternoon and was presided over by Mrs. Walter Weston. There were present Mesdames J. M. Clarke, J. H. Boon, J. Leggat, J. C. Irving, R. A. Boon, W. H. Woodward, G. W. Haughton, J. Power, A. J. Tunbridge, Franklin White, C. E. Roebuck, R. Lealand, E. J. M. Ferguson, S. Wanklyn (Inglewood), H. Winter (Inglewood) and Miss B. Balharry (secretary). Motions of sympathy with the relatives of the late Dr. D. Blackley and of the late Mr. W. D. Cartwright were passed by the committee. Dr. Blackley was a member of the society’s advisory board for 17 years. Mr. Cartwright was the father of the second Plunket nurse, Miss Cartwright. It was reported that the sum of £l4 5s had been handed in from Tataraimaka as that district’s contribution towards Baby Day funds. It was decided that thanks be sent to the organiser, Mrs. P. G. Knight. Mrs. F. White and Mrs. W. H. Woodward! were appointed representatives on the child welfare committee for the year 1935-1936. / On account of May 6 being a public holiday the date of the annual general meeting was altered to May 13. Advice was received from Dr. Martin Tweed, medical adviser to the council at Dunedin, that he would be present. Appreciation of the honorary services of Mr. T. H. Bates in' connection with the improvements recently made at Plunket House were expressed by the committee.

Regret was expressed that Mrs. J. Leggat, a member of the committee, would) soon be leaving the district. At the conclusion of the meeting Miss Castle, who was formerly one ‘of New Plymouth’s Plunket nurses, was entertained by committee members at afternoon tea.

The nurses’ report for March was:— Number of babies on the books under two years, 443, new for month 30; visits paid to homes, 279; visitors to rooms, adults 456, babies 407, older, children 100; adults advised on domestic hygiene, 63; advice to expectant mothers, 11; expectant mothers still under supervision, 25; older children still under supervision, 238; Waitara, 5 visits, 70 old babies, 3 new; Inglewood, 4 visits, 95 old babies, 9 new; Urenui, 2 visits, 42 old babies, 1 new; two visits to coastal districts, five visits to nursing homes. The following subscriptions received during March were acknowledged: Mesdames A. J. Tunbridge, J. Power, J. M. Warnock, Thomson, Winstanley, H. Dickson; H. McNeill, J. Williamson, von Sturmer, F. Steffensen, R. J. Sanger, H. Smillie, J. W. Knapman, I. Thomson, C. H. Doughty, Kopu, J. McMillan, R. Bailey, T. H. Dickson, L. F. Hartley, W. T. Wood, R. F. Poletti, W. Hunger, E. L. Coleman, L. Penwarden, W. Dalrymple, W. B. Hosking, C. Chapman, P. F. Hook and Mr. G. Ramsbottam.

HAWERA BRANCH ACTIVITIES. MARCH CARNIVAL RAISED £3OO. At the monthly meeting of the Hawera branch of the Plunket Society on Monday, Mrs. A. M. Winks presided, It was decided to hold a presentation afternoon at the Carlton on Thursday week for the parents and babies taking part in the recent carnival, all committees, workers, and Plunket mothers being invited to attend.

At the commencement of the carnival, the committee set out with the ambition to raise £3OO, and, following the presentation of the balance sheets of the individual committees,, Mrs. Besley (Country), Mrs. McKenzie (Everybody’s) and Mrs. Rowe (Sports), the carnival secretary, Mrs. Veitch read the central committee’s balance sheet, disclosing the net profits from the carnival effort as £3OO Ils lid.

The president, on behalf of the committee paid a tribute to the* generous way in, which the general public had supported the effort and thanked all helpers. Mrs. H. E. Cressey was unanimously elected secretary to fill the vacancy caused by Mrs. A. F. Beck’s resignation. The secretary was directed to write Dr. Martin Tweedie, inviting him to be present at Hawera for the annual meeting on May 13.

The nurse reported the following activities for the month of March: Visits to rooms, adults 253, babies 217, older children 71; telephone calls 60; visits to homes, new cases 16, old cases 119. There were seven new babies for the month, each new case being wholly breast-fed. Troublesome coughs and colds were prevalent throughout the month among both babies and the older children.

The following subscriptions and donations received during the month were acknowledged: Mesdames W. Fendall, C. M. Tickner, R. Mortlock, J. Wills (Denby Road), Gower, Dickson (Ararata), H. Percy (Mokoia), J. Mathis (Ararata), G. Barclay (Okaiawa), and Jas Campbell, all 5s each; Mrs. Rickard 10s, and Mrs. J. Pease £l. Car donations ,were received from Mrs. J. McCallum (Inaha) 3s 6d, Mrs. Jas Laird 2s 6d, Opunake branch 4s, and from Mrs. Beck (sale of perambulator) £L