ST. JOHN AMBULANCE ASSOCIATION

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 299, 13 September 1919, Page 9

ST. JOHN AMBULANCE ASSOCIATION

ANNUAL MEETING

The annual meeting of the New Zealand (Wellington Centre) of the St. John Ambulance Association was held in the Conceit Chamber of the 'iown Holt last evening, and was presided over by His Excellency the Governor-General, Knight of Grace of. the Ordcv of St. John ol Jerusalem, president nf the New Zealand (Wellington Ccntr-0 of the bt. John Ambulance Association, who was accompanied by Her Excellency tho Countess of Liverpool. Occupyhg seats upon the platform also were the Mayoress «• P. Luke), Mrs. Moorhouse (Lady of Grace of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, 0.8. E., and president of the District Nursing Guild), Hiss.Robieson (lady superintendent of the Wellington Nursing District Nursing Division), Mrs. Preston (ladv superintendent of the Wellington Soufli Nursing Division), Dr. Harcourt Arthur, Mr. H. H. Seed (assistant com-1 missioner in charge Mid lion. assistant j •of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem), Mr. J. B. Findlay (secretary), Mrs. » at-i era, Mrs. Gibbon, and nursing officers. I Apologies were receivid by the secelary (Mr. Einlay) from Surgeon-General | M'Gavin, the Mayor (Mr. J. P.. Luke, i MP) Mr. Gould, Mr. C. P. Powles, and Miss Maclean (Matron-in-Chiof. of the New Zealand Army Nursing Division. Ho also read tho report, which was as f °"lf more men and women could have ten induced to attend homo nursing classes last year, tho Dominion would not have been found so i ■ there' would have been f skilled workers, and doubtless many lai uable lives would have been -saved. "Ample testimony was aftoided lis through the Press jnd from epidemic group captains of thj fino "ork donis } tho membera of St. John Ambulance Association, ambulance and nur=ing divisions of St. John Ambulance Brigade scheme of'homo nursing lectures was placid before i * tion, and the proposals of tho Minister of Public Health were accepted and an offer was made to set aside tho leguiar classes, and put the Governmeit" r ° into effect in three province?. Howey*, nrv raDlv to this wr.s received. 60 new branches and classes are being the usual lines in many d ™sf n r'com* Minister of Educatioi; has asked foi com pulsory classes in fl.ot aid a o in the Wellington colleges, and l Uenten ant Colonel Sleemaii has ettes.on first aid id tho ■ cadet syllabus. First aid outfits ha\e asked for and supplied to our Slate schools, a Wellington drapery firm, and to the Eastbourne ferry to Thanks are given to too secthroughout the centre. Eegiet's srsss i>\ » nounceinent is made that M «f r f h Gill, and Linklatev are nm. tho hon. Knlinil'nrs of tllß , In movin-' the adoption of the report »nd Glance-sheet, His Exce lcncy the Governor-General expressed pleasure at bo interested to karn that JXan fnvlv nt tlie direction of the Chaptei General of tiio Ordw, had written to »ay that the Chapter-General had been pleased to & Rhodes Commissioner for the New laud branch of tho bngado oveioeas, and ho hoped ttiat His Ma]esty's representative in New Zealand would see his way to interest himself in tho ' casional inspections. Pnoi o-thol ar the St, John Aiabulanco Association and its various divisions 011 organisation for 4mbutho outbreak ot war the St. ■ John Alu ~; t , lanco Association and tho Red Cross oipinisatioiis all over tho Kingdom joined together? It was difficult to imagine tout two such organisations thai ad dono such excellent work during the wai should separate now. Here in New Zealand thero was not room for the two to do similar work without a great deal of overlapping. It was obviously -hotter to work together. He understood that tho funds of tho association were well to the fore, a condition that.was largely duo to the fact that the war ended when t did. Should it be necessary to make fu ttier calls it would bt- tar more ditocult to nmeal for two organisations engaged in dff tto «Sno of work than lor one. Much friction and commit 1011 would be likely tb result. It was better to co-operate for the same end no matter what unit they might be ong to. It was ouito possible to make allowance .or any idiosyncracics that particular un U might cherish- without impairing the efficiency of the vholo. He had "ccitoJ a letter from the secretary ot the joint organisations in London (the British Red Cross and the Order of St. John) stating tfhat all brandies wore organjsins for the purpose of combating anj epi<-t mic that might arise in any country, such as typhus in -South Eastern Burnw. Al'.l over the world,, in France, Great Britain, Italy, America, 1 bpam, and tlie overseas Dominions, they (ivere combining to form a Ited. Cross league (in which were included tlie St. John Ambulance Association and all its iiints), to bo ready for whatever emergencies might arise. His Excellency paid a tribute to the work of General Henderson, who had helped ambulance' work so much, not • only in Wellington, but throughout.Now Zealand. He hail always been ready to give his help, his presence, and his advice in every way from the time ho came to New Zealand until lie toft. Referring oncc more to tho necessity for co-opera-tion he said tout one large show, with the words "New Zealand" in front, made far more for efficiency than would sopurate organisations each going their own way.. If we had failed (and he did not say that we liad) it would have been through the' ffii't that there ™ s » ot enough co-ordinaaon among units WlwU had to be kept in tho forefront of everyone's vision was that they were working for the whole and not the part. In seconding t'ae motion for the adoption of the report and banance-slieet, Dr. Ilorcourt Arthur mid that tho association and the Eefi Cross had laboured unceasingly together during tho war with very 'satisfactory results, and ' n tb a permanent union with the Bed Cro-s no one would be more delighted than himself. Referring to the time of the epidemic, he said that members o the association gave valuable aid, and proved the need for such u channel _ through which first aid eouCd be disseminated a> tlie public mind. It was not their aim to turn out doctors and nurses, but to turn out men and women to cope with sudden emergencies. Had the Public Health Department seen fit to co-oper-ni-n with the St. John organisation durthe epidemic, they would have had a big supply from winch to draw aid 111 combating the epidemic, and theie would not have been such a lack of organisation at the beginning. The report and baraiice-shect were n The e eiecHon of tlie ! ns follows :-Mei dames Bnrltroj), Gibbons, Preston, Watew, Misses Rennie Helyer, I Robieson, and Robertson, Messis, W. i'Allen. H- H. SnhJ. G.> A. Ayson, Dr. A. i ii. Palmer,-Mr. W. Cox. I His FSttilenty handed medallions to ! tho following-Dorothy C -A a j Sheldon, Ruth Hawkins, Sister Aloraus,Helen B. Lee. Georgina Chapman, P.or- , I cii"C Pent. Sister Marcellft, Sister An- ; eelica, Sister Clare, Gladys A. Eas=am, Nan Heath, and a large number of those present at the gathering received certih- . rates in first aid and home-nnrsmg. I \ demonstration in fir?t aid, stretcher , drill, etc., followed the-business nart of ■ the evenin o ", and Miss Grant contributed ! snn°s and Mr. Spencer recited. Nursing ! sisters of the association were present in j huge numbers -ill wearing uniform. j