OUR BABIES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 2, 7 May 1913, Page 8

OUR BABIES.

(By Hygeia.) Published under the auspices 01 the Society for the Healtn of \\ oinei and Children. , “It is wiser to put up a fence at the top of a precipice than to main tain an ambulance at the bottom. GOVERNMENT HEALTH CAMPAIGN. in June, 1912, the Minister of Public Health, struck by the steady decline in the Infantile Death Bate, and recognising that the Society for Health of Women and Children was performing a beneficiont public function wherever it had been established, decided that the work should be still further extended. For this purpose he arranged that Dr. 1 ruby King, the founder of tire Society, should be released from his other ollicial duties in order to undertake an extensive lecturing tour throughout the whole Dominion, with the object of sotting up permanent organisations in every place visited, for the purpose of carrying on the work. Local committees wore to he formed in every township where a body of earnest women could be got together

who would devote themselves to furthering the welfare of the women and children in their neighbourhood, in the direction indicated by the aims and objects of the Society, as eet forth on tlie inside of the cover of this report.

REI > RESENT ATI VE COM I ITT! EES

In the formation of committees special emphasis was to he laid on the necessity of members being as widely ■opresentative as possible, including all ■eligious sects and all classes of the community.

From the centre it was expected that i Plunket Nurse could work the townships within a radius of 50 miles or so. Che nurse would he resident at the centre, and would make periodical visits to the neighbouring towns and the outlying districts, every week, every month, every quarter, or every six months or so according to circumstances. The local committee in each case would arrange matters before-hand-visits to schools, mothers’ meetings, demonstrations, homes to be visited, etc.,—so that the utmost use could he made of the nurse’s time. Between the nurse’s visits the local committee would carry on the work, it is usually found possible in every community to secure one or two capable,’ large-hearted women who, having gained knowledge or received benefit themselves, prove able and willing to assist their neigbours. Besides the lectures and the establishment of Committees and Plunket Nurses, the Minister of Public Health wished! Dr. King to get into touch

with the local newspapers in each 'mitre, so that the circulation of the ■Society’s “Our Babies” Column might ie still further extended.

LECTURING TOUR

|)r. and Mrs King started on the

campaign last July, and concluded it in December. Their journeying# extended from Whangarei and Darga- j ville in the north to the Bluff and Jrepuki in the south. Over sixty new committees were formed, making up the branches of the Society to seventy in all. One hundred public lectures | were delivered, most of them being j illustrated by lantern slides, and 26 ; committee meetings were attended, j where addresses were delivered, ques- j tons answered, and plans for working discussed.

The newspaper editors were called on in the various places visited, and. besides proving most sympathetic. ; practically all of them agreed to help j on the work of the Society by publishing the weekly “Our Babies” Column. In localities where branches of the Society already existed, meetings had been arranged beforehand by the. local committees. In order to effect this many of the members had gone round the country at great personal expense and trouble, addressing meetings, arousing interest, and assuring good attendances by -getting together committees to arrange matters ahead. This greatly facilitated the work of the lecturer, and added much to the success of the tour, as most of the temporary committees formed the basis of the permanent associations. In districts where such preliminary work had not been done the task was much harder, because leading people and those likely to be interested had to' be sought out personally and interviewed, and all arrangements for lectures, etc., had to be made. However, in most places in the Dominion the Society already bad-some ardent supporters, and many babies were brought to the meetings who had Keen reared on the lines advocated j l,y the Society for the Health of Women and Children, or, as the mother often put it, “Ho was brought up on the Society’s Book.” TXCLIXTXG A Xl') TRAINING SCHOOL-GIRLS FOR HOME LIFE. Every year more and more attention is being given by the Society as (i whole to co-operating with educational authorities with a view to kindling and quickening the interest, ] feeling, and capabilities of girls in | the direction of home life, especially j in matters affecting their own health j and happiness and hearing on the care ' and nurture of babies and little chil- 1 dren.

In the course of their recent tour of the Dominion, Dr. and .Mrs Trilby King visited a number of schools, and addreses on “Health and Fitness” were given both to hoys and girls.

They found that by far the keenest

interest and enthusiasm were manifested where girls were given a living demonstration on babyhood, everything shown being referred directly or indirectly to a real live, winsome baby brought into the classroom lor the purpose by one of the Society s nurses. This has also been the experience where it has been tried b\ the Plunket Nurses themselves ; and the 'master of one of our leading Technical Schools has assured us that the influence of a well-thought-out sympathetic series of such talks and practical demonstrations given b\ Lin 1 local Plunket Nurse to the girl# and young women of His own school proved most welcome, attractive, and heno(iciont in its influence.