Woman’s World

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 90, Issue 106, 9 May 1946, Page 2

Woman’s World

SOCIAL AND PERSONAL Mrs. Fraser, who has been the guest of Mrs. J. A. Glenn, Bell Street, left last night on her return to Auckland. Mrs. E. R. Walton, Wellington, president of the Wellington Townswomen’s Guild, is visiting Wanganui. Mr. and Mrs. Robson, Feilding, are the guests of Mrs. Ingram, Wicksteed Street. Mrs. J. T. Werry, St. John’s Hill, has as her guests for the week-end, her daughters, Mrs. Eric Lane, of Auckland, and Mrs. R. M. McLellan, Wellington. Guide Books Wanted The New Zealanders who are assisting the Guide International Service in Malaya are in urgent need of Guide and Brownie handbooks as they are reorganising Guiding there. It does not matter how old the books are as long as they are readable. The native Guiders and Guides in Malaya are eager and keen to get going again. Scrap books containing pictures of New Zealand scenes and Guide activities are also wanted. Miss Codlin, who by the way, was a former Wanganui . resident, is a member of the team in Malaya, asks if school teachers have any spare copies of “Child Education"—no matter how old. If so, would they please forward these to the Dominion headquarters immediately, or to Miss E. Brown, Wanganui.

ENGAGEMENT

McLeod.—McNicol Mr. and Mrs. R. S. McNicol, Aramoho, have pleasure in announcing the engagement of their youngest daughter, Margaret Ste’vart, to Francis Paul, eldest son of M”. and Mrs. A. McLeod, Rotorua.

OBITUARY

MISS MARGARET (LEARY. Miss Margaret Cleary, organiser of the training school for nurses in Fiji, whose death has occurred in Suva, was well known in Auckland. A trained nurse, she became sister-in-charge of the obstetrical ward at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital, Suva. When the training school for nurses was reorganised in 1939, Miss Cleary, who had been conducting lectures for Fijian medical students and nurses, was granted a Rockfeller Fellowship to proceed to America, where she completed a course in pub-lic-health nursing. She returned to Suva to take charge of the nursing school. A new type of clinical teach-: ing was introduced, and the school expanded to such an extent that it recently became necessary to erect new buildings. Miss Cleary took an active interest in the social life of the nurses, and spoke Fijian fluently. She was given a Fijian funeral, the pallbearers being medical students. The pathway from the nurses’ home to the cortege and again from the cortege to the burial plot was lined with mats and the casket was wrapped in native mats.

TOWNSWOMEN’S GUILD

MEETING IN WANGANUI. The May meeting of the Townswomen’s Guild heia yesterday in the Y.M.-Y.W.C.A. Lounge, was well attended. Mrs. A. M. Archibald, welcoming all present, expressed pleasure at the large number of members present. Sue extended a special welcome to Mrs. E. R. Walton, president of the Wellington Guild and member of the New Zealand executive. Mrs. Archibald read the Dominion president’s message in the Townswomen’s official journal. The guest speaker for the afternoon was Miss E. H. Jackson, assistant matron at the Girls’ College, who spoke of her experiences on the hospital ship Oranje. A description of the ship, with its six decks, the beautiful fittings and upholstery of its lounges and ballroom, the comfortable wards for the patients and the unusual panelings, were described by the speaker. With the aid of a map she pointed out the route and the various ports of call from New Zealand and Sydney to Durban, Madagascar, Mombassa, Aden, then the Suez to Port Said and on to Malta and Gibraltar (which she passed 38 times) to Bristol, the first port of call in England. A trip was also made to Belfast for refitting the ship. Miss Jackson outlined the duties of the nursing staff on the ship and gave a vivid description of the places visited in England. Southampton, she said, had been very badly damaged. Instead of blocks of shops there would be one standing alone and hundreds of yards farther on another shop. The empty spaces between where heaps of rubble showed the result of bombing had all been cleared away when she last saw the place. She told of the many convoys they had passed en route and said the Oranje was a very fast ship. The speaker, who answered a number of questions, was thanked for her talk and presented with flowers. Songs by Mrs. J. Hodges and Mrs. R. A. Westwood were enjoyed. Mrs. R. H. Tizard was the pianist.