ST. JOHN AMBULANCE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1767, 4 June 1913, Page 7

ST. JOHN AMBULANCE.

ANNUAL REPORT. Somo interesting information is given iu the annual report of the' Nov.- Zealand Branch of the St. John Ambul-ance Brigade. Tho brigade (says the report) has continued to advance during the year, tho recoi'd of "work uarrjud out by members being of a most satisfactory nature. There are now 78 corps and divisions in tho Dominion, and the membership is 1583, being an increase 011 iho prccediuj; year. The strongest ambulance units eu tho roll are Timarii with 46 nieuil>?rs, Dunedin with 39, Wellington with 03, while tho Wellington Nursing Division heads the list of nursing units with a total of 60 members. In the Wellington district, an ambulance division has been formed at the East Town Railway AVor';shops and nursing divisions have been established at Napier, Carterton, AVangaiuii, and Wellington South. Tho Wellington Railway Division lias been reorganised. The annual returns, forwarded by divisions show that the nur.iber of first-aid cases attended to 011 jv.iblic duty wa3 771, as against 748 for tho previous year. Auckland Division j again stands first on the list with 130 cases, followed by Cliristchureh 110, Dnnedm 9!), Wellington 7G. The number of removals was 882. against 303 for the nreceding year. The .number of cases of first aid attended, not 011 public duty, was SUV. as against 1534 for tho previous year, the principal figures ljoing contributed by Wellington Harbour Board Division 222. Dunedin ICS), Christchurcli IGO, Timarn 151, Auckland 118. Pctono 115, Av.-vklptid Nursing 88, East Town Railway SI. Wellington Tramway 70. The number of oases nursed privately by members of nursing divisions was 37-1, against 29G for ,<he preceding year, the largest being supplied by T'alnierstnn North Nursing Division (15, Dunedin Nursing -i'J, and Cnversliam Nursing 1!!. Tho parchmoiit vote of thanks, for services rendered, has l>eou awarded, by tho Order of St. John, to Dr. AV. Iv. Hislop, formerly divisional surgeon to tho Palmcrston South Ambulance and Nursing Divisions and tho vellum vote of thanks Ims been awarded to Mr. AV. Pee.rce, district treasurer, Christchurcli. Tho eervice inedal awarded for conspicuous service to the Order and its department", has boen granted to: —Assistant Commissioner 11. E. Thomas, Otago district; Lndy Superintendent Miss J. D. Hooper, Dimcdrn Nursing Division; Nursing Sister Mrs. M. Forrester, Dunedin Nursing Division. Tho coronation medal has been awarded to Miss ]?, E. Collinson, of the Palmcrstoii North Nursing Division, who attended the Coronation l'arado in London. Certificates for five years' service have been awarded a 5! follow: —"Wellington Division: Drs. ll.' E. Gibbs and C. D. Henry (divisional surgeons), Privates J. Bcsnnt, E. B. Brown, J. J. P. Brown, C-. Campbell, D. Darke, AV. M. Eglin, C. S. lalconer, AV. B. Fisher, ,T. Hollis, C. T. Jeffrys, A; E. Pollock, C. P. I'owles, .T. C. Redmond, H. H. Seed, .T. AA'right. AVellington Nursing Division: Dr. Agues Bennett (divisional surgeon), Mrs. E. Baritrop, Misses M. Barnard and J. 13. AAilson, Mrs. M. AA'aters, Mrs. J. Griffiths, Mrs. J. C. M'Kechnie. As illustrativo of the extent of the transport work carried out by the brigade, tho following case may bo mentioned. Somo little time ago a lad at Oamaru suffered severely from burns, and it was neccssary to send him to Sydney. Members of the brigade nt Oamaru placcd him 011 the train there, and lie was sent thence to Christchurcli. There 110 was attended by inombers of tho local division, who took hjm fo Lyttelton. and transferred him to tho Sydney vessel in port. On his arrival at Sydney ho was mot by other members of the organisation, and received tho benefit of all (lie expert knowledge they possessed. The lad s relatives have since conveyed to tho brigade their appreciation of the services rendered. The attendance of members of the brigade at raco and sports meetings, football matches, agricultural shows, ami other gatherings continues to show an increase. During tho year members 01 tho brigade assisted considerably in the training of the Dominion Boy Scouts and Girl Peace Scouts in ambulance work, and it is desired that in tho future every assistance possible should bo rendered 111 this direction.