Tag: Women

“xxv

The stimulus provided by the League nationally and internationally.

The Board of Governors,

Considering that the Red Cross spirit represents an invaluable factor of world stability and a rallying point for men and women of goodwill in all countries, …”

“XIV

Juniors and Adult Membership

The Board of Governors,

Considering that the Junior Red Cross prepares boys and girls for future Red Cross work and awakens in them the desire to give service to the Red Cross throughout their lives,

Recommends

            That National Societies endeavour to present a programme of activity suited to the needs of adolescents when they leave the Junior Sections, thereby retaining them within the ranks of the Red Cross, and

That the Secretariat of the League continue to study this question and inform National Societies of the best methods, ideas and suggestions”.

“X

Rural Hygiene.

The Board of Governors,

Noting with interest that the European Rural Hygiene Congress, assembled at Geneva in 1931, under the auspices of the League of Nations, emphasised the importance of the contribution the Red Cross can make to the improvement of health in rural districts, Observing that the efforts of the national Red Cross Societies which have undertaken activities of this character, especially rural nursing, have encountered a large measure of success, Authorizes the Secretariat to study the principles and methods of rural health work in consultation with such representatives of interested Societies and rural hygiene experts as will serve without cost to the League”.

“XI

Florence Nightingale International Federation

The Board of Governors, Endorsing the action by which the Executive Committee has pledged the support of the League to the plan of the International Council of Nurses to establish a “Florence Nightingale International Foundation”, taking as basis the international nursing courses instituted by the League in London,

Expresses its thanks to the American National Red Cross for enabling the League to continue to finance the present courses up to July 1933,

Urges the national Red Cross Societies to cooperate with the National Nursing’ Associations in securing funds for the proposed Foundation, and notably in raising the sum of £ 5,000 in the form of 20 scholarships of £250 each, necessary to allow of the courses being carried on through the academic year 1933-34,

And requests Sir Arthur Stanley, in conjunction with two members of the Secretariat to be designated by the Secretary General, to constitute, with three nominees of the International Council of Nurses, an interim committee for the purpose of making arrangements for the 1933-34 courses”.

“XII

The Nursing Programme

The Board of Governors, Considering that the XVth International Red Cross Conference, like the Xl Vth, should include nursing representatives from as many National Societies as possible, Noting with interest that a meeting of the International Council of Nurses is to be held in Paris and Brussels in July 1933 and that many prominent nurses from different countries will participate,

Resolves:

(1) That the endeavour be made to arrange for the constitution of a Nursing Commission as one of the Commissions off the 1934 Conference;

(2) That the Secretariat be authorized to take advantage of the meeting of July 1933 to invite representative Red Cross nurses to meet at League headquarters and formulate suggestions regarding nursing questions to be placed on the agenda of the XVth Conference; (3) That the Secretariat be further authorized to continue during the coming two years, providing educational facilities for nurses on the request of national Red Cross Societies”           

“XIII

Nursing.

The Board of Governors approves the methods adopted by the Secretariat for the study of the best means of assisting national Societies members of the League to further the most effective and reasonable development of the nursing profession.

While noting that the formation and administration of nursing schools have been undertaken successfully by many national Societies, the Board nevertheless recognizes that the initial stage of such work calls, in certain cases, for the direct assistance of the League Secretariat until such time as nurses trained in the countries in question are themselves able to assume the direction of nursing schools. The. Board of Governors considers that, on the analogy of the present evolution of medical training, the organization of exchange and travel arrangements, and of international study centres, must be regarded as a long-time obligation. The Board consequently considers necessary the continuation of the London courses, and instructs the Secretariat to study the means of ensuring the conduct of these courses on the most economical basis possible without impairing the practical and moral value which they represent for the Red Cross”.

“IV

Report of Second and Third Commissions

The Second and Third Commissions, merged by your decision, have appointed me to submit the report on their labours. Our task was to examine the activities of the League Secretariat, that is, the work accomplished by the technical divisions during the past year and the special mandates entrusted to these divisions. We have drawn the following conclusions from this examination

…

3. The Nursing Division

The Nursing Division submitted its report and requested the approval of the Board of Governors for its general policies as outlined in the report and for the further development of its activities, with special reference to:

(1) The International Courses of the League in London;

1. The further development of the International Courses;
2. The placing of these courses in the hands of an Education Committee appointed by Bedford College (University of London) on which shall be represented the College of Nursing and the Nursing Division of the League;
3. The organization of a Refresher Course in London in 1928 for the International Graduates.

(2) The action taken to obtain funds from a philanthropic organization for the financing of the above projects.

(3) The purchase of the thirty-year lease of 15, Manchester Square.

The Commission expressed its appreciation of the work accomplished and recommended that the report be adopted by the Board.

…

PROPOSED CREATION OF AN INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL.

The Commission, after considering the report on this question, recommends that the Board of Governors modify the present constitution of the Advisory Council as follows: a) It shall authorize the creation of an International Advisory Council, as small as possible, but sufficient to represent at the same time technical and geographical interests. This Council shall be composed of specialists of recognized standing and representing in their individual capacities the fields of : health, nursing, disaster relief and Junior Red Cross. Appointments to this Council shall be made by the Executive Committee for a period of three years”.

III

The Board of Governors:

Considering it important that the Red Cross should afford protection to emigrants, both as a humanitarian duty and as a mission of hygiene and education, as well as a means of strengthening the Red Cross itself;

Approves the first steps taken by the Secretariat in this direction and recommends the institution of a permanent Emigration Division in the League Secretariat.

This Division will collaborate with the International Labour Office and, (both by the intermediary of this Office and directly), with all independent, national or international organizations for the protection of Emigrants; it will advocate that the Public Health Nurse should not only supervise the health of the emigrant before, during and after emigration, but that she should also direct and guide the emigrant and his family from the moment they decide to emigrate, in order to avoid any exploitation of emigrants and to facilitate their adaptation in the new country of their adoption; the division will also recommend that the Public Health Nurse’s training should be such as to fit her to carry out these duties.

The Division will strive to prevent the emigration of children without parents or guardians, and will notify the national Red Cross Societies of the advantages accruing from bringing the Red Cross idea home to rural populations through the protection of emigrants, which will result in extending the activities of the Red Cross, increasing its resources and the number of its members, and disseminating the principles of hygiene and civic duty in the most remote villages and among the most humble families”.

“IX

The Board of Governors expresses its satisfaction at the coming opening of the Home for the League International Nursing Students in London as the result of the generous initiative taken by Dr. Masarykova.

The Board of Governors authorizes the formation of a Supervising Committee which shall include a representative, residing in London, of each of the Societies which has subscribed to this project in addition to the Director General of the League and the Chief of the Nursing Division. This Committee will itself fix the dates of its meetings. The Board of Governors authorizes the Director General to engage

1. A Directress of studies at a maximum salary of £420 per annum;

2. A matron at a salary of £100 per annum in addition to board and lodging;

3. A half-time stenographer;

4. A domestic staff of seven”.

“XXII

The Board of Governors hereby appoints the under-mentioned members to serve on the Executive Committee as from December 31^st, 1925:

• M. ATHANASAKI (Greek Red Cross).
• M. CONILL (Cuban Red Cross).
• Colonel DRAUDT (German Red Cross).
• M. KAWAI (Japanese Red Cross).
• Mlle MASARYKOVA (Czechoslovak Red Cross).
• M. VAN RIEMSDIJK (Netherlands Red Cross)”.

“XXXII

The Board, after examining the report of the Director-General with regard to the Nursing Home and Centre in London:

(1) approves the action of the Chairman and the Director-General in leasing the house in London and in making the necessary arrangement for providing for the necessary alterations and furnishings, at a total cost of approximately £5,500 from the funds thus far contributed;

(2) instructs the Director-General to establish as a capital fund the balance of the contributions thus far received, after the necessary payments for initial expenses are made and to add to this fund all later contributions, the interest from the fund to be used to meet the annual administrative charges;

(3) authorizes the Director-General to examine the possibility of obtaining additional contributions to the capital fund subscribed in order to complete the amount necessary to give an annual income sufficient to cover the administrative costs;

(4) decides that the Administrative Committee to be designated by the Board be authorized to administer the fund for the Nurses’ Home and Centre, subject to control by the Board of Governors, and in agreement with the Director-General and the Treasurer-General;

(5) approves the budget for the Nurses’ Home and Centre and authorizes the employment of the personnel therein provided for, in accordance with the resolution proposed by the First Sub-Committee”.

XVI

NURSING

1. THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS approves the principles laid down for the future work of the Secretariat for promoting, through Red Cross Societies, higher standards of nursing education, both for hospital and Public health work, chiefly through national nurses.   

• THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS approves the continuation of the International courses for nurses and encourages the Secretariat to study the possibility of reducing the individual expenses of the students by eventually establishing an International Nurses’ Home.

• THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS strongly recommends to the attention of Red Cross Societies the standards of   nursing education laid down by the Nursing Advisory Board of the League, while recognizing that no stereotyped scheme is applicable to   every country.

The budget for the international nursing course was $ 5,000 – which was 2.7% of the total, or 8.6% of the non-staff expenses foreseen.