RED CROSS AND ST. JOHN

Evening Star, Issue 23375, 19 September 1939, Page 5

RED CROSS AND ST. JOHN

PORT CHALMERS MEETING . Keen interest was displayed at a public meeting held in the Town Hall at Fort Chalmers last night. The enrolments for Red Cross totalled 115. For St. John training the candidates wore not so many, but another enrolment meeting for men only will be held In the Town Hall on Thursday night. Meanwhile enrolment may be made at the town clerk’s office. The mayor (Mr T. Scollay) presided at the meeting. Seated with him on the platform were the mayoress, who was appointed by the Borough Council to organise the work, and representatives of the St. John end Red Cross Organisations. The Chairman stated that the large attendance showed the right spirit at this period. During the last war much splendid work was done, but there was a good deal of overlapping. In order to avoid overlapping the Borough Council had decided that the Red Crow and St. John system should be adopted, men to join the latter and women the former order. These made provision for all the required kinds of war work as well as for actual training in first aid and nursing. The chairman reminded the audience that Britain had never lost a war. This war would also be won, but the winning of it entailed much hard work and a united and unrelenting determination to win. The city Red Cross and St. John people wished to see self-contained branches of both organisations formed at Port Chalmers, and the indications were that this would be done. Mrs R. A. Ward and Mrs D. Fletcher, nurses, had offered their services, which Mrs Scollay as local organiser had gladly accepted. Dr R. W. Edgar and Dr A. B. Roy also offered their services. The Rev. Mr Simpson, with a fine record of medical corp work on active service in the last war, would also assist in ambulance work, which Mr C. G. Jlarvey and Mr S. Head were qualified to conduct. On Thursday evening the women would meet in the Pioneers’ Hall and the men in the Town Hall to make arrangements for carrying on the training classes.

Mr G. L. Ferguson and Corps Superintendent P. C. Wilkinson outlined the training done in the respective orders, and stated that every assistance would be given by headquarters. An ambulance squad from the Railway Worlcshops branch of the Order of St. John gave a demonstration of ambulance work, after which enrolments proceeded. The mayor and the mayoress were the first two to enrol. Mrs Scollay is the holder of a St. John medallion.