Red Cross Offers Avenues Of Service For Men’s Sections

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 14, Issue 23, 10 August 1949, Page 6

Red Cross Offers Avenues Of Service For Men’s Sections

“I don’t want to be unfair, but the general opinion in New Zealand ,-f the Red Cross in peacetime is that it is little more than a sewing circle,” declared Mr D. H. Peat, Wellington, assistant centre ■ com mandant and staffing officer, when he appealed to the annual meeting of the Dominion council of the New Zealand Red Cross Society at NevPlymouth for a greater effort to be made in the formation of men’s detachments in some centres. That that was not the real position, however, was emphasised by Mr Peat, who detailed the wide duties of Red Cross members, including, he said, among other things, training for the men’s detachment in fire work and the use of portable radio equipment. “We have to be prepared for any kind of emergency, national cr civic,” he continued. “When the Wanganella went onto the x rocks, letters to the Press asked where was the Red Cross. We don’t want to answer those questions; we want to be on the spot before the need arises for questions to be asked. We offered our assistance at the recent air crashes and were on the spot at serious floods and fires. If even only one man in a centre is interested in the formation of a detachment, then at least it is a start. After discussion - the council recommended that all centres, where possible should explore every avenue towards the establishment and fostering of men’s detachments in their centres.