Reception In Wanganui To Field Organiser Of Junior Red Cross

Wanganui Chronicle, 21 July 1950, Page 7

Reception In Wanganui To Field Organiser Of Junior Red Cross

There was a pleasant morning tea at the home of Mrs. M. Fell, College Street, yesterday, when members of the executive of the Wanganui Red Cross Centre assembled to meet Miss J. Noakes, of Queensland, field organiser for the Junior Red Cross, who arrived in Wanganui on Wednesday evening.

Mrs. A. E. Gould, chairman of the executive, extended a warm welcome to Miss Noakes and said she would be a great help in Wanganui. Their real aim is to have an organiser here, said Mrs. Gould, but it was difficult to find one for the Junior Red Cross, which is a worthwhile organisation as the juniors are the Red Cross members of the future. She thanked Mrs Fell for having the executive for the reception and also thanked Miss Wilton who is putting her car at the disposal of Miss Noakes. Miss Noakes told of her visit to the Taranaki district and the circles of Junior Red Cross members she had met there. She Went on to speak of the great need for helping the displaced children in Europe, and told of a person she had met recently who had spent 14 months with displaced children, who only had sticks and stones to play with. They would cut up paper and stuff it into parts of old stockings for balls, and about 40 children would play with one ball. She told of what the children ol schools in New Zealand are doing for the displaced children, and Institutions which are also helping. With its aims of servce, health and international friendship, the Junior Red Crosc among other things opens up new horizons for children by admitting them to an international exchange of portfolios and albums which the millions of children members of 56 coun tries are showing each other life in their own communities. The international side was most important, she Said. Much of the tuition is given by teachers, but the Junior Red Cross trains leaders. At Wellington last year a weeks’ camp was held and it was so successful it was decided to make it an annual event, and the next is to be held in Wellington in January for 10 days. It is hoped to have two girls from Australia, and all hoped New Zealand girls could go to Australia for the camp there. Miss Noakes showed specimens of work done by children of other lands, including small baskets from Siam, embroidery from Poland and Budapest and articles from the Pacific Islands. She also displayed knitted and other articles raade by Red Cross juniors in the South Island. Portfolios from other countries were shown. Junior Red Cross members conduct their own meetings, arrange their own programmes, have their own officers, and this teaches leadership. Miss Noakes was thanked for her talk. She is to visit schools In Wanganui and district, and is to broadcast from 2XA on Saturday morning at 8.45 a.m. Miss Noakes came to New Zealand in February and has already visited many schools in various districts. She states that the national objective for 1950 is to help displaced children.