ST. JOHN AMBULANCE

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10637, 16 May 1912, Page 6

ST. JOHN AMBULANCE

ANNUAL REKOHi'.

The following is the animal report of the St. J'ohn Ambulance N"™-sing Cuild, Mastertoir Division St. JohnAmbulance .Brigade, presented at the aMwual meeting, ! !s?.yb night' by the Lady Sup-erintendonit (Miss Gillespie) : during, the session 1911, regular weekly meetonps Were 1 held frora May to September. Dr P. R. Cook delivered a course of lectures on First Aid, and fourteen, practices were held. The ■avai-age atit'cr.dhrces at practices has ■been very good, w.tii a corresponding increase hi' genera I '] efficiency, as proved .by tile result of the annual exannin'ation, all members -having passed cre--1 ditfably. The inenrbers cf the Division 'assisted in.' collecting on Ambulance iSatiurday, ar.d as usual tOiei-r .appeal 'for funds was well responded to, and ■i'he sum cf £37 -3s was .collectedi, which wias divided bcitween the Ambulance and Nun&i-nig Divisions. At a 1 inueeting iaf the Division, lit' was unanimous.ly 'decided that the doctors' fee >Jn coninectocn with the lectures and •examinations be paid out of the hmds !&f the 'Dtvjsu'on., a-.VI that- a fee of 2s< 6d' ■be charged to members, this to be forwairded to the Wellingtbnl centre of the St. John /Ymbuhuioe Assoei-atibn. During the yd.ir the comedy "Sweet Lav--B:aider" -was staged by a company of vMasiterton amateurs, under the leadfr>sha;p of Ml- H. 'E. Fairweather, in 'aid of tlhe Diftdct Nurse FurJd. The 'members of ifche DiM'isioni assisted by feeHling tickie'ts and also by making and Selling sweets in- the Hall, clearing •£4 2s 0d by this This sum, together with a donatfonl from Mr H. E. Fairweather.of £1 Is, was paid into the District Nurse Fund account. 'The performance was really a fir&tdalss one, and deserved a crowded house, but owing to bad weather and CourJer ati-'ivrotionls .a loss of £1 2© 6u resulted, vhich was met by the per(formers. The- annual inspection was < 'held by the assistant Commissioner, ' 'Mr H. H. Seed, on September loth. There'was- a good attendance, and the f.idviee, and the many useful hints given by Mr Seed, was much appreciated by all ithe members. A copy of the booklet written by Mr W. W." 'MoKianey, District Chief Superintendent of die Canterbury Diswill be given to each member, S'lVitih the hope.that cadi will carefully study the same, and so get a thorough grasp of the aims' cf cur organisation/. The thanks of all Ambulance fcntitousiasiß are due to Mr McKiuney i for the clear, concise aaid lucid m:acitier ill which he has treated the subject?, and if this booklet is judiciously passed round, it should be the means of getting many new me'mlbers for the Brigade. I ihink the time has now a'Hived when the division should shoulder the responsibility cf public duty. Opportunities' arise in connection with nearly all pufc-Tc gatherings where the tedniicea of" our amusing sisters are valuable in', attendnig ito accidents 'happening to women and children-. What brought the matter forcibly am>'dier my notice was the accident to the 'lady riding at- the recent iMetek-rfcon. Sh'ow, (where there was no place to (take the unfortunate sufferer but into the secretary's-office. If the management would provide a tent for this purpose, I am cerfai'n. that a sufficienit Intumiber of the nurrvng sisters would Volunteer for this branch of public fafe-efulneas'. I am pleased to report irhat -the -appdiiitimc-'rjt "of a District Course is r.»>w an) esta/blfcihed fact. We 'have had considerable anxiety respectling the matter. A® you are alii .aware, 'the original- proposal emanated from 'tliiis Division, and our idea -\vt,s to provide funtcls Ifor a nurse v-bier the •corftrol cf the St. John Ambulance Nursing Guild. With this object in 'view we collected altogetlhcir the sum •of £383, raaiinly f.rcm the proceeds of itlhe bazaar and sundry donation's'. At a public [meeting converlcd fcr the •purpose of finally discussing this •matter/, Dr Valinfine, Chief Inspector •of the Hospital and Charitable Aid •Department, attended 'by request, and 'he pointed cut the desiraibffity of placing the funds under the control of the! 'Department; lithe amount in bland 'would thereby be increased by the <Sk)vernfnen;t subsidy of 24s for every

■£l subscribed. It would also liave the effect of saving considerable expense in. respect to management, and •principally would be the means of preventing any overlapping by hav|ing the whole control (under an establish- I •ed and recogriised head, viz., the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board. It ! ■was therefore unanimously decided ■that Dr Yalintine's irccomnieiidation be complied with", and I am pleased to report that two nurses haive hcen- appointed at a. salary of £l3O per annum each, instead of one, as oiT-gin-alSy iijL'Jiided-., and that their salary he's been assured ior the next three years. The District Nurse Fund,' with the Government i-aibs'idy, now stands at £&l3. 'lhe two nurses appointed have each excepiOoii'id qualificattions, •and each 'niur.se is prepared to give every possible aS'Sistance in teaching practical nursing to the members- of the St. John Division during its venter ses-sson. To save time ■and assure an efn.cser.fc sy,st'em cf car■rying en. the buaness of the Division, I would .propose thM'-b a small executive, contsisting of i.>.:rtvng sisters G. j Dixon, M. McHattiei rJ.d E-. Wallis, | together with the officers of the Division who are ex officio .members of all committee, be appointed. ■ In ccncluisioii-, 1 desire -to thank all the officers' and nursing .sisters for the very eiTicien't and enthusiastic ia which they have carried out their duties, tind the a'bUe' acaotaiiiee they -have at all times rendered to me in lany pi'oject iiv 'wliich the Division ihas been •engaged. The enthusiastic support received,' and the 'loyalty at •it'll (times c&pfeyed, iliais be'eni anos'S •graitiifying, land has deanonstrated- to me that I mi:iy always rely that any duty required 'will-be faithfully and •effieienltily 'peri c drmed. I haive also I :tb personalty thank all the 'members ■of. the Division' for the honour conferred upon mei, by selecting me as your representative for the proposed •Ebyal [Review next mowtli in England, and to inform you that I was duly ■appointed 'by headquarters, but unfortunately was unable to avail myself of the -c.tatinguished privilege. HELEN GILLESPIE, " Lady Superintendent,