VOLUNTEER NURSES.

White Ribbon, Volume 21, Issue 241, 19 July 1915, Page 9

VOLUNTEER NURSES.

On Saturday, July 3rd, an article appeared in the Christcdurch ‘Star' stating that a movement was on foot to organise a corps of capable women prepared to render servie e as nurses or in any other capacity in connection with the Expeditionary Forces at Trentham or elsewhere. Fifty women were asked for, volunteers to be* be tween the ages of thirty and fifty. I)r. Valentine accepted the offer of ten for immediate service* at 1 rentham, and these left for Wellington on Tuesday night, the L.S.S. Company providing free passages. The daily papers say hundreds of applications were received. There is no doubt of the suitability of scores of the applicants. The ages ranged for the most part Horn uiirty to fifty, as requested. Some of the women are married, some* unmarried; a very large number of them have previous nursing experience. Many of the women definitely state they require no pay at all, and would indeed furnish their own passage money to Egypt if need be*. One man writes to say he is forty-nine, too old to go himself, and his only son, fifteen, too young; therefore lie freely • onsents to his wife going, and she gladly offers her services. Nearly fifty women have signified their willingness to leave to-night for 1 ren* tham if required. All day yestern iy Dr. (iuthrie was bu-y examining these applicants, and the selection made is his choice. No woman is going except for sheer capacity and suitability. The women arc all staunch and reliable to the last degree. Speaking in reference to the* applicants for the first contingent, Dr. John (iuthrie said he had been absolut ly astounded at the exceptionally fine, strong types of women who had offered their services. “My difficulty,’ continued Dr. (iuthrie, “has been to select only ten from those offering; I could have selected at le Ist double that number who were almo>t equally lit. Nearly all the women selected have had nursing experience, .end they can be absolutely relied upon to do all that is at all likely to be required of them.” “Everything has gone through with out a single hitch." said the secretary. Mi>> E. A. Rout, yesterday. “The Christchurch women have responded most nobly to this sudden call, and

we are only sorry the Director of Military Hospitals did not ask for fifty women to-night instead of ten. Ihe applications by letter and telegram have poured in from all over New Zealand, and i have not the slightest doubt that the Volunteer Sisters scheme is going to be a huge and abundant success. Women of grit and capacity and experience, ready to do any sort of work for no pay at all, .ire offering themselves to us all day long.’* Nurse Roche- nas been engaged by Dr. Guthrie as honorary medical adviser to the Volunteer Sisters for not less than two weeks from July 5. Nurse Roche has offered her services absolutely without fee or reward of any kind. I'he following is the pledge signed by the ten Volunteer Sisters: — We, the undersigned, gladly and freely offer one year, or more, of our lives for the service, at home or abroad, of nursing and tending sick and wounded men, and we promise to obey cheerfully and readily all orders given to us by those in authority; and we hereby express our willingness to do all necessary work of any nature or kind whatsoever. We also promise to do our utmost individually and collectively to maintain the good health, good < heer, and good temper of the group we are placed in. We agree to accept as our remuneration maintenance plus los per week.