PLUNKET SOCIETY.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 June 1921, Page 7

PLUNKET SOCIETY.

' MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly committee meeting of the Plunket Society was field on June 13, and in the absence of Mrs. Walter Weston the chair was taken by Mrs. W. Ambury. Present: Mesdames Blackley, Cock, Hay, Home, Millar, Loveridge, Wade, Jenkin, Valentine, Shaw, Standish, and the hon. secretary (Mrs. Stuart Russell). Apologies were received from Mesdames W. Weston, N. King, Nicholson and Denny-Brown. Reports from the car, house, finance and sewing committees were read and adopted. Nurse Petersen reported for the month of May: Number of babies on list, old 133, new 13; visits paid to homes, old cases 189, new 48; visits received at office, adults 228, babies 202; advice to expectant mothers, 2; mothers shown how to make humanised milk, 2; lexers received and answered, 3; telephone calis from mothers, 15. The secretary stated that Nurse Castles had commenced uuty in the rooms on Friday, June 10, when Nurse Petersen visited Waitara. The first baby brought into the Waitara Plunket rooms was Allen Crowe, and he had been presented with a silver serviette ring by our president. The committee decided that a letter of congratulation be sent to the Waitara branch for the enthusiastic- way in which they had taken up the work. Accounts were passed for payment, and the secretary was instructed to write to the Mayor asking that the privilege which was granted to the society in allowing them to have the battery of the car re-charged at the electric light depot free of charge might be continued, this being the first time an account had been received for this work. The secretary was also instructed to write and thank the Borough Council for having made the tram pass transferable to the second nurse. Several letters were read whi?h had been received "from the central council in connection with the work, stating that Dr. Trilby King and Miss Patrick, tiie director of Plunket nursing, would probably visit New Plymouth within the next two months, and also stating that our share of the central council’s expenses for the year ended March 31, 1921, was £ll. The secretary was instructed to forward a cheque for this amount.

The secretary then reported that during the month she had received a large supply of sugar of milk, emulsion and record books from the central council, all of which have been ordered through local firms. After discussion the committee instructed the secretary to write to the central council asking them not to send goods in ordered, for when ever possible we feel we ought to support our own tradespeople in return for the way in which they always gave the.society their generous support.

The secretary stated that .the president had been approached by the Y.W. C.A. with reference to our rest room; they wished to know whether it was a public room, or only for mothers and babies, and the president wished this point to be decided by the committee. The following resolution was put to the meeting: “That the rest room in connection with the Plunket Society at Brougham Street be used for mothers and babies only, and not as a ’ public rest room.” This was carried, and the secretary was instructed to inform the Y.W.C.A. At the same time the Plunket Society wish it to be widely known that the rooms and the services of the nurses are free to all mothers, whether members of the society or not. Some discussion about sewing meetings then took place, and it was finally decided that each member of the committee make herself responsible for ten garments and that all sewing be done at home. The following ladies have kindly given donations for materials: Mesdames Weston, N. King, Home, R. Cock, W. Ambury and C. H. Burgess, £1 each; and Mesdames Millar and Stuart Russell 5s each.

The following subscriptions, which the committee desire to acknowledge with thanks, were received during May: Mesdames M. L. Evans £1 Is, T. Shaw ss, S. Russell ss, Furness £l, Home 10s, Lynch ss, Abram ss, Cock ss, Jenkin ss, D. Kibby ss, and Miss Gascoigne ss.