JUNIOR RED CROSS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 December 1943, Page 2

JUNIOR RED CROSS

COMPETITION WINNERS YEAR’S WORK. ASSISTANCE TO CHILDREN IN EUROPE. At a meeting of members of the Junior Red Cross Society, held in Masterton recently, the prizes were presented to the winners of the Wairarapa Poster Competition and the National * Banner* Competition for members throughout New Zealand. The results were:— Banner Competition: Ivan Thomas, Central School. Poster Competition: Jill Messenger, Whatman School, 1; Keith Shackleton, West School, 2. Special prize: Yvonne Ihaka, Central School. A brief survey of the work of the year was given, the report stating that there were 92 Red Cross circles in the Wairarapa, with a membership of 2150 children. These children had earned or raised the following amounts for the funds mentioned: —The Birthday Fund for New Zealand Orphanages, £66 12s; parcels for lonely Polish or Greek soldiers £l5; National Savings, £2O; Sick and Wounded Fund, £l5. Money had also been sent to the Plastic Surgeiy Clinic, ‘for the New Zealand Returned Services Building, Wellington, for the Crippled Children, to the Blind Institute, and between 30 and 40 parcels Rad been sent to the Polish Hospital in Syria. _ , Suggestions were given for allocating the money raised by Christmas efforts, and the children were reminded that as health activities were such an important part of the Junior Red Cross programme .if every circle contributed even a small amount to the Health Camp Fund, quite a large sum could be raised. The starving children- of Europe could be assisted by helping the Swiss Red Cross with its Save the Children Fund. Forty thousand sick children were taken from France, Holland and Belgium into Switzerland for three months each year. The Swiss people took them into their homes, subscribed money or gave their food and clothing coupons to assist those people who could not afford to take a child without some assistance. But there were many more children who were not able to travel, and the Swiss Red Cross fed 25.000 children in Atnens, and in Salonika 2000 children were fed in canteens every day. Much money was needed to buy food and medicines, and children and adults were sending donations in from all over the world. The Wairarapa children were anxious to do their share, and already £3l had been sent in from lamb and calf competition days, end oi year concerts, etc.