RED CROSS SOCIETY.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 January 1917, Page 6

RED CROSS SOCIETY.

ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of the New Plymouth braneli of the British lied Society was held on Monday evening. GMplain-Lieutcnant-Colonel Evans presided, there being over forty ladies and eight gentlemen present. The lion, secretary, Mr. A. B. Gibson, lead the annual report as follows - A very large amount of work link been done by the ladies' committee since c.ur first meeting. Over 4387 articles and clothing, as well as quantities of surgiivl diessings, have been manufactured an J forwarded to the headquarters of (he British Red Crons Society use of our men, principally upon hospital ships and in the military hospitals. Officers.—Early in the year the committee appointed Mr. Arthur B. Gibson/ l'cn. secretary and Mr. Keith Bell linn, treasurer. Several of the committee, owing to removal, illness, and pressure of other business, have been compelled to vacate office, and their respective positions have been filled by the appointment of other workers. The committee now consists of the following ladic.?:— Vice-presidents, Mrs. Crooke and Mrs Walker; Mesdames Darcy Rober'stm, I Fair, Courtney, Newman, Alexander, Renaud. Martin, Matthews, Hutehen, Glenn, J. Wilson and R Quilliam, Misnfes Percy Smith, Harding, Fookes, Goldwater, Crooke tnd l>athai2. His Worship the Mayor and Mrs. Burgess resigned their respective offices as president and vice-president, and Dr. Leatham, sit the imitation of the committee, consented to act as president until the ar.nual meeting: it was unanimously decided not to f.ll the vacancy of v;*; N president.

Red Cross Market.—Tlic ladies who successfully conducted tliis department recently wrote tendering tlicir resignation, and it will now rest, with $lO members of the society to decide upon the future policy of this branch of cur v/ork. The thanks of the society arc due to Mesdames Matthews, Cock, Wilsen. Newton Km,?, lilundell (2), Addonbrooke, and Dockrill for their whole* hearted efforts, also to Sole Bros, for assistance rendered every Saturday. A delegate to the colonial conference of the Red Cross Military Guild was required, to be appointed, and Mrs. Luke, of Wellington, at short notice, consented to act on our behalf. Appointment of trustee.—lt was urged upon us to appoint trustees, under the j War Fund Act, and a special meeting was convened and Mesdames Crooke ami I Walker were appointed, j A r arious organisation have ably assisted the committee, amongst which may he mentioned the Mysterious Pierrots, Clifford Family Entertainers, Ngumotu Seaside Committee, Mayoress' Flower Committee, Women's Patriotic CommittK'.', Citizens' Band, New Zealand Express Company, People's and Empire Picture Companies, Taranaki Jockey Club, St. John Ambulance Society, nnd.the Xcw Plymouth Shirt Factory. The thanks of the society are tendered to all individual helpers, and to tiie press. A stall at the Winter Show and exhibitions of work was successfully con ducted by the committee, assisted by the ladies of the Red Cross Mart. Raffle.—The society had various artists presented to it, and these were disposed of, hv consent of the Hon. Minisler of Internal Affairs, hv raffle, the result of which is disclosed in our balance' sheet now presented.

A fete was liekl at Aotea towards ti'e md of last year to raise funds for p. motor ambulance, and the sum of £IJO v. as realised.

Mooting place.—By the courtesy of (he Mayoress we had the free use of one of the Women's Patriotic Socioty rooms until September, wlion Mr. Stanley Shaw kindly placed at our use a separate building in Queen street free of charge. An appeal for subscriptions was ma do by Mrs. Crooke during the year and as a result a large increase of our membership took place. We have some 20(1 monthly subscribers 011 our books, and although some of the most liberal have been, forced to discontinue their payments it is to be hoped that others will licSudueod to enrol. The minimum subscription is Is per month, and intending subscribers ave invited to hand their names to the secretary or at the rooms. Queen street. .

j The money sent direct, to the British . Tied Cross Society amounted to £ll.>o. 'and we he'd £2(>R in hand at tho-end 01* the year, in addition to a large stock ! of material.

RED CROSS MART. Following is a statement of receipts aiid expenditure of the New Pl"moult i Red Cross Market for the period September 11, 1910, to December 31, 1010: Receipts. . September 11— '£ s. d. ' To balance at bank .... IS3 10 i Cash balance GO 17 5 December 31— x Total takings 263 i 4 1 Interest. 0 6 7

Expenditure. '£ 9. fl. Red Cross Society ■ 350 0 0 Red Cross Ambulance 10 3 0 Kent 35 0 0 Advertising 7 o 0 Sundries ..' l 13 4 l ; etty cash 3 10 2 Casli in bank AO 15 ]0 Cash in hand 4 2 I .'£3 oB 13 5 1 The Red Cross Market will now he v.nder different management. During the 15 months it has been in operaticn the takings and donations have amounted to £1430 18s Od. This has been expended as follows: £107!) 18s lid 1o the New Plymouth branch of the Brit:sh Red Cross Society, £IOO to the Mayor's Fund, £IOO 'Red Cross Day. vent £lls 10s Od. advertising £2O Is, expenses £ls 8s 4d. The balance sheet, of the society has alrtady been published. The chairman, in proposing the adop--1 011 of the report and balance-sheet, ssid he considered himself as very fortunate at having been present at the ■ ?neeting at which the branch was inaugurated and at the present meeting. He had seen something of the wonderful work of the Red Cross Society. No one ctuld have thought when the work wdf. put in hand twelve months ago tlint over £3OOO would have been collected, i;nd that over 4387 articles would be made by the Society. He described (lie organisation <as wonderful, and lie heartily congratulated the ladies for what they had done. Proceeding, Colonel Evans said it was easy to get people to work for a nnise for a short while, but it was another matter to get them to work energetically day after day for months. The Society was fortunate in having many members who could be described as "stickers." The. chairman sa d if those present realised the pleasure which the garments made by the Society gave to the men who received them they would be amply repaid for their work. Colonel Evans paid a liiah tribute to the British Army, which lie said he had the honor to represent. Tlio Army was composed of super-men, ■heroic and cheerful—the finest men who ever stepped in shoe leather. The New Zealanders and Australians were as good as the British were--and that was saying a great deal. The colonial hud shown that the spirit of the hardy pioneers who first settled New Zealand still | animated them. (Applause).

BALANCE-SH EET QUESTIONED. • Mrs. Dockrill seconded the proposal, and took the opportunity to ask for an explanation regarding the balance-sheet. She said the balance-s-heet of the Society showed that tho Red Cross Mart Committee had handed only £505 to the Society, whereas the committee held receipts for over £IO9O. It was explained by the secretary and treasurer and members of the executive that there was no doubt the full amount stated had been received and been accounted for. The only point at issue was the dissection of the amounts, some of the Red Cross Mart collections being unintentionally included in other items. There was no doubt that all the money raised by the Mart Committee had been duly credited, and that ihe totals were correct. Mrs. Dockrill said she raised the question in order to vindicate the Mart Committee in the eyes of the public. It was resolved to appoint Messrs A. 11. Johnstone, AV. C. Weston, A. 13. Gibson and K. Bell a committee to investi- | gate the position, and to attach a footnote to tho balance-sheet itemising the | amounts and allowing those to be credited to the Mart Committee.

RE-ELECTION OF OFFICERS. All the officers were re-elected. Mrs. Gilbert., of Hurford road, was elected in place of Mrs. R. Quilliam, and Mrs. Penn in place of Miss Percy Smith on the committee.