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Board of Governors

25th Meeting of the Board of Governors, Athens, 1959

XIII

Red Cross Centenary

1

            The Board of Governors,

Noting the outstanding success of the special commemorative ceremonies at Solferino and Castiglione, on 27th June last, organised by the Italian Red Cross, under the patronage of Mrs Giovanni Gronchi, Chairman of the Ladies’ Committee of the Italian Red Cross and wife of the President of te Italian Republic, …”

“XVIII

The Red Cross as a Factor for World Peace

The Board of Governors,

Drawing attention to the appeal of the XIXth International Conference of the Red Cross which called upon Governments of all countries “to neglect no endeavour to settle their disputes in a pacific manner and in all their acts to obey the ideal of human fellowship and humanitarian principles recognised by all nations;

…

Calls upon all national Red Cross, Red Crescent and Red Lion and Sun Societies to make every effort to promote peace and intensify their combined efforts in

  1. a) providing aid to the sick, distressed, homeless, to refugeesand the victims of wars and disasters,
  2. b) educating boys and girls through the Red Cross Institutions in the spirit of international brotherhood, solidarity and friendship, among the people,

Thus demonstrating the action of the Red Cross in the promotion of peace.”

“XIX

Nursing

1

Florence Nightingale International Foundation

The Board of Governors,

Considering that the League of Red Cross Societies was instrumental in establishing the Florence Nightingale International Foundation and has supported it financial and participated in the development of its programme,

That in giving guidance to its member Societies, about one-third of which conduct nursing education programmes, the League follows the standards recommended by the International Council of Nurses, and therefore needs to be continuously cognizant of those standards,

That, through its knowledge of needs and conditions in various parts of the world, the League can give information to the International Council of Nurses which will help it furthering its work,

RECOMMENDS that National Societies approach the National Nurses’ Associations of their countries, asking them to support the representation of the League of Red Cross Societies on the Florence Nightingale Education Committee of the International Council of Nurses”

2

Study Visits at League Headquarters

            The Board of Governors,

RECOMMENDS that National Societies consider the assignment to the League Nursing Bureau, from time to time, of members of their nursing service staff,

Further RECOMMENDS that such assignments be considered as a part of advanced nursing education programmes under scholarship grants”.

3

Home Nursing

The Board of Governors,

Having received with interest, the report of the IInd International Meeting of Red Cross Home Nursing Instructors, approve the suggestions made therein”.

4

Care of the Aged

            The Board of Governors,

Having reviewed the various services whereby the Red Cross in different countries contributions to the well-being of the aged,

Recognise that such services often include nursing care,

RECOMMENDS that National Societies call on the members of their nursing personnel to take part in the planning and activities of such services”.

5

Nurses and First Aid

            The Board of Governors,

Recognising that training in first aid contributes to nursing education

RECOMMENDS THAY National Societies offer such training to all schools of nursing in their respective countries”.

6

World Mental Health Year

The Board of Governors,

Recognising that 1960 is to be known as “World Mental Health Day”

RECOMMENDS that National Societies encourage members of their nursing services to participate in activities planned in their respective countries”.

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Board of Governors

23rd Meeting of the Board of Governors, Oslo, 1954

Resolution no 14

The Fight against Poliomyelitis

The Board of Governors,

Considering that in recent years poliomyolitis has bocome a problem of ever-increasing importance in all ports of the world.

Advises all National Societies to participate as actively as possible in the fight against this disease,

…

Considering that the need for qualified nursing personnel constitutes a major problem during acute outbreaks of poliomyelitis, and that equally important is the problem of providing auxiliary personnel to give artificial respiration to the many patients suffering from respiratory paralysis during their transportation to end their stay in hospital.

            Advices Red Cross Societies to train auxiliary personnel to cover this emergency, and whereas in small communities sharp outbreaks are perhaps best dealt with by mobile teams organized on a regional level, based on the principle of mutual assistance between sister Societies,

            Recommends that as this task may exceed the powers of the Red Cross, collaboration with other international health organizations working in this field, such as the World Health Organization, should be encouraged, and …”

Resolution No. 24

Congratulations to Mlle Geneviève de Gallard

The Board of Governors,

            Having learnt in the world press of the selflessness with which Geneviève de Gallard, French Red Cross flight nurse, has carried out her duty among the sick and wounded entrusted to her care, and

            Having seen that, inspired by the basic principles of the Red Cross, which make this organisation an object of international respect, she has shown herself worthy of the example set by Florence Nightingale ad so many other women who have sacrificed all in their effort to relieve the sufferings of others,

            Rejoices that such examples of altruism and humanity have been set under the emblem of the Red Cross,

            Sends Mlle Geneviève de Gallard, its warmest congratulations on the way in which she has played her part, and

            Expresses the hope that she will be considered for the award of the Florence Nightingale Medal.

… … …

Separately, The Countess of Limerick was appointed as one of the League’s representatives on the Standing Commission

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Board of Governors

The 21st Meeting of the Board of Governors, Monte Carlo, 1950

Resolution No 12.

Social Service

The Board of Governors,

decides that the appointment of a Social Service Director, secretary and other staff should not be undertaken until the next meeting of the Standing Finance Commission and that,

in the meantime, the Health Bureau and the Nursing and Social Service Bureau of the League Secretariat of the League are authorized to undertake schemes of Social Assistance related to their respective activities, and that such activities be coordinated by the Health Bureau.

Resolution no. 18

Mental Health

The Board of Governors,

bearing in mind the need for the Red Cross to take part in this new activity, recommends that national Societies should assist in the establishment of model child guidance clinics where these do not exist;

furthermore, recognizing the importance of training in the subject of Mental Health for Doctors, Nurses; School Teachers, Social and other Public Health Workers; advises that courses of training for Red Cross Nurses, Aids and Social Workers should include this subject;

finally, recommends, that in the field of Mental Health, the Health Bureau of the League should co-operate actively with the World Federation of Mental Health and the Expert Committee on Mental Health of the World Health Organization.

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Board of Governors

20th Meeting of the Board of Governors, Stockholm, 1948

Resolution No I.

Declaration concerning Peace

“The Board of Governors unanimously adopts the following declaration concerning peace:

…

The primary role of the Red Cross in the preservation of peace is, therefore, one of conducting activities through which men, women and children through- out the world may act to relieve and prevent human suffering both at home and abroad. The Red Cross programme must be one of positive action within its proper sphere of competence. Action of this kind is the most effective expression of the aspirations of men for peace. In pursuing this basic objective the Red Cross welcomes the collaboration of all people and all agencies, national and international, genuinely concerned with the preservation of peace.

It is therefore for all national Red Cross, Red Crescent and Red Lion and Sun Societies, and for each of their individual members, men, women and children, all of whom, individually or collectively, belonging to this universal federation, the League of Red Cross Societies, to support and sustain the basic Red Cross activity of mutual aid and friendly co-operation between individuals and nations, thereby contributing to the further objective of the Red Cross to contribute to the foundations on which peace can be built. To quote its founder, Henri Dunant, in “A Souvenir of Solferino “: “To encourage the ideas of solidarity between nations in doing good is to oppose war “.

Resolution No. 19.

Nursing Advisory Committee Report. The Board of Governors unanimously adopts the report of the Nursing Advisory Committee. Note: For Report of Nursing Advisory Committee, see Annex No.3.

Resolution No. 20

Social Welfare

The Board of Governors recognizing that increased attention is being given by National Societies to various activities in the field of Social Welfare, recommends that the League Secretariat continue to assist National Societies in this field and that the Nursing and Social Service Bureau be entrusted with this assistance until such time as it is considered necessary to have a special department for the purpose.

Resolution No. 21.

Voluntary Service

The Board of Governors requests that a study of the principle of voluntary (unpaid) service within the Red Cross as it relates to nurses and nurses’ aids in time of peace and war be pursued by the League and the International Committee of the Red Cross; further recommends that in view of this study, National Societies send to the League Secretariat detailed reports on the organisation, instruction and status of their voluntary personnel; trusts that detailed reports sent to the League Secretariat by National Societies on the organisation, instruction and status of their voluntary personnel may enable the study which is to be made by the League and the International Committee of the Red Cross of the principle of voluntary (unpaid) service within the Red Cross as it relates to nurses’ aids in time of peace and war, to assist further National Societies:

a) in adopting a unified basic instruction for all types of nursing auxiliaries in conformity with the views that may be expressed by the International Council of Nurses;

b) in adopting, if possible, a common designation for these auxiliaries;

c) in determining the most appropriate programmes of instruction for auxiliary personnel attached to welfare services.

Resolution No. 24.

Voluntary Service

International Council of Nurses

The Board of Governors, informed of the proposed enlargement of the International Council of Nurses library, recommends that the Secretariat of the League co-operate with the International Council of Nurses in establishing lists of the most suitable nursing text-books in all languages.

Resolution No. 27.

Nursing Scholarships Tribute to Miss Marjorie Duvillard

The Board of Governors

desires to express its deep gratitude and appreciation to Miss Marjorie Duvillard for her splendid contribution to the Red Cross and to nursing during her assignment as Field Representative of the Nursing and Social Service Bureau of the League in Latin America;

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Board of Governors

Meeting of the Board of Governors, Oxford, 1946

The Board of Governors spent time discussing the principles underpinning Red Cross Red Crescent work, taking as their starting point a shared view of what these had been, till then:

“The impartiality, the political, religious and economic independence, the universality of the Red Cross and the equality of the National Red Cross Societies”

To this the Board added another 13 principles, including:

“6. That, if, despite all efforts to the contrary, war should break out, a Red Cross Society must direct all its efforts to lessening the distress caused by the war to improving the condition of the sick, wounded and prisoners of war; to protecting the civilian population, particularly women and children, from the horrors of war and to giving them moral and material help; this work to be carried out either independently or in co-operation with the services of the Armed Forces and with the Government’s Civil Defense Services”.

To this they added six standards for the application of the principles, two of which were:

“5. A Red Cross Society should encourage and promote the Junior Red Cross movement amongst boys and girls. The aims of this movement are to teach the importance of service to others, the formation of healthy habits of living, the development of a sense of social responsibility and the strengthening of the great bond of international friendship existing bet ween Junior Red Cross Sections of National Red Cross Societies all over the world.

6. In preparation of nursing and first aid services, a National Red Cross Society should train nurses and other personnel to render medical and other forms of supplementary assistance to the public both during war and during peace”.

NURSlNG COMMISSION

22

Tribute to trained nurses and voluntary aids

The Board of Governors pays tribute to the trained nurses and voluntary aids in all parts of the world, who gave up their lives whilst upholding the spirit of the Red Cross, and have thus merited its undying gratitude.

23

Voluntary (unpaid) service within the Red Cross

The Board of Governors expresses the wish that the principle of voluntary (unpaid) service within the Red Cross be safeguarded. Owing to the importance of the question, it expresses the wish that the League and the International Committee of the Red Cross undertake a thorough study of this question as it relates to nurses and voluntary aids in time of peace and war.

24

Official status of nurses

Recognizing the rapid expansion of the health services in all the countries, the importance of the role of the nurse in those services and the necessity to ensure an adequate number of nurses, The Board of Governors recommends that the national Red Cross Societies encourage whenever necessary the passing of legislation defining the status of the nurse and the conditions under which she works and to which her responsible position entitles her; it recommends moreover that this be done wherever possible through the national Nurses’ Associations.

25

Basic training of Red Cross nurses – Reciprocity and exchange of nurses between countries

The Board of Governors recommends that the effort already undertaken by the League be pursued with a view to unifying the basic training of Red Cross trained nurses in conformity with the recommendations of the International Council of Nurses, and of facilitating reciprocity as well as the exchange of nurses between one country and another.

26

Training and common designation of Voluntary Nursing Aids

The Board of Governors recommends that the Secretariat should consider which should be the essential items to be included in the programme of instruction for Voluntary Nursing Aids in all countries and should encourage the adoption of a common designation for these aids.

27

Instructions on social questions for Red Cross nursing personnel

The Board of Governors expresses the hope that instruction relating to social questions shall be included in the programmes of instruction for Red Cross nurses and voluntary aids.

28

Hospital libraries and Hospital welfare work

The Board of Governors recommends that national Societies include in their programmes the study of hospital libraries and hospital welfare work.

29

Nursing Scholarships

The Board of Governors recommends that the League should continue to assist national Societies by awarding scholarships either for basic training in nursing or for post-graduate study or study visits of a short duration.

30

Information Bulletin for Red Cross Nurses

The Board of Governors recommends that the League should continue to publish the “Information Bulletin for Red Cross Nurses” and give it the widest possible distribution. It further recommends that publication of this Bulletin in a Slav language should be envisaged.

31

Missions and visits

The Board of Governors emphasizes the importance of personal contacts between the Nursing Bureau of the League and the Nursing Departments within the various national Red Cross Societies and recommends that these contacts be as frequent as possible.

32

Promotion of Nursing in Latin America

The Board of Governors notes with satisfaction the special efforts made by the League in nursing in Latin America which has contributed to the promotion of nursing in that Continent; it therefore expresses the wish that this action be further pursued,

33

Assistance to sick nurses

The Board of Governors expresses the hope that the necessary funds be placed at the disposal of the League to enable it to continue its assistance to sick nurses.

…

34

Florence Nightingale International Foundation

Whereas the Florence Nightingale International Foundation bears the name of Florence Nightingale who was not only an accomplished nurse, but also a pioneer and an organizer whose influence is still felt in health and social services throughout the world;

Recognizing that the contributions made by the League of Red Cross Societies and by the International Council of Nurses to the Foundation are of paramount importance;

Recognizing that the international courses organized by the Foundation with the co-operation of Bedford College and the Royal College of Nursing have hitherto rendered great service;

The Board of Governors expresses the wish,

that the League of Red Cross Societies should maintain its interest in the Foundation namely:

by enabling scholarship students from the League to follow post-graduate studies under the auspices of the Foundation;

by encouraging the development of national Florence Nightingale Memorial Committees and the granting of scholarships by national Red Cross Societies through these Committees;

by ensuring that the League is adequately represented on the directing bodies of the Foundation;

that the Foundation should retain complete autonomy in regard to all international bodies; that nurses should have a leading part in its management and administration;

That its whole policy should continue to develop a spirit of universality and international understanding and be broadened to take into account the increased opportunities for study which exist in the various countries.

35

Nursing Advisory Committee

The Nursing Advisory Committee, in view of the fact that the meetings of the said Committee are of undeniable value to national Red Cross Societies,

Recommends that the League should organize such meetings as frequently as possible, and, in any case, not less than once every second year.

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Board of Governors

Meeting of the Board of Governors, Paris, 1945

No mention of women, or of issues of more importance to them than to other groups.

Briefly, in the balance sheet, a nursing text-book is included; similarly, “Irakian Nurses”.

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Board of Governors

Report in lieu of Meeting of Board of Governors, Geneva, 1940

As the Secretariat of the League had to relocate from Paris to Geneva as a result of the invasion and occupation of France in the spring of 1940, and as a result of the difficulties of travel at this time, the Meeting of the Board of Governors scheduled for September was cancelled. To compensate, the Secretary General circulated a report on activities during the biennium. Extracts from this report follow below.

“RELIEF

It is in the field of relief that the activity of the League has been particularly intense and fruitful during this period. Allusion has already been made to the Anatolian earthquake which caused almost 30,000 deaths and destroyed more than 25,000 houses. Immediately following reports of the catastrophe, the Secretary General of the League went to Turkey as representative of the International Red Cross Committee and the League of Red Cross Societies, to look into the needs of the Turkish Red Crescent. In the report on his mission, which was communicated to the National Red Cross Societies, the Secretary General praised the magnificent efforts of the Rod Crescent in rendering assistance to victims of the earthquake.

…

As the war spread to new countries, roaching Norway, Holland, Luxemburg and Belgium, the League, in close collaboration with the International Red Cross Committee, redoubled its efforts to stimulate and facilitate in every possible manner the relief work undertaken by National Red Cross Societies in favour of civilian populations, especially of women and children. …”

“JUNIOR RED CROSS

The situation created by the war on the European Continent has imposed fresh tasks on the Juniors. The Director of the Junior Red Cross Bureau of the League Secretariat addressed a letter to all national sections exhorting them to give their best assistance to their respective Societies in their work for the alleviation of sufferings caused by the war. This appeal met a response everywhere and the efforts made by young people in all countries proved the moral and practical value of the Junior Red Cross movement amongst national societies.

…

In general, the Juniors concerned themselves especially with assisting child refugees or evacuees, by sending foodstuffs suitable to their particular needs, clothing often being made by girls of Junior Sections, and money collected by the boys. In this connection the activity developped by the Juniors of the United States deserves special mention. …”

Under “MISSIONS AND STUDY VISITS” are mentioned a number of women who visited the Secretariat for study purposes:

  • Mme Stanioniene of the Lithuanian Red Cross
  • Mlle de Souza Barros of the Brazilian Red Cross

Other visitors, sometimes in France or Switzerland (where the Secretariat had been moved as a result of the war) for other purposes, also came, among them:

  • Mme Brieba de Lorca (Chilean Red Cross)
  • Mrs. T.H. Lowrie (New Zealand Red Cross Society)
  • Miss Muzzio (Argentine Red Cross)
  • Miss Oppenheim (American Red Cross)
  • Miss Suitiala (Finnish Red Cross)
  • Miss Jensen (Danish Red Cross)
  • Mme de Costres (Roumanian Red Cross)

«SECRETARIAT

Mrs. Maynard L. Carter, who for many years was Chief of the Nursing Bureau of the Secretariat, has been obliged, for reasons of health, to resign her post

The members of the Executive Committee, at their meeting on November 24th, 1938, expressed their deep thanks to Mrs. Carter for her past services and requested her permission to allow the Secretariat of the League to continue to benefit from her great experience by appointing her Technical Adviser on nursing questions.

The Secretary General has appointed Mlle Yvonne Hentsch to succeed Mrs. Carter at the head of the nursing Bureau.”.

“NURSING

The Nursing Bureau has continued to encourage the development of the profession throughout the world by stimulating and facilitating study and lecture courses abroad for nurses.

Scholarships have been awarded by the League to five nurses as follows:

One Polish Red Cross nurse for the 1938/39 course of the Florence Nightingale International Foundation (half-scholarship).

One Turkish Red Crescent nurse for the same course.

Two nurses of the Iraq Red Crescent who in 1940 will complete three years of study at the Royal East Sussex Hospital, Hastings, England.

One Brazilian Red Cross nurse for a course of study at the International Migration Service, Paris.

Four students of the International Florence Nightingale Foundation were invited by the League to spend a few days in Paris in order to visit a certain number of hospitals and charitable organizations.

Moreover, the American Red Cross offered a scholarship to a foreign student selected by the League. A Chinese Red Cross nurse, who had successfully followed the courses of the International Florence Nightingale Foundation in London, was chosen for this scholarship.

Two Yugoslav nurses completed their studies in France and Belgium, under the auspices of the League.

At the end of 1938, two Iraqi nurses, having completed their studies in London, returned to their own country, where they now are in charge of the Maternal and Child Centre of the Iraq Red Crescent”.

“PUBLICATIONS

…

The series of articles forwarded to national Red Cross Societies for reproduction in their publications or for communication to the Press, have continued to appear in three languages. The subjects dealt with in this series concern the different aspects of Red Cross activity: Hygiene, campaigns against epidemics, prevention of disease, child welfare, training of nurses and visiting nurses, disaster relief, blood transfusion, etc. The series which appeared in May 1939 included articles prepared for the 20th anniversary of the League, which have been reproduced in a great number of reviews of national Societies”.

“PART II

THE LEAGUE OF RED CROSS SOCIETIES

since September 1939

…

“On September 7th, the International Red Cross Committee and the League sent to the national Societies the following telegram:

…

In everything that concerns its statutory activities in the technical fields of relief, nursing, health problems and the Junior Red Cross the League, while taking into account the new situation created by the war in Europe, will give the national Red Cross Societies the greatest co-operation possible. …”

“SECRETARIAT

At the present time, the Secretariat consists, apart from the Secretary General and the Assistant Secretary General, of six Bureaux the Pan-American, Relief, Hygiene, Nursing, Junior Red Cross and Propaganda, and three Services (Publications, Financial and Administrative)”.

“NURSING

The interest taken by the League in questions connected with nursing has not decreased. The International Nightingale Foundation Courses having had to be suspended on account of hostilities, the Secretariat of the League attempted to obtain facilities in the United States through the intermediary of the American Red Cross which would enable certain nurses to receive complementary training similar to that given by the London courses.

The League participated to the extent of 250 pounds in the expenses connected with the winding up of the Florence Nightingale Foundation’s accounts.

The Nursing Bureau has published two documentary studies on the influence which the war has had on the training of nurses and on old ago insurance and nursing.

At the request of the Turkish Red Crescent, the Nursing Bureau arranged the journey of a Polish Red Cross nurse to Istambul, where she occupies the post of Director of the Society’s Nursing School.

The League has intervened in order to assist nurses, who were unable on account of circumstances to work in their own country, to find posts abroad.

At the request of the Rumanian Red Cross and the Turkish Red Crescent, the Nursing Bureau lent these Societies a series of slides on the life of Florence Nightingale and the history of nursing.

The Venezuelan Red Cross has requested the Nursing Bureau to designate nurses qualified to fill leading positions. Nurses of several nationalities have already been suggested”.

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Board of Governors

Meeting of the Board of Governors, London, 1938

“IX

Nursing Advisory Committee The Board of Governors, having taken cognizance of the report of the Nursing Advisory Committee, instructs the Secretary General to arrange to comply, so far as possibilities allow, with the recommendations of this Committee, with special reference to the holding of regular meetings of the Nursing Advisory Committee every two years, the granting of nursing scholarships, and the undertaking by the Nursing Division of the Secretariat of a further study of public health nursing in rural communities; the Committee’s recommendation that its membership should be strengthened by the addition of a representative of the Florence Nightingale International Foundation, and of representatives from Latin America and the Far East, is approved”.

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Board of Governors

Meeting of the Board of Governors, Paris, 1935

In the document available is contained four resolutions, none of which mention a woman – not even in the guise of nurses.

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Board of Governors

Meeting of the Board of Governors, Tokyo, 1934

“RESOLUTION 5

The Secretary-General is instructed to convey to Dame Alicia Lloyd Still, President of the Florence Nightingale International Foundation, the deep interest with which the League of Red Cross Societies will follow the Foundation’s work in providing nursing facilities for post-graduate nursing education. The Board expresses the hope that national Red Cross Societies will co-operate closely with national nursing associations in the endeavour to place the Foundation upon a solid financial basis. The representatives of the League on the Grand Council and on the Committee of Management of the Foundation are instructed to give special attention, when co-operating in working out the policies of the Foundation, to the great benefits which national Red Cross Societies may derive from the facilities provided by the Foundation”.

“Resolution 6

The Board of Governors notes with approval the intention of the Secretary-General to extend and develop the activities of the League Secretariat in the nursing field, and instructs him to present a programme of proposed work in this field for approval by the Executive Committee at a forthcoming meeting.”