MOTHERS’ HELP DIVISION

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 162, 5 April 1921, Page 3

MOTHERS’ HELP DIVISION

ANNUAL MEETING

The annual meeting of the Mothers’ Help Division, W.N.R., was held yesterday. After the usual business had been transacted Mrs. Darling tendered her resignation as president, expressing her cordial thanks to the committee for their energetic and loyal assistance. The resignation was accepted with many expressions of regret, after which Mrs. Coleridge was unanimously voted to the chair. Mrs. Shand, who has proved an admirable treasurer, was re-elected to the office. The following new members were elected: —Mrs. D. H. S. Riddiford (vice-president), Mrs. W. 'Nathan, Mrs. W. Blundell, nnd the ’•esignations of Mesdames Hosking and Logan were accepted with regret. Votes of thanks were passed to subscribers and donors of gifts—to the auditors (Messrs. Clark nnd Menzies), to the hon. advisory board, to the committee, Messrs. Hall and Hadfield, and Dr. Shand, to the Press for its unfailing courtesy and consideration, nnd to Miss Stewart, the matron of the rest rooms, and the visiting helpers for the. very fine work done by them during the past year. The annual report stated that "there were at present 30 applicants for assistance on the books, exclusive of many others who had been written off as no longer requiring it, and frosh calls wore constantly coming in. The division was now employing four helpers, and would shortly engage a fifth. It had to be remembered that a considerable proportion of free help was given to mothers unable to pay. , With regard to the rest room; the number af mothers and children who availed themselves of its shelter had increased beyond all expectaand the receipts had more -than doubled. This pleasing result was largely dne to the capable nnd kindly management of the matron (Miss Stewart). , The Test room receipts for the year amounted to .£29 125.. and the balance-sheet showed its credit balance to be £ll2. In the visiting helpers’ department a credit balance of £125 1". fid. was shown. During Tie month of ■Tune, 1920, an application was made to the Government for assistance, and n» response, a subsidy of £1 for every £2 collected, up to £lOO,. was promised. Tn compliance with instructions, a balancesheet was prepared, audited, and duly

sent in in September, and was accepted fr.r the purpose of obtaining the subsidy Early in March, 1921, however, a letter was received from the Government, staring that the subsidy would only he paid on amounts collected during the current year. March 31, 1920, to March 31, 1921. This came as a great surprise, and the committee had to make strenuous efforts to raise the sum of .£6O in about three weeks’ time, in order to benefit to the full amount of the subsidy. Tt was decided that the members of the committee shouH each raise the sum of £5 before the end of the month, by which means the required balance of .CM would he available. The report thanks thp following Indies for the undermentioned sums collected hr their efforts during this brief period:—.Mrs. Barling, £9 95.; Mrs. Coleridge, .28 135.; Mr®. Pockley. ,C 7 Mrs. Bethune. .05; Mrs. TTall. .£5; Mrs. Hadfield, £a; Mrs. T.ogan. £5-, Mrs. Shand, -C5: Mrs. Porter, 413. The committee also thanked nil those who had assisted to make the work of the division so successful.

The engagement is announced of Miss Vina Verity, daughter of Mr, and Mrs. C. H. Verity, of Waihao Downs, Wai■mate, to Mr. Frederick Llewellyn Price, son of the late Mr. J. A. Price and of Mrs. .T. A. Price, Wales, England.