PLUNKET SOCIETY

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20768, 1 July 1937, Page 4

PLUNKET SOCIETY

ANNUAL MEETING SUCCESSFUL YEAR The Mayor (Mi- P. C. Vinnell) presided over the annual meeting of the Plunket Society, which was held in St. Mary’s Hall yesterday afternoon. Associated with him were the president (Mrs L. M. Inglis) and Messrs G. S. Cray, F. J. Rolleston and W. H. Hall, members of the Advisory Board. The Mayor said that it gave him very great pleasure to preside at the annual meeting of the Society, the work of which was widely known throughout the country. It was also gratifying to see such a good attendance.

In moving the adoption of the annual report and balance-sheet, Mr Cray said that he and Mr Rolleston had been associated with the annual meeting for a great many years. Probably the women who attended in those days with their children were now coming along with their grand-children. He went on to say that they had felt a great deal of satisfaction at the useful work which the Society was doing. Under the president and committee, and with the expert assistance of the nurses, the Society had maintained the

good name which had been built up, and those concerned could take satisfaction from the fine work they were doing. The task was not an easy one. but because it was difficult they could derive satisfaction from the success achieved. When he looked at the children going to school nowadays, he recalled the early days of the Society's existence, and remembered how it had been built up to one of the most useful institutions in the country. The care of children in this country was superior to that of any country in the world, and the Society could take much credit for that. He wished it continued progress. In seconding the adoption of the report, Mr Rolleston said that he had had the good fortune to be present at the meeting at which the Society was formed in Timaru, and looking back over the long span of years it occurred to him that conditions had changed very much. When the Society came into being the problem that had to be faced was the preservation of child life, but now that problem had largely been solved by the Society. The problem to-day, however, was not so much preservation but continuance of child life. Many alarming reports regarding the declining birth rate had been published, and the problem was becoming a serious one in many countries, including New Zealand. He did not propose to quote figures, but they showed that if the present birth rate in New Zealand continued, the population would recede instead of increase. The matter had been referred to by Mr James Begg in an address to the Victoria League in Dunedin. He had said: "Though not possessing expert knowledge, I submit that two of the physical characteristics of a dominant race are sound teeth and large families. Neither of these attributes is much in evidence in New Zealand.” Little was to be gained by immigration, added Mr Begg. New Zealand people appeared to be either too poor to risk having large families or to lack the physical, mental or moral energy to do so, but immigration enthusiasts, optimists all, expected that people on the other side of the world would produce children, rear, feed and educate them till they reached maturity and then make New Zealand a present of them ready-made, accompanied by a capital of say/ £lOOO. "No great people can be built up on this basis," concluded Mr Begg. Mr Rolleston said that there was a very great amount of truth in what Mr Begg had said, and if the problem was going to be solved, then it had to be solved by the people of New Zealand. Mr Rolleston congratulated the Society on the work it had done, stating that they were deserving of the best thanks of the community. It was pleasing to note that they had finished the year with a credit balance, but this had partly been due to a gift by Lord Nuffield to deserving organisations, and in distributing the money the Mayor had remembered the Society, and he was to be congratulated on having done so. The report and balance-sheet were adopted. Election of Officers The election of officers resulted:— President, Mrs L. M. Inglis; vicepresidents, Mesdames A. Wigley, V. C. Meehan and C. Hall; executive, Mesdames A. Wigley, V. C. Meehan, C. Hall, F. Lewis, R. T. Turnbull, C. S. Bruce, F. F. A. Ulrich, W. Hall, C. W. Wood junr., W. Raymond; committee, Mesdames T. W. Sattcrthwalte, D. B. Shand, F. G. M. Raymond, G. D. Virtue. D. Cronin, F. T. Wilkin, J. A. Miller, F. J. Mottram, H. Dobie, C. S. Marshall, C. Hayter, T. B. Lane, G. R. Lee, J. Henshaw, L. A. Scaife, W. Sowerby, P. C. Vinnell, T. Guthrie (Pareora), C. H. S. Johnston (St. Andrews), A. Ward (Southburn), Miss B. J. Moyle (Springbrook); hon. committee, Mesdames H. W. Monaghan, R. B. Bell, R. D. King, F. A. Raymond, J. C. Oddie, W. R. Fea, F. F. Neale. H. Elworthy, L. S. Talbot, M. A. Raymond; advisory board, Messrs G. S. Cray, F. J. Rolleston, N. D. Mangos, W. H. Hall, J. Stevens, Dr. L. S. Talbot and Dr. F. F. A. Ulrich; honorary solicitor, Mr F. J. Rolleston; honorary auditor, Mr R. S. Goodman; secretary and treasurer, Mrs A. B. Herdman. It is customary for an address to be given on the occasion of the annual

meeting, and the speaker yesterday was the Plunket Nurse, Miss V. B. Twentyman. She said that she had decided to say a few words on the aspects of the work of the Society as it appeared to the nurses. She had been associated with the work, she said, since 1920, and she had found that when one was stationed in a district for any length of time one was able to gain a f'”l appreciation of the work of the Society. The most important part of everything was the beginning, and in the case of a human being the first few years were certainly the most important. Many people retained their interest in the Society during the first year of baby's life and then seemed to drift away, but it should be realised that the Society always took an Interest in the children, particularly up to the pre-school stage. The first nine months, or the milk period, were most Important, but actually they were very simple if mothers took the trouble to find out how to treat their babies. From nine to 18 months was a transitory period, for it was then that the child learned to cope with solid food, and that was the time when there were so many breakdowns. Actually there was really no necessity for it. Many mothers thought that after the first year’s troubles were over that there was no need to worry, but there were transitory stages during which the children needed careful watching and training. It was quite true that there were many small f .milies to-day and a good many of the troubles from which children suffered were due to the fact that they were brought up in the wrong environment, and did not have the company and help of other children in the home. Where there was only one child it was really brought up in an artificial atmosphere. Miss Twentyman said that she would very much like to see the Society identify itself with a movement for the establishment of nursery schools, where the children would be cared for and taught until they were old enough to go to the primary school. Such schools would be of inestimable value to the community, and would be a [.cat help to many mothers, who had to make great sacrifices, and who really had no time to call their own. Children would get companionship, which was the natural state in which they should grow up, and this would prevent many of the troubles such as disinclination to eat and restlessness from which so many children suffered. These troubles resulted in a slowing up of energy in all directions. Child life was most Important, and nursery schools could be made to play a very beneficial part. On the motion of Mrs Inglis, Miss Twentyman was accorded a hearty vote of thanks.