HEALTH STAMP CAMPAIGN

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22520, 30 September 1938, Page 14

HEALTH STAMP CAMPAIGN

♦— NEW- ISSUES ON SALE TO-MORROW ADDRESS BY LORD GALWAY His Excellency the Governor-Gene-ral (Lord Galway) will inaugurate this year's health, stamp campaign with a broadcast address from Wellington, at 7.10 o'clock to-night. Health stamps will be on sale to-morrow morning and this medium will, it is hoped, supply the main resources for the children's health camps throughout the Dominion this summer. Health camps started, in a modest way. It was realised that there existed a special need to give children some happy weeks in the open, m pleasantly situated camps, where rest, recreation and diet could be utilised to build up poor constitutions. When the health stamp became so well established as the easy medium of public subscription, the movement grew rapidly; camps were set up in positions which gave opportunities to children from all parts of New Zealand and the general control of .policy was placed in the hands of a National Federation of Health Camps. Local Benefit of Contribution* Still greater impetus was given to the movement through the King George V Memorial Fund, which will provide money for permanent improvements in the. existing camps arid enable new ones to be established. As these funds are expended for capital purposes only, the seasonal activities of all the health camp committees still depend wholly on the money made available year by year by a generous public, on the assurance that the "Penny for Health represented in the twopence paid for the stamp is devoted entirely to the maintenance of children in the camps and that contributions from a particular district go to the benefit of the children from that district. The programmes of the health camp organisations throughout the Dominion indicate that they will provide this season for nearly 4000 children, the number being limited only by the extent of health stamp resources, which are being relied on for extended activities made possible by the improved and enlarged camp facilities now being provided. . „ „ South Island Camps

The Marlborough Health Camp Association's camp near Picton will provide for nearly 50 children: the Nelson Children's Health Camp Association plans not only to provide for the children of that educational district, but also to give complete change of environment to a number from the Westport area, making a total of more than 60 Greymouth children will be sent to the East Coast, to the Christchurch District Executive's camp at Rangiora, where the total number will exceed 200 during the season. The Sunlight League Camp Committee is conducting camps at Sumner, Pigeon Bay, and Duvauchelle Bay for a total of more than 150 children. The South Canterbury Health Camp Committee plans to have , 100 children in its Waimate camp and hopes to provide for another 50 in a new camp at Timaru.

CHRISTCHURCH DISTRICT CAMP EXECUTIVE

FIKST ANNUAL MEETING HELD

The first annual meeting of the Federation of Health Camps, Christchurch district executive committee, was held in the City Council rooms recently, when the following officers were elected:—Chairman, Mr L. K. Scott; delegate to the central council, Mr C. W. Tyler; secretary and treasurer,,.Mr St. J. J. Dunne.

A report from the secretary of the children's health camp, which was held at Rangiora last summer, showed that 225 children were cared for at the camp for periods of from three to four weeks. The average number of children in camp at one time was 56. Permission had been granted to conduct a camp under similar conditions at Rangiora in the coming summer. An application to hold three camps was received from the Sunlight League's health camp committee, and it was recommended to the central council that the necessary permission be granted. Mr H. W. Hunter, the retiring chairman, was thanked for the interest he had taken in the work of the federation. The work of Mrs M. A. Ellen (Rangiora) in connexion with the health camp was also praised.