RED CROSS SHOP

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 66, 11 December 1917, Page 3

RED CROSS SHOP

PLANS FOR THE COMING YEAR

MEETING OF DELEGATES

A meeting of the supporters of the Wellington Ilecl Cross Shop was hold in the Concert Chamber of the Town Hall yesterday afternoon to make final arrangements concerning the management of the shop for the coming year, beginning from February, 1918. Mrs. J. P. Luke (Mayoress) -presided at the meeting.

Delegates from the following organisations had been asked to attend and express the wishes of their members: — Hobson Street and Crescent, the Mercer Street Depot, The Terrace, the Tliorndon workers, country workers (Kapiti and, near-by districts), Day's Bay, the Spinsters' Club, St. John Ambulance, New Zealand Natives' Association, Miramar Sewing Guild, Hill Street Guild, Victoria League, Catholic Knitting Guild, the Busy Bees, Kelburn Croquet Club, New Zealand Natives' Association Ladies' Guild, Johnsonville, and the various branches of the Women's National Reserve. Representatives of nearly all of the above organisations were present. A series of questions had been presented to bodies bearing upon the further organisation and management; of. the shop. That it should be continued had been decided upon. Whether it should be a continuous undertaking, open not only on Tuesdays (flower day) and Fridays (market day), but on the other days as well, was the subject of much discussion. In any case the feeling of the meeting was that smaller efforts could be sustained very much better than could the big days which have caused such a great amount of strain to all concerned.

Mrs. Firth pointed out that as somo of the organisations were 110 longer taking a day at the shop owing to their being members of other bodies that took their turn there, such as the Mercer Street Depot and the Victoria League, also that other bodies were reducing the number of days on which they were in charge, such as the Spinsters'. Club, who were dropping two of their days, and the Catholic Guild,' who were dropping one, there would be considerable difficulty in allotting the different days during the coming year.

Mrs. Massey, on behalf of the. Thorndon workers, said that they would take two days a year and would guarantee £20.0 every six months.

Mrs. Fihdlay, on behalf of The Terrace, said that they would prefer to take two days a year, but if necessary would divide into three separate organisations after their day in February was over. If this were done, and each took two days at the shop during the year, six Terrace days would be accounted for.

Mrs. Firth proposed that a shop 'be taken from February for three months; that it be open two days a week as now, the days being taken by different societies, streets, and organisations, and flowers, cakes, sweets, and produce be sold;; that needlework be exhibited and orders taken; that there should be no raffles on the premises, 'a,nd that second-hand goods be taken in for selling.

As Mrs. Duthie appeared to be in favour of the Hobson Street workers taking charge of the Red Cross Shop, for one week (on consecutive days) out of every six months, and Mrs. Earle (representing the np-country workers) likewise, Mrs. Luke put the matter to the meeting—a one-day effort for each organisation as in the past, or a consecutive effort as proposed by Mrs. Duthie and Mrs. Earle. The one-day effort was carried.

Mrs. Porter, who had suggested earlier in the proceedings that every branch of the W.N.R. should be responsible for its own effort, in its own way, and in its own district, and that the funds resulting be paid into the shop funds, recognised the diffiouity of keeping the shop going unless each organisation took its own turn, there, and supported the proposal to mako smaller efforts on the shop days. She felt.sure that every'branch of the reserve would be prepared to take its day at the shop in those circumstances.

Mrs. Firth paid a. warm tribute to the AV.N.11., whom she described aa thci backbone of tho shop.

Airs. Massey was of tlie opinion that if they decided to organise and manage a shop, it should bo done altogether on business lines. It was not righo to undersell the shops, and it was not for them to encourage people to come with., the idea of getting as much as they could, at cheaper- rates. (Applause.)

A proposal was brought forward by Mrs. iince that Tuesdays should be made cake days as well as . flower days. The Wadestown people liold a cane day one Tuesday in every month at the shop, and she thought it would be a good thing to extend the work.

Another proposal that was made was one by Mrs. Stewart, to the effect that the amounts of money received by sales in the shop and amounts received from raffles and all other outside efforts be published separately. No conclusion was reached regarding this. The outstanding unanimous conclusion arrived at by the meeting was that the efforts at the shop are to be made much smaller, if possible, the large organisations be induced to divide into smaller ones, and more streets or localities be induced to join in the work.

A very hearty vote of thanks to Mrs. Firth for her whole-hearted and untiring work in regard to the shop was proposed by Mrs. Stewart, seconded by Mrs. Porter, and carried by the meeting.

The matter of finding a new shop was left in the hands of the committee.