RED CROSS WORK

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 May 1943, Page 2

RED CROSS WORK

COUNTRY DISTRICT SUB-CENTRE MEETING YESTERDAY. MORE VOLUNTARY AIDS WANTED. A meeting of the Country Districts Sub-Centre of the Red Cross Society was held in the Country Women’s Club yesterday afternoon, Mra A. C. Gawith presiding. Mrs A. F. Stewart made an urgent appeal for more nursing and domestic aids. Fifteen women were needed who could be on call for either morning or afternoon duty in the hospital. For kitchen work no one person would be called on for more than one or two days at a time, and the rate of pay was that of a nursing aid. Owing to the shortage of aids, women between the ages of 18 and 45 could now do their 60 hours’ hospital training after having taken a series of lectures in home-nursing and gaining a certificate. Older women would be very useful, if only to do duty occasionally when the need arose. Mrs Stewart spoke of a scheme being worked out by the Country tricts’ Sub-Centre, whereby girls and women would be billeted in aMp? town for a week or fortnight to en-~ able them to take the home nursing . or first aid course in a week, thus solving the problem of petrol and tires. Mrs Gawith thanked the members of the Ranfurly Club and amateur spinners for white home-spun wool, and made another appeal for more knitters for the following garments: — Hospital stockings and long gloves to go over plaster casts on wounded limbs for men on hospital ships and in hospitals during the winter; khaki wool to be made into sleeveless pullovers and socks for prisoners of war in Italy; hospital blue wool for cardigans, pullovers, sleeveless pullovers and socks for sick and wounded.

A vote of thanks was passed to the Master ton branch of the Women’s Division of the Farmers’ Union for a donation of £5 to the sub-centre funds. Mrs F. N. Wallis, Tiraumea, was thanked for the gift of a. white fleece. It was proposed that a bookcase should be presented to the military ward, Masterton Hospital, and gifts of suitable books to fill these shelves would be greatly appreciated. Flowers for this ward could be left at the centre office, Queen Street, on Thursday afternoon or Friday, and these also would be appreciated. Mrs Gawith congratulated the V.A’s who had saf for the hygiene and sanitation examination held on April 20. All had passed, three gaining honours. A letter’ was read from Sister Cundy expressing appreciation of gifts received by her from the sub-centre. Mrs Gawith thanked the members for the good work done by them during the month, which included the provision of heavy dressing gowns, pyjamas, slippers, face cloths, sponge bags, pullovers, hospital stockings and 7* lllbs of homespun wool.