RED CROSS SOCIETY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 April 1943, Page 3

RED CROSS SOCIETY

WAIRARAPA CENTRE AFFAIRS ANNUAL MEETING. OPERATIONS OF PAST YEAR. Delegates from all parts of the Wairarapa, from Pahiatua to Cape Palliser, were present at the annual meeting of the Wairarapa Centre of the Red Cross Society held in Masterton last night. The president, Mr Norman Lee, presided. A letter was received from the Joint Council, Wellington, in which it was stated that it was issuing badges for those workers who had given 150 hours of service. It was agreed by the meeting that the Centre could not accept the badges, although it appreciated the offer, as the amount of work done in the country areas could not compare with that done in the cities where there was so much more opportunity for service. Officers were appointed as follow: — President, Mr Norman Lee; vice-presi-dents, Messrs D. C. Pryor (Pahiatua), A. L. Horton (Greytown), N. C. D. Mason (Martinborough); hon. secretary, Miss R. Elliot; hon. assistant secretary, Mrs G. F. Whitlock; hon. treasurer, Miss M. Ross; chairman of executive committee, Mr Norman Lee; committee, Mrs W. James, Messrs J. Ninnes, D. C. Pryor; co-opted members, Mrs A. F. Stewart (Voluntary Aids), Mrs G. G. Tolhurst (Junior Red Cross), and Miss K. Cruickshank (Transport). The annual report stated that there were 1439 members of the society covering the area from Pahiatua to Cape Palliser. There was still a need for increased membership. Cigarettes had been supplied during the year to 2015 soldiers and 1293 soldiers in the Masterton Hospital had been visited and received extras comforts each week. Hospitals in the district had been supplied with citrus fruit practically all the year. The hampers sent into the hospitals from the sub-centres were appreciated. The present arrangement of supplying 13 dozen cakes a week from the donations of £2 12s made annually by each sub-centre was working well and New Zealanders as well as Marines in hospital were being catered for. Assistance had been offered to a sick bay of the Marine Corps in co-operation with the American Red Cross. Reference was made to the large number of knitted articles which the centre had distributed. Ninety-six families in country areas had been supplied with groceries, crockery and preserves following the earthquakes. The Transport Services were assisting in the work of the Centre and the Junior Red Cross was carrying out a special drive at present. There were 100 active V.A’s. who had carried out 60 hours’ hospital training, 38 kitchen' aids, and 4 laundry aids. A total of 35,578 hours had been worked in hospital, which showed how essential the V.A’s. were to the hospital services. Thanks were expressed to all who had assisted the society, in particular Messrs Low and Cunningham, the Press, Masterton Printing Company, Ladies’ Patriotic Committee, Methodist Guilds, Jenkins’s and Snelgrove’s transport services, the Martinborough and Homewood mail service contractors, Mr F. B. Gray and Transport Wairarapa Ltd.