BAY OF PLENTY BEACON Published Tuesdays and Fridays. TUESDAY, DEC. 2, 1947 SELFLESS SERVICE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 3, 2 December 1947, Page 4

BAY OF PLENTY BEACON Published Tuesdays and Fridays. TUESDAY, DEC. 2, 1947 SELFLESS SERVICE

This St. John Ambulance Association is a bigger thing than many who are not in it realise. Here are some figures quoted by Assistant Commissioner H. D. Cobb, who inspected St. John organisations in this district last week:

In New Zealand last year 107,567 people received some sort of attention from the Brigades, which have 8,995 active members. Last year they gave their services on 121,799 . public occasions, treating 40,621 first aid cases while on public duty and 49,125 while not on public duty. Transport services to 17,821 ambulance cases made up the tally. The fact that a greater number of first aid cases were treated by Brigade personnel while not on public duty than before the public eye will be illuminating to many. There are those outside the movement who regard the Ambulance Brigade’s uniform as just another of the trimmings of a public gathering. They would be surprised if the ambulance men were not there, but probably wouldn’t notice it much, and probably never think a great deal about the man in the uniform, nor what he does to get there.

Ambulance training is real work. The study is interesting, but it is no game for a fool. The ambulance man has to have initiative, intelligence, understanding, a cool head and in mariy"*an emergency real pluck. Moreover, to tackle the job at all, he needs the unselfish will to serve.

One needed only to attend the two parades at Waimana and Whakatane .and listen to what was said, not only by the visiting officials, but by public men here —including our own Mayor, the County chairman, the medical superintendent of the Hospital and the Mayor of Opotiki—to be convinced that this district’s Brigade and Association played a full part in building up those figures quoted by the Assistant Commissioner.-

Next Friday the Association in Whakatane is making a public appeal for funds. If the response is anything like it ought to be considering* the worthiness of the cause, it should be possible for the Association to wipe out the £l5O outstanding on the St. John Hall and have something in pocket to carry on the ambulance service.

Concerning the ambulance, it is not generally appreciated that that service costs the Association not less than £1 a week. The “Zambuk” who attends all the sports and public gatherings asks nothing for his work—and the general public little realises how much goes into his training, how much self-sacrifice in time and personal pleasure. Yet he has his compensation. His is the privilege of serving for the sake of easing a fellow-human’s pain; his the joy of giving helpful service untarnished by any thought of material reward. Not all of us can serve in the Order of St. John, but every one of us might some day suffer and find comfort in the hands of one who does. There are indeed few who cannot find admiration for selfless service, but many who are inclined to take it as a matter of course.

This week the public of this town and district will be asked to subscribe to a community asset of which they have good reason to be proud. One feels confident that the response will be substantial.