ST. JOHN AMBULANCE ASSOCIATION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXII, Issue 81, 5 April 1900, Page 2

ST. JOHN AMBULANCE ASSOCIATION.

ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of the New Fly- \ mouth " Centre " St. John Ambulance j Association was held on Monday even- / ing, 2nd April, in the Whiteley Hall, j His Worship the Mayor (Mr. E. Deckrill), President of the Association, t occupied the chair. In his opening remarks the Chairman stated that the object of the meeting was to receive the first annual report of the New Plymouth Centre. While ambulance classes were esrab- < lished in the town in 1897 and 1898, , during these two years the work was \ carried on under the Auckland Centre, , but in 1899 the sanction of the authorities at St. John's Gate, London, was I received for the formation of a centre ' in New Plymouth, on the condition that the movement should be extended to other towns in the Taranaki district. Prompt measures were accordingly taken for organizing in the principal towns, with a considerable amount of success. The details of the work would be given by the Hon. Secretary, Mrs. [ Colli?, senr., who was called on to read [ the report, [This will be published in > another issue. ] ' The Treasurer, Mr. H. T. Ainsworth, ' submitted a balance-sheet, showing a 1 credit balance of £2 10s Bd, He i also read a letter from Mr. f N. K, MacDiarmid, manager of the j Bank of New South Wales, stating that 5 he had pleasure in paying the usual fee ' of 10s for keeping the account of the i " Centre" out of his own pocket, as, ; according to present regulations, it 2 could not be remitted, even to a btneB volent institution. This generous t donation to the funds was accepted b with applause. s On election of officers' being called, £ the Secretary read the names of the e officers and of the Executive Commiti tee.

Mr. W. Ambury proposed that these be re-elected. This was carried unanimously as follow:—President, His Worship the Mayor; Yice-Presidents, J. B. Eoy,jEsq., and Henry Brown, Esq.; Hon. Secretary, Mrs.,Colliß, senr.; Hon. Treasurer, Mr. H, T. Ainsworth. Executive Committee: Mesdames Evans, B. 0. Hughes, Dowling, Miss Hirst, Rev. F. G. Evans, Messrs. R. 0. Hughes, H. Dempsey, and the hon. Secretary and Treasurer. The name of Dr, Hutchinson, Chairman of iMedical'Staff, was added to the Executive Committee with unanimous approval.

Dr. Hutchinson delivered a mo*t interesting address on the valuable benefits of the ambulance movement, and appealed to the audience for more practical sympathy and suppoit, and hoped a large number would attend the New PI) mouth classes. Rev. F. 6. Evans made some happy

remarks in further enlarging on the subject of ambulance work, and read a telegram from Rev. H. Mason, stating his inability to attend owing to illness. In expressing his great disappointment at the absence of Mr. Mason, he likened

the situation of the meeting to a London concert where Sims Reeves had engaged to attend but failed to do so, for there had beea promise of great treat in the narration of his personal experiences of ambulance work which Mr. Mason was prepared to give, and it was hoped that on some early future occasion a New Plymouth audience would yet be gratified with this interesting record of useful work. A hearty oto ol: thanks was passed to Mrs, Collis, ton, secretary, for her services to the Association,

Highly appreciated musical items and songs were rendered by Miss .Richards and Miss Clarice Douglas and Mr. H. Gray. The proceedings terminated with the singing of the National Anthem.