MEMORIAL FUND

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 444, 27 May 1937, Page 3

MEMORIAL FUND

CHILDREN’S CAMPS Medical Man’s Appeal The importance of Children’s Health Camps from a medidal viewpoint was emphasised by Dr. T. D. M. Stout, president -of the New Zealand branch of the British Me'd'ical Association, in a statement supplementing the appeal for the King George V. National Memorial Fund.

“The medical profession has taiways det-ply appreciated and profoundly

admired the intelligent beneficient interest that has continuously been taken in medical science and in the health of the community by members of our beloved Royal Family,” said Dr. Stout.

"The King Edward VI. Hospital Fund is one concrete illustration of the active and practical interest, in medicine, 'taken by the grandfather of our present King. “The late King George V’s. epithet of 'Father of his people,’ was most adequately earned, by a lifetime of humble and never ending service on be-hlalf of all his subjects' and' he was ever anxious to help, in every way, any project having as its alm the improvement in the health and welfare of his people and especially of the children. Nothing, I am certain, would have given him more pleasure than to give his help and encouiligement in the institution of camps throughout his Empire for the benefit of the health and with It the real hap piners of the young children. Is ,it not out duty, therefore, in deeply honouring his name, and showing our appreciation of his beneficient reign over the Empire, of which we are so proud to be a small, but profoundly loyal, part, -to further with every effort of which we are capable, the memorial which would assure the people of New Zealand that the medical profession unanimously recommends the objective selected as a memorial in’this country. We have waf,ched wi h the greatest . interest and pleasure the -great improvements in the health, of the children who have had the privilege of attending the camps during the last few year-J Not only has there been an improvement in health, which can be measured by the Increase in weight, and obviously improved well-being and vitality, but also there is, maybe even more importlint, the training of the children in the great and all important details of healthy living and a well chosen and balanced diet. The education also of the weakly child to appreciate the open air life must (always remain as a constant corrective to any later tendency to ill-health. “This education will be steadily diffused throughout the families of these children and so throughout the community.

“The children’s health camps rare perhaps one of the most important steps in preventive medicine so far taken by the community, and the medical profession realising so well what preventive medicine of this type can achieve, can do nothing but give it its utmost support and commend the movement to the generosity of the people.

‘‘lf as I believe, a solid foundation clan be thereby laid for the camps to remain as a . permanent part of our social life the results to the future generations of New Zealanders will be incalculable. . I hops that the camps will be always known as the King George the Fifth helaith camps, a living memorial of healthy, -active and happy young children, surely the most wonderful memorial that any man, even a king, can be giveni. Our pride and faith in New Zealand and its future can surely best be visualited by a picture of a land of smiling and sunny children, the descendants of our British race of which King George was so proud.”