CHILD WELFARE WORK

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 75, Issue 140, 16 June 1932, Page 2

CHILD WELFARE WORK

METHODS IN THE DOMINION ADOPTED IN OTHEIi COUNTKIEo Depicting the growth of th 6 Plunket Society and the acknowledgment 01 its system outside New Zealand, an address by Miss Pattrick, Director 01 Plunket Nursing, proved very inter esting to about 30 members of the Patea branch and its sub-branches, which met Miss Pattrick at the Patea Plunket Eooms last Tuesday night. Miss Pattrick, who has been con nected with the Plunket movement since its inception, recently visit eu Europe and America, She stated that in these countries she had seen many instances of the spread of the Plunket system of infant welfare. ‘ In Canada she had attended a con ference of representatives of 27 coun tries, totalling 3,000, all of these being members of societies for the welfare of mother and child. She had opened the public health section of the con ference, this being, she stated, not so much an honour to herself, but to the Plunket Society of New Zealand. Although her trip in these countries had not been an official one, she had met everywhere evidence of the increasing interest being taken in New Zealand’s methods of child welfare. Prom South Africa had come a direct appeal from the members themselves for instruction in Sir Truby King’s doctrines. The president ol the mother and child welfare movement there had received several inquiries from mothers, asking for instruction by nurses with this training. As a result of these inquiries, two Karitane-trained nurses had gone to South Africa. In Alaska, during her travels, Miss Pattrick had heard of a child named Truby King, and on speaking with the parents found that they had picked up a booklet written by a doctor in “one of the South Sea Islands,” whose name was Sir Truby King. They decided to rear their next, the fifth, child on his lines, and had done so with wonderful success, and so had named the child Truby King. Miss Pattrick spoke at length on the work in England. Here Sir Truby King and herself had gone at the invitation of His Majesty the King, and started a training school for child nurses. This training school was in a charming old seventeenth-century house called Cromwell House, where nurses were trained on exactly snnilar linos to the Karitane-trained nurses in New Zealand. After two years, Sir Truby and herself had returned to Now Zealand, feeling that they had left “a weakling baby, misplaced, and with little motherly interest.” That was in 1920, hut when she returned exactly ten years later she had found it “a. strong, healthy, normal child running all over the place.” The doctor and matron, who bad taken ove* - from them, wore still in office. The movement had grown wonderfully, and the Duchess of York had recently opened up tho beautiful home “Prin ppss Elizabeth of York.” which ha<* been erected on funds raised bv contribution, and with no subsidy or Government help, and with over £lOOO credit to start with. Sneaking of the growth in New Zea land itself. Miss Pattrick referred t n many instances showing the effect on the public of Now Zealand. Ono of those was the decreased baby mortal ity rate, which had boon decreased since the incention of the society to throe per 1000 births, which was loss than half the lowest babv mortalitv rate in the world. “Sir Trubv is no* satisfied with this, though.’’ "Miss Pat trick stated. “TTo wants to sop that rate down to 1 pci* thousand. He is nothing if not. an optimist.’ ’ She also referred to the manner in which the Plunket Society had founded a standard for height and weight for the New Zealand child Formerly Now Zealand children had boon judged bv an American standard, which was found to be on the short side for th p Now Zealand child. Miss Pattrick, during the last, few weeks, has been making a tour of in snoction of branches of the society in Wairarapa, Auckland and Tnrnnnk’ -list riots, and yesterday visited the Wanganui branch. During the next few’ davs she will visit Manawatu am* Rangitikoi districts and Wellington be fore returning to the South Island again. AT WANGANUI MISS PATTRICK ENTERTAINED Miss Pattrick. Director of Plunket Nursing, who is on a round of official v i -; i -. w a s i ii Wan ga n 1i i v e st p rd ay. tn the afte i c,»n 'be wa« entertained a*

afternoon tea by the committee members in the sitting room of the Karitano Home. In the absence of the president, Afrs. Crawford, who was away in Wllington, Mrs. T. Hine, vicepresident, presided and welcomed the guest of honour. Apologies were received from Ales lames If. D. Robe (son, N. R. Bain, J. 1 Allen, S. Robinson. Latham. G. Currie. 1 Wotton, J. C. Wickhaw Tosswill and Plunket Nurses Adams. Richmond and . Bergin. After a dainty afternoon tea had been I I: dispensed Aliss Pattrick addressed theI members and said that she was very | grateful for the opportunity of meet, ing the committee. Several aspects of tho shortage of trainees was dealt with by the speaker, who also rei ferrod to the work done at the Cromwell House, England. Afiss Pattrick * said that tho trainees wore paid as much as £l2O for " the year’s training in England. The valuable training of motherurafl for girls was stressed by the speaker. Afrs. T. Hine proposed a vote of thanks to Aliss Pattrick for her interesting address. Those present, were Afrs. T- UinO. Afiss Newcombe, Afiss Stanford. Afrs. Afillward, Afrs. Wilberfoss, Afrs. Halligan. Afrs. F. Cunningham, Dr. Helen Topham, Afrs. Tundsay, Afrs. Taylor. Afrs. Douglas, Mrs. Garland Jones and Sister Hooper.