PLUNKET SOCIETY’S FIRST CONFERENCE

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 187, 28 October 1927, Page 5

PLUNKET SOCIETY’S FIRST CONFERENCE

YEAR’S WORK REVIEWED The past year’s activities of the Flunket Society in Auckland were reviewed yesterday at the first annual conference of representatives of the sub-branches. Mrs. Parkes, president of the society, presided over the assembly, which was held at the society’s headquarters, Symonds Street. The Auckland sub-branches were represented by Mesdames Coldicutt, Straw, Houldsworth, Barnett, Cruickshank, McLaren, Murdock, Hall Payne, Clements, Hodgson, Barlow, Hatch, Fox, Waldron, Robinson, Darrow, McKenzie, Turley, Robson, Penman, Avery, Misses Robb and Statham, and the provincial and subbranches as follows: —Dargaville, Mrs. A. E. Harding; Hamilton, Mesdames Holloway and Vickery; Ngaruawahia, Mesdames Birkett and Paterson; Pukekohe, Mesdames Wily and Perkins; Taumarunui, Mrs. Cater; Tauranga, Mrs. Munro; Thames, Mesdames Miller and Liggins: Te Aroha. Mesdames Hedge and Wykes; Raupo, Mrs. A. J. Bailey; Kerepeehi. Mrs. Taylor; Turua, Mrs. Hill; Tuakau, Mesdames Lewis and Durrant; Huntly. Mesdames Robinson and Brocklebank; and others. The guests were entertained at afternoon tea by Miss Partridge, the secretary. To-day Mrs. W. H. Parkes, the president, will be hostess, and on Saturday Mrs. David Nathan will hold a garden party at he.r home at Manurewa. Mrs. Parkes briefly outlined the Plunket Society’s aims and objects. She quoted Sir Truby King’s definition of the society’s constitution. It was not an arbitrary organisation run by a central directing bureau, but was a federation of between 50 and 100 centres, all on the same footing and with equal responsibilities, privileges and powers, but all bound together by a common tie of a mutual work. Maintaining Nurses One reason for calling the conference was to impress upon the committee members of sub-branches tlieir responsibilities to the central branch, especially in regard to finance. It was not practicable to meet the cost of maintaining nurses at subbranches and at the same time keep up an efficient administration at headquarters. To relieve the financial strain, therefore, it had been decided at the last general conference, held in Wellington, that all sub-branches should share in the responsibility of maintaining the nurses to the following extent: Attendance of nurse for one

half-day a week, £ls a year; for one whole day a week, £3O; and for two days a week, £6O. The report of the secretary, Miss E. L. Partridge, stated that this year the number of visits of mothers and babies to the various offices was 78,891, and 2,223 new baby cases were dealt with. A total of 13,966 visits was paid to homes by the nurses, and 387 letters of advice were sent to country mothers. Prevention and Cure The society’s highest aim was not merely to bring about a reduction in the infant death rate by healing sick babies, but, by practical teaching, to prevent illness so that children might be given a chance to grow up healthy and fit to take their place in the world. The possession of a Karitane Hospital and Mothe.rcraft Home and the new headquarters for the district was highly gratifying. There was a chain of 17 sub-centres stretching from Otahuhu to Helensville and a band of 13 district Plunket nurses was employed.The question why no charge was made for the nurses’s services could be quickly dismissed. The branches that had tried that method of raising funds had soon returned to the voluntary donation system. It was generally agreed that the voluntary donation system was preferable. Reports from the various subbranches were submitted as follows: Avondale, Mrs. Robson: Glen Eden, Mrs. Waldron: Kohimarama, Mrs. F. C. Webster; New Lynn. Mrs. Barlow; Onehunga,' Miss M. Robb: Otahuhu, Airs. A. Murdock; Ponsonby. Airs. J. j Hodgson: St. Hellers Bay, Aliss Statham.