TRAINING OF PUPILS

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20923, 30 September 1939, Page 9

TRAINING OF PUPILS

ST. JOHN AMBULANCE STEADY PROGRESS MADE ANTI-GAS INSTRUCTION Steady progress is being made with the training of pupils in first aid and home nursing by the St. John Ambulance Association, in Hamilton, and the number of enrolments now exceeds 300. A number of these pupils have almost completed their preliminary courses of instruction. Medical lectures will begin next week. Enrolments are still coming in and fresh classes will be started next week. An ample supply of bandages for the use of these classes is now available, and further stocks are being accumulated for emergency purposes. Several women’s organisations have co-operated in the making of these bandages. During the past week a sewing guild was formed with a membership of 40. The St. John Ambulance Association is concentrating on the training of first aid and home nursing pupils but is also making extensive arrangements for the training of ambulance men and the general public in air raid precautions. It has been considered unnecessary to hold classes of instruction for the general public immediately. However it is realised that the public must be prepared for such an emergency, and arrangements have been made to cope with the situation. A.R.P. Manuals, as published by the British Government, have been procured and distributed among those who desire to take a course of instruction. As the supply of these is very limited, the Auckland Centre of the St. John Ambulance Association has published a simplified booklet which can be used by the general public. Supplies of these booklets will be available in Hamilton as soon as lectures for the general public begin. Special Class In the meantime a class of 40 members drawn from the Frankton Brigade, the Hamilton Brigade, the Hamilton Nursing Division, the Association and the Ambulance Service Division is receiving an extensive course of instruction. The members of this special class live in widely scattered districts, and it is intended that when they have completed their training they will act as instructors for various units of the Venerable Order of St. John in Hamilton and for civilian classes. The association has been fortunate in obtaining the services of Mr E. Howes, of the St. John Ambulance Brigade, Auckland, as an instructor. Mr Howes has had extensive experience in anti-gas training and is one of the three persons in Auckland who holds a Class I instructor’s certificate. Mr Howe commenced lectures to the special class that is in training in Hamilton last night and these lectures will be carried on throughout to-day and to-morrow. Inquiry by Public Requests for instruction in air raid precautions have already been received by the Hamilton branch of the St. John Ambulance Association. Those who wish to enrol are advised that while the association is quite prepared to accept preliminary enrolments, it will be a fortnight or three weeks before the present class of instructors will have completed their training. Thus it will probably be impracticable to hold classes of instruction for the general public for about a month. It must be realised that there are very few fully-quali-fied instructors in New Zealand, and until more are trained it will be impossible to cope with large classes of civilian pupils.