ST. JOHN AMBULANCE

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume XXX, Issue 8530, 19 October 1933, Page 2

ST. JOHN AMBULANCE

ANNUAL MEETING OF WAIHI DIVISION FIRST YEAR’S ACTIVITIES GOOD WORK AND PROGRESS The first annual meeting of the Waihi division of the St. John Ambulance Association was held In the Borough Council Chambers on Monday evening, the Mayor and president of the brigade. Mr W. M. Wallnutt, presiding. Apologies for the unavoidable ab- • enct of 1 rs. Betherington and Bridgman and Messrs W. Bice, A. T Maunder, J. Geacey, I. T. Fallwoil and F. R. Slevin were made by the chairman, whe Then went on to say that the Walal division of the association came ir.»>' being on September ■lth of last ye-T, Us membership then being 13, whereas to-day it had grown to 39, am! Us progress could bo gauged by the result of its activities during this comparatively short peril d of its existence. Fourzeen candidates had #at for their examinations and all hs! been successful, and a fujther eighteen members would be sitting this week. During the past 12 months l>o casts had been attended lc, exclusive of 100 private cases. Funds so far had been made available for supplying eight members with uniforms and two more were to arrive shortly, so that there would then be ten uniformed members.

SERVICES AT ACCIDENT 1\ Bowing iho accident at the Waihi Gold Mining Company’s No. 2 shaft on July 26th, as president of the local division, he had furnished a report to the commissioner for the Auckland district, Mr C. J. Tunks, in which he (the speaker) expressed appreciation of the services on that occasion of the local superintendent, Mr T. G. Williams, and members of the brigade, whose assistance had contributed so much to the relief of the suffering men involved in the accident, and had emphasised the splendid services rendered to the injured in the suspended cage by Dr. Bridgman. He had also referred to the active co-operation of the divisional surgeon, Dr. Hethcrington, and the lectures and examiantions conducted by Dr. Bridgman. Mr Wallnutt then read the commissioner’s reply as follows; “Dear Sir, Your report of August 9th on the work of the Waihi division of the brigade in connection with the serious mining accident at the Waihi mine on the 2Gth July last has been submitted to the chief commissioner of the brigade for New Zealand, Colonel Barclay, 0.8. E., V.D. I am directed by him to convey to you and through you to the officers and members of the Waihi division the chief commissioner’s warm commendation of the excellent service rendered. I shall be glad if you will also convey to the division my own appreciation of their work. The division has had its baptism of fire at an early stage in its history, and has proved itself a worthy unit of the brigade. I hope to make their acquaintance later in the year." CERTIFICATES PRESENTED Continuing, the chairman said he would take the opportunity of making a public appeal for assistance to the local division. It was intended to invite representatives from the Te Aroha, Thames and Tauranga divisions to Waihi to compete with local members. Mr Wallnutt then presented certificates to each of the successful candidates as follows: Miss D. V. Stamp (who passed with honours, her certificate being accompanied with a trophy), Mr S. Birse (who gained a similar distinction), the Misses Freda Birse, Celia Harris, Vera J. Harris and Messrs H. Birse, Wm. McConachie, A. Greenwood, D. Kingsford, C. F. Pascoe, N. R. Wynn, H. Williams and A. Roberts In making the persentations the chairman extended his congratulations to each of the recipients Un Mr Wallnutt’s motion hearty votes of thanks were accorded to Drs. Hethcrington and Bridgman and the matron of the Waihi hospital, Miss M. K. Stevenson.

ELECTION OF OFFICERS The election of officers was next proceeded with and resutled as follows: Patron, Mr A. M. Samuel, M.P.; president, Mr W. M. Wallnutt; vicepresidents, Colonel T. Jowsey, Messrs J. B. Weedon, J. Geaney, J. Whitehead and J. M. Wrlgley; secretary, Mr S. R Birse; committee, Messrs J. J. Callaghan, J. W. Tetley, H. dhilvers, A. H. Roberts and Colonel Jowsey. Mr T. G. Williams, superintendent of the brigade, in paying a tribute to the officers elected, said that they wanted very urgently the sympathetic co-operation of the public as up till now the executive of the division had been playing a lone hand. He had hoped to see representatives of the several local sports bodies present, as the principal efforts of th emembers of the brigade had of the members of the brigade had playing members of these institutions. However, the results of the past year had inspired him with confidence for the future activities of the division.

At the request of Colonel Jowsey, the committee, at the close of the meeting, remained behind and had a round-the-table talk on matters pertaining to the welfare and activities of the division.