THE PRIORY OF ST. JOHN.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 26, 25 October 1907, Page 9

THE PRIORY OF ST. JOHN.

. ANNUAL REPORT.: . The final'meeting of tho current session'of "the' Wellington, Nursing ..Division- of the bt.John Ambulance I'ire Brigade, was hold on.Tuesday- evening, Mrs. S. A. Rhodes, honorary; associate of the Order of St. Jo m of Jerusalem, presiding. The annual, report state* that the: chief event to chronicle since thes last: report was tho organisation of the District Nursing Guild bazaar, which was opened by their Excellencies the Governor and Ladv 1 lunket ' Success crowned the efforts of the pro-, motors, conspicuous among .whom was Mrs. b. A Rhodes. The net proceeds of the bazaar wore over .61100,- and the .treasurer -had paid • tho money. • over, to Mrs. b. A. Rhodes, Messrs. j., G. .AY..- Aitken, and C. 'P.- Powles, as 'trus-; ■ tees, to invest on behalf of the fund for nursing the sick poor; of Wellington. 'Ihe-current session, was opened by Dr; Mason, Chief Health Officer, who delivered a lecture: at the Town Hall Concert. Chamber. Dr. Agnes Bennett also gave several lectures during, the winter months. Excellent practical lessons in firstaid and nursing work were given by Nurses Sexton and Macandrew, 'and these, combined with tho instruction imparted by the honorary, surgeon, proved most beneficial. Associated with tho local'nursing division were the Rev. Mother Mary Joseph Aiibert and several of the Sisters of Compassion, whose 6elf-saCrincing' offorts on behalf of suffering humanity wero widely known. During tho year Dr. Hamilton Gilmer examined a ..number of the 'members in nursing work,,and a very high percent-, ago of marks was obtained by those who came forward for' examination'. It may be explained that among the aims of tho local authorities are tho instruction ; of men. and women in elementary surgery by the' medical profession, the location of- ambulance appliances for tho use and conveyance of tho sick'and injured, the employment of professional nurses to ministor to. tho sick poor, the formation of ; anihulancc and nursing corps for men and women, the erection of a Convalescent Home within a few miles'of Wellington, and the provision of a retreat for tho aged in need. The work of tho District Nursing-Guild and, Ambulanco branch of the Association is ■•:ar-' ried out on parallel lines under separate com-, mitteos, whilo the nursing division is. a unit of tho St John Ambulance Brigade.; Ilor Ex--collency Lady Plunket is patroness of the local nursing corps; Mrs. S. A. Rhodes, president; Dr. Agnes Bennett, lion, surgeon; and Mrs. AV. '11. Fisher, lion, secretary. The objects of the nursing division are:—(l) To enable certificated members of tho St. John Ambulanco Association to meet together for the purpose of developing' the-instruction imparted by the medical profession in ambulance and nursing work' pro utilitnte hominum; (2) to afford skilful nursing to the poor in their own homes by supplementing tho efforts of tho district nurses; (;)) to organise highly-trained nursing contingents prepared to nurse tho wounded in time of war.