PLUNKET SOCIETY.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 18819, 6 March 1931, Page 3

PLUNKET SOCIETY.

TIMARU BRANCH. The monthly meeting of the Timaru Plunket Society was held on Tuesday. Present—Mesdames W. A. Moore (chair). W. Raymond, A. Wigley, W. Angland. A. O. Murdoch. H. J. Brewer. F. Lewis, F. A. Raymond. H. SinclairThomson, A. C. Murray. J. J. Mason. F. S. Cave and C. Holdgate. Accounts amounting to £lO9/10/5 (including £4O/17y- for Karitane products), were parsed for payment. Nurse Murphy reported that 25 new cases had been attended to during February. Visits to the rooms totalled 581 (adults 310, babies 236. and older children 35). while visits to homes numbered 541. The car had travelled 457 miles during the month. Severe colds were still rather prevalent, otherwise the progress of babies was quite satisfactory. The president said that owing to the financial stress, the most rigid economy must be practised in the Society’s expenses. It would help to show the general public and the Government the desire for the committees to retrench, and yet not spoil the usefulness of the work. As the committee knew, the lease of the Timaru Plunket Rooms expired this month. The executive had thoroughly gone into the matter, with the advice of the Advisory Board, and it was considered an inopportune time to erect larger premises, which were deemed necessary. The committee then agreed to adopted the suggestion from the executive and Advisory Board to renew the present lease on a shorter term, with the addition of another room to be used for the pre-natal clinic. Under Miss Pattrick’s direction the president and Nurse Murphy were authorised to purchase the equipment for the clinic. Miss Patrick had stressed upon nurses the need of rigid economy, and that they must urge mothers to bring their babies to the office and so save car mileage. Miss Pattrick congratulated the nurses upon the excellent order of their report case books. During her visit she had called on the medical member of the Advisory Board, and discussed the pre-natal clinic work done by the nurses. Mrs Moore reported that a conference of the South Canterbury branches had been called to meet Miss Pattrick in Timaru, and the present financial position was discussed, which might mean the re-adjustment of boundaries. It was decided that Mrs Moore (Timaru), and Mrs Armitage (Temuka), should confer with Central Council and Miss Pattrick at Dunedin. The outcome of this was that for Friday 6th, at 10.30 a.m. a meeting had been called of South Canterbury branches to meet a number of Central Council, the director of plunket, nurses, and the administrative secretary. The report and balance sheet would be before the committee on April 14.

A letter was read from Nurse Willocks, thanking the committee for extended leave on account of ill-health.

The committee expressed satisfaction that Nurse Harman’s services had been retained as relieving nurse.

An acknowledgment of the sympathy extended by the committee to Mr and Mrs Mangos in their bereavement was read. A telegram of sympathy was also read which had been sent immediately to the Hastings president after the disaster.

It was finally decided to hold a “Paddy’s Market” in April. The postponement would mean a decrease on last year’s balance.