POSITION DEFINED

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 14, 12 October 1945, Page 5

POSITION DEFINED

RED CROSS TRAINING ROOM

STATEMENT BY PRESIDENT

In view of the various letters which have been appearing in the Beacon recently regarding the erection of the new Red Cross training room and headquarters the. president made the following statement at a meeting of the Whakatane Branch of the Society held on Tuesday last:—

"The New Zealand Red Cross Soeiet\ r in common -with the British Red Cross ? has been urged to ensure that Centres have Training Rooms and Headquarters; as a focal point for their peace time work.

The. link of National Red Cross Societies throughout the world ensures the financial strength and stability of the International Red Cross. This organisation has proved its worth to many millions of peopleto which our men recently returned from overseas Avill testify. It has been remarked that the Red Cross is a wartime movement, which died in New Zealand after the last World War. Red Cross in New Zealand after that war functioned as an offshoot of the British Red Cross. The New Zealand Society is now a National Society to carry on wartime and peacetime work in the Dominion. The Voluntary Aid Detachment has been greatly handicapped for lack of a Training Room. The members have and arc still doing many hours of work at our local hospital. The Department of Health has requested that the Detachments be kept up and as many girls as possible be trained in Home Nursing. The Department of Health has also asked for the co-operation of the Sociot.v in kealth work. Work for the. relief of distress overseas is expected to continue for several years. There are at present hundreds of garments stored .inconveniently in private houses awaiting despatch and some 1000 yards of material are at present being maue up. Obviously this work could lie accomplished easier and better in a central depot.

Our building is being erected from funds specifically raised for that purpose, and will we anticipate be free of debt. The building will be self-supporting and if at any time, our Centre ceases to function we will have contributed to our National Society a valuable property (in tlie. opinion of our City Fathers) for the benefit of humanity. Any further information required by any member or any person interested enough to become a member—will be willingly supplied by myself, or the Honorary Mrs Janet Winstone phone 31.8. E. C. SULLIVAN, President. ORDER OF ST. JOHN The following statement bv Mr A. J. Canning has also been handed to u& for publication:— Since the beginning of the war the Order of St. John in Whakatane has trained Red Cross and St. John Voluntary Aids in First Aid. and the Red Cross has trained all Voluntary Aids in Home Nursing, Hygiene and Sanitation. Thus Order and the Society have trained jointly all Voluntary Aids in the district. Tn addition members of the. Red Cross Voluntary Aid Detachment have worked regularly on ambulance duty Avit-h St. John. Tbis arrangement has. proved very satisfactory and both Societies kave co.operated with great goodwill. A. J. Chairman, St. John Ambulance Association, Whakatane Branch.