Queen Alexandra Memorial

Kai Tiaki : the journal of the nurses of New Zealand, Volume XV, Issue 2, 1 April 1926, Page 64

Queen Alexandra Memorial

"The National Memorial to Queen Alexandra, to which the King and Queen have given their sanction and approval, is one for augmenting the resources of Queen Victoria's Jubilee Institute for Nurses, of which Queen Alexandra was patron." Thus opens the editorial of the British Journal of Nursing for January. The Institute that which the Editor remarks there is no more beneficial one m the Kingdom, was founded by the Empress Queen with the Women's Jubilee offering m 1887, from which after deducting the cost of the equestrian statue of the late Prince Consort, a sum of £70,000. From a comparatively small beginning there are now District Nurses throughout the land m every town, village and away m distant islands where conditions are no better and difficulties as great as m our own back-block districts. Her Majesty Queen Mary has now become the Patron of the Institute, which m accordance with its Charter is under the patronage of queens of the Royal House. Miss Nightingale expressed m a letter her idea of a District Nurse : — - "We look upon the District Nurse, if she is what she should be and if we give her the training she should have,

as the great civiliser of the poor, training as well as nursing them out of illhealth into good health (health missioners) . . . but let them hold the standard high as nurses." District nursing m the various Colonies and Dominions belonging to the British Empire has been modelled greatly on the work of the Queen Victoria Institute, though varying conditions have made it necessary to adjust the rules of the different services accordingly. It is hoped that as all classes of the community and presumably all parts of the Empire will have the opportunity to contribute towards the memorial a large sum will be raised. We read m another journal that the money raised m Scotland will be used m Scotland, and that raised m England used m England. The King has given £1,000, the Queen and the Prince of Wales £500 each, and other members of the Royal Family smaller sums. Part of these contributions will be allocated to Scotland. Should the Dominions contribute towards the Memorial presumably other District Nursing schemes also shall.