St John Review (1986)

AIM Eric Adams, of Sutton , Surrey , did not wear his artificial limb for the walk but used crutches. Here he negotiates some rocks.

I always wanted to go to Scotland

A sponsored walk by Eric Adams (on crutches) of the Pennine Way by his wife, LVN N E, who accompanied him

THE AMBITION of most country walkers is to do the Pen nine Way. Eric, my husband, was no exception, except that for him such an ambition was exceptional. For he has only one leg. His left leg was amputated at the knee when he was 18 years old, having contracted polio and become disabled as a baby. So the Pennine Way was a big challenge because he had to do it on a pair of wooden crutches, the first time it had ever been done that way.

According to most sources the Pennine Way walk is some 251 miles, while others say it is between 270 and 300 miles due to peat bogs and outcrops of rocks that have to be bypassed. Have you ever tried following an undefined footpath for 250 -odd miles?Think about it. And on crutches.

In conversation with our superintendent Reg Johnson we mentioned that Eric would like to walk the Pennine Way, but it would be impossible without some sort of back - up team to help. It was suggested that we speak to our vice - president , Tony Comber, who is also a member of the Rotary Club of Carshalton. He thought about it for a while liked it, and then suggested we make it a sponsored walk to get the required help. We decided to make the walk for two charities, our own new ambulance fund for 306 Sutton Division of London's S.W. Area, and the British Limbless Ex-Servicemen's Association (BLESMA). Eric comes across them a lot , as he works in the limb-fitting centre in Roehampton. In April 1984 we began to make serious plans for the walk and got in touch with a Ray Holland at BLESMA. In October 1984 the first letters

FIRST AIDER OF THE YEAR

KEITH SHEPPERD, a train driver for British Rail and a SJ A mem ber from Reading became Band Aid / St John Ambulance First Aider of the Year at the National Finals on November 13.

The standards of first aid at this year's competition superseded all previous yea rs and Keith had to fight off considerable talent from the other eight finalists. The refreshing aspect of the competition is that the finals are so visual.

After the 'be hind closed doors written examination, candidates took part in a mastermind-style quiz with quick -fire questions from HQ's Magnus Magnus so n John Hammond , secretary to the Medical Board. Then slides were shown with questions, followed by a ' mystery voice' over the phone with an emergency situation - the candidate had one minute to diagnose, suggest treatment and advise.

Nine cadets from London District entered (stage left), to have their arms put into an elevated sling. Variety is the spice of life and we got plenty of it. Knots (reefs and

The Chief Commander presents t he winner, Keith Shepperd, with the first prize - a cheque for £500.

went out to many organisations asking for help in this mammoth venture. We had offers from branches of the Round Table , Rotary, Rotaract, St John Ambulance, The Ranger Services, Mountain Rescue, Border Search and Rescue and many Rambling Associations. The support was overwhelming, considering that none of the clubs was to benefit. BLESMA managed to get sets of maps to cover the areas we were to walk. Slowly thin gs came together. We had offers of accommodation, but for the other nights we were booked in at bed and breakfast places. Those nights we considered were to be our summer holiday.

By mid -May we Anally had everything completed and put all the information on a large wall -chart. We made smaller charts with all the relevant information for the helpers each day. We also made out route sheets with distances, compass bearings, and necessary remarks for each day's section of walking.

On Friday, June 7 1985, we were driven to Derbyshire by Staff Sergeant S. Glanville, of Sutton Division, where we stayed with my parents until Sunday morning. We got to Edale and were met by members of Hope Valley St John Ambulance and at lOam we set off on the walk. Our luggage was moved to Glossop for the Arst night, and we ended the day's walk ahead of ET A which made us feel good. The weather gave us odd showers, including one hail storm that lasted for only a few minutes. In fact, we had showers for the next three days. By the end of the third day 's trudge we were absolutely soaked through and it looked as though it was going

to be wet for several days to come. But then things changed, and the weather began to brighten up.

We passed Alfred Wainwright in the Tees valley, where he was filming with the BBe. He promised to buy us a beer if we ever got to Kirk Yetholm. We made it, and he kept his promise.

We were beginning to think preparation of our route s heet s had been a waste of time, but on the Saturday as we set off from Dufton for Carrigill we needed them. Mist began to roll down from the Arst hill, Knock Old Man, and engulf us, so from there on we used the compass - up Great Dunn Fell, Little Dunn Fell and finally Cross Fell. We could see but a few yards of the ground ahead of us. Between Little Dunn Fell and Cross Fell Eric sank into a bog up to his thighs. He managed to pull himself out without too much difficulty - but not before I got a photo! On the walk down a long track into Carrigill there was glorious, glorious suns hine all the way.

We were given lunch at Haltwhistle Golf Club before we set off along Hadrian's Wall towards Once Brewed.

We were interviewed by BBC Northumberland and appeared on the TV news that evening The following day I caught a chill and it was a big struggle walking the 19 miles to Bellingham. We were also joined by Eric Rawlings, a 78-year-old friend who wanted to complete the Pennine Way from where he had had to leave it a year or so before.

On the day before the last we set off from Byrness to the top of the Cheviots. Eric, my Eric that is was ill with a stomach upset,

being sick several times en route. Eric Rawlings who usually manages a s teady but slow two miles an hour, was overtaking my weak and obviously quite ill husband. My Eric refused to give up and almo s t crawled to the end of the day 's walk. At Butt Roads , an old drovers way over the Cheviots , a Land - Rover came to take us down into the local town for the night. Our landlady gave Eric some thin g to settle his stomach, and then next morning he was fit again and ready for the off.

The Land-Rover

Keith Shepperd be ing congratu ated by Bob Shire Dire c tor and General Man age of Johnson & Johnson 's Consumer Operat io ns , with other finalists.

grannies) were tied anywhere between the elbow and the spinal cord and on one occasion the arm disappeared out of the sling! With time limits imposed and being under the spotlight, panic can come to the fore and, understandably, it did.

Mr Ernest Wilks, from Casualties Union, was probably black and blue by the end of the competition , for the final round was a s imulated accident in which Mr Wilks played an overdose victim slumped in a chair. Six times he was dragged to the floor to be put into the recovery position - which he probably needed in reality by the end of the competition. But with nine competitors, why only six recovery positions? Because none of the three lady competitors took him out of

the chair despite the fact that his 'wife was available nearby to share the load. Intere sting !

Although it was a close run competition, Keith Shepperd, who is Divisional Officer of Readin g South Western Ambulance and Nursing Division, was in the lead from round one. A past experience might have helped him keep his cool. While driving a train at 60 mph a young girl fell out. He stopped the train ran back and treated her for multiple injuries , including a fractured skull. Thanks to Keith , the girl is alive today. Deservedly therefore, he won the title together with a cheque for £500 from Johnson & Johnson , who so generously sponsor the competition. Without them the competition could not take place. Congratulations must also go to John

NAVAL COURSE

The Ro ya l Navy recently ran a pilot course for SJ A members (over 18 years old) at the Royal Naval Hospital, Stonehouse , Pl ymo uth. T wo of our Mark Selleck and El iz abet h Mann, both from Devon, spent a fortnight li vi ng in the hospital and gai ned experience in all departments from casualty to operating theatre. We hope to publish a report of their experiences in the February R ev ew.

Members wishing to go on the course (the fee for the 2 weeks. is £40 including food) should apply through their Commissioner or County District Superintendent to the SuptSJA HQ I Grosvenor Crescent, London SW 1X 7EF.

DUKE DROPS IN

When the Duke of Westminster - as SJA President of London District - visited the London Ambulance Service recently, appropriately his first call was on the Westminster ambulance station.

At his request the evening visit was kept low key, with the minimum of formality, as the Duke met as man y men and women at the sharp end as possible durin g his tight schedule. Sharing a cuppa and a chat with duty crews, he revealed an inquisiti v e m i nd with a great zest for detail.

Accompanied by SJA Commander Derek Feflton who s no stranger to LAS, and London Commissioner John Gerrard, the Duke went by front line ambulance from Westminster to the Waterloo HQ of the se rvice , where he toured central ambulance control, the training school and the large ambulance station - noting with interest those sections that work so closely with St John on man y important public occasions. He kept the duty staff on their toes with probing questions when faced with the vast array of equipment carried on front line vehicles and the intricacies of Red Major (LA S's mobile control unit).

GOLD FOR SHARON

Not everybody wi n s the Duke of Edinburgh's Gold Award, but Sharon Chandler (of Kent s Edenbridge Di vision ) did and will s hortl y meet Prince Philip at Buckingham Palace to receive it.

The very demanding course led to her obtaining the St John advanced nursing certificate, walking 50 miles across Dartmoor with three nights under can vas, demon st rating considerable talent at hand

WHAT'S GOING ON IN SIX OF THE BEST

THE

AB U

BY THE EDITOR

Division A team from Merseyside, emerged as the winners ( photo right). The full result s of thi s year's competition are:

(plus

bell ringing and working as an auxiliary nurse at Chailey Heritage.

In particular, the fact that Sharon could not swim did not dampen her enthusiasm when faced with the final challenge, and along with some invaluable help from her activities supervisor she successfully completed two lengths of a swimming pool a nd deservedly won her Gold in style!

NANCY'S THERE

A letter appeared in a Gloucester paper praising a young woman who stopped to help a disabled driver outside the health centre to change the wheel of his car. He was struggling with the wheel nuts of the punctured tyre , with men passing by from a nearby market when the Good Samaritan stopped to help , and saw the job through after getting another wheel brace from her car.

The letter concluded that the writer, the man 's wife, only knew that the young woman was the daughter of a Mr Chris Phi llips and they wanted to thank her.

It was in fact Cinderfoot Combined Division's Nancy Phillips.

WORLD-WIDE COMP

The seventh International Cadet First Aid Competition took place in five countries and seve n different centres on Saturdays, October 12 and 19

The competition involves a team and an individual test. The team te st was set by a Canadian staff officer , while the i ndividual tests were set in Merseyside

The Canadian test invo lved a motor cycle accident, with injurie s to both rider and pillion p assenger, which had to be diagnosed and treated withi n 10 minutes.

Team s of four cadets compete under identical condit ons in each of the centres. These centres then produce a w innin g team whose mark s a r e put into an international order of merit. Exciteme nt grew as the results were collated by Mrs Joan Logan of Canvey Island but it was not until lunchtime on Monday , October 21 that it was confirmed that the Liscard Combi ned Cadet

It

mpetition.

GAME, SET AND MATCH

and

R B. oj London Northern Area lvr; tes: It wasn't Liverpool , Everton or even Arsenal fans who took over the Spurs' White Hart Lane ground on Sunday, October 13 - but 77 Northern Area cadets in their black, white and grey s trip (for a training day).

The opening shots were taken by ASO Mr Greenhill and ASO Mrs Brain , who welcomed everyone a nd explained the programme, which began with prayers led by ASO the R ev. Brook s. A/ Comm Phillip s took a corner after s howin g a film about the Ophthalmic Hospit a l, wh ich was followed by Commander Derek" Fenton tackling 49 years' se rvic e in 10 minutes!

The teams covered accident prevention New Zea land culture, community involvement by the police, and archery , which produced so me Rashes of play , until half time.

Following so me tactical talk on the use of radio eq u ip ment , the second half was interrupt e d by tr ou ble on the terracestreatment and di sposa l of casualties ensued, with g oal s being 5cored on al l sides.

St JAB CUP

(Right) Avon's N/C Elspeth Burden with her Grand Prior certificate, and her proud parents Lennard, Ar ea Commissioner, and Diana, D Supt of Oldland Common

Di visio n. Looking on are ca dets who were enrolled at the same ceremony (Photo: Myra Meredith)

WORLD OF ST JOHN

At the Rnal whistle, the players - tired and battered - returned to the Nicholson suite for final comments on the day's play. It was definitely a three point win for Mrs Brain, the organiser of this intere st ing and successful day. which had given the cadets and adults much to think about. and a chance to learn some Maori, a new sport, etc.

Thanks must go to the management and staff of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club for their help, including the refreshments.

CADETS AT WORK

I hear that nursing cadets of East London's CN38 Chingford Division were on duty at the Scout Association's Gilwell Park Cub Days in June when cubs from all over the country descend in their thousands on this permanent camp site for a fun day.

The cadets lined up in their new uniforms - looking very pretty, no doubt - in front of the first aid room as the cubs arrived in hundreds of coaches at lOam. (I can imagine a lot more nursing cadets will be wanting this duty.) The first small patient arrived at 10. 10 with travel sickness, soon to be followed by others also feeling sick (through eating too much grub on the journey, no doubt; or was it some particular nursing cadet one had noticed?).

However, as the day went on in came the casualties, with cuts and bruises two fractures (that had to go to hospital ) and many other complaints. It began to rain heavily - how boys love mud, pounds of it often had to be washed away before the injury could be found, said Joyce Ware the cadet supt. Chairman of Gloucestershire's joint SJA!BRCS

DORSET

for their honesty f or taking £ 1500 they found in the street to he police. Two of them, Kathryn Nicholas and Wendy Evans (lower two) are both cadets of Hereford 's Ho ly Trinity Combined Division On the second Cub Day, the sun s hone and the major cub complaint was hay fever. Little boys with puffed-up eyes had their faces bathed soothingly by nursing cadets who we re very, very gentle. On that day 97 people were treated including some grownups. How did the cadets get the Gilwell duty? Mrs Ware's husband works for the Scout Association. And CN38 Chingford cadets have now got permission to use Gilwell camp site too.

HQ APPOINTMENT

Mr L. R. Gibbons FCA, has been appointed Development Manager a t Headquarters. H e is accountable to the Director -G eneral for assisting him in the formation of future policy, and the determination, implementation and management of new projects.

FREE OR

St John's Gate has an old Gestetner 420 duplicator which they'd be delighted to give to any Divi s ion provided it is collected. Anyone outside St John wanting it should also collect and leave a small donation Ring the secretary to the SecretaryGeneral on 01 - 2536644

TO JERUSALEM

A few months ago Deputy County Commissioner John Dixon organised a campaign in Cumbria to raise money for the St John Ophthalmic Hospital in Jerusalem in response to the appeal for funds. When the co unt y fund had reached £ I 500, a r epresentative party of nursing cadets from Cumbria were i nvi ted to St J ohn H eadquarters in London and appeared on a children's television programme where the cheque was handed to Sir Stephen Miller, the Hospitaller , by the Grange -over -Sand' senior cadet Jayne Smith. Subsequently,

Bournemouth Tr ansport Di visio n which has two ambulances in Bournemouth one in Christchurch, and a mobile unit, celebrates its 50th birthday. Founder members Charles Proudly and B as il Stocks sit either side of the anniversary certificate with fr ie nds and members (D S Cyril Dennett extreme righ t).

Jayne. who s on a pre - nur s in g training course, was ofTered an op portunity to v sit the ho s pital a nd took furth e r help in the form of a cheque for £347 rai se d by th e people of Grange. She a so too k another cheque for £253 collected from the people of Barrow -inFurnc ss district, making a gift of £600. Jayne Smith has just returned from Jerusalem after a hectic sample of that busy hospital. She was 'take n on strength' and is s ued with uniform to assist thc nurse s and in particular help ed in the c hildren' s ward.

The work took Jayne out to poor villages with a Reid unit , and time ofT was spen t exploring the countryside, including vis its to Tel Aviv and Bethlehem.

Her lasting impression is of the perpetual s t ream of men. women and c hildren being admitted to the hospital for examination, assessment, treatment and operations, and the un st intin g dedication of the s taff. It was an unforgettable experience.

BUSY WEEKEND

Eight cadet teams took part in Northants Northern Area's Flag Party competition at Corby on Saturday, October 5. Now an established favourite with local cadets, poin ts are awarded for smartness of uniform , overa ll bearing, condition of Aag , drill, marching and correct man age ment of Aag. It was jud ge d by members of the Territorial Army.

Thrap sto n's nursin g cadet team with 2 03 points, took the trophy, with Cytringan nursing cadets in second place. Thrapston's team was Ang e la Wallace (bearer), Sharon Starsmore, and Rachel Keech.

That afternoon Thrapston cadets held a jumble s ale at their HQ, raising £ 11 8.

And the next day they were in the Rnals of the county quiz, when the junior section was won by their Paul Davi es and Andrew Green, the se nior section by Rachel Keech, Ruth McLaren, Anna Kiddie and Annette J efferson, and the Division's ambulance cadets were runners - up.

Thrapston obviously had a busy weekend.

VIDEO

The St John Ambulance Three Cross Award video is now available in BETA format from the St John Supplies Department, product code P 20006, price £ 13 (p lus V AT for schools).

BUY ONE

Her efo rd and Worcester's Sonya Butt on and Nigel Davies selling those car-draw tickets while on duty at Kingston Show.

First Aid at Work for sixth formers at Woodchur c h High School, Wirral is given by lower school headmaster John Walsh an SJA Association in structor for many years First aid is now on the school s curriculum.

Kent's new Commissioner Miss Audrey Emerton dedicates the latest ambulance for Ed enbridge Division bought with funds raised over the las t two years by the Division and Friends of St John.

Bucks' LeightonLinsdale Combined Division is presented with two new garages by the Rotary Club of Le igh ton Buzzardwith Divisional President Colin Crowfoot in foreground.

committee, Major Nick Warry,

Cumbria's Jay n e Smith went to Jerusalem. See story (Photo: North Western Evening Mail).

byJIM

HERE ARE a few recipes which your cadets will find can be easily turned into scrumptious titbits. It is important that everything is done under close adult supervision.

Nutty Clusters. Mix 100 g m plain chocolate with 25 gm margarine by placin g in a dr y bowl over a pan of hot water. When melted mix in 200 gm of mixed coconut , peanuts and dried fruit. Place teaspoons of the mixture on a suitable dry, clean surface and leave to set.

Coconut Crispies. Melt a block of cooking chocolate in a dr y bowl over a pan of hot water. When m e lted stir in a quantity of crisped rice cereal and about one tablespoon of dessicated coconut. Turn the mixture out into sma ll cake cases and sprinkle some of the coconut on the top before the m ixture cools

Peanut Crunch. Crush 75 gm of rich tea biscuits by placing them in a polythene bag and crushing them with a rolling pin Keep a small amount to the s ide and mix the remainder with 100 gm of smooth peanut butter. Shape the mixture into balls and coat with the remaining crushed biscuits. Add a half peanut to the top of each ball.

The se sweets will taste even better for ha vi ng been kept in the fridge for a couple of hours. If you can keep the cadets at bay.

Winter gardening

I suggest you try growing cress or bean sprouts, but let's be more adventurous and grow some other tasty or decorative plants.

Try growing r adis h for instance n an o ld ice cream or margari n e tub. Plant seeds from some fr u it, suc h as app les or oranges, in the same kind of tubs and see what happens. You wi ll need to keep them in a warm dark place for 2 or 3 weeks before you bring them out and place them on a windowsi ll. And remember at this time of the year you must bring them into t h e room each evening when you c ose the curtains.

You mig h t even like to try growing ornamental capsicums which shou ld be popu lar sellers at your Div ision's spring fete.

Having a party?

Perhaps you may be having a fancy dress or a tramps party. Take a photo of cadets as they arrive and send someone with the film to the nearest shop that does one hour developing. Thus each cadet will be able to take their own special souvenir home with them. Invite parents to come and take part in all party activities and you may also like to invite some chi dren from a nearby residential home They will appreciate getting out of their normal surroundings and you may also be able to invite them to join the Division when meetings resume in the new year.

If you c h oose to have a fancy dress party set a theme for everybody to follow. This might be based on characters from a pantomime. Of course the leaders will want to join in.

There are many games that you can play but it is important to ask the cadets in advance which games they prefer. They will appreciate being involved in planning the party. During any pa r ty it is important to have a litt le b it of quiet time to recharge everybody 's batteries. The task of quietening a group of excited cadets is one of those a lmost herculean tasks that occur more than occasionally for leaders in our organisation. From experience, I would suggest serving ice cream and then, while their mouths are occupied, tell them a short story about friendship.

Games

Jigsaw Cards. Cut old Christmas card pictures into three. Distribute them among the cadets, who then have to find who has the other parts of their card. The first team to comp lete the picture is the winner.

Grand Prior badges for delighted Kingsbridge, Devon, cadets (left) Leader Ann Carpenter, 15, and ex- Leader Jane Hi ll 16, who has just moved on to Kingsbridge Nursing Divi s ion. (Photo: S. Hamm s Newspapers)

Look and Run. Cadets are to ld which walls of the hall are north , south , east and west. The aim is to run to whichever wall s indicated by the leader. To make the g am e more interesting the direction s are given In deaf sign language (ie, N, S, E, W).

Making jewellery

Have you got some mums or dads in you r Division who would like to help but maybe don like manning stalls at jumble sales or repainting your headquarter s? If you have. then Manchester Min e rals may ha ve just the thing for them.

Their latest catalogue is packed with hint s on how to make jewellery for profitable sale , using the hundred s of assorted stones and metal mount s listed in their colourful brochure. This comprehensive catalogue costs only £ 1.00 and is available from Manchester Minerals, Rooth Street, Heaton Norris, Stockport Cheshire SK4 IDJ.

Incidentally , also available fro m thi s company is a wide ran ge of saws and polishing tools which would be of g reat use to those contemplating making jewellery from 's cratch '.

Overhead projectors

Those of you who use projectors as a means of illustrating a talk on first aid , mappin g or whatever, will be pleased to hear of a new

MEDICAL DEPT

Five cadets from Midd esbrough. Cleveland. with their Supt W. Wat so n (centre). who are al in ca reers in health care, recent y visited the

book let which has been pub li shed by a lead ing pen manufacturer. Staedtler (U K) Ltd. have produced an extreme ly comprehensive Overhead P rojection Handbook which is a colourful, we ll illu strated guide on how to get the most from your projector. Covered in the booklet are tips on actually usin g the machine how best to prepare the s lide s for it and even how and where you should best position the screen in a crowded room.

CHAMPIONS OFTHE CROSS

Part 1

and X-ray department.

The 56 -page booklet is available free from The Market ing Department , Staedtler (UK), Pontyclun , Mid -Glamorgan CF7 8YJ. Please enclose a stamped, addressed envelope with your request.

Contributions Contributions and entries to competitions in this column should be sent to Jim , 3

Brandreth Road , London E6 4QB. If you have any ideas about games, training activitie s or events that your cadets have taken part in and enjoyed, please write because I am always in need of material to include in the column. Cadet Chat badges are se nt to all those who contribute to the column.

Written and illustrated by Hugh A. R. Edgell, Assistant Chaplain of the Order THIS is the story of two of the great Military Orders which were part of the everyday scene in Mediaeval Europe and the Middle East. Many towns and villages in Britain also bear witness to their influences on local life. The Order of St John wasfounded to provide carefor pilgrims to the Holy Land and the Poor Knights of Christ (The Templars)

BETHLE H EM, Nazareth, Jerusalem. From ve r y early times Christian pilgr im s visited the Holy Land to pray at the traditiona l sites associated with the life and work of J esus of Nazareth. Many Roman Emperors attempted to prevent the spread of Christianity , and deliberate ly destroyed any Chri s tian shr ines, but devout people remembered the location s and passed them on to other members of the Ch ur ch.

In th e year AD 3 13 , the Empe ror Constantine I decreed that the Christian faith hould be r ecog ni sed as an official religion of the empire, and Christians were free once aga in to visit the sacred sites Constantine, and his mother Helen , erected churches over the sites of Calvary and the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, and over the grotto in Bethlehem where tradition held that Jesus was born. In AD 600 the Pope, Gregory the Great, ordered that a hostel sho uld be built in Jerusalem to provide shelter and care for the increasing numbers of pilgrims. St. John the Almsgiver (of Alexandria) was adopted as the Patron Saint of the new Hostel.

In the year AD 622, however, Muhammad The Prophet of Islam , began his Holy War (Jihad). and by 637 his followers had overrun Jerusalem. The hostel was allowed to cont inue its work, for relations between Christians and the followers of I slam were at first quite friendly. Muslims regarded Jews and Chr istian s as having much in common with them in their reverence for the Old Testament Patriarchs and Prophets and ca ll ed them People of the Book '. In the year AD 800 the Muslim Caliph Haroun AI Ra schid permitted the hostel to be enlarged and a sma ll lib rary was added. But not all Caliphs were so kindly disposed. Caliph EI Hakim began to persecute Christians, and in AD 1000 be ordered the destruction of the shrines, and the hostel was forced to close. Fortunately after hi s death some Caliphs allowed pilgrims to visit the Holy City, and many of the Christian shrines were rebu ilt and the ho stel re -instated.

As t he numbers of pil g rims increased demands were made for a new and lar ger hostel, and in AD 1098 merchants from the Italian Republic of Ama lfi near Naples, provided funds for this work, staffing the hostel with Benedictine monk s. The badge of the ho stel was to be the eight -pointed white cross of the Amalfi Republic.

Pilgr ims arrive at Jerusalem.

eleventh century. More and more restrictions were placed on the pilgrim s and often it was impos sible for them to visit the Holy places. Finally the situation grew so bad that Pope Urban II urged Christians everywhere to fight the Saracens and Turks and free the Holy City from their grasp.

In L095, the Pope declared that the campaign should be regarded as a 'Ho ly War ' and that all those w ho took part in this special pilgrimage would be freed from all penan ces due for their sins. In France the campaign was encouraged by a monk called ' Peter the Hermit'. He journeyed round the countryside proclaiming that it was the Christian's duty to free Jerusalem and make safe the pilgrim routes.

Although some Muslim rulers were friendly towards the Christians in their domain s, re lations began to deteriorate rapid ly during the

The Hospital of St John Jerusalem.

Gathering those who were willing to leave at once on this mission. Peter the Hermit and a poor knight named 'Walter the Penniless' set out for Jerusalem. Their army was ill-equipped and undisciplined. The Christian Emperor of Byzantium ( modern Istanbul) did not welcome a force that was little more than a rabble and gave them little help. As they advanced into Turkish lands they were attacked and the majority of them were slaughtered. The first attempt at a 'Crusade' was not a success.

Better equipped and disciplined Crusaders' followed soon afterwards under the leadership of Godfrey de Bouillon , Duke of Lorraine, and after many adventures they arrived outside Jerusalem in June , 1099. After a 6-week siege the Saracens were defeated and the city was in the hands of the Chistians. Robert of Normandy, a son of William the Conqueror, was among them.

Throughout this difficult period the hostel in Jerusalem had continued to care for the sick and wounded, and when the Crusaders entered the city, they were only too pleased to find a band of Christian monks to care for their sick and wounded. The man in charge of the hostel at that time was Gerard (or Gerald) of Provence.

To show their appreciation and gratitude many of the wealthy knights gave large sums of money for the work of the hostel. and the monks purchased more buildings, includin g an old monastery dedicated to St John the Baptist , who was then ad6pted as their Patron Saint, in place of St John, The Almsgiver.

This book can be obtained price £2 a copy plus postageJrom St John Ambulance HQ. 59 King Street, Norwich NRl IPH.

The early crusaders

Ambulance training can be FUN

Words and pictures by MYRA MEREDITH, PRO Avon

HOW MANY time s have we heard d is cussions on the problems and difficulties of raising teams to enter county competition s? All too often, I'm afraid.

Avon experienced all the s e problems with adult teams and so loo ked for a new approach to the s ubject w hich we h av e now developed (in addition to the county competition) to in volve members and divisional ambulances.

The element of competition still exi sts, but emphasis is put on enjoyment as well as the sk ills required to produce the highe s t po ss ible standard for our ambulance crews.

Tests ar e set on e ve ry day w or k which di v is ion s owning ve hicles wo uld u s uall y undertake (ie , removals from houses to nur s ing home s, sporting e vents and other similar dutie s) The knowledge and use of equipment carried on the vehicle and basic ambulance a id , to g e her with dri ving s kills and Highwa y Code all feature in the test.

T wo such challenge da ys ha ve alre ady ak en place in A von The most recent in October was attended b y Major-General Peter Leuchars the Chief Commander.

The te s t co n s isted of:

I. Presentation of ambulance and crew with e mphasis on the cleanline ss and presentation of the veh icle.

2. Team test (team consists of a driver attendant and a nurse) A s porting incident with two casualties - one with a fractured lower limb and the other wi th a collis fracture.

The aims of the tes t were:

(i) To deal with the incident by rendering first aid.

(ii) Transport the p a tient to hospital.

(iii) Tran sfer the patient from the ambulance to an accident department.

( v) To test the crew 's profi c ienc y w ith rad io procedure.

(v) To w ork a s a team

Individual test

Attendant and nur se wo rking a s a pair and u s ing the equipment from the vehicle. Four were set for them. Examp le s :

Blast victim requiring oxygen to be admini stered.

F racture requiring entenox to be given

Resuscitation of baby including the calming of a distraught mother.

Unconscious casualty with vomit blocking the airway requiring the use of suction equipment (aspirator).

Driver

A s eries of dri ving s kills consisting of reversing, p a rking , turning, and judging distanGes followed by an as sess ed drive on the road network accompanied by a member of the Insti t ute of Advanced Motori st s 14

Highway Code (for all crew members)

Avon road sa fet y officers prov ded a computer with three programmes t o test

Hi ghway Code knowledge and introduce an element of fun with modern t echnolog y.

A se parate competition fo r s pect a tors was organised b y the road safety officers to add o the enjoyment and test their skills in dri vin g and knowled ge of the Hi g hwa y Code

The Chief Commander w as encouraged to e nter but was pipp ed at the po s b y Avon 's county s uperintendent Mrs Marina Dolman.

Venue

A ve nue for su ch an eve nt is one of the mo s t impo rt ant con s ideration s Due to the very good relation s hip we ha ve wi th RA F

Locking , W eston -su per -Mare , facilitie s included indoor accommodation , the p a rade g round and road net wo rk for the driving tests.

Judges

It is ess ential to have experts in each field to judge these tests. We were fortunate to ha ve s upport from the offi ce rs of the A vo n local authority ambulance se rvice and an area s ur geo n of considerable experience and intere s t in ambu lance work. A senior staff

The challe n ge day winners (seated) were al l members of one am il y from the H ar t cliffe Division and regula ly c r ew for the Bristol and North Avon ransport section. Th ey are (left to right) George Boo kham. his wife Eileen and son Kevin. The runners - up (stand ing) from Shirehampton A & N Di vis ion are: John Patten , Elizab eth Bur che and Philip Stokes.

office r with an interest n th e public image of the o r ga ni satio n co uld be asked to judge the ve h ic e and smartness of the crews.

Awards

These sho uld be considered for the highest overall teams and individual wi nn ers in each sec t ion. We were fortunate to receive a tr op h y from Bryan Bros a lo cal Ford dealer from whom we r ece ntl y purchased an a mbul a nce. Pri zes were provided by the county for m e mb e r s ga inin g the h ighest indi vidual marks.

From hi s com ment s a t the presentation , the Chief Commande r sees this sort of c h a ll enge day as a way fo r ward and wo uld lik e othe r counties to arrange s m il ar events for their members. Any co unti es wishing more in format ion shou ld contact Cl ive Rooke , Cou nt y Training Officer, c/o St John Ambulance HQ, Woodborough Street, E a sto n Bristol, Avon BS5 OJB or telephone Bristol 512567.

ST GILES FAIR: OXFORD

ACCORDING TO law all privately -owned roads n England mu s be closed to the public for at e a st I day a year, otherwise they become Council property. There is s uch a road in Oxford, St Giles , which is owned by a college. E ach yea r when it is closed to publiG traffic for 3 day s a fair is held there. The 3 da ys it is closed are quaintly defined as: The first Monday and Tuesda y in September after the fir s Sunday in the month providin g that the Sunday is not the fir s t of the month '

The third da y is the Sunday , which is used to set up the fair. As the road is in the middle of Oxford , the fair is of easy access to the people of the town , and it is the biggest event held in the city centre For St John Ambulance in Oxford it means the l argest single duty in Oxford City. There were four main divi s ion s on this year 's duty.

treatm e nt areas , a me ss facility and an entrance The two treatment area s each had a t re s tl e table for th e ki and a couch for the pati e n t. T wo front line St John ambulances were on the dut y, one at each end of the f air. A read y- to -go cot s tretcher was a so ke pt at the fi r st aid po s t.

Casualties

In a ll 67 casualt ies were treated over the 3 d ays, and I I were taken to hospital by ambu lan ce. Some of the more senous includ ed a n open fractur e fibula, when the patient became trapped between two sta ll s; and h ead/ fa c ial injuri es thr o u g h people co llidin g on the ride s or fighting. Durin g the Sun da y night I a n 's cooking ca u sed c hr o nic dyspepsia o Ne il and himself!

There were u p to fo ur nurses o n duty (one SRN a nd three SENs). Two ambulance crews were re ady at a ll tim es, and th e r e were seve r a l foot patro s a r o und the fa ir. In case of emergency (a ride co ll apsing, for in s t ance), a stock of 15A first aid kit s were kept just inside the tent entra n ce. The worst ti me for cas ua lties was late evening when people un der the influence of alcohol came out of the pub s. T hey either fell orf rides or s tarted fighting. One amusing case was when an o ld man came in with a slig ht head wo und Two male nurses took him into a treatment room and asked him to sit d ow n. H e sa id he cou ldn 't. Again the ma le nurse asked him to sit down, but aga in he declined. Th en the other male nur se saw why. H e leaned over and squeezed the o ld man 's knee, who then fell into the chai r. He had a t n le g and was un able to bend it without re easi n g a catch a t the knee.

Collections

The Council s upplie s a marqu ee as a first a id tent some trestles , c hair s for the te nt a nd 240 vo lt main s elec tricit y s upply ; every thin g else O x ford City Division s upplie s, exce pt fo r one of the a mbulanc es In p as t years caravans ha ve been tried , but for se veral reasons were found to be impractical. The s n ag of us ing a te nt as a first aid po s t is th a t at night yo u cannot lock it. Thi s meant th a t two people h a d to stay overnight to guard t he eq uipment in th e m a rque e, namely the officer-in-charge, Ian Tomkins , and Ambulance Member Neil Blair. These two were there from 10 30 am Sunday until midnight Tue s day. They tried to s leep on cot s tretchers, but people kicking can s around and the clock s of Oxford chiming every 15 minute s kept them awake for mo s t of the night!

The tent was s plit into four sections, two

At first we were allowed to co ll ect donations from the public passi n g by our post. Standing in the middle of the road we caused no obstruction However, another charity was also collecting but instead of standi ng st ill as we were they wandered about. Th is suggeste d that they were s tr eet collecting , wh ch was aga in st the law. To stop th em, the fair super i ntende n t sai d that a ll collec tion s ha d to be made from a c h a i r. We cou ld sta nd s it , kneel , li e o r a n yth in g e se so ong as we used c h airs from which to collect. This meant t h at we were be low th e faces of the pass in g people a nd so they did not not ice u s. The amoun t co ll ec ed eac h hour dr o pp ed to s uch a low ra t e that collecting was aba nd o n ed.

Veni, Vidi, Viei!

The d u ty went ve r y smoo thl y, w ith no upsets. It was on y a s h ame that the high est ranking offker was a m ere Superintendent bec a use nobody o n Area/Co unt y Staff ca me to see how we were gett in g on, although thi s was the biggest dut y in Oxford.

I wo uld lik e to thank all th e St John staff w ho h elp ed on th e duty th e poli ce who went out o f their way to help u s, and to Ian

To mkin s w h o gave a lot of time to prepar e a nd r un the dut y

N Blair PR St Giles Fair

year it is closed to traffic and a fair takes place.

AT THE FAIR

(Right) Ambulan ce Member Alan Cousins collecting at the fair. (Below) The first aid post with (left) Ian Tomkins, officer-incha rge, AIMs Robert Llo yd and A an Cousins and Nursing MemberJenny Dy er.

ORDER

INVESTITURE

Re vd Can on Jo hn F r anc s Wran g ham H ard y, MBE. TD (Northants)

Commander David Vere Bendall. C MG. M BE (SufTo lk) Colonel A. E. Berry OBE (Hant s) Bri

and Wear)

Mr s Ph y lli s Ma y Marty n (D evo n) George H enry C harl e M elo tt e MB BS FR C GP (Middx)

Lieut-General Sir Camero n M o fTal. KBE. QHS.

an Thom as Walm s ey (C hes hire) Joan G as kin Pasiful/ Willi ams, MBE D evo n)

Officer Robin Kennelh Adkinson. MB BS (Leics) Mi chae John Andrews (Kent ) Air C hi ef M ar sh a

John Ernes Dougla De La Valette Browne ( L o nd o n SW I )

Arthur Jo hn C har e Care (C oy don)

Freda Christina Ann Cox ( Will s)

Bri an Lauri s Palm er Da/( on MB. BS Wilt s)

M o ll y Bea tri ce D avey (Some se t)

Jo hn Stanley Davies (StafT )

D o r Ame li a Egley (S. Yorks)

Carolyn D aw n Elwes (G os) Ri cha rd F lint ( M anches ter )

GeofTrey Ja mes Green W Yorks)

Olive Ir ene H ance (Es ex)

D av id Th omas H opkins (Warks)

Edward H ukin (S heffle ld )

Dor is Jo yce Kirwin M iddx)

Surgeon Capta in Da v id Askey L amminm an , L VO (D evo n)

R ose mar y Fra nces L es li e, BSc. MB MRCS. LR C P, MRCGP (Co rnw all)

M ar y Loui se Y vo nne Lescha ll as ( Kent)

Ir ene Ma y Libb y (D evon)

Oonagh L y nch, MB, BCh, BAO, LM (Mid dx )

Bar ba ra Anne Mar shall (Derbys)

Patri c a McCull och. SRN. SCM. HV (Merseyside)

M y r a M er edith (Bristol)

Mar y Burt on Min e SRN (Devon)

Alexandra M art en R abar s (London N6)

D ori s Ro se (Warks)

David Ke nn eth Rowe - Ham (S urre y)

Anthony Bertram Sayer (Midd lesex)

Cather in e Searle SRN SCM, QN, (Ke nt)

Jo hn Hu gh Shi pso ne Sh ppa m, JP (W. Suss ex)

Ro y E. Sk in ne r (Austr i a)

Lieut- Colonel Cec il Edmo nd Kirb y Spelle r (Sali sbury)

Colonel Grevi ll e Dou g as Spratt, TD (Surr ey ) Mar gare Spruce M anc hes er)

Pamela Storer, S R N MDM (Derby)

Eri c Richard Strange W. Sussex)

Marjorie Kath lee n Tine y ( Northant s)

Jo yce Tranter (Cleve land)

John Barr y Wade , MB. BS (N York s)

Joan Oli ve Wood (Surrey)

Edna Wood mo r e (Oxon)

John Mich ae Wright London W5)

Serving Brother or Sister K eith Allmond (Coven try)

K ay Anderson (Surrey)

Al an Har o ld Baker (S urrey

John Ebeneze r Barker (Nall s)

(Left) Wilfr ed Ern est Swinscoe, Notts Southern Are a Corps Staff Officer with 30 years service, becomes a Serving Brother. Closely associated with running the Hoskin son Shield open compet ition and latterly supervising cadet camps.

(Right) Kenneth Tovey, Se rgeant of So lih ull Central Divi s on with 33 years service (including being at the Harrow train crash in 195 2), be c ome

Shar on Ann Boy ett. SRN (Ha nt s

Edwa r d John Brunger (Surr ey )

K enn eth R alp h C arver (Su rre y)

Mari e Winifred Co l/in s Sus sex)

Trevor Walt er Darlin g, MB BS. MRCS LRCP ( Sussex )

Brenda K at hle en Da v es (Birmingham)

Joa n Mar garet Daw so n, SRN (Bucks)

W alt er Char es Willi am D ew (S ussex)

Chr stin a M agda l ena Dodd (Worcester)

Paul Anthony Fi sher (Nolls)

Janet Eli za bet h Franks ( NOlls)

W llia m Gamewell (W. Yorks)

Est her Ann Giddin s. MB BS MR C S LRCP. DOb s DRCOG (Sussex)

Annie Char o ll e GofT(W. Sussex)

M ay Frances Grave lin g (W. Sussex)

T homas C harles G riffith s (London E I)

Eri c H ancock (No ts)

Brian Cyri H ans f or d (Oxon)

R osa lin d Mar y H ar grave (Shropshire)

M av s Lil y He ywar d (W. Yorks)

MANY OF US find an aethetic pleasure in the appearance of ceremonial a nd its associated heraldic trappings. They add colour and sparkle to- an occasion which easily catche s the eye to illuminat e the moment and perhaps jog the mind to recall the meaning of the event a nd all it stands for.

An area of heraldry which deals with the indi vid u a l and hi s part in events is of pa rticular interest. It makes more real for us the assoc ia t ion , the effort and often the sac rific e involv ed, There is no specific ge neric term for this aspect of heraldry but it is usually spoken of as Orders , Decoration s and Medals '. Orders, decorations and medals, by definition, involve numi smatics but hi s only relates to the actual medal or 'co in as pect ie the flat , round or otherwise variously shaped piece s of metal. Heraldry itself spreads out in several other dir ections covering arms , badges , flags, livery , proclamations , protocol and the whole panoply of ce remonial.

In St John Ambulance we do have a particular interest in orders, decorations and medals for our organisation stems from a n ancient order of chivalry and se rvice and, more obviously we actually wear a military style uniform in the Brigade which brings us right into the sphere of heraldry.

We have therefore a practical interest in several areas of the science (and art) of heraldry dealing with uniforms, flags badges, etc. For the moment let us just leave these aspects In these articles I intend to look at the orders, decorations , and medals

(S o mer set)

Robe rt Pi man (Somerset)

Gareth Lewis Rob ert s MB. ChB. FPA (Worcs)

Wilfre d Nicholas Ra se (N oll s) W alt er Denni s Ru shwo rt h MB E. BSe , FRI CS (Sur r ey)

Bri an Screaton, ACA (Wark s)

Sir John Sea le Bt (Devon)

Frederick Har ry Cyri Short ( D evon)

ABOUT MEDALS (1)

'department'. A s is often the case with our rich and subtle language clarity and confusion mix with profound accommodation when we try to distinguish between these 'order s 'decorations' and 'me dals

One wonders what the difference may be between one and the other ; one might ponder the difference between a meda l and a medallion; or, when a medal is a real medal; when is it just a coi n shaped memento or a souvenir?

It is ne cessary here to sort the sheep from the goats. While there are some excellent goats, if one is looking for mutton (sheep meat!) then roast goat will not do. Likewise, in referring to medals there is certainly a need to view them in context , for the word MEDAL has severa l connotations. There are medal s for bravery or service; there are medals for excellence of achievement; for comme moration ; there are medals just to be sold for commercial purposes others even just for fun or as costume jewellery. Through all these descriptions run other threads of di st inction. Some medals are official, some unofficial , others are private ventures and others civic. We must therefore be fairly specific, even slightly legalistic , in defining what we wish to talk about. People do quite genuinely become confused and find themselves asking the question ' When is a medal

St

John Eri c Sorrell, BSc , MB. BS MR CG P (Bucks)

Wilfred Ernest Swinscoe (No tts)

anley Broadbent

BRIGADE AND FAW

from Mrs J. M. O'Neill, ASO Training

With reference to the article (Nov. Review) on the Millar certificate, I would like to make the following points:

1t is hoped that by now both St John Ambulance and the Ambulance Service will have enlightened the HSE as to what exactly the Millar certificate is.

I understand that an Ambulance Service instructor, who is also in the Brigade, can be registered to teach FA W to our members. This is quite ludicrous when one learns that Ambulance Service instructors do not apparently hold the FA W first aid certificate, which is what the HSE says our first aid instructors , who are in the Ambulance Service and hold the Millar certificate, must hold to teach FA W. Is it perhaps that the HSE does not rate our instructor certificate as high as that of the Ambulance Service?

This ridiculous situation really makes me cringe, having heard of the very low standards of teaching and examination offered by some of the other 'organisations' accepted by the HSE to teach and examine FA W to industry.

St John has now set a very high standard and please let us keep it , in spite of s ome moans and groans on the ground about FA W. I am sure we can come out on top if we stick to a high standard. To help us keep it, let us make sure we use those experts among us - the Ambulance Ser vice personnel , etc.

By the way, congratulations to Grosvenor Crescent publicit y department. I phoned them after receiving m y November Re vie w and those superb leaflets of which I requested a large quantity of each They were delivered by post the next day, less than 24 hours after my phone call.

Hants Eastern Area J. M. O 'Ne ill

NEW MEMBERS

from Mr H G Gowland. Ambulance Member

I ha ve just finished a 5-day industrial FA W instructors course on wh ich there were s tudents who said they would like to joi.n SJA but for various reason s (va lid , I thought) didn 't want to wear a uniform, at least on entry. Other reasons were that they thought they would be bound to turn out for divisional duties regardless of thei r own commitments.

Somewhere I have read a suggestion for a non -uniformed section to di vis ions. At first wasn't impre ss ed by the idea, but now feel that non-uniformed members with FA W instructor's certificate or other professional qualifications could be of great value to many divisions. If the y were made to feel welcome, in time they may wish to become uniformed. This could be one answer to the 20- to 40-year-old membership gap.

My November copy of the Review has just arrived, and I feel CERTIFIED LUNATICS WANTED may attract some members but the words 'certified lunatic s' are a bit strong. I often question my sanity when it comes to doing some things for St John

Keeping existing members should take as much priorit y as finding new ones. I feel divisional programmes need to be more intere sting to hold members , particularly the younger age group (15 to 50). If something is of continuing interest people tell their friends

Thanks for keeping the Re view a magazine and an interesting one at that.

Pembroke H. G. Gowland

WHY I JOINED

from Kenneth Selley. Ambulance Member

Reference the Why -I -joined article (Nov. Review) I was afraid of the sight of blood by D / Supt Ralph Brown - it was Ralph then a corporal, who got me to join the Cranleigh Combined Division nearly 6 years ago!

I was refereeing a local 6-a-side football competition in 1979 when C ranlei g h members turned up for duty. During the matches I went over to the ambulance and got talking to Ralph and the other members o n duty. Ralph told me they were short of members and asked if I wou ld be interested in joining. I said I would 18

I took my first aid exam in November 1980 and have not looked back since. At our la st annual inspection I was awarded the shie ld for doing most duty hour s. Even before takin g my first exam I spent man y hours helping to set up our m o bile unit of which am now the main driver.

Th e first ni g ht that I turned up for a meeting some of the members we re a little surprised t hat someone should ju s t w alk in off th e st r eet (wh ich of course 1 didn't) and want to join St John. Cran leig h Kenneth Selley

COMPETITIONS

from Mr D J. Clarke. Divisional Officer would like to add so me thoughts to th e subject of first a id co mpetiti ons, with p a rti c ul ar reference to cadets.

But first, what are the objectives of competitions? To improve the competence of members to cope with (real -l ife) situations of co u rse but (s hou d be) a lso to inc reas e the competitor's enthusiasm for bei ng part of St John.

I ha ve been a competitor on a number of occasions a nd ha ve been a casua lty, and 1 try to encourage m y cadets to ha ve a go.

My message is that competitions must make se nse to the competitor to meet m y objectives. Cadets in p a rticul a r find th e set, make-up a nd acting vital ingredient s wh ich can either make or destroy the rest.

Make-up is the least o f my worries, but so me sets requir e extraordinary feats of imagination and casualties with, say, a dislocation who calmly and silently submit to manipulation deserve a ll they get.

My (admitted y limit ed) experience of real-life incidents is that the more noise the casualty makes the les s severe hi s condition. So let 's have properl y briefed and rehearsed casualties who act consistently for each competitor, instead of 'g ett ng it right on the early competitors.

Y es, I know that means more planning , effort and time , but either it is worth doing properly or not at all.

L eamingto n D. J. Clarke

ST JOHN SONG

from Gillian Hussey Divisional Superintendent

1 learnt the song Knights of St John as a cadet in 194 3. It was taught to u s by our pre sident of the time, who was a lso a school music teacher. We used to sing it at the end of each cadet meeting.

Unfortunately I do not know when or for what event it was written Last year, unknown to me , our Divisional Officer obtained a copy of the song and the cadets of our Division sang it at a parents evening after presenting me with a bouquet in recognition of my 40 years service. I was quite overwhelmed by the happy memories of cadet days that this brought back.

Sha!tesbury, Dorset Gillian Hussey

The Chief Commander visits

Merseyside

NEWS from SCOTLAND

THE MEMBERS of the St John Historical Society spent an enjoyable weekend in Scotland from October 4-6, during which visits were arranged to the Church at Temple to St Andrews and to the Preceptory of Torphichen , where lunch was provided by the local St John Association. Sadly, the' weather could have been kinder especially on the Friday afternoon when the members were assembling at Priory Headquarters in Edinburgh. They were welcomed at a pleasant little reception by the Priory Secretary , and interesting talks on the history and work of the Order in Scotland were given by Dr Hugh Mackay, one of the Priory 's Chaplains, and by Mr Charles Burnett, the Order 's Limner in Scotland.

Pembroke shire

Cadets from Haverfordwest, Milford Haven and Newport were recen t ly enrolled at a service in Haverfordwest conducted by the Brigade Chaplain, Rev W. Watkins. The enrolling officer was Mr E. L. Jones , Commissioner, assisted by Miss Lynda Jones, County Secretary for Dyfed. The

NORTHERN

IRELAND

Because of strikes among statutory service s taff, SJ A took over the ambulance services in various parts of Northern Ireland recently for 18 days, providing a 24-hour accident and emergency cover.

In Londonderry City alone 106 casualties were taken to or from hospital, the Brigade's ambulances covered 2,838 miles and 20 members put in 1429 duty hours The work was shared between the Malta Ambulance Organisation and the Brigade, and SJ A Northern Ireland is grateful to everyone who worked day and night to keep the service functioning.

lesso n was read by Mr Anthony Bowen Vice-Chancellor for Wales. The evening was well attended b y parents.

Clwyd

The Brigade in Clwyd recently participated in the St Asaph Dioce s an Youth Festival

Londonderry me mbers on duty during strike, with D S James Stew art right ).

Members of the St John Hi sto ri cal Society together with Dr Mackay, Mr Burnett and the Priory Secretary, in the Chapter House at Priory H ead qu arters, Edinburgh

Rocl< . Donington • . at

LAST AUGUST, thousands of rock fans made their annual pilgrimage to Donington Park, Leicestershire , fo r the sixth' Mon s ters of Rock' heavy metal rock festival. The event, which took the promoter months to organise, al s o pre se nted a few headaches with re ga rd to St John Ambulance presence. Western Area Superintendent Mr Mick Mardon had to ensure that the duty received adequate coverage.

SJ A had the u se of the Circuit Medical Centre, which was to form the nucleus of our activities. A fir st aid tent and two mobile units were strategically placed around the festival site, and a Casualty Clearing Station was se up, away from the noise and crush, in a circuit building. Seven ambulances and t he Western Area's newly - acquired ' Incident Vehicle' were on call at various times th roughout the day.

h e ld in the Cathedral on October 26 as part of the International Youth Year. A sma ll team of members led by Assistant Commissioner T. Bilsborough was re spo nsible for running five I- hour workshops on 'E mergency Aid', each concluding with a demonstration by cadets from the Rhyl Division.

Communications were a key ss ue - and in this field we had the invaluable assistance of the Local Health Authority. The Ambulance Service placed at our disposal a communications control ve hicl e, complete with ambulance personnel to man it (on an e n irely voluntary basis). Channel Four was allocated to u s for the day - and Local Health Authority handsets were distributed to first aid posts and walking partie s Requests for assistance or an ambulance were passed through Ambulance Control to the SJA Control, w ho then mobili sed vehicles or assistance as required. The Ambulance Control could, in addition, summo n their own ve hicle s as back-up. The day in question proved to be one of the few t rue 'summery' days we had during that climatic seaso n - hot and sunny, ca usin g perhaps more fans th an had been expected at Donington Park. There were in excess of 50,000 fans at the Festival, with 100 plus St John personnel to render assistance where necessary. The fans had literall y converged on Donington from all parts of t he globe - casualties treated came from South America, Spain, Belgium, Holland , Iran S. Africa, New York and Indianapolis not withstanding from all co rner s of Great Britain.

The eve nt was a little marred by a minority of mindless r ock fans' who hurled plastic beer bottles and various other objects into the crowd, thus explaining why staff in the Medi ca Centre dealt with 93 suture cases, involving mainly cuts to the head and face. It is interesting to note that the highest number of casua ltie s suffered from heat exhau s tion.

Fans rocked to 9 hours of music from s uc h bands as Bon Jovi, Marillion and ZZ Tops , who , excuse the pun , topped the bill'.

A record number of casualties, more than 800 in total pa sse d throu g h our va rious first aid posts, of which 18 required hospital treatment. One girl, unfortunately , had to be taken to the Special Burns Unit at Leicester Royal Infirmary. I must also give a mention to the poor lad who, havin g driven down from Scotland for a day 's entertainment, s tumbled as he got out of his vehicle in the carpark, and fractured his arm. He was s ent off to h ospita l to have the arm set, and I never did hear whether he actually got to see any of the concert.

At 10.30 pm a spectacular fireworks display brou g ht the Festi v al to a close. For the St John Ambulance personnel however, work was not at an end. It was near midnight before the operation could truly be wound down, the last few remaining casualties despatched and members joining the queues of traffic to wend their way home. To sum up the day, things could not have run more smoothl y for us - marvellous co-operation between the Ambulance Service and ourselves had ensured its success and made the prospect of covering next year's festi v al much less daunting.

Alwyn

News from Divisions/Centres

St John Fellovvship

St John Ambulance He a dquart ers N elson M e mo r ial H a ll , 100 Lionel Str eet , Birmin gham by kind pe rmi ss io n of t h e Commander West Midland s.

out

ers

Lond

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t

that it

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nd. If the ch a n ge pro ves po pul a r, effo rts will be made to ho ld the AG M in oth er reg ion s in futu r e I kno w man y membe rs wou d pr efer th e mee tin g to be held on

Watl<in W. Williams CBE

As remembered by his

Secretary

Watkin W. Williams, who died on November 27 aged 79, was deputy C-in-C from 1971 to '77 and chairman of the Review Boardfor 10 years.

CAN VIVIDLY remember the day I walked into Watkin's office at Headquarters in 1975 as a prospective secretary to be given the once -over and see if I was any good at shortha nd , typing and spelling. He dictated a letter to me about a Meritorious Service Certificate - which needless to say I had never heard of before. He said politely he would be very pleased to have me, and following good secretarial practice I thanked him and said I wou ld let him know in the morning. I knew at the time this was the job for me. And I never regretted it.

St John meant so much to him and he was able to explain to me in such simple language things which at the time seemed to be so complicated. He wrapped things up so tactfully - 'My dear, I'm sure you know ophthalmic has two h s

He told me that HQ really wasn't his scene. He enjoyed much more being out in the counties with the members and carrying out first aid duties himself. But even so he was full of fun and never minded having his leg pulled - in fact he told me That's what keep s me you n g'. If on the very rare occasion something really did annoy him he was capable of stamping his feet in ragebut mercifully it was soon over. He was always someone who commanded the greatest respect.

He told me many stories about Eton in the days when he was a master there. And he was bold eno ugh to tell me about a certain member of HQ who came top in Latin but bottom in Divinity.

Composing

He had great feeling and care for every member of St John whether he was wading through the mountain of recommendations for admiss ion s/ promotions in the Order twice a year or compos in g a Letter of Commendation - which always had to have a semi -colon in the middle sentence. I was never quite sure why! He attached great importance to investitures and made a particular point of always attending them. He tried to talk to as many people as he possibly could, making them feel they really

mattered and belonged to the St John family. 11'1 fact, t he day after he died, be was planning to take out to lunch one of those to be inve sted that afternoon.

As bachelors are reputed to be , he was in some respects quite set in his ways. He never had coffee in the morning - o h for those days now! He always enjoyed a joke and things that rhymed (well) - poetry, limericks and cieri hews - and took great pleasure in quoting them on many an occasio n

'Telephony'

He a lways did his own 'telep h ony' and left me with the filing (everything had to be punched and tagged) and letters. ( He did in fact type him s elf, but never outwardly let on until he knew he was leaving and 1 wa s staying.) When [ told him I had been asked to be PA to the Ch ief Commander he sa id w ith a sm il e and a twinkle, ' Well , my dear , you had a good grounding from me!'.

The At Random articles in the R ev iew were a very great part of life then. Often he wou ld burn the midni g ht oil to meet the next month's deadline. And when [ last visited him at his home in October he lent me the book which inspired t he title - Random Harvest by James Hilton.

T co u ld not possibly ha ve had a better introduction to the wor ld of St John a nd [ s h a ll a lway s rememb e r Watkin as being the essence of what St John sta nds for.

Mary B rookes

The opposite afflication to a heat spot? (4-4). 19. Hide following note to rebu ke. (5). 22. Precipitancy of action. (5). 23. Became infected and formed a purulent lesion. (8). 25. Acid present in tissues of one afflicted by gout. (4). 27. Terminal structure of alimentary canal. (4). 29. Mark formed by str etching of skin of abdomen as in pregnancy (5): 31. Not necessary but may be supplied by the pharmacist. ( II). 32. Are upset for a long period. (3). 33. Monkey antigen in red blood cells of most people. (6).34. Wage earner (8).

Down:

I. Concerned with eit h er the mind or the chin. (6). 2. Long and short veins of the leg. (9). 3. Reduces a form of medication for the eyes. (5).

4. Make ine ffectual attempts to vomit in middle of stretcher. (5). 6. Fat used in cooking and pharmacy. (4). 7. Shed the outer layer of the epidermis. (5). 8. Pains around sick tendon of lower leg. (8). 9. Nerves conveying impulses to the muscles and glands. (8). 15 Variation of each pain. (4). 17 Breath tending to fill the lungs completely (4) 18. Musician concerned with the functional units of the body? (8). 20. Habitual drunkenness. (9). 21. Sure hold for a large joint. (8). 24. Noah's son consumed a carpal bone (6). 26. Progeny put into circulation. (5). 28. Secretion of sebaceous g lands. (5). 29. Become turgid as a re s ult of injury or disease. (5).30. Unusually pure state. (4).

SOLUTION TO CROSSWORD No. 12 (85)

REVIEW CROSSWORD No.1 (86) byW. A. Potter

Across:

I Embryonic layer giving rise to bones, muscles, and blood. (8). 5. Part of the blood is hot ionised gas. (6). lO. Pinch a small quantity of spirit. (3). I I Lacking inspirations after hard exercise? (3-2 - 6) 12. Strange beast aids criminal activities. (5). 13 Vulnerable part of body of 8 Down. (4). 14. Skin lesion from whip lash or nettle sting. (4). 16. 24

Across: I. Infected ; 5. Aortic; 10. Malar; II. Registrar ; 12. N ·e·w·s; 13. Urea; 14. Tac·it; 17 Allium ; 18. Low -down ; 21. Ep· ice·ne; 23 Sister; 25. Dig·it; 27. Earl; 28. Limp; 30. Entropion; 31. Antra; 32. Thrush; 33. Heberden.

Down: I. Immune 2. Fell - walking; 3. Cure; 4. Eardrum; 6. On -set; 7. Tar; 8. Carotene; 9. Agnail; 15. Close - fisted; 16. Bite; 19 W·asp; 20. Dead - beat; 22. Eye lid ; 23. St· range; 24. S·prai·n; 26. Tools; 29. Hale ; 3 I. Tor.

CLASSIFIED d / £4 OOtl. semi display £20 single column Ulch (lTun. £10) plus 20p a wor ltnlll. h B I VAT. Send 10 Driscoll Productions. Wood Cottage, High Comer, ut ey, Woodbridge, Suffolk 1P12 3QF.

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Reduced price for BULK ORDERS of the St John Review in

the UK

Orders of six copies or more sent to one address in the UK are postage free. And instead of 70p a copy (the cover price of the Review), the price is 67p a copy - POSTAGE PAID.

The last word on custom built survival vehicles.

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Series 8303 Type S Land Rover One- Ten ambulance. At Pilcher-Greene

ST JOHN REVIEW

Lord Prior retires

you did not fo resee th a yo u w ould e vent u a lly undertake the vast responsibility and d emanding ac t ivity s u bsequently p laced upo n yo u as Lo r d Prior. Yo u have accepted t h ese d e m a nds and r esponsibili t ies w ith a consc e n tiousness far beyond th e normal call of duty an d in doi n g so h ave t ravelled the world of St J o hn we ll an d wisely You r co un se a nd frie nd s h i p h ave been so ug h t a nd va lue d ; you are as we ll -k nown to o ur me mber s as any Lo r d Prior before yo u - a nd so, if I m ay say so, s yo ur current fi r st aid certificate In all your jo urn eyi n g yo u have bee n wo nderfull y sustained a n d supported by Lady D orman , a person recogn se d and greeted w it h great affect ion wherever s he goes.' A nd The New Lord Prior, fr o m Jan u ary 1986 is Lord Ca t hcart, whose nsta ll at io n w ill be covere d in t he Ma rch R ev ew

SJA War Hero's medal at Gate

T he a w ard w a s

es en ted t o Georg e Be ec hing 's father in 194 3 by King George

I , who de s cribed George s action as a very bra ve deed by a very brave man The medal ha s been loan e d to the St John Museum by Geor g e Beeching ' s father , of Walla s ey M erseyside , an d w as presented to the mu seu m b y h is s ister , Mr s Joan Logan of Can vey I sland It forms the centrepiece of a s pec al d is pl ay o n Geo r g e Beech i ng and the rea s on s for the a w ard.

28 G eo r ge w a s ju s 23 when he sacr ificed hi s ow n life while a tt e mptin g to sa ve a nother H e c ame from W a lJa s e y, Ch es hire , where he h a d b ee n a memb e r first o f Birkenhead SJA Di visi on , t hen of Wall as e y Divi s ion He enlisted at the o utbreak o f World War II as a Sick Be r th A t tendant in t he Royal Navy , He wa s s er ving in t h a capacit y on HMS Ibi s in November 1942 when the ship became deta c he d from the re s t of the convoy off the North African coa st and wa s struck b y enem y action It w as clear that the Ibi s was sinkin g fast , but Beeching and Sur g eonLieuten a nt Malcolm Clow, with total di s r egard for th eir own s afet y, remained on board tending the wounded. Th e y both took off their own life -jackets and put them on wounded men and helped them into the s ea

before finall y le a vin g the s hip them s el ves. S a dl y, G eorge Beechin g wa s never s een a ga in Jo a n Logan said , Although my brothe r wa s killed before I wa s born , I feel pr o u d that belon g to the same organisation as h e did. He held that organisation in high rega r d I do no t s uppose that he expected to die so young. In hi s lett e r s home , he talk e d of th e futur e and all that he hoped to do. Surely w e h a ve a dut y t o recall s uch s acrifices and to remem b er that service goes with faith I n that way, the motto s of the Order in s pire u s as can this s tor y o f a brave lad , who left us with a h e rit a ge of courage .'

London District. And there was Jimmy Tarbuck wavin g to u s from th e car s window. It w as wonderful!

Champagne and a buffet lunch in the hotel followed , and in their brand new car escorted s till by the ambulances to the outskIrts o f London , the happy family returned to Hull. Lord Westbury , Commander St John Ambulance for Humberside, said : We re all delighted. It was a very slim c hance of anyone of the

AUSTRALIA BOUND !

reg r e tt e d that their s was a li ttle too f r actious to b e out and about with SJ A c ad ets in West London , s o HQ 's Dir ector o f In for ma tion John Mill s went to t he A u s tr a ia n H ig h Commi ss ion for help. The y came up trump s - Queensland Hou s e in the Stran d lent a s tuffed kan ga roo s een abov e.

In Australia the cad e ts will be ba se d a t a ca mp in the Piccadilly a r e a o f S o u t h

1985 national champion cadet first aid teams , an a ll nursing cadet team from Newton Abbot , Devon, and the mixed ambulance cadet team from Ringmer , Suss e x. The kangaroo to see them off should have been a real live one but the London Zoo

Au s tr a lia. Th e camp is bein g held to ce le b ra te th e I nt e rnational Ye a r of Yo uth , t h e 6 0 t h anniv e rsary of St John Ambulance ca det s in South Aust r alia, and the 150th ann ivers a ry o f th e St a te of South Australi a. The y a r e gu est s of St John Ambulan ce A u s t ra li a and will return ho me on J a nu a r y 17

AM GLA D to announce the formation of a new branch in Nottingham, the first n the county And by the end of 1985 a total of 54 in the UK. N o tti ng h a m Bran c h - c o nt ac t: Mrs F. M, Oakl a nd, 18 Ashfield Avenue , Beeston , Notti n gham N G 9 1PY

Christmas was a very happ y ti me in the Fellowship. Most branches seem to have held parties , a l though one or two had to be cancelled through illness One of these was to have been the first joint meeting o f the East Sussex and Littlehampton Branches at Seaford, to which I was in vited. 1 hope to meet them all in the Spring. However 1 much enjo y ed the party at Harrow and District Branch , and also the AGM at the St John Guild, Western Area Hants which included a supe r b lunch, and was followed b y mince - pies at tea I did not need to cook supper that night. I wonder how many branches a r e now me n tioned in their Count y Yea r Books ? Members will have seen that the Fellowship is now ncluded in the St Joh n Diary (page 22 ) If branches are to main a in their contacts with St John in their counties they need to be k n own. Bran ch sec r etaries will know t he b est way to ach ieve this: having a word with t he County Secretar y can ope n t he doo r to new activities for the b r a n c h. 31 Mall'em Court. S C. Puckle Onsloll' Sqllare , Nat ional S ec re tary London SW7 3HY

SJA in South Australia

FLYING OVER South Australia's vast brown plains , with their patchwork of fields and isolated homesteads separated by miles of scrub and bush, was the one thing above all others that brought home to us the enormous responsibility of the St John Ambulance service in the state.

it takes the best part of an hour to fly from Whyalla to Streaky Bay it makes English distances seem ridicu lously small. Coming from a country where no road ambulance is more than 10 minutes away from the scene of an it was the scale of this country that overwhelmed us.

We spent three very happy days in South Australia, mainly in Adelaide and Whyalla, being ini tiated into the service of St John Ambulance (SA), both flying and road , comparing it with what we took for granted within England.

The problems are different, as is the whole operation. In Britain, the ambulance service is provided by National Health Service road ambulances, with paid professional crews covering every part of our tiny island . At home , St John Ambulance is used as a voluntary service, transporting non-urgent cases across the country, and dealing with emergencies only as they crop up at state and local events where the volunteers generally provide most of the first aid cover.

The St John Aeromedical Service of the British organisation carries out air repatriation between Britain and countries in every continent of the world. Only expenses are paid for both air and road services.

In South Australia we discovered one major problem is bound to be the size of the state itself, and the problems that inevitably causes in getting quickly to the scene.

We started our visit logically at the St 30

by LISA PRAGER

Divisional Nursing Officer Michael Prager of Hertfordshire SJA, who has flown with the SJ Aeromedical Services for 10 years, visited South Australia with his wife, who wrote this article. Last September they again set offfor Australia, this cime co seule there. We wish them luck in their newly adopted country.

John Ambulance headquarters in Adelaide, where the secretary of the St John Council, Glen Woods, guided us through the myriad services. General manager Don Jellis gave us a lucid outline of the service, and we had the chance to examine the basic equipment carried by all ambulances.

The ambulances are in fact superb, with high-quality equipment like built-in blood pressure machines, and the radio -li nked cardiograph which can put ambulance attendants into immediate contact with hospital services and advice.

Clinic cars, still fairly rare in Britain though they are now being used with

South

increasing regularity, are in widespread use in South Australia, transporting out-patients to clinics, and disabled and handicapped children to schoo ls , taking the pressure off the ambulances and leaving them free for the important emergency work.

Helicopters are used to fly in people who fall ill or hav e accidents among the Adelaide hill s, so saving much time and no doubt suffering, though such a service is only rarely needed in Britain.

At St John HQ, the control room was a hive of activity when we were shown around A day time visit meant we met only full - time St John staff, many if not all of whom came from the ranks of volunteers, and most still keep up their unpaid contribution to SJ A. Volunteers man the control at night and during weekends

It was particularly interesting to note ho w many extra duties have been taken on by the organisation, in addition to what we would regard as normal ambulance work. The excellent Medic-Alert system, also used in England among epileptics and diabetics, and the Toc -H alarm system for the elderly, were two.

Inevitably , coming from a country where ambulance services are free, we were doubtful about the desirability of everyone having to pay, but were reassured that nobody would be refused help in an emergency, even if not covered by insurance.

Next we went to Whyalla, centre of the airborne section of St John Ambulance. We went by plane , in an Adelaide - ba sed Chieftain, a long with a tiny premature baby going home with her mother.

We were met by air operations manager Max Goodsell, who proved a mine of information as he organised us and acted as

our chauffeur. At Whyalla 's St John Centre for the first time we met some of the volunteers, as well as the full -time crews on both road and air ambulances, and spent a delightful and informative evening with them.

And the following day Mike had the chance to examine one of the two smaller Seneca planes which are based at Whyalla and cover such an enormous area. Meanwhile I was invited to spend the morning with Mrs Coleen Pedlar , at the city's bowling alley, a thoughtful gesture by one who knows what it is to be a 'St John widow'.

One aspect of the service which impressed Mike was the stretcher arrangement, whereby each patient can remain on the same stretcher no matter how many transfer s there are en -route to home or hospital. All stretchers are the same, so they are interchangeable ; as a crew receives a patient on a stretcher, they hand back a stretcher. Simple.

This would not be possible for the British St John Aeromedical Service, of course, as their stretchers would rarely match those used in fo reign ambulances.

In the afternoon we set off to visit the tiny township of Cleve (i n Britain, it would be called a small village) and its equally tiny St At the Roya Can adian Mo unted Po lice musical ride - to raise funds for the 1 HospitalChan c ellor Frank Brown takes the salute from

THE 198 3 centenary of St John Ambulance in Canada was celebrated with many memorable, once -in-a-lifetime events. One special project undertaken during the centenary, however, co ntinu es today The enthusiasm and hard work of some exceptional people have kept it alive.

The Ophthalmic Nurse Project was originally initiated by the National Health Care Committee as their contribution to St John Canada's Centenary. Their efforts were successful and in April 1984 Miss Kenda Napp, a Canadian RN, was sent to the St John Ophthalmic Hospital in Jerusalem for one year.

During the centenary celebrations interest in the hospital also grew considerably because of the visit of Mrs Ruth Parks former matron of the Ophthalmic Hospital: Her informative stories of the Hospital's work and needs made the hospital come alive for many Canadian St John people. As a a group of former members headed by MISS Constance Hutcheon agreed to reactivate the Ophthalmic Hospital Guild (formerly known as the Linen Guild), originally formed in 194 I by Princess Alice and Lady Perley to provide assistance to the hospital.

John Centre. Here we learned that the ambulance is manned entirely by vo lunt ee rs , called from work or home to deal with emergencies, though on average only 2.5 time s a week.

Most of the accidents, we gathered, occur on the long straight roads in the bush which spreads on all sides of Cleve. It was also interesting to learn the centre is not used only for the ambulance, but as a training centre for first aid and nursing, and by the Red Cross for blood donor sessions.

On t he la st day of our visit , Mike was delighted to be invited to join a complicated flight taking in Streaky Bay and Port Lincoln , to see St John work at first hand , while I made my way back to Adelaide by more conventional means.

Mike's trip started with a flight to Streaky Bay, to pick up a patient on his way to Adelaide. Next stop was Port Lincoln, where the patient and Mike, transferred to the Chieftain to go on to Adelaide. It sounded simple, though the change-over involved two road ambulances, two aeroplanes, and a lot of co-ordination

The Adelaide plane had brought a second patient to go on by road to a nearby home , while the other road ambulance had a third

CANADIAN SUPPORT FOR HOSPITAL

The Ophthalmic Hospital Guild under the chairmanship of Miss Yvette Loiselle decided to continue the Ophthalmic Nurse Project and attempt to raise approximately $20 000 per year towards its support.

To accomp li sh their goal, the Guild has launched several unique fund-raising programmes. In 1985, for example they sold original St John Christmas cards , handmade porcelain dolls dressed in turn -of-the -

patient to fly to Adelaide as well. The process and timing were complicated, to avoid too much delay and waiting at the airfield, but everything went smoothly, and Mike was much impressed.

Back in Adelaide, and hopefully with everyone organised for their appropriate destinations we had time for a last visit to St John House , to ask a few final questions and s ay goodbye to our hosts before setting off back to Melbourne.

We were both extremely touched and grateful to receive two much-prized mementoes of our visit to St John Ambulance (SA) - a beautiful shield from the St John Council for South Australia , and a plaque , bearing the St John symbol with aeromedical wings from the staff and crews in Whyalla A s we were driven to t he airport to catch the plane for Melbourne, we were s till talking St John, as chief training officer Vic Kollosche exchanged views on v arious equipment with Mike. We would like to thank everyone w ho helped to make our visit to Adelaide , Whyalla and Cleve s uch a memorable occasion , for ferrying us about, answering so many questions and for simply being so friendly a nd hospitable. Many, man y thanks. Otficerin-Charge

St John nursing uniforms , and Brigade 75th anniversary plate s. Last summer they also staged the RCMP mu sic al ride band concert , and reception, a un iq uely Canadian event , again to raise funds for the project.

Their plans have succeeded so far and a second Canadian nurse , Miss Myrna Anne Hanson, was sent to the hospital in early 1985 to begin her one-year assignment.

ing Membe r

of Malta proudly s ign s the visitors book in the Mayor of Wrexham s parlour during a visit by a party of internationa members to Wales la st year.

SJA

Australia ·s centena ry badge.

PREACHING SCARF

Mr Kenneth Green, Divisional President of Stoke, has given a preaching scarf to the Priory Church, Clerkenwell, for use on suitable ceremonial occasions. He presented the scarf to the Order during a short service held in the crypt of the Priory Church. It was received by the Rev Dr Brian Kirk-Duncan, an officiating Chaplain of the Order, placed on the altar and blessed during the service.

The gift b y Mr Green came about as a result of him being present at a service of enrolment in Stoke Parish Church in 1984, when he noticed that the Honorary County Chaplain was wearing a preaching scarf of the Parachute Regiment. I approached my County Commander and suggested that as it was a St John service , we ought to have our own preaching scarf'. Ken Green got a scarf and had the St John badges put on. 'My vicar dedicated it , and I presented it to t he county of Staffordshire .' (See photo below).

OUR PRESIDENTS

Dates for Regional Presidents' conferences are:

Region 2, Humberside, N Yorks and S & W Yorks (Regional President: Mrs Ingham, S & W Yorks): May 10 (not May 2).

Region 11 Kent , Surrey , Sussex , Guernsey and Jersey (Regional President: Mrs Leschallas Kent): April 5. Region 10, Cumbria, Lancashire, Greater Manchester Merseyside and Cheshire (Reg ional President: Mrs Houghton Lancs): April 12.

EXPO 86

The Provincial headquarters for St John Ambulance in Vancouver, British Columbia Canada, would like to invite all English St John members to visit Expo 86. There will be over 43 nations participating in the biggest North American world exposition ever. Expo 86 starts on May 2 1986 for six exciting months, so bring one and all to Vancouver.

WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE WORLD OF ST JOHN

ROYAL VISIT

The Duke and D uchess of G oucester, with MajorGeneral Peter Leuchars , he Chief Commander, during a visit to National Headquarters. They took great interest in ta lk ing to virtua ll y every member of staff and we are very grateful for the interest they show in St John.

Be sure to stop i n at our B C. Headquarters to meet our staff. We look forward to seeing you!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Weybridge Combined Di vision's transport officer Ray Pennock writes: Removing a door from a wrecked car in a local scrapyard, I managed to drop the door on m y foot, sustaining a fractured little toe and a nasty gash requiring 10 stitches. I managed to drive myself to hospital , where I just missed meeting our di visional ambulance (which had brought in a girl from a fun run with a fractured wrist). In the Casualty Dept I was met by our division's transport corporal and his mother (one of our nursing officers) who had just brought her grandson to hospital. The porter who took me to X-ray was one of our members

AT PRIORY CHURCH

The only person missing in hospital that day was our divisional surgeon, who happened to be on duty at the other Casualty Dept. It all happened on my birthday, by the way.

NURSE VIC'S MEDICINE

Compulsive chatterbox Vic Mitchell, deputy commi ss ioner for Staffordshire, bravely took his medicine recently for failing a sponsored silence. Residents at St Anthony's Cheshire Home, Wombourne, decided he should do a shift as a nurse to make up for his talkative habits.

Driven crazy by his incessant chatter they had challenged him to be silent for an hour. But Vic failed miserably - so the forfeit was arranged. (See photo next page.)

For over 5 years Vic has taken a party of adu lt members and cadets to help out at St

Westbury's

by

and member Sarah Pr ior, plus a

It all added up to £350 for

AB 01

BY THE EDITOR

ANNUAL CONFERENCE

The 1986 Annual Conference will be held at Butlin's Holiday Centre Skegness, from Friday 29 to Sunday 31 August. The meeting is open to all members of St John Ambulance, who will be most welcome, Families and friends are also invited to accompany St John members to the Centre and enjoy the facilities which Butlin 's has to offer while members are involved in the official meeting sessions, and be able to join up for meals and social activities.

Programme

The meet ing wi ll comprise an interesting programme or lecture s, presentations , discussions and so cial gatherings, with pl e nt y or free time to e njoy the Centre ' s facilities. There wi ll be an interdenominational service on the Sunday morning.

Accommodation

Accommodation will be:

a. Self-ca terin g chalets for up to four persons. For t ho se who may not wish to se lf-cater, ther e a re a se lection of very rea sonably priced restaurants.

b, Hardstanding su itable for pr vate cara van s.

Charges

Charges have been arranged as follows (in chalets):

a For fou r person s : 4 x £20 = £80.

b. For three persons: 3 x £27 = £81.

c. For two per sons: 2 x £40 = £80.

Booking

Details of booking arrangements will be ava ilable s hortly through County / District H eadq uarters.

Anthony's and he a lso takes the residents on outings.

The residents are busy holding raffles, etc to buy a cadet Rag ror Perton Quad Division, and the sponsored si len ce wh ich Vic failed added to their Rag fund Vic said: 'I'd never worn bright green hair before, and my feet were killing me!'

MR CINEMA

A 1'011 PRO Myra Meredith writes: 40 years of Arst aid service was recognised recently at the Whiteladies Cinema, Bristol, when 62 -year -old Norman Harris was presented with an engraved cut glass sa lad bowl by the cinema manager. Norman, of Clifton Ambulance Division, joined SJ A in 194 2 and began t

NURSE!

ADMIRALS SLIDE

after serving in the Home G u ar d and the Royal Navy. Norman estimates that he has seen 10,000 films while on the duty. His 40th anniversary film was the first showing in Bristol of Rambo , which was not to his taste. His favourites are like Gigi and My Fair Lady , which he's seen many times.

He will never forget when child birth was first shown in the cinema. The film, The Birth of a Baby , shown 15 years ago caused 10 men in his cinema to faint. Ben Hur, by the way, caused 30 women to collapse at the end of the chariot race , when the words 'We'll have to cut his legs off' echoed around the cinema Norman agrees audiences have changed over the years. 'Out has gone the Clark Gable smile, and the cinemagoer copes easily with the gorier sights.'

The only thing that leaves Norman weak at the knees about the cinema today areadmission price s.

We wonder if there are any members who can beat this length of cinema duty?

WHO ARE THEY?

That picture of the happy division (Dec ' 85 Revie w) which had solved its recruiting

C IVIL DEFENCE COURSES

County / District headquarters have been duties and respon s ibilities. (I vacancy for advised of forthcoming vacancies at the a senior staff officer).

Civil Defence College at Easingwold, c. Course 86/28: July 7-11 '86 (General North Yorkshire, as follows: Course). Aim: To fit officers to assist in the a. Course 86/18B: Apr 28-May 2 '86 development and execution of civil de(Environmental Health Officers Course). fence plans. (I vacancy for a staff officer).

Aim: to help environmental health d. Course 86/40: Sep 29-0ct 30 '86 officers discharge their responsibilities in (General Course). (I vacancy for a staff civil defence planning and operations. officer. (Vacancy for a surgeon). Nominations are to be made as soon as b. Course 86/22: May 27-30 '86 (Chief possible through the usual channels. Executives Study). Aim: To prepare chief Allocations of places on these courses executives, in company with other officers will be made by Brigade HQ from lists of appropriate rank , for their civil defence submitted by County / District HQs.

prob ems so drew our editorial attention that we omitted to name the division. It is Essex's Southend Nursing Division. Sorry, girls

9-MILE RUN

Is this a first for St John? A nine-mile run organised by a St John division. We are a village division in the eastern area of Leicestershire and after taking out a £ 1000 loan for repairs to our headquarters urgent fund-raising ideas were needed. A suggestion

of a run was put forward, as this seemed to be the 'in' thing at the time From a di vision of 17 adults and 18 cadets, it was decided a nine-mile run was within the capabilities of the members. Living in a rural area, quiet roads were not hard to find so a cour s e was set and fir s t aid stations and water points we re pinpoint ed. The local council let us use t he park for the start a nd finish. Posters and entry forms were printed and stuck behind wipers on cars at nearby run s. The local

At South Cumbria's dinner Capt David Thackeray (of he Air Wing) with Mrs Kath Marriott, ASO cadets, and Ken Moore D S Ulverston ambulance cadets. who received the Crossfield Memorial Trophies on behalf of Ulverston Nursing Division and Ulverston Ambulance Cadet Division. Capt Thack eray talked about flying with the Air Wing.

radio stat ion also provided so me good publicity.

Local indu st rie s were approached and asked if they would donate prizes; Colin Cook knitwear donated a marvellous winne r 's cup. Entrants were slow coming in , then the local CB club asked if they could cover the run. This seemed to be the turni ng point and enquiries started coming in from Hull Sheffield, Bristol, Derby and BirIningham. I began to wonder if I cou ld hand le this. The h a rd work continued howe ver. Signs were painted, posts found, numbers printed and medals arranged for all finishers. Volunteers for marshals were found and direction signs were set up along the route. The morning of the run turned out to be very wet, but luckily the rain ceased just before the start. Volunteers went to their first-aid posts and water sta tion s with paste tables, b uck ets. sponges, cups a nd water containers borrowed from the scouts.

The starters lined up for the off, and it gave me great satisfaction to see 100 of hem; and even more so to see 99 of them pass the finishing post. We're still wondering what happened to the other one.

This all look place over a year ago, and we've held the run agai n since then. Now we have five c ups for winners, and also team prizes. We invited local divisions to enter, getti ng their own spo nsor sh ip, which they

keep. Two other divisions participated in 1985 in the nine- and the two - mile runs. wh ich had a 30% increase in entrants.

For the 1986 run , we would like any division that wants to raise money to bring members and cadets to take part even to enter for the St J ohn team prize. Remember , you keep ALL sponsorship you get. All we want is an entry fee of £2 for adults and £ 1.50 under 16. Anyone want in g details, please wr ite to Mr M. Donoghue, 68 Greedon Ri se, Sileby Loughborough, Leics LEI27TF.

HOLIDAY HELP WANTED

Any member who would like to accompany an elderly, disabled man from Oxford on a 9 -day holid ay in Jer sey this summer should get in touc h with Mr H. Jephcott, 11 The Green, Stanton Harcourt, Witney Oxon (phone Oxford 881992).

Mr Jephcott, who is about 70, does not moke or drink. a nd walks with a stick (his leg was crushed by cattle), has a booking to go to Jersey for the last 9 days of July, flying from Southampton. And of course he will pay all expenses of a companion help.

SJ A Oxfordshire have been informed.

FRANK BEING NURSED

I'm so rry to have to report that Frank Murkin, the author of that fascinating Rel'iell eries Travels of an Aeromedical

Nurse. which ended with part 14 in the December issue with Frank reclining in his deckchair reading - was in fact himself in hospital for 6 weeks during the autumn following a stroke. His wife Gladys wrote in early December that Frank was back home again (they live near Taunton ) and that they are back at work on a collection of memoirs, this time about Frank's wartime experience s in the RAMC.

One day I think Frank's stories will make a good book. Any publishers listening?

(Left) Philip Read and his wife Marion (centre) receive thank you gifts fr om Mrs Ann Sutton and Roy Smith (right) for heir work w th Bishopston AiC Division's parents committee. Mr Read is to join the county fund raising committee.

3-year-o d Rebecca, daughter of the D vision's nurs ng off cer, presented flowers. Photo: Myra Meredith)

(Left) Mr CinemaBristol's AiM Norman Harr sreceives

engraved salad

from cinema manager Roger Newcomb e after 40 years of duty. See story Mr C nema. (Photo: Myra Meredith)

Romford cade ts on duty a

the

Zoo with cade lead ers from Canada and Australia. (Photo : Sid Lowe).

Hjuguna and Robert Oduhula. (Photo: Myra Meredith ).

At Merseyside SJA's county training day at Wh ston Ho spita during October , which was attended by the Chief Commander, Major-Gen Pe ter Leuchars and the Mayor and Mayoress of St Helens

Dr Terry Be ddoe (left). Avon Bishopston Division s surgeon who retires after 47 years service , receives gifts from the Division. Also (L to R): T ony Joiner,

Supt John Lang eman , D, Pres and Mrs Rowena Beddoe. ( Photo: Myra Mered th).

Don r apologise - you've made my day.

byJIM

Outward Bound Courses

READERS of the R ev iew have seen Outward Bound courses offered through National HQ. These courses have special appeal to readers of Cadet Chat, either as older cadets or those involved with cadets; but by no means are these the only people who should be interested in them. Perhaps it would be of use to explain the purpo s e of Outward Bound courses, not just for St John members but for anyone.

The Outward Bound learning process is not new; rather it is an ancient one given a contemporary form. The purpose of Outward Bound simply expressed, is to foster personal growth and fulfilment of human potential in a changing environment. Outward Bound courses are based on the belief that the indi vidualit y of each person is grounded in a unique combination of personal capabilities, insights and values, which may be developed and clarified through confrontation with powerful experiences and challenging practical tasks. Such

experiences and tasks are the core of any Outward Bound experience.

The courses achieve these objectives by involving people in an intensive, practical programme based on mountain and similar outdoor activities. Thus learning situations are created which may be highly dramatic and involve an element of stress and danger. The problems presented to individuals and groups have a reality which is inescapable. They are not theoretical classroom exercises. It is necessary for practical decisions to be taken carefully and correctly in order to avoid discomfort or danger.

It would thus become apparent from what has been said that Outward Bound does not intend to turn 'Joe-Soap' into a mountaineer but more it gives credit to the comment ' We have so much in ourselves and yet we use so little'.

There are a number of Outward Bound courses offered through St John , with the type being related to the age of the participant. I attended a Senior Gateway course (for 2 I years plus), which lasts for 12 days at Eskdale Outward Bound Mountain School in the Lake District. These courses are open to men and women.

There were 40 people on the course I attended between October 14 and 25. They were divided into groups of about 10 and each group was given a patrol name and g roup instructor. The group instructor plays a vital role in the course , he or she being very experienced in group and outdoor activities.

One couldn't speak too highly of these people.

The school itself is set in stunning countryside and is very comfortable, clean and well equipped. The first days of the course are spent on individual skills and confidence building allowing that a great deal of your own limitations can be overcome. As the course unfolds, so you progress on to team and group skills.

AVON: Avon and Somerset chief constab le Mr Ronald Broome sat quietly when N/ C Jane lies , of Longwell Green Division, and AlC Philip Kempson, from Brislington Div ision, demonstrated the ir skills at 1he annual challenge day in Bristol. Mr Broome presented the prizes. (P hoto : Myra Meredith ).

Through numerous initiative type tests, the vital importance of communications , d elegation and leadership becomes apparent. On each day of the course, the p a trol elects a daily repre sentative whose job it is to organise the patrol, to take the lead a nd make the final decision on any problems which may arise. An observer is also elected each day whose job is a difficult one. in that he or she has to be part of the group and yet be a little less involved so that an overall view can be made of what is going on. An example would be: if the group is trying to solve a problem, the observer would participate in the efforts but not be an organising or key member of the g roup. He should be trying to observe how the g roup is tackling the problem. At the end of each day the group is brought together with the instructor and feedback of the day 's events

OUTWARD BOUND

take place. This was perhaps one of the most important parts of the course, with many heated conversations taking place. While on the course, participants are given th e chance to have a go at many activities, such as rock climbing , canoeing, expeditions and map work it is worth saying that at no time s anyone forced to do something they just cannot do A great deal of confidence and encouragement is constantly forthcom ing from within the patrol. There can be very few members of St John , of whatever rank or sex, who wouldn't gain from attending one of these courses.

For anybody involved with the Duke of Edinburgh Award, there is also the added benefit that the course does qualify for both the residential and training expedition for the Gold Award. Any member involved with cadets (or adults) in an outdoor setting has much to gain by attending one of these courses. While it doesn't qualify in any field , it does without doubt give a good in-depth view of groups in s uch situations. So anyone interest ed should have a goyo u'v e got nothing to lose and everything to ga in. I.A

At the beginning of 1985 Co. Londonderry's Portst ewart N/C Division was down to nine cadets, but by getting photos of the cadets in the local n ewspape r soon sent the number up to 24. ( Leh) Summer bre ak knitting produced 36 vests for Ethiopia. Right ) The D ivision's first 1000-hour ce rtificate for Helen Mulholland. £160 was raised recently by autioneering soh hand made toys. some th e result of proficiency badge work.

At Padiham Lan cs) Quad Div is ion 's open night a comfortable Helen Dodgeon is about to be bed-bathed by Cadets Ian Charnock and Cathy Smith

Chester's Boughton Dee (Bishops H ig h School) Division s first Grand Prior awards were presented recently by the Duke of Westminster to Cadet Leaders Andrea H unter and Jason Stanton Sgt Melanie Edwards Cpl

GLOS - Forest of Dean

'A GOOD TIME was had by all' might well sum up the feelings of those who attended the 1985 camp organised for cadets in Gloucestershire and to which 14 handicapped people were invited as guests for the week.

The camp held at Buckstone, one of the county's adventure centres in the Forest of Dean, was the cadets project for the Year of the Disabled, and a variety of fund-raising e ve nts was organised to raise money to cover the cost. One e vent was a sponsored night hike , which turned out to be a wet and windy night to boot but was still enjoyed by all and at the end of it , the local Brigade headquarters looked like the scene from a mass evacuation centre with tired cadets in sleeping-bags in every nook and corner. Another event was the collection of empty bottles and cans. Our CSO s ne ghbours must ha ve thought from the number of 'e mpti es' stacked outside Number 124 that the Lewis 's were no longer the abstemious people they had always appeared to be!

Funds raised from these and other events together with a dona tio n from the Prince of Wales' Jubilee Trust , finally enabled the project to be actioned. Details were sent to organisers of var iou s centres for the handicapped , along with an invitation for them to select two children to be guests of the cadets.

Even the weather wanted to contribute to the holiday for up until the day of departure it had been in a far from friendly 'Met' frame of mind - but D-Day dawned dry and sunny, and the convoy, consisting of the GCC bus for the disabled carrying our guests and several cars with officers and cadets - all with their kit-bags of clothes for all types of weather, vital eating utensils (food for the inner man had been taken down the night before) as well as an assortment of indoor and outdoor games - set off happily and in nne style.

The guests were physically and mentally retarded children , brain damaged and Downs Syndrome sufferers a nd a 3-yea r -old hyper-active boy who kept everyone on their toes till Morpheus took him under his wing each night. Whatever their handicap, they all had the healthiest of appetites and , had our Beadle' not been the kind-hearted child-wise person she was, a lo t of our 'Olivers' would have been sadly disappointed when asking for seconds and / or thirds'!

Every morning camp duties were completed in record time so that the most could be made of the day 's excursion, which included a visit to an old Tin Mine and a picnic in the Forest of Dean, a combined visit to a Butterfly Farm and Leisure Park at Symonds Yat. Trade there jumped from our invasion especially on the mini -car track and for the ice-cream vendor.

Highlights of these excursions were the trips to swimmi ng pools in Ross-on- Wye and Monmouth where our guests became different people. Terra -firma disabilities almost thrown off, they were a joy to watch in the water. The regret s ho wn when the 38

CAMP

Fun for all at G loucestershire s cadet camphandicapped children and t he cadets who looked aher themespecially at mealtimes.

whistle blew for going home was very evident. On the visit to a fete in Flaxby one of our charges, invited to sit in a fire-engine, fo und and turned on the siren switch!

Firemen on stand-by duty rushed around for a few minutes, getting ready for 'act ion s tations' until told it was a false alarm. Christopher - t he c ulprit (and as different from his namesake saint as chalk is from cheese) certainly achieved a degre e of notoriety that day. Fortunately, the firemen were understanding and the public amu se d at the additional excitement and entertainment the incident provided Yet anot her active member of our group, with a leaning towards rock-and-roll music almost became the re se rve drummer of the local town band which was demonstrating its musical talent to vis itor s to Flaxby.

Those who were chaperones discovered a lot about themse ves during the holiday: their le vel of tolerance patience and underst anding, especially where speech was lacking and the only mean s of communication was sign-language. They also discovered their ability to be able to put themselves, from time to time in their charges' s hoe s - so to

spea k (a nd even under the shower with them at shower-time). The y discovered how to cope with the nasty jobs and the nice jobs with the sa me (or a lmost the same) degree of swee tne ss a nd li g ht. A mention here must be made of two boy cadets who, after their initi a l s hock , changed a 'rat he r full' nappy of three -ye ar -old Jame s wit h g r eat sk ill

Respect (a nd sympa thy) for the love, care and welfare affo rded them at that age by their own parents grew visibly as did the amusement of the s upervising officers.

Yes , officers and cadets alike worked hard, played hard, learnt a lot and came away with a sense of achievement. Their reward was the enjoyment given to the guests and the question asked by them all: Can we come again next year?' A good time was indeed had by aU.

KENT - To Germany

KENT HAD not had a particularly warm spring, but when our convoy of eight minibuses, with 1 17 Kent cadets, officers, members and auxi lli aries a board arrived at the 5 -star camp site on the banks of th e River Rhein near Boppard, in West

Germany, we were greeted by hot sunshine and bar one day of fairly persistent drizzle, we had temperatures in the eighties throughout the ten -day holiday.

Within a few hour s of setti n g up camp, members of the Johanniter Unfall - Hilfe (German SJA) arrived to welcome us and from that moment on their hospitality was superb. Not a day passed without someone calling to see if we needed any help or advice, and they arrang ed some very special visits for us. On ou r first evening a JUH member gave a talk, in Auent English outlin in g the structure of their organisation and how they operated as an emergency service in Germany.

Five full-day excursions had been arranged for each of the e ight grou ps of cadets. Tour gro ups set out ear ly in the morning and returned in time for dinner , taking wit h them suffic ien t food and drink for a picnic lunch. The excursions had been carefully chosen to include places of historical interest, natural beauty, bustling

WILTSHIRE

Kent's convoy of eight minibuses (with 117 members aboard) en route to Germany. And (rig ht at the ca mp site, CSO Rodney Parr with JUH Dire cto in Bonn, Mr Peltz, who visited the camp with so me of his officers. cities, little villages, with travel by road, cable and river.

We visited Cologne and climbed one of the twin spires of the magnificent cathedral. We also accepted an in v itation to v isit the Cologne headquarters of JUH , where there was a Aeet of ambulances, hospital cars and vehicles specially equipped to deal with acute emergencies. At Bad Ems, by the fount of the warm mineral waters which have been famous since Roman times, we found a link with home - a GPO telephone box and post box. Rudesheim is a popular tourist resort in t he heart of the wine growing region of Germany, with many attractive, halftimbered buildings, cobbled streets , lively tave rn s and wine cellars , a musical box museum and flower s in bloom everywhere Trier, the most ancient town in Germany,

For th e second year running county camp was on the sports field of The Kings of

of the town when the Romans occupied it.

'Die Perle am Rhein' - the pearl of the Rhein - was the town of Boppard, only a couple of miles from our camp site. It was as full of atmosphere and beauty by day as by night. For the best view of the town we took the chair lift to the top of the hills which Formed the backdrop to the Rhein Valley below. In the evening, the lights of the Rhein cruisers which were moored for the night reflected in the water while their passengers strolled along the quayside enjoying the sights, the sounds and the smells which filled the air from the ri verside restaurants and beer gardens

The JUH arranged a visit to a helicopter which was based at a military hospital. The

pilot and members of the medical team spent an hour talking to the cadets and answering their many questions. A special guided tour of the Evang Stifts St Martin Hospital in Koblenz was arranged for a member of Rochester Cadet Division s Parents Association, who is a chef at a hospital in the Medway area I think what he saw amazed him - it certainly impressed me. The kitchens and stores were immaculate and run on very labour -efficient lines. The hospital complex, built in the late 60s and early 70s, has its own helipad and caters for the patients every need. There is a large, warm swimming pool for aquatherapy, a ten-pin bowling alley and archery room, an ergo t herapy unit , a rehabilitation unit , a gymnasium and a small but pretty garden.

Each of our groups had one duty day in camp , when they prepared and cooked all meals, maintained camp security and went into the town for fresh supplies. Shopping for I 17 can be a weighty problem and an expensive one too for one group. In Koblenz , the main supermarket car park was full, but there was just room to park the minibus on the approach road to the car park near some other vehicles. When the group came out of the supermarket with their boxes of shopping, the minibus was nowhere to be seen. Stolen') No towed away for being left in a no-parking zone, and there was a hefty fine to pay to reclaim the bus from the police compound!

Our camp inspection was carried out by the Director of the Johanniter Unfall-Hilfe in Bonn , Mr W. Peltz. He inspected every tent and stopped to shake hands and speak to every cadet again in fluent English. A group photograph was taken and gifts from Kent and Germany exchanged. In his address to the camp, Mr Peltz said it had been a pleasure to visit us and he hoped that we had enjoyed our stay in his country. He hoped, too, that it would be possible to arrange an Anglo-German Cadet Camp in the not too distant future. Our Camp Commandant CSO Rodney Parr, officially thanked all the members of the Johanniter Unfall-Hilfe for their kindness and helpfulness and seconded

n a rr o w boats they hired for a week in Aug u s on the Oxford c ana l. (R ig ht) The y managed to ge t some s u n when the roof of the cruisers prov ed id ea fo displaying bodies b e aut ful

the proposal for a joint camp, either in England or Germany,

On our last evening in camp the JUH laid on a barbecue. A mountain of rolls and delicious sausages were prepared, cooked and eaten round the fire, It was a lovely evening.

It was a lovely 10 days which we shall not forget for a long time.

SUSSEX

All aboard the . THE IDEA that a canal trip would make a change from camping was discussed at our parents committee meeting and it was agreed that the idea should be pursued and each cadet would be subsidised for £ 15, After much behind the scenes work by our D / O David Morgan we all met at the moorings in Oxford last August for a week afloat on the Oxford CanaL Some of our party had travelled from Eastbourne by minibus with stores and kits while the remainder had come by train, We had hired two barges, the Romany Queen (with David in charge) and the Romany Queen II(ofwhich I was in charge), and with a crew of 10 to each barge our great adventure started.

First we passed through a regatta, with many sailing boats coming at us in all directions, Everyone was wav ing at us , and

CHAMPIONS OFTHE CROSS

Written and illustrated by Hugh A. R. Edgell, Assistant Chaplain of the Order

Part 2

thinking what nice friendly people they were we all waved back. Then we reali se d th a t they were wavin g because we were getting in the way of their races Some of the regatta stewards seemed ver y annoyed by our appearance.

Th e n we took a wron g t urn and found that we could not pa s s under a low bridge, The Oxford Canal didn come thi s wa y, w e were told. We d ha v e to g o b a ck and turn ri g h t a t the junction

The next day having s ucce s sfully ne g otiated 10 locks and ei g ht s mall bridges, our boat s tarted bumping on the canal bottom and then we realised we were aground, After manoeuvring this way and that , we got off again and all was well.

First Karen of Romany Queen fell in the water , and then 2 da ys later Elaine fell in while trying to retrieve a moorin g stake she lo s t.

The next calamity was a blocked 100 on Romany Qu een II - so everyone had to use a bucket with plenty of Dettol. Also we had a damaged rudder blade, An engineer arrived to sort out both problems.

It had been a wet week, as with much of la s summer in England, but when we tied up again at Oxford everyone declared that the new way of camping had been superb, much fun, companionship and happiness; and all thanks had to go to David, our 0 / 0 , the parents committee and the many friends who helped to raise the funds to send us.

K. Chantler, D / Supt, Willingdon Combined Cadets

THIS is the story of two of the great Military Orders which were parl of the everyday scene in Mediaeval Europe and the Middle East. Many towns and villages in Britain also bear witness (0 their irifluences on local life. The Order of St John wasfounded to provide carefor pilgrims to the Holy Land and the Poor Knights of Christ (The Templars) to give protection (0 pilgrims on their dangerous journeys. Both of these Orders were to develop far beyond the visions of their founders. Within a few years. monks and fighting men had become one and (he same, wielding immense military and political power in the Holy Land and throughout Europe. Wilhin two centuries one of the Orders was to disappear under a cloud of suspicion and disapproval. The other was to survive to the present day and in the process turn full circle (0 serve its 'masters the sick'.

FOR NEARLY 20 years Gerard watched over the little band of monks as they provided medical care and shelter for the knights and increasing numbers of pilgrims visiting the Holy sites. The hostel was situated close to the greatest of all the Christian shrines, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Meanwhile, the nobles and other knights c ontinued to give their support either in money or in gifts of land in t heir home countries the income of which was to be used by the hostel.

In the year 1113, Pope Paschal II officially recognised the Order and granted a charter to His Venerable son Gerard, founder and Pro vost of the Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem and he co nfirmed its possessions beyond or on this side of the sea, that is to s ay in Asia or in Europe .' This charter meant that the new Order was und e r the Pope 's special protection and under his authority alone

In I I 18 , Gerard died , and Raymond du Puy was elected as the first Grand M aster of the Order. He revised the rules of the hostel, and also c han ged the monastic 'rule of the monks, At first, as we have seen, he y had followed the 'rule of St Benedict , which had largely confined he ir work to the hostel. Under du Puy they became followers of the ' r u le of St Augustine , and were allowed to involve themselves much more in the life around them

to police every mile of the pilgrim routes to the Hol y Cit y, Reinforcement s for the army would have been welcomed , but the increa s in g numbers of pilgrims placed an intolerable burden on the alread y over - stretched army and the infant Kingdom of Jerusalem. Yet these pilgrim s were Christian brothers and had to be protected. How could adequate protection be provided when all available forces were engaged in maintaining their precarious hold on the captured territories ?

During these early years an idea began to take shape in the mind of a knight from Champagne - Hugh de Payen s. Sharing his thoughts with other knights he formed a small band who de v oted them s elve s to the defence of the pilgrims , and to keeping open the main road s from the coa s t to Jerusalem. The new ' brotherhood called themselve s 'T he Poor Knights of Christ

The Poor Knights soon realised that some kind of ' rule wa s essential if they were to continue as a religious brotherhood and to begin with they adopted the rule of St Augustine , obeying the three -fold vo ws of po v erty , chastity and obedience Thus the y no w combined the dual roles of monks and fighting men

Knights Templar

Ho s p tallers - Milit ary and Mona s ti c dress

Th e most significant change he made, however occurred in 1125 , when he introduced a new but unofficial group called Military Brethren These Brothers were knights whose main duties were to protect the Order s property in the Holy Land and provide escorts for pil g rims through enemy territory. The knights were required to take th e vows of poverty , cha s tity and obedience , and to take their turns at caring for the sick and travellers in the hostel.

With their concern for the pilgrims , the Order soon established ho stels in the main ports in France and Italy from which pilgrims embarked for the Holy Land. The emphasis of the Order was on caring for the sick and pilgrims, The knights played only a minor role in the early days of the twelfth century.

The Poor Knights of Christ

When the army of the first Crusade ' entered the city of Jerusalem in June 1099, it was a great relief to find the small band of monks under G e rard of Provence, to care for the sick and wounded in the hostel of St John, Pilgrims soon followed the victorious army and the 'Hospital a s the Order was often called, soon found that its original work was continuing and expanding,

A pilgrimage to the Holy Land in those days was a considerable undertaking. The dangers for travellers were many. By sea, there was the long, uncomfortable voyage and the ever - present danger of attack by pirates Overland, the lightly armed pilgrims were no match for bandits, and as they approached the Holy Land marauding Muslim troops in the hills of Syria and Palestine were a constant threat.

The Crusaders were able to exercise a general control over the lands through which the pilgrims passed, but their numbers were insufficient

As time passed the ' Poor Knights of Christ became recognised as a very necessary part of the Christian military force in the Holy Land, After the initial success of the Crusading armies , man y nobles and knights had returned to their home-lands in western Europe. They had fulfilled their vows to take the cross , and the Holy City had been freed from the hands of Muslim unbelievers. As they departed, they took with them great numbers of their retainers , and the effective fighting force of the Kingdom of Jerusalem was greatly reduced. Other nobles and knights did arrive from the west but there was no guarantee that an effective force could be maintained, It was here that the Poor Knights of Christ could make a useful contribution, With their declared purpose of remaining in the Hol y Land to protect pilgrim routes, the Poor Knights' w ere committed to maintainin g a small but v ery effic i ent force. Recruits f rom Europe wer e welcom e d , and soon the little band of knights had become an indispensable part of the militar y scene. They were ne v er large in number s, but they formed a corps d elite among the motle y collection of troops who came from all over western Europe.

Slowly their acti vities developed from that of a police' force , and they beg a n to carr y the war into the enemy ' s camp , As their role widened , s o s upport and interest increased. The Poor Knights of Christ became increa s ingly wealthy and influential.

In 11 18 soon after the brotherhood was formed, Baldwin 1. King of Jerusalem , gave permission for the knight s to make their headquar t er s in part of the former Al Aksar Mosque, which stood in the old Temp le Area of the city, and the famous Dome of the Rock which was a Muslim shrine, was turned into their church. The crescent moon , symbol of Islam, was removed from the great dome , and the cross erected in its place.

Although their official title was to remain The Poor Knights of Christ, it was not long before a new name was given to them - the Knights Templar , or the Templars.

WATKIN W. WILLIAMS

from Mr Llewellyn Stephens

May I pay tribute to the memory of one of nature's gentlemen, the late Watkin W. Williams.

Watkin joined the Brigade at Windsor in 1939 and shortly after began organising and instructing first aid classes at Eton College for the general public. He formed the Eton and District Division in 1942 with himself as superintendent.

At about that time was the Supt of the neighbouring Slough Town Division in the South Bucks Corps and Eton Division became part of the Corps (Slough and Eton were at that time in Bucks) In 1948 I became the Corps Supt and in 1956 Area Commissioner with Watkin as Area Supt. About 1966 he was appointed County Training Officer, where he did valuable work, especially among the younger members.

For the whole of the time Watkin served in South Bucks he regularly undertook public first aid duties at Slough Town football matches and at other functions, and until our ambulance service was taken over by the state he did duty as an attendant at night and at weekends. He was an inspiration to us all.

He later became Commissioner Bucks and then County Commander, until hi s appointment as Deputy Commissioner-in-Chief in 1971.

I myself retired from active service on reaching the age limit in 1969 and became Assistant Director for South Bucks. In 1972 I moved to Swindon and having decided that after being an active member of St John since 1923 (when I joined the Brigade at Pontypool) it was time that I 'called it a day and would not make contact with St John in Wiltshire.

However, I had not been in Swindon very long before I received a letter from the late Dr T. Simpson, then County Director, who told me that Mrs Simpson his wife, who was the County Secretary, when on a visit to Grosvenor Crescent had been in conversation with Watkin who had given her my address. As a result I met Dr and Mrs Simpson and agreed to give what help I could and for the next II years I was kept busy as an instructor in North Wilts.

I consider these years very well spent. thoroughly enjoyed it all and made many friends - all because of Watkin. Apart from all his other good works, he was a licensed lay reader of the C of E and after moving to Epping did sterling work for the Church in the area.

He was a real man and I consider it a privilege to have known him. Pontypool Llewellyn Stephens

THE KNIGHTS AND THE CATS

from Frank Jellis, Area Commissioner

Those who have been lucky enough to go to Malta would no doubt ha ve visited the Co-Cathedral of St John in Valletta, for this building is full of interest to members of St John. It has the grave of the Grand Master La Vallette, who withstood the great siege of 1565 and the famous solid silver gates in front of the alter in the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament. The cathedral was one of the few buildings not to receive very much damage during the last war, and ironically the only part of the church hit by a bomb was the Chapel of the Langue of Germany.

The floor of the cathedral is covered with 400 sepulchral slabs of marble which are inlaid with intricate coloured designs of the coats-of-arms and details of the knights whose graves are under the floor. At one time these graves attracted plagues of rats, and to overcome the problem cats were introduced to the cathedral.

I wonder how many have noticed the round holes, of about 5.1 inches diameter, in the bottom r ig ht hand corner of the door panels the pairs of doors on the north and south side of the church? These are in fact cat doors, put there about 400 years ago. At night a small amount of food was put down to attract the cats, the cat doors were opene.d and when sufficient had entered the doors were closed to keep them III the church until it was opened again in the morning.

East Surrey Frank Jellis

NEW UNIFORM

from Mrs B. Smith, Divisional Superintendent

In a recent Review it was mentioned that comments on the new uniform were very few. After chatting to other members in this Area may I give our views.

The nursing officer ' s suit is very smart comfortable and practical, as it can be washed, but is not as warm as the old-type material ones.

The cloth rank stars are a very sensible idea and also the epaulette sleeves which save expense. The A-line skirt is far better than the old box-pleated one as all the officers should now look alike.

The bow tie is the one thing which is causing problems. It is so thick and stiff, no way will it stay underneath the shirt collar unless slight surgery is performed on it as follows: Take apart carefully, remove the back bow, leaving only the front bow. Stitch back togethe.r using only the front bow, then after careful measuring stitch the top points of the bow to the elastic neck-band. This will then be comfortable and should stay in place.

The only other comment was about the new hat badge, which was considered unnecessary and expensive at £6. 70p each.

req uesting the reason go unanswered So, according to your leaflet s, people who cannot stand the sight of blood COULD help us in other ways (very true), but what do we say if someone offers to come and assist us in our radio communications section? Answers on a postcard please.

In the meantime we will struggle on, trying to recruit new members by running public first aid courses at £25 per h ead (county stip ulation) and u sing runners instead of radios, and hopefully keep in g the few va liant member s we already have.

No lIS Frustrated

BRIGADE AND FAW

from Mrs P Disney-Spiers SEN

With reference to Mrs J. M. O'Neill's letter (Jan Review), I feel I must comme nt.

It is obvious that Mrs O'Neill does not comprehend the complexity of 'Mi llar' training or understand the knowledge required of an amb ulan ce aid instructor.

First of all, Millar training is quite separate from that of an nstructor. The Millar certificate is only granted to those candidates who have undergone one yea r 's tou gh training, 6 weeks of which are spent at a residential training schoo l where the trainees are subjected to a certa in amount of heat and smoke and are continually assessed. In additio n to Millar training most counties now implement further training such as cardiac defibrillation.

Before an ambulanceman can be considered for training as an instructor he/ she has to h ave at least a two-year unblemished service record. The course sta r ts with a two-week residential instructional methods course fo llowed by a further two weeks in Yorkshire for a qualifying course; of w h ich there are only around 20 places per year!

IMMEDIATE CARE

from Mike Paynter SEN I feel I must write to reinforce the need for careful assessment and examination in the critically ill or injured within the area of immediate care.

Recently , while off duty, had an incident drop almost literally on top of me. A building site worker fell about 25 feet , landing on his back on the pavement. A brief physical examination revealed a deep level of unc onsciousness, a good cardiac output evident from a strong carotid pulse, he was maintaining his own clear airway ; re sp irations were spontaneous, although his breathing was slightly laboured. His pupil s were unequal, fixed and deviated to the right. He had an obvious fracture at the base of the skull, with the strong possibility of an associated cerv ical and lumbar spine fracture (these were later confirmed by X-ray at hospital).

What I did find somewhat distressing was that within seconds of the incident occurring , a well meaning off-duty nurse , then a doctor , and finally a police officer wanted to place this victim in the recover y position , perform hyperextension of his neck and commence external chest compressions. All these procedures they were prepared to undertake without examining the unfortunate man, and before I had informed them of my own clinical findings. Two of these people were health professionals and the police officer I assumed held a first aid certificate feel that we, as St John members who are at the forefront of first aid teaching, should place more emphasis on complete assessment of a condition before launching into procedures which may be harmful to an already critically injured person.

Leamington Spa Mike Paynter

MORE DEMOCRATIC?

The grey dress is better but still very nondescript. It is still made from the type of material which is very hard to press unless its dampness is just right. A better suggestion (originally from us) was thought to be black skirt, white shirt with pocketed white tabbards. South Notts

RADIOS - WE'VE NONE from Frustrated

B. Smith

The October Review and enclosed leaflets caused very mixed feelings for me: amusement, frustration and anger being the main three Amusement at the leaflet depicting the lunatic ', frustration at the wording with regard to decreasing membership, and anger with regard to the recommended use of radios The amusement part is self-explanatory.

The frustration I explain as follows. Of course membership is dropping and will continue to do so whlle we have a hierarchy sitting in its ivory tower making rules for us at grass root divisional level to follow, without themselves having a clue about how we work. Imagine for a minute a member of the public coming along who is really interested in first aid and tentatively enquiring about membership. They have to be told they must firstly take an FA W course and pass the examination (which may not take place at the local headquarters), then the ordinary FA course must be taken and passed (fair enough), then the White Cross course must be done, and, if that is not all , in the case of a nursing member the CFS must be taken within 12 months For someone who has possibly never done any first aid, it is just a bit too much all at once.

Then there is the anger In the leaflets should really have been printed 'except Notts' where making reference to radios Being a rural division we would dearly like radios to help us improve our efficiency, especlally as we are getting more and more outside duties and membership is not increasing, but can we get them, can we hell! To be able to purchase the walkie-talkie sets we would like, we have to apply to the Communications Dept through our Commissioner and there the story ends. Notts SJA HQ thoroughly disapproves of radios and wi.Ji not sanction permission for divisions to purchase, so we are on a loser from the word 'go'. The reason for disapproval is not known as letters

To coin a phrase it also makes me cringe when I think what other organisatio ns Mrs O'Neill talks about when she says they have a low standard of teaching and examination. Who is she referring to?

The St John Ambulance Brigade does have a very high standard of first aid a nd nursing. First aid at work instructors have to learn the Manua l in side out before they can teac h which is understandable. So the discrepancy of Ambulance Service instructors being able to teach FA W to Brigade members without holding an FA W certificate does need ironing out, as a p articu lar subject cannot be taught without the text being known. But the FA W certificate cannot possibly be compa red with the complexity of a Millar certificate, or a FA W instructor with an ambulance aid instructor, or any other health care professional.

Nottingham

P. Disney-Spiers

Millar certificate, instructional Methods cert; and FA W certificate

Easy

Car Chair

Mike Nemesvary, former British freestyle ski-ing champion, tries o ut a Carchair for the Arst time at its recent London aunch and hopes to pass on the good new s about t h e inde pe nde n ce it ca n bring. Mike broke his neck last May and is now severely para ly sed. Life has become very difTerent for him but he s determined to overcome many of the obstacles which prevent his leading as norm al a life as possible. With

from Mr J E Smith

A great many new measures are being introduced to improve the image of St John - Uniform, publicity material, and publications, involving all departments at HQ. In the main the measures are good. but the finished product does not quite turn out as those at area and divisional level hoped for.

Recommendations are made from lower levels, which go through the command structure , and a decision is made by the appropriate Brigade committee and implemented.

Perhaps St John should add to its image by becoming more democratic ( as the Reviel v did recently about its future policy when it sent out a questionnaire to all readers) Let the membership have a vote on important issues It may save a lot of money in the long run. It would also show which counties have the communication problem sorted out.

Surrey

J. E. Smith

NEWS from SCOTLAN D

A FEATURE of 1985 in the Order in Scotland has been a continuing and expanding increase in interest in the Order's work, leading to the formation of new sub-branches. One is in Fife, the ancient kingdom, and is centred on Dunfermline in Fife s south-east corner. Towards the end of 1985 the newly -found sub -committee there organised its first fund-raising concert, choosing as the venue a hall in Dunfermline which is named after one of Scotland s

known and most generous benefactorsAndrew Carnegie A most interesting variety concert was presei1ted by well known local artistes, all of whom gave their services free, while the music was provided by the orchestra of the local High School. Publicity material outlining the history of the Order and telling something of what it does in Scot land and beyond was incorporated in the souvenir programme which also included a tear-off

WALES

portion inviting peop e to apply for membership of the association in Fife. A ll the proceeds of the concert were devoted to providing comforts for the patients in the loca l hospital which the sub-branch has adopted as its principal local beneficiary. The sub-committee is to be congratulated on a successful first fund-raising concert, which not only benefited the work of the Order financial ly but a lso provided some welcome publicity and fresh interest in the Order in a part of Scot land not, unti l now, greatly involved in its affairs.

THEY say that 'life begins at forty'. To th ink that I had lived a ll those years and hardly knew of the existence of StJohn Ambu lance! In retrospect, it is very difficu t to understand how that cou ld have happened. My life now would seem impossib le without it.

But why did I join? Well - I only asked if there was anything I could do to help - and before [ knew what was happening, there [ was, wearing 'that hat' and feeling proud of belonging to such a wonderful organisation.

Many years ago I trained as a nurse and we were taught service to others; our pa t ients had to be treated as our guests and the needs of others came before our own It was a tough training but these activities became part of one and are never lost. Therefore, through my life whenever I have time to spare, [ look round to see if there is any way that I can help someone. There are always those with bigger problems than one's own. [ find activities purely for my own enjoyment difficult to justify. So that is how I came to offer help to St John.

But how did I get to wearing 'that hat'?

Initially perhaps I was flattered by the need for my professional skills in teaching and tr a ining in my local divisions, but it soon became more than that. There is the camaraderie and friendship in a group all with the same desire to help others. To go out on public duties and working together as a team - there is a great satisfaction which is s hared by all.

In the early months of my membership I attended a cadet enrolment service - and not so long after - an annual carol service , both ha vi ng a profound effect upon me. I felt drawn into the wider 'family' of the Brigade, and learnt of the spiritual depths of the organisation. These occasions, I believe, a re important to its continued existence and wo rk.

In my professional life I work with the elderly - that ever increa s ing group whose problems are becoming an ever increasing burden on the community. Together with the se are greater numbers of mentally and physically handicapped surviving and released from permanent institutional care. Women and babies are quickly discharged from hospital, as are people following operations. All these provide impossible workloads for health workers in the community, which could be alleviated by

Do you know your Manuals? (7) ANSWERS

WHY I JOINED ... Life

says Mrs M. Complin SRN

Deputy Nursing Officer, Dorset voluntary

With

Mark Selleck

I was provided with a room in the senior ratings' mess and all meals were taken in the me s s. The room, plain but comfortable contained a bed , wardrobe , chest of drawers two a rmchairs and w a shbasin and there was a shared b a throom nearb y There was a common lounge with TV snooker a nd a bar.

Self- ser v ice meals - breakfa s t, lunch and supper - were good and offe r ed a wide variety of dishes.

My 2 weeks at the hospital included ime on the casualty wards, which were ver y busy and received a third of all Plymouth's emergency admissions Two cardiac arrests , artificial ventilation and cardiac massage were witnessed. The men's surgical ward and the operating theatre were also visited and provided a great deal of useful experience.

Elizabeth Mann

I was assigned to a nurse Elizabeth, for 4 days on the men s surgical ward, from where we took patients to and from theatre and to intensive care One patient had a tracheotomy, whom I helped to feed, together with an elderly patient, which left nurses to more important jobs. One patient had a massive heart attack during the night and died.

Elizabeth said this had a strange effect on her and the statT were very quiet.

I also spent 4 days on the female wards.

First thing in the morning we went to the office to hear reports on the patients, which I

found ver y interesting. I then helped with bedmaking , taking blood pressure testing urine, dispensing and making sure patients took their drug s, taking temperature and pulse, and helping lift in and ou t o f bed.

My 4 days on Casualty included learning about the preparation of emergency trolleys the apphcation of plasters and slings , and watching the doctor examine and deal with patients, one of whom had an ingrowing toe - nail.

During my 4 days in the operating theatre I saw operations for a knee replacement and a fractured fibula and followed a patient through from arrival at theatre to the anaesthetic room operating and then recovery room. Other surgery I saw was an exploratory operation of a suspected perforated duodenal ulcer, when cancer of the rectum was discovered and a colostomy was performed. This all took about 5 hours. I spent some time in the recovery room, watching nurses rouse patients and keep the airway open check pulse and blood pressure.

I gained much experience during my 2 weeks at the hospital in every aspect of life in a hospital.

* * *

Both Mark and Elizabeth have said how much they enjoyed their 2 weeks at Stonehouse and were so gra t eful to the staff and all naval personnel for their kindness Lady W estbury Supl -in -Chiej

Secretary of the Order in Wales Mrs Megan James who retired in December after 43 years service to the Priory for Wales Mrs James joined the Priory in 1942 as a clerk in the Association Department

News from Divisions/Centres

MENS and WOMENS

ORGANISED jo intly w ith 12t h Bourne m o u h Sco u Gro u p, w h ose m embers had been trained in first aid b y office r s of the Division , 17 members from t h e Division attended the weekend camp / nig h t h ke at Avon Tyrrell, incl u ding seven registered on the Duke of Edi n b u rgh s Awa r d Scheme

Sept 28, p.m. Members arrived on sit e at 6.30 p.m. Pi t ched tents (t h e S J A site was adjacent t o the Scout site). Instruction was given in country code, map read i ng, use of compass and emergency w h is tl e sig n a ls. Members prepared for the nig h h ik e.

Sept 28 and 29, night. Six teams were form ed (3 SJA and 3 Scouts). From 8.30 p.m. at 15 mi nu

teams of SJ A and Scouts set ofT

to seven incident bases by

eries of grid references and compass bearings. Each SJA team was led by members wo r king for t h eir Duke of Edinburgh s Bronze Award.

Bases

I. Codes (organised by Scouts).

2 Signs, symptoms and treatment of fractures (run by Div. Nursing Officer).

3. Gadget exercise (organised by Scouts).

4. Rope bridge (organised by Scouts).

5. St r et cher imp r ovisation (organised by D / S and D / O).

6 Rescue (organised by member of Ambulance Service)

7. Resuscitation and treatmen t of wounds (run by CSO Cadets). Notes were made on the pe r formance of each team at each base, and marks o u t of 10 were awarded.

7-mile night hil<e

SJA Bourn e mouth and Sco u ts work tog e ther

O bs ervation s Vis ibility was very limi t ed d uri n g the activity due to th ick fog This caused some teams d iffic u lty in locat ing the b ases. In fact, the fo ur th team completed the co u rse and arrived back at camp first. T h e finaJ team arr ved back at 4 a.m. Hot dr inks a n d hot dogs we r e avai lab le at th e camp

Sept 29, m orning. Bre akfast was served at 7.45 a.m. T e n ts were d ismant led Members h a d the opport u n it y to exp lore the A von Tyrrell complex including the swimming pool. Non D u ke of Edinburgh Award Schem e m embe r s were collected by 11.30 a.m.

Sept 29, lunch. L u nc h was prepared by the seven membe r s working for thei r Duke of Edinb u rgh s Award (B r onze leve l) cons sting of sa u sages , bacon, peas , run ner beans, mashe d pota o and fr ied bread.

Sept 29, p.m. To complete t h eir expeditions section, the seven membe r s p lanned and wa ke d a route back to Bo u rnemouth (approx 9 mi les). They were instructed to

REVI EW CROSSW O RD N o .2 (8 6 ) by W A. P otte r

Across:

1. Seaman in vi le enviro n men t is cap ab le of m ai nt a in in g ife (6). 4. Sign of fracture in pie c ru s t (8). 9 A most u n u sua con d itio n (6). 10. Vice call for a long bone (8). 12 Part of tooth an d va lve of heart or vein (4). 13. Therefo r e up fo r a sta r ter. (4). 14. F lower p u

n ote inte r esti n g geograph ical features, detai s re lating to the condition of the footpaths, suitab le sites fo r setting up f u ture first a id exercises and any deviations taken from the planned route, with reasons. The members set off at 1.30 p.m. and arrived in Bournemouth at 6. 15 p.m. Members then gave an oral report to the CSO (Cadets) , the assessor of the expedition

N ext Divisional meeting Teams were de-briefed on their performance during the night exercise and at the bases in particular. Their views on the activity were sought. The event was dec lared a success by everyone.

Future P lans are now being made for the D vision s annual day hike. Practica l exercises for proficiency subjects are built into this event. It is hoped to build on the success of the above activity to o r ganise a similar exercise in 1986. Further joint events are likely. Both groups recognised the advantages of cooperating in ventures of this type.

Talbot Quad Di vision

around 5 I. (5) . 16. Diagnosed pyrexia in cerebro-spinal meningitis? (7 -5). 2 Fo ld of peritoneum forming apron over front of intestines. (5-7). 26 Pre-epileptic sensation with learner concerned with the ear. (5). 28. Female gamete. (4). 29. Blood products giving p a ssive immunity to infections. (4). 3 l. Add nine for veriform proce s s of the caecum. (8) 32 Statement given to oncoming ward staff upsets porter. (6). 33. Medicine given to counteract poison has date on it. (8). 34. Obscen e bone and strange lad. (6).

Down:

I. A cover is used for dilated vein with incompete n t valves (8) 2. A minor injury to the skin. (8). 3. No longer alive after the due time. (4).

5. Become ill again after period of improvement. (7). 6. Joint such as that between first and second cerv ical vertebrae (5). 7. Lightly stroke h e ski n for a p h ara n gea l ir r itation. (6). 8 Somnolent. (6). I I. Spina l, umbilica l or vocal. (4). 15. Pr son commotion (4). 17. Convulsive episode in good hea th. (3). 18. A lways in reverse. (4). 19. Harm a toe

b a d y n degeneration of walls of arteries (8). 20. Type of fracture in w h ic h a littl e devi l played a part. (8). 22. So g i a n t produces a pri m e mover m uscle. (7). 23. R espons ib li ty a pp ea r s to b e o n us. (4). 24. Slippery ski n (6). 25 Axilla (6). 27. Wrink led brow. (5). 30. Repeat for t h iam in e-deficiency disease. (4).

SOL UTI O N T O CROS S WORD N o .1 (86)

Acr o s s: I. Mesoderm; 5. P lasma; 10. Nip; I I. Out-of-b r eat h ; 12. A bets; 13. Hee ; 14. Wea l ; 16 Co ld sore; 19. C· hi de; 22. Haste; 23. Gathe red; 25 Ur ic; 27. An u s; 29. Str ia; 31. D ispensi bl e; 32. E r a; 33, Rh es u s; 3 4 Em pl oyee

Reduced

BULK ORDERS

More to see and do than ever before at Britain s most exciting Safari Park. New attractions for 1986 include Walk-through Butterfly and Tropical Plant House, Chimpanzee Enclosure, Birds of Prey Show and Children's Playground.

Admission to the Killer Whale, Dolphin and Sea Lion Shows, Parrot Show, Birds of Prey Show and all the childrens amusements is covered by the all-inclusive ticket.

Special Rates

Normal admission is £4.50 adults and £3.50 children. Over the Stjohn Ambulance weekend members, friends and family only pay £3.25 fm adults and £2.25 for children, each day.

In addition, Windsm Safari Park will give 25p per head to StjQhn Ambulance funds for everyone who books using the special prepayment form opposite.

Minimum of twenty in the party for this special rate, and we regret that refunds cannot be

The

ST JOHN REVI

NEW YEAR HONOURS

ON BEHALF of all our readers we most warmly congratulate the fo ll owing four members of the St John family whom Her Majesty has been pleased to honour at the New Year in recognition of their outstanding services to the Order of St John and its Foundation:

OBE

To Tanzania by CS O Ron Po w el l p.52

AI DS by D r Norma n Paros p.54

The birth of Res usc An n e p. 54

Where the go i ng's tough - W i lt s hire p.55

Around and About by t h e Editor p.5 6

Adventuring by Elizabeth Baker p.60

Cadet Chat by Jim p.62

Champions of the Cross (3) by Hugh A. R. Edge p 63

Order Investiture, Nov 28 p.64

About Official Medals (2) p.65

Readers'Views p.66

News from Scotland - Wales - Overseas p.68

Why I Joined. p 69

Greater Manchester p.70

Age Concern Looks Live l y p.71

SJ Fellowship p.71

Price 70p a copy Subscript ion [10.50 per annum , £ 13 00 outside UK including po stage from Review Sales Wood Cottage , High Corner, Butley , Nr Woodbridge , Suffolk IP12 3QF. Tel: Orford (0394 ) 450548.

EDITO RIA La nd ADV ERT ISEMENTS

Edited and produced for the Order of St John by Driscoll Productions , Wood Cottage , High Corner , Butley, Nr Woodbridge, Suffo lk IP12 3QF. Advertising rates on request. Phone : Orford (0394) 450548. Editor: Frank Driscoll.

Printed by: Hills & Lacy Limited , London and Reading

Contributions; - - -

Contribut ions to t he St J o hn Review are always welconw· They should be typed , treble line spacing, on one side of paper only, (if in longhand please print names of peop le, places, etc), a nd send to the editorial address above If possible s u pply a phone number for the writer. Materia can vary from a paragrap h for Around and Abou t to a 5,000 wo rd artic le - but it should a ll have some con nection w th St John and ts work. Photographs should be glo ssy black and white pri nt s or good qua li ty colo ur pr ints , not negatives or transpa rencies. If photograp h s a re to be returned, wri e o n the back RETURN and namc and address. Press day is the 1st of the month preceding the cover date.

MR HAROLD TOUZEAU, Commander, St John Ambulance in Guernsey , for his services to St John Harold Touzeau joined St John as an Ambulance Member in 1934 and has held every rank in the Brigade, finally becoming Commander in 1980. During the occupation by the Germans he was closely involved in local relief and welfare and received the BRCS and St John Certificate for this work. In 1953 he received the Bronze Medal of the Order for saving the lives of two girls in rough seas. He was promoted to Knight of the Order in 1985. Despite open heart surgery in 1981 he continued to ser ve and was given a Letter of Appreciation in 1985 to record his progress from Ambulance Member to Commander during 50 years of service, which was signed by the Lord Prior.

[n the words of Air Chief Marshal Sir Peter Ie Cheminant, the Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey 'Mr Touzeau is considered most worthy of recognition by Her Majesty the Queen and thi s award would be greatly welcomed in the Bailiwick'.

MBE

MRS JOYCE MARY ALICE BECKWITH, RSCN, Area Superintendent, South Western Area, Greater London District. for her services to St John and the community.

Mrs Beckwith joined St John in 1940 and saw war service in First Aid Posts and voluntary hospital work, then after the war trained as a children' s nurse. In 1977 she was appointed Sister-in-Charge of the medical section of St Giles School, caring for handicapped children. She has continued throughout to serve St John: her record and her dedication to the welfare of sick and handicapped children has been an example to all who know her. Mrs Beckwith was promoted to Officer (Sister) in 1977.

BEM

MRS DAISY MINNIE HEAD, Divisional Superintendent retired , for her services to St John in Berkshire. Mrs Head joined St John in 1955 and continued to serve as a Divisional Officer and Superintendent until 1985, when she retired through ill health. She still does many hours of voluntary service with her division. She was promoted to Officer (S ister) in 1984.

BEM

MR CHARLES WILSON NEW, Deputy County Director, Suffolk.

Mr New joi ned St John in 1940 while serving with the Police Force and has stayed a member until he retired from the Police in 1966 with the rank of Sergeant. Since 1972 he has been Deputy County Director and has co n inued to organ ise First Aid courses in Ipswich and do all the physical work involving the preparation of classrooms and teaching materia ls. He also looks after elderly people and it is said of Mr New that h is dedication to the good of mankind is total. He was promoted to Officer (Brother) in 1983,

COVER------------------

His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester , Grand Prior of the Order. shaking hands with the new Lord Prior (left), Major-Gen The Earl Cathcart , following his insta ll at ion on January 16.

NEW LORD PRIOR INSTA LED

T

ON THURSDAY, January 16, His

Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester, Grand Prior of The Order of St John, installed Major-General The Right Honourable The Earl of Cathcart, CBE, DSO, MC, as Lord Prior of the Order of St John.

Lord Cathcart, who served for 34 years in the armed forces and is a Deputy Speaker at the House of Lords, is the twelfth Lord Prior since the granting of the Royal Charter to the Order in 1888.

The ceremony took place in the 15th-century Grand Priory Chapel of the Order in Clerkenwell, London.

BY MEANS of this short per sonal m essa ge wi sh to end gre etings to all members of the Order of St John and of the St John Ambulance.

It s now near y two years since H RH The Grand Prior asked if wou ld succeed Sir Maurice Dorman when the time came for him to lay down his Great Offlce of Lord Prior of the Order of St John and since then, as Vice - Chance ll or , I have made myself fami li ar with t he history and traditions of the Order as well as

Gr and Priory Chape o f tho O rder. C erke n wo ll , Londo n

with th e objective s it pur ue s today both in thi country and abr o ad, and with th e activitie and endeavours of it s two g r eat Fo undation, th e St John Ambulancc and the t Jo hn Ophthalmic 110 pital.

Our t a k i a challenging onc and it will be part of my job to r epre ent, to tho se who can help us, the proble!11 s which we ar e facin g in our many and varied charitable activitie To do thi effectivel y I shall need and seek advice and ass i stance from all of you; I have ev ery confidence that you will give me thi s support. It equally a g re a t challenge for me to be called upon to be th e Lord Prior of St John. The Order its elf s ancient, it s work s mo st prai seworthy, and man y people from a wide ran ge of our national life have given year of devoted upport and voluntary se rvice to its ideals and to the work carried out by it s tw o Foundation s We hall continue to reinterpret our great traditi o n to serve 'Our Lords the Si ck' , to meet the demands of today and whatever problem may face u in the future.

Sir Maurice Dorman accepted without hesitation the re spon sibilitie of thi Great Office , showed unfailin g intere st in all the works of the Order, and for the practical developments put in hand both at home and over eas, and worked hard to make even better our alr eady good relations with our confrere s in the Johannilerorden and in the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. We all owe him a debt of gratitude for the way he ha led us and for the grea t service he has given St John.

Final l y, I hope to meet as many of you as I possibly can during the next few years; my wife will join me and together we hope to make many friends and to do as much as we can to help you in your work for the Order. God bless you all.

THE MAJORITY of Brigade members know that SJ A operates world wide, but I suspect most of us find it difficult to put much detail to our picture of SJ A life and training overseas.

When I was asked if I would run an instructors course in Tanzania must admit I had to look at a map to find the venue was in East Africa, and even after being shortlisted and interviewed at Brigade HQ it still came as a surprise to receive a letter in mid-September informing me that I would be flying over 5,000 miles to Africa just one month later. was also delighted to learn that I would be accompanied by CSO Brian Bridges, from Shropshire.

Our brief seemed quite straightforward and consisted of:

I. To qualify 60 instructors from SJA members in Tanzania.

2. To advise them, as best we could, on how to capitalise on our visit after we had left.

3. To enquire as to what role St John can play in primary health care in a future project in Tanzania.

The fascination of arriving for the first time in Africa after a long overnight flight via Cairo and Khartoum was only spoiled by the delays and formalities of filling in entry forms currency declaration forms , health

SJA OVERSEAS

To Tanzania

Two UK members run an instructors' course, by CSO Ron Powell (of Somerset)

The author in Dar-es-Sa laa m with nursing cadets (who only spoke Swahili ) with thei instructors who interpre te d for them

checks, passport checks and custom clearance.

The guide books describe Dar-es-Salaam as a haven of peace where life moves at a snail's pace and there is humid and muggy sti llne ss in the air, but after getting over the initial shock of the shabby overall appearance and a rather warm temperature, it was good to arrive at our hotel, an airconditioned bedroom, unpack and have a couple of hours rest before our hosts returned to brief us on our mission

Instead of the two one-week courses envisaged, we were to find that we were to have the whole group for an intensive tenday course and that a taxi had been arranged to pick us up at 8.30 the next morning.

After a good night's sleep, we awoke at 6.30 to look out through the palm trees to a glorious sunny morning and a sparkling blue ocean Breakfast was a pleasant surprise, consisting of fresh orange juice (watered down), large thick s lice of really juicy pineapple, a wedge of paw paw, and a banana. This was followed by two eggs (boiled , fried, s cam bled or omeletted) and

bacon, plus toast and strawberry jam, with delicious local coffee.

On our first morning our class consisted of 34 st udent s, but by the end of the first week the number was to grow to 46 as mor e stude nt s travelled several hundred mile s across country for the course.

Our class consisted of students from 10 dirFerent areas of the country, ranging from Tanga on the coast and just 200 miles north of Dar-es-Salaam , to Moshi at the base of Mount Kilimanjaro , to Mwanga on the shores of Lake Victoria, to Kigoma some 800 miles west and on the boundar y with Zaire While most were employed by the Tanzania Railwa y, we also had students from the Fire Brigade, the Steel Rolling Mills and the detergent powder industry. While predominantly male , we had five ladies with occupations ranging from a personal secretary, to a nurse, and a school teacher.

The distractions of running an instructors course in the Railway Sports and Socia l Club are somewhat difficult to describe, but imagine a large colonial-built hall, with no windows but j ust large shuttered areas to keep out visual distractions but of no help with noi se. Outside, in addition to considerab le traffic noi se, there was perhaps netball or jogging practice immediately on one side , while on the other maybe a lorry unloading crates of beer which were then carried through the hall where we were teaching. Add sultry heat, hard furniture , and a considerab le amount of dust and flies, plu s an enthusiastic class that hung on to every word

DI S Lewis Mashaka receives his ins tructor's (first aid) certificate from Mr A. Semaya of the Tan zan i a Ra ilwa y Corporation.

I am not s ure what standar ds expected , but even allowing for the fact that we had the pick of St John members in Tanzania wa s amazed to find a very hi gh practical s tandard of bandaging , with no granny knot s and every banda ge neat and firmly applied. Some problems were encountered with different treatments, but then those who owned a book (about three -quarters of the st udent s) had a very varied selection between them , hence the varying treatments.

Textbooks ranged from I st Edition EF A (1960) t hrough a mixture of Practical First Aid (Red Cross) and old 2nd and 3rd editions of our own manual to the new 1st Canadian Safety Orientated First Aid (1983).

A lth ough a quantity of these Canadian manuals had recently been received in Tanzania their distribution to industry and St John Division s throughout the country meant that even the largest groups received only about 10 copies.

However although there was a s hortage of textbooks and all equipment generally, wha t did exist was certainly used to advantage and with tremendou s enthusiasm fro m our stu dents. There was a high sta ndard of abi lity a nd by the end of the cou r se we were able to issue 36 In structor (First Aid) Certificates of which eight stu dents qualified with distinction.

Many of ou r afternoons were occupied with investigations into a proposed primary hea lth care project for Tanzania on behalf of Dr. T. M. Corry of Headquart ers. We were soo n to find that PHC, while the in words' to use, was not exactly what is required, as the doctors have been providing that all their med ca l life. The real need would appear to be for vi ll age health helper s. Cons ider a country with an area of some 362,826 square mile s, excluding the island of Zanziba r or ne a rly four times the size of Great Bri tai n. A co untr y with only four consultan t ho s pitals , plus one modest hosp ita in each of the 130 di st rict s, of which at least half are voluntary church ho sp itals.

VINCULA is Latin for link' (or so I'm told ).

The Vincula Group, formed by SJ A Here fordshire in 1979 , aimed to give young SJA members an additional interest and so help them ' brid ge the gap between cadet and ad ult division. The group exi s ted for two yea rs, pursuing adventure activities and tea ching first aid to students at the Blind Co llege, but then closed down mainly due to lack of transport avai lable to its members. But the g roup has now been restarted and has been running for a year. Members , who must be efficie n t in the Brigade, range from 15 to 25-year-olds, with a flexible upper limit. Activity ideas come from the members, as the group runs itself, and has its own cha irperson, secretary and treasurer, under the s upervision of Mrs Sylvia Jones Area Co mmissioner.

Examp les of activities to date are walks to Kington and the Forest of Dean , and setting a first aid exercise for the A von leadership co urse while in camp ne ar Kington. The latest exe rci se was a mystery trip on the Hereford Beacons with SJ A Worcester.

Now these modest ho s pital s act as dispensaries for some 3, 000 villages but when you consider that there are 8,000 villages, it mean s that over 5,000 villages are without a dispensary or direct link with a hospital. The aim of government has been to find two vo lunt eer s in each village to be given some trainin g in elementary hygiene and the treatment of common diseases, and an appeal on Blu e P eter a few years ago resulted in 1,000 bicycles being provided for the village health volunteers but there is still an enormous need for more help.

I hope Headq uarters may find the re sou rces to be involved i n supplementing existing health care in Tan zan ia, and at the same time seek the support of the loc al St John community, as they are already doing in other parts of the worl d. Hopefully , by the end of 19 86, we will be he aring much more of the St John rol e overseas.

The opportunity to visit Africa and the challenge of running an instructors course in Tanzania resulted in a remarkable experience I shall never forget. The enthusiasm and the friendliness which we found was such that I can look forward to one day being able to return. knowing that the work of St John Ambulance in Tanzania is going to expand. pro viding the support and encouragement can be maintained from this country.

Bridging the Gap

Here' s a report of it by members Kathryn Nichola s and Wendy Evans:

The group met at Area HQ and then travelled by min i bus to the Malvern Hills. On arrival at the car park , we were issued with first aid kits a stretcher, blanket and maps of the hill area. While getting ourselves organised we met Area Supt Brian Chadd of Worcester , who, we under stood, was out walking, but late r we discovered that this was a planned meetin g .

After walking for a while we came across the first incident, a man with a sprained ank le and a girl with a cut palm of the hand. Both were trea ted and taken to the man s aunt's hou se nearb y. We continued our walk towards a wellknown landmark, the obelisk, and on arrival there found a lad suffering from bypog lycaemia. Everyone gave him from their packed lunch before contInuIng oLir walk, together with the casualty.

Can you help SJA in Tanzania expand?

IF YOUR Division would like to establish a friendship link with a SJ A group in Tanzania. perhaps by sending a small parcel of one or two visual aids , or a few badges or a book, then write to 1 either CSO Brian Bridges, 119 Summerbill, Sutton Hill, Telford, Shropshire TF7 4HB or CSO Ron Powell, Balgownie , 6 Longmead Way, Taunton, Somerset TAl 4T A.

You will be sent the name and address of an instructor / superintendent. together with their immediate requirements, and details of how best to post and complete custom declaration forms.

It was not long before we came across another incident, an unconscious girl lying by a tree. Out came the stretcher and we took turns in carrying our patient back to base (the car park ) As we reached the top of the hill we saw someone running towards us. and learned that there had been an explosion of a gas stove in a nearby cave. One casualty had sListained a fractured leg and arm, and burns to t he hands: a nother had a broken arm. We tre ated the casualties and then continued on our way to base with the stretcher patient.

Th e group would like to thank everybody who h as helped to make it such a success over the la t year. Any young members who would like to join us wou ld be most welcome. In for mation about us can be obtained from your Divisional Superintendent. who receives our monthly newsletter.

SO/1)'a Biitton, Chairperson (Phone Kington 23 1032) 53

(Left) Edna Yazidi and Mwantumu demonstrate how to lift their patient Rashid) ready to place him on a stretcher.

Right) Pro sper Kisaka treats Mrs Mabel Shabani both from Tanga for a f r actured humerus.

AIDS Questions and Answers

by Dr NORMAN PAROS, MB, BS, DObstRCOG, FRCGP

THERE HAS been much needless anxiety among members of St John (and in other first and emergency aid organisations) about the risk of contacting AIDS from an infected person in the course of treatment by first-aiders especially when administering mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Conc ern has also been expressed about possib le infection from injuries when the skin has been damaged , from urine and faeces, and from needles used in injection procedure

It was suggested that the Sf John R ev iew should publish a factu a article on this problem and the question and answer format seemed most appropriate and makes for easy reference

The following authorities have been consu lted in arriving at the fact s:

I. DHSS Genera l Information for DoctorsAIDS. May 1985.

2. The Practitioner Vol 229 Issue 1408. October 1985

News Centre (the journal of the Queensland District St John Ambulance Brigade)

Vol5 No 2. April-June 1985

A bulletin from AIDS task force (Professor Pennington) to whom the writer is ndebted.

Q. What doe s AIDS stand for?

A. Acquired Immune Defic ien c y Syndrome.

Q. What does that mean?

A. The disease has been caught (like any other infection is caught); that the body 's resistance to infection has been diminished by the disease ; and syndrome means the disease can appear in different forms and varying degrees of severity.

Q. What is the cause of the disease - is it a germ?

A lt is a vi r us , isolated by doctors working in France fir st reported there and confirmed by other doctors world-wide.

Q. What is the virus called?

A. HTLV-III.

Q. What do these letters stand for?

A. H for Human; T for T cell, a sma ll cell in the lymph syste m of th e body with important and essential roles in the protection against infection and increasing the body 's resistance to infection ; L for Iymphotrophic, the virus attacks the lymph system and cells; V for virus, 3rd (111) in that identified group of viruses.

Q. Why ha s it suddenly appeared as the cau se of the syndrome and from where?

A The first case was reported in the USA as recently as 1981. Once a case has been reported other doctors , previously mystified by the syndrome, could identify and classify AIDS.

It seems to have originated, probably years ago, in Central Afr ica and sub-Saharan areas. Thence, possibly, to Ha iti and the USA.

Q. How is it transmitted? Is it just a 'g ay' disease?

A. The virus is transmitted only in semen or in blood (or infected blo od products). In Africa the disease affects males and females in roughly the same proportions. In the USA (other than those infected by blood products) it is predominantly a disease of homosexua l men - 72 % of those affected. In the UK the propo rtion is higher - 89 %

Q. Who else is at risk?

A. Intravenou s drug abusers, haemophiliacs and those, as stated, who have received blood transfu sions from infected donors. These latter sources of infection are very rare in the UK. 54

Q. Are haemophiliacs a nd those transfused a r sk s til l?

A. No not in the UK anyway. All products are now screened , or , when appropriate, heat treated.

Q Why ha s it become an epidemic?

A It hasn ' t, not in Great Britain Up to the end of February 1985, 132 cases have been reported in the UK , the majority in London. Fifty-eight sufferers have died. It is an epidemic in the USA - 8,000 deaths reported up to September 1985.

Q Is it deadly then?

A No. Peopl e can carry the virus without any symptoms or signs at aiL Mild to moderate infections are controllable and curable. Severe in fections seem to occur by repeated infection in the promiscuous.

Q. How s the disea se recognised?

A. It appears in a number of ways, most commonly by unexplained prolonged fever, often glandular swelling pneumonia, serious skin infections and changes, and sometimes with nervous system symptoms such as drowsiness, confusion and fatigue.

Q. What causes these events in the llness ?

A. The body has lost much of its resistance , and what is called opportunistic infections occur , which the body's defences are too weak to overcome. But f caught early enough these infections can be treated and the body regains a better level of immunity.

Q. How long does the infec tion take to cause the disease?

A. The incubation period seems to vary from 15 months to as lon g as 58 months

Q. How s the di sease iden ified ?

A By a recently discovered a ntibody test on the blood. It is common for investigated patients to have the a ntibod y but not to develop he syndrome. Recent rep orts from the UK show positive blood tests in 24 % of homosexuals and in haemophiliacs 3 1%

Q. What are the risks of a first -a ider or nurse catching the disease ?

A. Very rare - in fact no cases of infection have occurred so far in such persons , even though there have been over 16 ,000 cases so far

The birth of

FOR MANY years there has been a mystique surrounding the origin of Resusci Anne, the training manikin But now, having just celebrated her 25th birthd ay, from her home in Norway her manufacturer , Laerdal Medical has told the intriguing history of the birth of Anne. At about the turn of the century, the story goes, the body of a young girl was pulled from the River Seine in Paris. There was no evidence of vio lence so it was assumed that she had taken her own life. Since her identity could not be established, as was customary in such cases a death mask was made. But the delicate beauty and ethereal smile of the mask, rather than

(USA, September 1985). The virus has been reported in sa li va , but no cases of infection even mi ld ones, have occurred. Nurse s in the USA who have even punctured th ei r s kins while nursing AIDS victims ha ve not developed the disea se

Q. What is the ri sk of catching the di sease?

A. There h as been no instance of infection by coughs or sneezes, by contact with unb roken skin (ie, by touch), by the body's waste products (urine or faeces) or via saliva.

Q. What is the de gree of risk for us in first aid or any emergency s ituation ?

A. There is no reason to withhold mouth to mouth (or nos e) re susci t ation in a n y person, even in AIDS high risk groups. For persons who by n at ur e of t heir duties (ie, nur ses) who have o administer EAR frequently, there is a very s mall possible risk

Q. How can this risk be diminished?

A. When dealing with AIDS suspects, ambulance crews (Health Authority) , fire rescue appliance and paramedic crews shou ld use mask s a nd those with c ut s or grazes on their hand s should wear disposable gloves. Mechanical ventilators (ie Ambu, Laerdal) s hould be used when avail a ble Surfaces of the attendant's body exposed to contamination should be washed with soap and water at the earliest opportunity. Waste products can be ste rilised by 1- 10 dilution of household bleach.

Q What if needle s for in jection ha ve been used ?

A. Needles sho uld not be recapped in their plastic holders, but placed immedia te ly in punctur e proof co nt ainers.

Q What of the risk if punctured by a contaminated nee dle')

A. Of 33 such cases in American nurses, none contracted the disease.

Q Finally, what about the risk durin g trainin g sessions using manikins ?

A. Where po ss ibl e use removable pla st ic faces or disposable mask s. Otherwi se wipe the manikin's mouth and nose between eac h use (70% surgical spirit plus 0.5% chlorhexidine has been shown to be effective against v irus infection) and then dry. Appliances (eg, Ambu, etc) can be soa ked in a freshly diluted 1- 10 bleach solution for I hour.

To summarise, the ri sk of St John personnel catching Al DS is so negligible that it s hould ne ver pr eve nt us from applying our skills to save life. (Latest offic ial fi g ures in the UK are 275 proven cases , 140 deaths.)

Now 25 years old,

Anne has a

so lving the my ste ry added to the enigma of her death. Several romantic stor ies on the mystery were published and according to one her death was the result of unrequited love This legend became very popular throughout Europe together with reproductions of the death mask. Generations later the Girl from the River Seine (as she became known) was to be rediscovered when in the 1950s Asmund S. Laerdal began the development of a realistic training manikin to teach mouth -to-mo uth resuscitation.

As a toy and doll manufacturer, Laerdal had given a new rea lism to dolls by making them of soft vinyl and using natural hair. He

be lieved that if a f?r resuscitation was life size and lifelike 111 appearance, st udents wou ld be better motivated to learn this life saving procedure

sculptress E mma Mathiassen to model a face for the new training manikin Thus the sp irit of the Girl from the River Seine came to life in Resusci Anne.

The UK operation of Laerdal Medical is at Orpington, Kent, and a full range of their Inspired by the death mask of the young girl , he commissioned the well - known

Pulled from the river. unr equited love?

Anne as we know her. Just waiting for attention.

manikins and emergency aid products are of course available from the St John Supplies Dept Anne, now 25 , was introduced to thiS country by SJ A at an event held on the

A quick sprint up Snowdon' - eso Malcolm Bradshaw Lady Hawley and D S Trevor Holliday (r ight) of Swindon.

Where the going's tough

A DIFFERENT image and not quite what the MORl pollsters expect of us perhaps - but in Wiltshire CSO Malcolm Bradshaw has organised an Adventure Group. Catering for the 14- to 25-year - old age range, this endeavour stretches not only the horizons but also the limb s and lungs of the participants. So far it ha s concentrated on ong distance walks excursions into the Welsh mountains and rock climbing, but it can be extended in any direction the group wishes, so long as there are enough competent leaders and safety is paramount

Recently, as a slig ht deviation from the group's norm Malcolm Bradshaw organised a weekend 's sponsored sc r amble in the Snowdon area of North Wales for the fit over 3 5s. The weather was unbelievably good for mid - October the meadow campsite beside a rushing stream perfect a nd the two sponsored participants fror.n Amesbury, Frank Phillips and June Bawdon, achieved their objective. This was to ascend Tryfan described as 'a sporty mountain of 3,0 10 feet' and to descend into the Devil's Kitchen via the hi g her s ummit s of the two Glyder mountains. It proved a longer and more tiring day than they anticipated and, before returnin g to camp, they - and the rest of the party - felt justified in taking a pint in the Pen Y Gwrydd bar under the signatures of the 19 53 Everest expedition member s.

The following day the aching limbs of the participants were a llowed a ge ntler walk, while the expedition leader and the other two members of the party Trevor Holliday from Swindon and myself, all experienced walkers in the Welsh mount ains, did a quick 'sp rint up Snowdon before returnin g to the softer scenery of our home county.

Lady Hawley , Cty President

Sharon Whitcher, of Sw ind on's LC)wn Division, who specialises n ong distanCe walking, receives her 200 hou specia duty Shield from eso Mrs Ru bie Yates.

WILTSHIRE

WELCOME

Mrs Anne Macleod has joined Headquarters' Association staff as Schools Project Officer. Her principal work is the coordination of marketing and implementing the 3 Cross Award Scheme for teachers and school children in E n g land , Wales and Northern Ireland. She will be visiting county headquarters to discuss and help to introduce the project.

LOOKING AHEAD

Apr 5 - Region I I Pres idents Conference, Crawley

Apr I 1-13 Medical Conference, Nottingham

Apr 12 Region 10 Presidents Conference, Lancashire

Apr 12 - AGM Band Federation

OUR PRESIDENTS

More dates for Regional Presidents conferences are:

No. 7 R egion: (Avon, Gloucestershire Somerset, Wiltshire, Cornwall and Devon): Host: Rear-Admiral Sir Ronald Brockman: September 28, 1986

No 9 Region: (West Midlands Staffordshire, Shropshire, Warwickshire Hereford and Worcester): November I 1986.

Princess Margaret is to be at No 10 Region Conference on April 12.

FAW BADGES

To provide an incentive for people to requali fy i n FA W with St John Ambulance, two lapel badges have been introduced to show individu a achievements.

T he badge s are described and illustrated in St John Supplies News Winter 1985 1986 and cost £ 1.95 each. One is for 3 yearsfirst re-examination - the other 9 yearsthird re-examination.

Centres are in vited to buy the badges and present them free of charge to indi vi duals at the relevant time.

HOLIDAY?

Last winter we published a report that Newquay, Cornwall, Division was too committed elsewhere (o r hadn't enough members) to man their Town Beach first aid post during the summe r season and invited divisions to come and stay in Newquay's

GOING ON IN THE WORLD OF ST JOHN

AB 01

BY

THE EDITOR

s urfing cuts and bruises, and e lde rly ladie s collapsing in the loos (there is a song about that, we think).

The offer is re peated this year and any member (ideally four to six) who would like to come to Newquay to live in the Ambulance Hall (rent free) and provide daily cove r at t he first aid post s hould contact Sec retary John Slocombe, 72 Bonython Road, Newquay, Cornwall TR 7 3AL, tel e phone Newquay 3840.

There is a fu ll y equipped kitchen with crockery, cut lery, etc, and two to il ets in the hall, but v sitors are recommended to bring camp or a ir beds and sleeping bags. They wo uld be re s ponsible for the ir own catering arrangements. The seaso n will start on June 14 a nd end with la st ar ri vals on August 23.

LIFE SAVED

A Detective Constable has been presented with a Meritoriou s First Aid Certificate by the Priory for Wales.

Ambulance Member Ian Donald of Dover Division , laun c h es h imse lf from an aeroplane at 2.000 fee t for his 90 second drop to the ground. Bye. Ian The sponso ed parachute jump took place at Headcorn in Kent last November and I an, together with other divisio nal members. raised £ 1 300 for divisional funds.

E vening Argus, B righton). ambulance hall for a ho lida y-cum-beach duty. Despite the poor summer a number of parties took up the offer which is open again for this summer.

The 1985 season opened on July 13 with Garry Saynor and hi s colleagues from Bredbury and Romily Greater Manchester arriving to live in the ambulance hall and provide cover at the first aid post. Janice Jones anu Pat Dutton from Dudley ,

followed on July 20. These two groups enjoyed the best of the weather.

The arrival of John and Yvonne Marland and the ir g roup of 40 adults and cadets from Yardley Quadrilateral on July 27 to camp under canvas at a farm in the vic init y heralded the start of the non-summer. They had just got their tents up when the rain started a nd they not only h ad to contend w ith rain coming down but also with water coming up, beds Aoating and the 'kitchen' inche s de ep in mud. It s to their credit that they s tuck o the task and stayed for the fortnight, although conditions were apa llin g.

YEARS

And from New Zealand 1 B- year-old Cadet Officer Ru sse ll Cooke. ofWellington's W a angirua Division, called at He adq uart ers to pr esen a plaque marking 100 years of SJA in New Zealand to th e Chief Commander, MajorGeneral Pete r Leu cha rs.

The weather did not improve very much and August I I saw the arrival of Mr Bichard and a colleague from Guernsey, to be followed by Yvonne Gamble, Dawn Barwell and Liza Pa tr icca of Tamworth Division. Ken Perry from Pershore Quadrilateral arrived on August 24 to close the seaso n.

Some of our visitors indicated that they wou ld like to return , having fo und the duty / holiday most ag reeable in spite of the weather.

In all 228 casualties were treated, comprising strains and sp rain s (football being played on the beach by unfit father s !)

Constable John O'Conne ll , of the South Wales Constabulary, received his award from Keith Dunn, the Occupational Fi rst Aid Training Officer for Wales, as a result of an incident a t Nelso n in Mid-Glamorgan, whe n Mr O'Connell was called wit h severa l ot her policeme n to contro l a large crowd who h ad been fighting at a bus stat ion One of the officers was kicked to the gro und , became unconscious and stopped breathing. While still under attack f r om the crowd, Mr O'Connell gave his colleague mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and revived him.

IN GERMANY

Over the la st few years British St John Ambu la nce units ha ve been set up in West Germany where interest has been s ho w n

I{ENT

(Below) Do ver Division 's new £11.000 ambulance (their seco nd) was dedicated in a service led by the Rev P. G. Jones. the Commander for Kent Dr E B Le wis and Di visional Superintendent K. L. T utthill. The ve hicl e was bought with funds raised by t he members who (below left) thoroughly checked the ir acqu isition

HOW'S THIS?

British Guides and Scouts in Menden (West Germany) -eceiving their Essentials of First Aid Certificates from the second-in-command of 50 Missile Re gt, Royal Artillery (MajorJ. Adams). With them is their instructor (Rev M. F. Jones, OStJ) who is the Regimental Chaplain - and the Centre Director. See story IN GERMANY.

among service men and women and their families. Divisions have been started at RAF Wildenrath, RAF Gutesloh and with the Army at Detmold. Centres exist at Sennelager and Menden.

Our photo shows some of the Guides and Scouts of families from 50 Missile Regiment, Royal Artillery, based in Menden, receiving their Essentials of Fi r st Aid Certificates from the second-in-command, Major John Adams. The 'Cent re Director' (the Re v Malcolm F. Jones, OStJ) gave most of the in struction The Centre runs on a 'De tached Class' system, as do most classes in BAOR.

At the same presentation Guiders from the Menden area and some wives of the Regiment had received their First Aid Certificates; and si nce teenagers on the Youth Training Scheme and some Army Chaplains have also qualified.

The British units work as closely as they can with both Germany's Johanniter and Malteser units.

PORTREEVE HONOURS

I hear that the Portreeve (old English for the mayor or principal magistrate) of the De vo n market town of Holsworthy awarded his Good Citizen certificates for 1985 to Nursing Cadet Sarah Burring and Ambulance Cadet Corporal Darryn Allcorn.

The certificates were presented at the annual public meeting of the ancient Court Leet by Portreeve Mr A. Stanley.

Hear ye Here ye PILOT SCHEME

Association instructors of SJ A Suffolk are invol ve d in a pilot life support training scheme in the town of Hadleigh. The scheme, organised by the Suffolk Accident Rescue Service, aims to train 10 % of the town 's population in easy-to-learn techniques which can save a life if used promptly.

The two-hour courses, which include a sho rt talk by a doctor, and a video, cover the main aspects of:

Getting help

Approaching the unconscious casualty

Airway support

Reco very position

Mouth-to-mouth breathing

External chest compression

Bleeding control

Basic life support in children.

The courses are free of charge but there is an instruction guide which can be purchased.

About 100 people have been trained to date.

ALL CHANGE

I hear that Tony Lingard , a previous Dir ector -General of the Association , has retired as County Director of Suffolk. His successor is Colonel M. A. Demetriadi, who ha s been Commissioner for Suffolk, The new Commissioner is Mr A. Mayes.

WW FUND

The division of which the late Watkin Williams was president, Epping Combined, has established a memorial fund to buy a replacement minibus with hydrauli c tail lift

LOURDES 1986 This year's Lourdes Pilgrimage duty will be from Friday, May 2 to Friday , May 9. The Sovereign Military Order has again asked SJ A to prov id e a party of 12 volunteers to assist with the care of the handicapped Once again SJA Barn s ley Area (S & W Yorks) are holding the Barnsley Area I nternational Walk organised on the Nijmegen Walk principle s and held under lVV (GB) rules.

CRACKING PR?

From Cornwall I hear that a Christmas cracker produced the following joke: What do yo u call a cat that joins the St J oh n Ambu lance Brigade ?

The walk, to be held on Saturday , May 3, 1986, will offer a choice of distance s (40 km , A first a id kit. Uu g h

THE GREAT PARTY IN HYDE PARK (1987) Can't go ... Nowhere to stay - or park

HOW ABOUT THIS THEN?

By now yo u must have learned of the St John Family Rallies. For 1987, Centenary Year, we ha ve begun planning for a super-size rally t o coincide with the SJA Great P a rty on June 20, to enable as many people as possible to travel to the outskirts of London and h ave somewhere to park and stay. Bring your own accommodation and we' ll provide the parking space for it. What is envisaged is a site on the northern side of the capital w thin abo ut 5 miles of the M25, A I and M II. It will be alongside the tube train network with a journey time of some 30 minutes to ce ntral London,

As with all our rallies it will be a self-catering, low cost event for tho s e with their own mobile accommodat ion Facilities will be minimal, although some provision shou ld be made for campers. We hope that the site will be open for a few days on e ith er side of the big day, to give as much freedom as possible to your travelling arrangements.

If you are interested, have any suggestions or comments to make, and would like to know more and details when the rally is confi rmed , please write enclos ing a foolscap SAE to: Ian Phipps, 7 Bow Cottages, Station Road Sutton-in-the- Isle, Ely Cambridge CB6 2RN. Phone (0353) 778171.

Why not try Rally No 51

Dates: Friday, April 25 to Sunday, April 27, 1986.

Venue: Kempton Park, Sunbury-on-Thames, Middlesex (as part of the 5th Thames Valley Caravan and Camping Show).

Cost: £ 12.50 per pitch.

This is a self- catering weekend, open to all members of St John Ambula,\lce, the Order, St John Auxiliary, Friends of St John, the Fellowship and Ladies' Guild. You can bring a touring or motor caravan, trailer tent, or t e n t. Cadets who bring their families are welcome, but unaccomp a nied cadets or chaperoned cadet groups cannot be permitted as this is a family rally. A pitch refers to whatever kind of accommodation you have regardless of how m a n y people occupy it (within reason !) T here will be s hoppin g and other amenities, and dogs are allowed. (So are pup tents.) Th e show, to which yo u will all have entrance passes, wi ll include trade stands and exhibitions man y free rides for the children. some competition s and leisure e vents, as well as a Saturday night spectacu lar, There should be windsurfing. hot air ballooning (that's appropriate for us ) and even helicopter rides. The show takes pl ace on S at urd ay and Sunday, April 26 and 27.

To book, please

The Mayor of Milton Keynes , Cllr Lu ng Cowley, hands over the keys of a new vehic le to SJA Bucks provid ed by the Mayor s Ma rathon sponsorship.

sa nctuary on the island of Inagua, some 250 miles south of Na ssa u. We took passage on a mail boat the Miss B.J. the trip taking 5 days and calling at different islands on the way to deliver mail and produce.

One day the Miss B.J. stopped in mid -ocean for the crew to fish and for u s to swim. Another afternoon, a dolphin swam alongside our s hip for about ha lf an hour, a lovely c reatur e to watch at close quarters.

The camp at Inagua was beautiful right on the beach. We had an o ld ga me warden's hut in which most of us s lept the rest sleeping outside in shelters.

The area was really beautiful and 20 miles from Mathew Town, the only town on the i land, and very isolated. [nagua itself is barren but lo vely. On the way from town we saw salt flats and salt mountains (like big slag heaps but white). Mortan 's salt is the on ly indu stry for the 960 inhabitants of Ina g ua

ADVENTURING

Elizabeth Baker, ex-Farnborough Nursing Division, goes to the Caribbean with Operation Raleigh

ON A FOGGY December '84 morning, I and 60 others left on a British Caledonian fligh t bound for adventure and sunshine in the Bahamas. After almost a year of preparation , fund-raising and diving instruction I could not beli eve I was really on my way as a member of the first phase of OPERA nON RALEIGH.

A long flight over Iceland, Greenland and Canada, changing at Atlanta, landed us safely in Miami to meet 150 other Venturers of mixed nationalitie s. The night was spent on the floor of the Miami Docks' departure lounge before boarding a luxury liner for Freeport in the Bahamas.

The Sir Walter Raleigh, our flagship, shou ld have arrived in Freeport to set up basecamp a week before our arrival, but she was delayed in New York with engine trouble. She actually arrived after us: after la st seeing her leave Hull on a cold November day with Prince Charles at the helm, her arrival was a moving moment.

Setting up camp was hard work. Catering for 200 meant compo (army rations) all round , so spending Christmas Day enjoying the hospitality of a local English couple was a pleasant relief. Along with two other Venturers and the phase leader , I ate a full Christmas dinner sitti ng beside a gorgeous swimming pool and wearing a bikini. The day ended with us picking enough tangerines for the whole group.

We were gradually allocated our various projects; as a diver was put on 'sea grass mapping' in Nassau. Unfortunately, this project was cancelled due to lack of funding for the doctor in charge. A wreck diving

60

project was substituted, but we had to wait an extra week before leaving fo r Nassau.

New Year's Day was celebrated Bahamian fashion with an all -night street carnival called the J unkernoo. The arrival of 1985 was celebrated many times as midnight approached in our individual homelands.

We travelled from Freeport to Nassau on the deck of a container ferry with no passenger facilities. We spent most of the 12 hours in a van on deck with waves breaking over us - not much fun and I slept a lot.

We joined the Nassau project of reconstructing a house built in 1850 called The Retreat. This and 19 acres of palms and gardens (the biggest private collection of palms in the world) is owned by the Bahamas National Trust. The house was amazing, like stepping back in time. While tidying up found books and magazines dating back to the 1930 s. I also found a set of copper rum measure s (a sailor among our group recognised what they were) and after a lot of very hard polishing I got them looking beautiful.

Most of the time at The Retreat was spent on the roof laying new shingles. The roof was very steep and at times we had to be tied on for safety. I became quite a dab-hand at shi ngle laying.

Some of the Venturers, boys from Oman, were quite astonished to find girls working alongside them wearing only bikinis , but they gradually got used to us and we all became friends

During this time I had several fantastic dives the best being over the reef called the Wall, where the depth changes from 15

a

(Ab ove ) Operation Raleigh 's sail training ship Zebu, a 74 ft brigantin e, which accompa nies t he adventurers.

metres to hundreds as the reef drops away like a cliff. I did a 28-metre dive involving a decompression step, which was great, with so much to see and so many different type s of fish.

At one point we were visited by American tourists in a glass-bottomed boat. As they fed the fish we were surrounded by dozens of different species, hundreds of them with no fear at all of us divers. The Americans took photographs and a couple of Venturers climbed aboard the boat to tell them all about Operation Raleigh.

HMS Liverpool called into town. Our lads and some of the crew played Rugby against the local s, and then we had a tour of the ship and made pigs of ourselves in their canteen (anyth ing 's better than compo, which was getting a bit monotonous by now ). Although we worked on The Retreat during the day , our evenings were free and we usually went into Nassau to the night clubs or visited passenger liner s to enjoy the free buffet and disco

The National Trust were delighted with our work on The Retreat and just before we left for the next project they held a big thank-you party for u s. 1 am now a life honorary member of the Bahamas National Trust.

We all enjoyed this stage of our phase, but were alarmed to find drugs freely available on the streets of Freetown and Nassau, in many cases without charge. We had been warned about this problem and no-one was tempted.

For seventeen of us the next project was to build a sea wall enclosing a turtle

There was a lot of wildlife around the camp, pigs, donkey s, goats, parrots , humming bird s, dog s and thousands of mosquitoes. I di scove red the deli g ht s of conch (she ll Ash) fritter s. Conch s the mo s t popular Bahamian food and there were masse s of them lying around in the shallow waters nearby.

Rebuilding the s ea wall was very hard work We ha d to shift all the rock s to one side, fit 9' x 4 x 4' wire cages , and t hen move the rocks ba c k into the cages. It was backbreak in g Working on the wall 1 soon became a phys ical wreck with cuts , bruises , bites and peeling suntan. And the sandflies were terr ibl e On e morning I woke up totally covered with them, a if I had measles. I counted 53 on my arms, 11 2 on my right leg , and gave up counting after that.

We soo n se ttled into a routine, ge ttin g up at 6 30, br eakfas t at 7 o clock, and setting off to work at 7.45 The journey began with

a two-m nut e swim, followed by a ten-minute walk along a gorgeous golden beach to the wa ll. We then wo rked until 11.45 (jumping into the sea whenever it became too hot), then back to camp for lunch. Work started again at 1 o'clock unti l 3, when we we r e free until dinner at 5 o clock. It got dark about 6 o 'cloc k , so the evenings were s pent in the hut chatting, reading , writing letter s, etc, w ith bed at 8.30 and asleep by 9 o'clocks hatt e red.

As turtle s are now quite rar e and valuable to poachers. the y are becoming extinct, so so m e were to be captured and brought to the creek o enable them to increase the r numbers saw only one , a bab y in the back

A baby turtle on its way - v ia Eliz abeth - to a new home.

of a lorry, waiting to be put into its new home.

On February 14 we visited Camp Verney (35 km away), where other Venturers were building a bunkhou se at a flamingo sa nctuar y. Here is the large st flock of flamin gos in the wo rld - beautiful to look at , but the stench!

A part y was laid on for us by the local people, a wonderful spre ad and lots of beer. It was nic e to get away from sea-wa ll building fo r a while.

I was looking forward to the hike back across the island, but accepted a lift as I had to start my ' survival' exercise. Nikki Lloyd and I we re marooned on a small uninhabited is and called Sheep Cay. We took with us a set of clothes each, a mosquito

The gro up at Union Creek (sea-wall building) was s uppo sed to be going into town to play basketball, so Lloyd made a daring noon raid on the camp.

But the ir lift didn't arrive and everyone was still there. How Lloyd managed to reach the store tent and get back to us on the island without being seen, I don't know; but he did return with a packet of spaghetti, a tin of compo chicken, a jar of corn relish and best of a ll a tin of compo chocolate and sweets.

A ll Lloyd ate was the relish , to e nli ven the conch and whelks we found. Nikki and I had

(continued on p.72) Chri stmas day - picking tangerines with aid of phase leader'S height.

(Left) 19-year-old Elizabeth setting oH from home and all eady for snorkelling from

'd rea m beach,

Cookhouse duty - fry ing co nch fritters

Elizabeth prepared fo a deep dive.

byJIM

Ideas for ycmr Bazaar

MANY LOCAL firms will be pleased to donate small pr izes for your rafAe or tombola stalls. You may find the bakery willing to give you a cake for 'We ight of Cake' Toy shop - 'Nam e the Dolly The local dairy ma y give you a crate of milk for your ' Teas'.

Mums might be willing to help here with home -made cakes and jams. For a change from the island in the pirate seas on your Treasure Map try a jungle, the North Pole and outer space. Or how about Where 's the Pain', normal treasure map idea but with the outline of the body. One stall that always does well is plants, so ask around for cuttings and pot plants. Also on this stall include Floral Art.

Cover the Coin , place a SOp in a tub of water. If so meone lands a coin on the SOp they win it. (It's not as eas y as it sounds 1)

Or try your tub of water with coloured paper round the outside. Then make it a wishing well. PLACE THIS NEAR THE EXIT, then nobody can get away with any money 1 Or hang a bell over the tub, so children throw a coin , and ring the bell (Don't use the bell on the front of the ambulance.)

'Eg gy is a sideshow that always goes down well. Take a box of sand and put in it some broken egg shells. Then one or two unbroken eggs are added. People have to try to guess which egg is not broken (again - not as easy as it sounds).

One Mum makes crown' pin-cushions. Take an aerosol cap and fill it with bits of old stockings, then cover with material or suchlike.

Find a local garden with lavender and ask

RYE ON TOP

if you can have some. Make small sacks out of old curtains and fi ll with lavender. Lavender bags are always good sellers.

The main thing with fundraising is to keep it simple make people enjoy spending money. Never think people will say no' so I won ' t ask - they may just say yes. And if they do say no - you are no worse off!

The second rule of fundraising is:

Make your helpers do the work, don't do it yourself. That's what Mums and Dads are for. Make sure they know what they are doing. At a bazaar you have about +-2 hours to get the money off the public. Don t waste time explaining things.

Your local cinema may be willing to give a special Midnight' s howing of the new James Bond or Star Wars films, taking just their costs, leaving the re st to you as profit.

Local newspapers may be willing to donate a page to yo ur Division, selling the page to local firms , etc, in small adverts.

Again this is something to use when raising money for a special project.

With jumble sales the two biggest problems are (I) COLLECTING: Ask the local Scouts if you can use their mini-bus In return they could have all the jumble that ' s left over. (2) STORING: Ask each Mum to keep one sack for a few days before the sale.

One may even let you use the garden shed or garage for the few days.

If sto rage is no problem, then try your hand at re-cycling: The National Anti-Waste Programme, 123 Victoria Street , London , SW I , will send you The Save and Re-Cyc le Guide

How about a Cheese and Wine Party?

The English Country Cheese Council, National Dairy Centre, John P rinces Street, London, Wi will be pleased to send you leaAets on the subject.

Try to use a collecting tin in your office as a ' Swear Box '.

Do any Mums fancy running a 'W histDrive'.

Ask members to save their paperback books for collection. Most markets and shopping centres have a shop which will buy them.

Local firms may be willing to sponsor so much per duty hour your Division covers, either for a year or a month. Or they may be willing to sponsor you for one duty, (eg, the local hospital).

China smashing is always a good draw. Collect lots of china beforehand But make sure it's smashed on large canvas or plastic sheets (or it takes hours to clear up).

Ask the local Brass Band to give a concert for you. You could then ask one of the local stores to put on a short fashion show at the interval.

Ask your local Estate Agent if he will let you have the use of an empty shop to hold a coffee morning, one Saturday.

Try to buy wool at cheap rates at the local market, or the local wool shop may let you have old 'e nds of wool. Then recruit a team of 'M ums' to knit for you. This should be goi n g on all year round , not just a mad rush for the month before the bazaar. We have found that knitted animals, and small toys, etc, go better than knitted clothes.

Ask local pubs and shops to put collecting tins on their counters.

Try holding a pub-crawl ' around the pubs a nd social clubs in your area on a Friday or Saturda y eve nin g. Go round to see the landlords before the night.

Ask if you can place a collecting tin by the till of the local factory canteen.

If you want a 'Spec ial Appeal' tryRotar y, Round Table, Lions, Inner-Whee l Freemasons, Buffaloes, Chamber of Commerce or the Townswomen's Guild. They may be willing to help yo u , but they will want to know where the money is going (eg , a new Resusci Anne).

Contributions

Contributions and entries to competitions in this column shou ld be se nt to Jim 3 Brandreth Road, London E6 4QB. If you ha ve any ideas abo ut games, training activities or eve nt s that yo ur cadets have taken part in and enjoyed , please write because 1 am always in need of material to include in the column. Cadet Chat badges are sent to all those who contribute to the col umn.

CHAMPIONS OFTHE CROSS

Written and illustrated by Hugh A. R. Edgell, Assistant Chaplain of the Order

Part 3

THIS is the story of two of the great Military Orders which were part of the everyday scene in Mediaeval Europe and the Middle East. Many towns and villages in Britain also bear witness to their influences on local life. The Order of St John wasfounded to provide carefor pilgrims to the Holy Land and the Poor Knights of Christ (The Templars) to give protection to pilgrims on their dangerous journeys. Both of these Orders were to develop far beyond the visions of their founders. Within a few years, monks and fighting men had become one and the same, wielding immense military and political power in the Holy Land and throughout Europe. Within two centuries one of the Orders was to disappear under a cloud of suspicion and disapproval The other was to survive to the present day and in the process turn full circle to serve its' masters the sick '.

Organisation of the Templars THE TEMPLARS soon developed an efficient orga nisation for ensuring continuous supplies of money and men for their work. In addition to their properties in the Holy Land, the lands given to them in various European countries by their s upporters also required efficient organisation if their needs were to be met. Over the years the Tem plars established 'Houses' in France, England, Poito u, Aragon, Portugal , Apulia, and Hungary, as Cross of the Templars. we ll as in Jerusalem Tripoli and Antioch in the east. These , with their independent Prec e ptories , were their main sources of wealth and manpower.

At the head of the Order was the Grand Master. Various other officers were elected from among the knights, and these formed the Grand Chapter or gove rning body.

In each country there was a Master of the Temple, who was respons ibl e for administering the lands , collecting money and rec ruiting men for service in the Holy Land. Each country was divided into smaller units where a Preceptory or a local 'ho use ' looked after its possess ion in the vic inity. These le sse r houses were commanded by a Preceptor.

There were three main ranks within the Order - Knights , Sergeants and Chaplains. The numbers of knights were never very large for the ca ndidates had to be of noble birth. Those who could not qualify were en tered as Sergeants. The Knights and Sergeants were distinguished by the red cross they wore on their su rcoat s and shie ld s, while other members wore a red cross on a black robe.

Over the years the Templars built many castles as, bases for their military work in the Holy Land, one of the most famous being Tortosa. The headquarters in England, known as The Temple was established in Holborn, London, in I 128. Later, in 1184 they built a new headqua rter s off Fleet Street, where the Temple Church still stands. At one time , th ey possessed over 50 properties in England and Wales. They also built churches, and these were usuall y round buildings, to re mind the members of the Rotunda of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem which they swore to defend.

The Hospitallers

As the Hospitallers developed into a Military

Order, their organisation was largely based on the Te mplar system.

eAs more and more men joined the Order, it was decided to divide them into national groups or La ngue s. These Langues or Tongues numbered eig ht in all - France, Provence , Auvergne, Italy Eng land , Germany, Castille and Aragon. There Cross of the were also other establishments in the Holy Land Hospitallers. including the Headquarters at the Hostel. Each Langue had its own Inn or Lodging fo r it s members.

At the head of the Order was the Grand Master. Various other Officers were elected from among the Knights, and these formed the Gra nd Chapter or governing body.

In each country there was a Grand Prior in charge of the Priory. Around the countryside there were smaller centres called Co mmanderies, with a Commander in charge. These smaller centres administered the estates that had been given to the Order , collecting rents and alms for the Order 's work. A third of all income received was sen to the Priory, where it was forwarded to the Holy Land for the wo rk of the Hostel, and the military duties of the Knights. The Commanderie was also a place of she lter for travellers and provided medical care for the sick. It was also a recruiting and training centre for young men who wished to join the Order.

There were three main ranks - Knights, Serving Brothers and Chaplains. Knights had to be of noble birth. In battle the knights wore a white cross on a red surcoat or shield (the badge of St John the

Baptist), while other members wore the eight-pointed white cross on their black robes. (The wearing of the white cross in battle was sanctioned by Pope Alexander IV in 1259.) The four arms of the cross reminded the wearer of the knightly virtues of P rudence, Justice, Temperance and Fortitude.

The Ho spi taller s also built many fine castles in the Holy Land , the most famous being Krac des Chevaliers in modern Syria.

The Headquarters, or Priory in England was in Clerkenwell , London , and was founded in 144. A later gate-house may still be seen. At one time, the Order possessed over 60 properties in England a nd Wales.

Joining the orders

Any young man who enjoyed good health, was unmarried, and not bound to any Lord could apply to become a novice of one of the Orders after his sixteenth birthday. If he hoped to become a knight. however , he had to be able to prove that he was of noble birth. If he thought that he would enter a life of ease and plenty, he was soon disillusioned. The monastic rules of Poverty Chastity and Obedience were rigorously enforced, and it was made clear to him that he could expect little else than the basic necessities of life - food, clothing and shelter.

Unfortunately, the Admission Ceremony of the Hospitallers is not known in any detail , but the Temp a r Ceremony is well recorded. Since both Orders followed a similar rule " it is likely that their Admission Ceremonies were also similar.

When the time came for the candidate to present himself for adm ission, he was subjected to a close examination and reminded of the hardships that would be his as a member of the Order Among us, when you woul d eat, yo u will fast, and when you would fast you may have to eat. When you would gladl y sleep, you may have to keep watch. You will be sent east and west against your will, and you shall obey. You will have to learn to bear every kind of pain

Further. the candidate had to swear that he belonged to no other religion than the Roman Catholic, and that he was not in debt. He was required to take the monastic vows, and all that was promised in return was the basic requirements of life and the spiritual welfare of his soul, and the souls of his parents.

At the ceremony he was presented with the cross to wear upon his mantle, to remind him of the sufferings of Christ for mankind. The knight was also presented with his sw ord to keep and defend him from t he power of evil. Finally, if he was joining the Order of St John. he was reminded that he was now a servant of the sick 'You are here to serve our masters the sick and for the glory of dying for Christ.

Other promises included oaths never to take up arms against other Christians, and never to surrender to the enemy.

As the yo un g man entered the Order, he began an exciting but very demanding life.

Rye (Sussex) Nursing Cadet Division was represented by Cadet Leader Ann Newman when they were presented with The Royal Charles Medallion Trophy. awarded annually to a youth group for citizenship. by the Mayor of Rye.

During 1985 they carried out 360 duty hours (Ann did 129) at events helping the elderly and the local Mencap group and their competition team finished in the

(Photo: Alan Jones).

Admission to the Order of St John

ORDER INVESTITURE

by the Lord Prior, London, Nov 28

Dr Muriel Barr, a divisional surgeon of Leicester for 13 years, who was on the Rome Holy Year duty in 1975, is invested Serving Sister by the Lord Prio r, Sir Maurice Dorm an. Mrs Catherine Killon, nursing member of Irlam Greater Manchester, with 30 years service , becomes a Serving Sister.

We

Jeffr ey Benson (Hert s)

Maureen Ro se Mr s Hawes (Kent)

Co onel Mar y Brigid T eresa Henness y MBE. RR C ( London. WC an C harl es Hu gh Mood y Devon) Andrew Martin ng edew Paris , FRCS (London SE I I)

Brigadier D avi d Eric Wor s ey QHP. MB. FFCM. DPH (S urrey )

Serving Brother or Sister Mar y M argaret Mr s Acre s (Berk ) Marjo rie. Mr s Agley ( W Yorks)

Ro y Anderson (York)

Jeffrey Armstrong (C umbri a)

Mur el M arion Eli zabeth Dr. Barr Leic s)

Reginald Wil lia m Bell (Avo n)

Mar gare Ann. Mr s Bennell (Surrey)

Edward Owen Renne y, SEN. FASI ( Devon)

Kenneth Robert Be rr y (Avon)

Dcrrik Brail fo rd ( Derbys)

Michael Bu s (Derbys)

Ell en Anne Mr s Capel (C umbria)

John Pendelbur y Capel (Cumbria)

Da vid We s ey Carter Lanc s)

John Wilfred C hamberl ain M B, ChB (C heshir e)

Mary, Mr s Chi vell (Es sex)

Alfred Curbishley (Cheshire)

Da v id Gw y n Davies, LRCP. LR C S. LRFPS (C lw yd)

Sall y Maureen, Mis s Davie s (Essex)

Joseph T weed y Dunba r (London W7)

Stanley Geor ge Elston (Jersey)

Aileen Mar ga ret, Mr s Engwell (Bucks)

Da vid Gr aham Etcell (Lincoln)

Joan Mary, Mr s Fran c s SRN. SCM. QIDN (S Humberside)

Sheila Eli zabe th Mary, Mr s G ilbert (Cambs)

A. Neil Gobby. BSc(Eng) , CEng, M I MechE, MBIM ( H erts)

Richard Ralph Green (Glos)

Sidney Daniel H ardy (S affs)

Terence Richard H arper (Dorset)

Ruth M ary, Mrs Har vey Devon)

Maurice Stua rt H ennis (Che shire)

Elisabet h Ro se, Miss Herbert (Avon)

Richard Rowland Hammond HIli (Berks)

Fred erick Charl es Ho a e (Dorset)

Catherine, Mrs Horrocks (Greater Manch es ter)

Da vid Robert Hubbard (No rth Yorks)

Et hel Emi y M aud Mr s Ir ela nd (Devo n

Stan ey Geo ge Ir vin (Berks)

Elizabet h Mr s Jack so n (Cleveland)

Cyril George Jefferies (Wi lt s)

Arthur John son (Cleveland)

Patricia May , M rs Kemp (Suffolk)

Cathe rin e Mona Mr s Ki ll o n (Greater Manchester)

Julian Kim Yo Chow Greate Manchester)

Jea n, Mrs Lawrence (Cambs)

Andrew J Lawton (Staffs)

Mary Pamel a, Mrs Lay SEN (Berk s)

Felicity France s, Mrs Lewis (Glos)

Margaret Rosalind, Mrs Maber (No rthan ts)

Gra h am McBurney (Cheshire)

Roy Chr stopher MacFarlane , MB , BS, DRCOG. DA (C LlIllb ri a)

David George Miller (Nottingh am

Edward A lb er Money (Es sex)

Wi lli am John Mudge (D evo n Frederick Le sli e Organ (Devon)

Ro y William Parker (Hants)

Ph ili p L es li e Parry - Morri s (Ha nts)

Geoffry T. Par sons (Berk s)

Leonard C harles Pummer (London, N I)

Keith Jo seph Re gardsoc (Middx)

Iv y Doris M rs Reynold s (Kent)

Edith Lil y, Mrs Ri c kman (Ha n t s)

Muri el, Mr s Ridler ( H ants)

Erne st Rimmer (Merseys id e) Thoma Kyle Rimmer (Merseyside)

FOR MY purposes here, I int e nd to deal with those medals which are g ve n for spec fic officia l State purposes, namely to reward ach ievement or commemorate an event. While th e main sources of ou r decorations (in t he reward sense) stem from the Crown, there are other recognised sources a lso; mor e on those later.

A ll offic al national medals are ultimately awa rded by the Sovereign and each is bestowed with in the rules of the Royal Warrants estab li shing the respective awards. Awards can be for brave and courageous acLs, for excellence or ength of service, or may si mply be to record and commemorate a significant national event. All awards are ge nerally grouped under five headings:

Orders Decorations and medals for bravery and distinguished service War medals Commemorat ive medals Medal for ong service and good conduct.

Some are limited to specific occurrences, othe r s are given periodically up to a total number others sti ll are awarded seeming ly automatically on a time basis. A ll are, in fact, stric tly subject to recommendation by a superior authority, be it military or civi l, and must be co ncurred and app r oved before a recipient is advised of his award or is a ll owed to wear it.

The medals awarded fo r bravery or particu la rl y distingu ished services are ge nera ll y known as DECORA nONS. Thus, a person who has received, say, a George Medal (GM) for bravery or a British Empire Medal (BEM) for outstanding serv ic e to the comm unit y, are said o h ave been decorated. Whereas a sa il or or so ldi er who received a South Atla ntic Medal, however arduous hi s exper ences, or an ai rm an or constable who receives a Long Service or Good Conduct Medal for fifteen or twenty-two years work, a re not sa id to have received a decor a tion 'Decoration' her e impli es somet hin g more than just an ordinary medal.

On the other hand , some medals for long se rvi ce are actually called 'De coration as part o f their tit le and some holders may be allowed to put lette r s after th ei r n a me s, n o twith s t a ndin g t hat the awards are of r elat ively unior status among others. The Territorial D eco ration (TO), the Volunteer

Lieutenant James Brian Sellars (Hants)

Rob ert Montgomery Stevenson (Berks)

Albert Charles Summers ( Avon)

Belly May, Mrs Summers ( Avon)

Thomas T aberner (Lanes)

Eunice Gilda. Mr s Tennant (Wilt s)

Ri chard Thoma s Thomp so n Derb y)

John Johnstone Thornton (Cumbria)

Jo seph T innion (Cumbria)

Kenneth William Turner (Middx )

Rolan d Vere (Nolls)

Joh n Ware (Wilt s

Violet W nifred vy Mrs Welton (Oxon)

Arthur William s (Manchester)

Fred William s (West Yorks)

Philli s Margaret Mr s William s Hants)

ABOUT OFFICIAL MEDALS

(2)

Reserve Decoration (VRD) and th e Air Efficiency Award (AEA) are examples of these.

On occasions a person may be awarded the same decoration or medal more than once. In such cases, an actual second or third same medal is not given; instead, to mark the r epeat a BAR is awarded. This is , as its name implies a s mall horizontal str ip of the same metal as the decoration itself, which is fastened to the RIBBON and indicates the repeated award; further bars are added for subsequent awards of the same deco r ation. Thus a person described as having 'a DFC and Bar' indicates that he has been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) on two successive occasions (ie, he has two DFCs). There have been in s tances of three bars h aving been awarded to a decoration, but usually such continued valour results in a higher, rather than a repeated, award.

Sim il ar to a bar, but technically described as a CLASP , this item indicates particular actions , showing battles. areas or campaign dates o n a war med al. A serviceman who has r eceived, say, t h e same General Service Medal for three diff.::rent campaigns will receive one medal fo r his first involvement, together with the appropriate clasp. For his subseq ue n t campaigns for which the same medal is awarded, he will receive add iti onaJ clasps only. These are attached, above the first c asp, to the ribbon. Each clasp is in scribed with the name and or the date of the relevant campaign. Clasps are also added to lo n g serv ce medals for se r vice beyond the initial period of awa rd.

As th ough to confuse m atte r s, some decorations and medals are fitted with w h at is known as a TOP BAR. This description is purely technical and he item ha s no significa n ce or status save of being part of the part icu lar medal design. A top bar is a str ip of metal w h ic h is fitted t hi s time at the top of the medal ribb on. The two most pr om inent exa mpl es are those on t h e

Es

e Ma

Distinguished Service Order (DSO) , which is medalJic in design and where the

is merely a distinctive embellishment; and those on the various versions of the Territorial Decoration , where it is used to display the t itle of the Force for which it has been issued , eg, 'Territorial', Army

', 'Hong

',

With the passing of time , changing circumstances and different views on tl:te emphasis of events, there is often little apparent clear distinction between the merits required for different medals, For example, t he George Medal and the Queen's Gallantry Medal (QGM) are both intended to reward brave deeds. Closer examination of the criteria in the relevant warrant governing each award does generally reveal the differences.

Some war and service medals overlap in their requirements for qualification. On occasions this results in several medals being awarded as a result of a major event. In the 1939-45 War, for example a person who fought for some months in a combat zone such as North Africa and the Mediterranean probably recei ved the 19 39-45 Star, the Africa Star , the Defence Medal and the 1939-45 War Medal. This was because each medal served to recognise different entitlement aspects of service. A variety of such combination was possible throughout the various zones, but the regulations ensured that no person could receive more than seven of these combat medals.

Again during the Korean War, the Korea Meda required up to 28 days service in that country or its waters, while to qualify for the United Nations Service Medal for Korea (which we recognise equally among British medals), one day's service with a UN force in Korea or Japan sufficed. Thus, a person who qualified for the Korea Medal also qualified for the UN Service Medal, but not necessaril y vice versa. One can deduce much of someone's exploits from "reading' the particular comb nation of the medals he she holds.

I shall say a li ttle more about official medals in the next article and shall mention unofficial ones.

Maurice Roland William York (Essex) Georgina Anne. Mr s Petru cci (Berk s)

quir

or -General The Rl. Hon. The Earl Cathcart, Bailiff Grand Cross, presented his Personal Esquires, Lord Greenock (London) and Captain Anthony McCallum (Hants) to the Lord Prior. Mr John Webb , Knight of Grace presented

J.H.W

OUT OF TOUCH

from Lord Westbury, Chairman, Public Affairs

I was delighted to read the letters from Rex Purchase and Ian Jane in the 'Ta lking Point' section of the January Review.

I had hoped that the Saatchi and Saatchi Lunatic' advertisement would attract the public s attention to St John 's desperate need for funds and recruits and also stimulate debate within the Brigade itself. These two 'D isgusted St John Ambulance' letters have certainly achieved the latter.

All the points raised in their letters have been noted by Grosvenor Crescent Headquarters, and where it is felt that the criticisms are valid, steps will be taken!

I would like to see more comment and debate both good and bad, about the new Saatchi and Saatchi leaflets which are available from the Public Affairs Department at Grosvenor Crescent.

I would like to thank Mr Purchase and Mr Jane for taking the trouble to write. It shows that they really care.

Headquarters Westbwy

from Rex Purchase, Divisional Superintendent

I have been to ld that the manner in which I expressed myself on various matters in my letter published in the January R eview, has given much offence. I did not intend this, although I was anxious to put my views as forcefully as possible.

May I, through your columns, apologise to those I may ha ve offended.

Weymouth Rex Purch ase

The Chief Commander comments

I am very grateful to Mr Purchase for apologising through these columns for the manner in which his letter published in the January issue of the Re view was worded.

I am fully in favour of readers' expressing their views through these columns. Indeed I welcome purposeful criticism and controversial matters that promote correspondence and discussion. Deliberate sniping at those in authority does not actuall y help anyone or further the cause of St John Ambulance.

Please write, but be sure it is of interest or a subject for purposeful discussion.

Major-General P. R. Leuchars ChiejCommander

LOST TWO MEMBERS. GAINED NONE

from Mr D. Millbank, Divisional Superintendent

Clearly the latest publicity leaflets have st irred up a hornet s' ne st among a large number of Brigade members for what appears to be a variety of reasons. The clearest indication is that the reference to lunatics is the one sing le common factor in all the man y complaints which I have heard per son ally and which have been raised in the Re view.

Let us all accept one thing straight away. There is a desperate need for eye -catchjng publicity material and Headquarters undoubtedly pulled off something of a master stroke by persuading Saatchi and Saatch to involve themselves. Having said that the fact that such a leading public relations company are behind the latest recruiting and publicity leaflets does not automatically guarantee either the standard or su itability of the end product. Without delving into arguments which might be seen to have political overtones, one has to concede that some of the publicity given to the Conservative party before they last came to power would be positively embarrassing if it were to re -surface now.

Obviou s ly Headquarters approved the finished product and the question being asked is 'Did they get it all wrong?' Unfortunately , I believe the an swe r has to be in the affirmative.

The only members of the Brigade who appear to be enthusiastic about the Lunatic leaflet are senior officers. My own Division, almost 70 st rong was apalled by it, without exception.

Matters were made worse in my own Area when some well-meaning buffoon presented the local press with the Lunatic leaflet which was re-produced in a full centre page spread. The accompanying article compounded this error of judgement by informing the reader that St

John Ambulance Brigade re ceive a 5% grant from t he Government.

This did not sit too well with the fund raising event we had just held in which we had been assuring the loca l public that we received no financial aid from the government at all. I wo u ld be plea sed to hear from anybody as to how this Division can submit a claim for 5% of our running costs ast year, which were a littl e over £4,000. We could u s e the £200.

However, as a direct result of the publication of this horrendous leaflet I lo st two valued members, both holders of the Grand Prior Award. They had been badgered and ridiculed, as had severa l others.

T he read e r may feel that these two individuals were simply over-se n si ti ve. As a Division, we too considered this possibility, although few co uld accuse us of having no sense of hum our. We came to a decision

As this leaflet is intended to attract the attention of the general public we decided to put it to the test. It may have offended us but was it likely to offend them? Accordingly, we arranged for an opinion poll to be held in the town centre on a busy Saturday morning and in conjunction with a large exhibition publicising the Brigade in the local library. We d ecided to kill two birds with one stone and ask 15 questions relating to the public's knowledge of first aid, the work of the Brigade and the potential for recruitment. The questions were asked of adults , loosely between the ages of 20 and 50 and of both sexes. The last question on the sheet concerned the new leaflet which the public were in vi ted to study and comment upon. Researchers were strictly instructed that they must offer no personal opinion themselves until the interviewee had answered the last question and only then if pressed.

The results are:

QUESTION:

Our National' Headquarters h ave produced this leafle in an effort to encourage recruitment and further inter est in the Brigade. May we have your opinion of it?

FOUND IT INTERESTING: 57%

FOUND IT UNINTERESTING: 43%

Those who found it interesting were then asked if it might encourage them to find out more about the Brigade or give some consideration to joining

MIGHT PROMPT TO FIND OUT MORE: 9% (of those intere s ted)

WOULD NOT PROMPT TO FIND OUT MORE: 16 %

WOULD NOT PROMPT TO CONSIDER JOINING: 75%

Several of those interviewed made spontaneous adverse comments about the leaflet broken down as follows:

OF THE WHOLE 100 PEOPLE SAMPLED IN POOR TASTE/ INSULTING /O BJECTIONABLE : 13 %

GIVES NO INCENTIVE TO BECOME A MEMBER: 5%

WOULD ACTUALLY BE PUT OFF JOINING : L1%

It is said that figures can be made to suppmt or destroy any case those compiling them wish. We looked for an honest public reaction and believe we got one It is significant that more than twice as many

of those samp led ( 1 I % ) would actually be put off joining as opposed to the 4.5% (of the whole samp le) who might be prompted to find out more. These figures disregard the other 18 % who made adverse comment and clearly would not be prompted to consider enrolling It seems, therefore, that for every potential recruit who might be encouraged by the leaflet there could be two potential recruits who would be put otT. This hardly seems to make much sense when we are losing existing members at an alarming rate

What might have ensued, one wonders, If a provISIonal copy of thIS leaRet had been circulated to each Divi s ion before mas s production was ag re ed The view s of the membership , once again, have not been co n s idered and the Lunatic pictured is, perhaps significantly , an ord inary member , not an officer. Perhaps Headquarters will try to persuade us that the campaign h as been a s uccess. At the moment It has cost me two members and gained me none. I wonder what the national picture is ?

D. MiLlband

Ga rs tan g, Pr eS ion

fro m Lord Westbury, Chairman, Public Affairs

We ha ve said before that the n e w leaflet s were meant to produce a react ion - I am g lad Mr Millband received one. However we are sorry that he has lost two members.

The fact that 57 % of the public found the leaflet interesting s excellent new s. It would have been useful to have done a parallel survey wi th our old le aflets - we believe at least 75% would not have been prompted into joining because of them.

Our MORI poll a few years ago showed only 6% of the population wo uld ever consider jo ining ANY charity involved in weekend work, so Mr Millband's res pon se of 5 .1 % (9 % of 57%) being interested in taking things further is an excellent response

However. please keep yo ur eye s open for further developments in our campaign - they will be of great interest.

Hea dquarters WestbUl)'

OFFICERS' CAPS

from MrJ N Williams, President

was quite s urpri sed that during the re cent changes to male uniforms the opportunity was not taken to introduce the white band on officer s' caps. It is one of th e mo s t distinctive parts of the St John uniform an? ve ry id e ntifiable as of our organisation. On economy grounds alone It is worth considering - the newly promoted officer would not need a new cap!

A comparable s ituation is the police, wher e all officers from chIef constable to PC wear th e sa me band on their caps.

I would be interested to know the reason why it was not adopted?

High Wl'co mb e A / C Di v J. N. W illiams

ST GILES FAIR

from Bryan W Nicholls

I rea d with interest the article St Giles Fair, Oxford by A / M Neil Blair (Jan R eview).

As one of the male nurses on duty throughout the daytime on all 3 days, I must say that Divisional Officer Ian Tompkins, the officer in charge, did a fir s t class job and deserves thanks from all present. But it sa ddens me to read that Mr Blair comments about the fac that neithe r Area nor County staff were present. He obviously has not take n into account holiday and profe ss ional commitments of our first class se nior officers. They appointed th e right man (Mr Tompkins) to do the job and that's the main thing.

Oxford Bryan W. Nicholls

OLD TEXTBOOKS

from MrJ E. Smith

I have the following surplus books if anyone would like them: First Aid to the Injured : 26th edition 1915; 38th edition L928 29

CHESHIRE

Viscount Le verhulme, the county's Lord Lieutenant presents the Leverhulme Trophy for

best overa adult division in Cheshire

Gwen Davies of Crewe Nursing Division. (Photo: Crewe Chronicle).

The County s SJA Commander , Dr P. Edmonds, KStJ (second from left),

retirement gift from the County Commissioner Mr R. A. Fielding

NEWS from SCOTLAND

THE ORDER of St John Musical Society in Scotland is well ahead with arrangements for its second concert at the Adam Smith Centre, Kirkcaldy, Fife, on April 18.

Entitled 'An Evening with Mr Gilbert and Mr Sulli van' the concert features the well - known BBC presenter and opera critic, Richard Baker, supported b y Hardwick Nichols and Charles Barrow. The music will

WALES

NINE PUPILS of Gwent's Caerleon Comprehens ive School were recently prese n ted with Essentials of First Aid Certificates and badges. (Photo right).

The fourth form youngsters were the first in their school to be trained to this standa rd and have received over 15 hours of first aid training by their qualified teacher, Mrs Liz Fry.

The Director of Association Dr George Mitchell, presented the school with a St John Ambulance plaque which was received by the Headmaster , Mr Clarrie Lapham.

The chairman of Gwent County Council, Councillor John Pembridge, praised the St John Ambulance Project for Schools in Wales.

Clwyd

As reported in the Review earlier this year, our cadets wished to commemorate International Youth Year in a special way.

After many enquiries locally it was decided that the Bryn Glas School for hearing impaired children, Mold, would benefit from this county project.

Back in March 1985 each Cadet Unit was charged w ith the responsibility of organising a special eve n towards the project. It was especially important that the cadets themselves were involved in the planning and operation of the event, thus fulfilling certain of the I.Y.Y. objectives; participation, development peace.

A wide var iet y of fund-raising efforts were staged - sponsored walks, coffee evenings, sales of wo rk , disco Saturday market stall, etc.

The project closed on November 30 with a total of £577 - a commendable effort on the part of the cadets, and their parents and officers who supported the project.

The project's original objective was £400 to buy the school a Teletext TV set. But as the target was 'smas hed ', additional electrical work of a loop around the room the television is to be used in will also be possible, together with other specia li st electrical eq uipment.

The cheque was handed over to the head teacher of the School and a group of pupils by Assistant Commissioner T. Bilsborough at the County Carol Service held at Mold on December 19. (Photq right).

OBITUARY

Mr S. E. M. Causon, 61, Dyfed County Staff Officer, of Haverfordwest. 68

be by the Glenrothes Choral Society, the Fife Orchestra (string section) and soloists Christine Cairns ( mezzo) , Robin Bell (soprano), Neilson Taylow (baritone), Roger Crook (te nor) and George Gordon (bass).

The Society is also helping to present the Passion of St John in Dunfermline Abbey on June 22 as part of the annual festival and investiture which this year for the first time will be held in St Andrews. It is hoped that the orchestra of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and the Haddo Hou se Choral Society under the direction of June , Marchioness of Aberdeen, will take part in thi s most interesting musical work.

Last year, which was the Society's first year, the Musical Society in Scotland presented a cheque for £3,000 to the Hospitaller in support of the Ophthalmic Hospital in Jeru sa lem , the proceeds of a successful concert in the MacRobert Centre of Stirling University. On that occasion Dame ] anet Baker was the principal guest singer at a Royal Gala Concert attended by H RH The Duke of Gloucester, Grand Prior of the Order.

The Society hope s to present at le as t one co ncert each year and a lread y tentative ar ran geme nts are being made for next year's performance with Perth as the venue.

The ambulance was collected from London by Mr G. T. Fenech, HQ Store Officer in Malta, and his son J. W. Fenech a nd driven to Portsmouth, then over to Le Havre by sea, and by road via Lyons to Marseilles. fr om where the ambulance was shipped to Malta on the MY Anglia free of charge, by courtesy of Sea Malta Co Ltd. The journey was undertaken in February, in one of the worst winters in Europe; the road s from Le Havre to Marseilles were co vered in s now and ice, and at Nevers, because of the snow blizzards from the Swiss mountains, the conditions were so bad that the police stopped all traffic for 24 hour s. However, with the help of snow chains and some good lu ck, the vehicle arrived safe ly in Malta and is now doing good service.

Grenada

The following has been received from the Principal Supt (N) in Grenada, Mrs Betty Mascoll, MBE:

The Queen's visit went off very well in spite of lots of rain - but the shower s were kind a nd held up to allow the special events

1 FIRST came into contact with St John Ambulance as I suppose do many others, when a friend encouraged me to 'co me along, see if you like it', or is it 'us'? But I must confess, at fi rst again like many others, I just took the course of lectures followed by the first aid examination and then drifted away, although I must add there was encouragement given to join. I had recently married and was in the process of decorating and setting up a new home and just didn 't have the time or commitment to join an organ isa tion like St John at that particular time.

Three years were to pass before returning to St John, quite by ' accident'. I was working on a farm at the time and, along with my brother, was engaged in freeze-branding a bunch of heifers. This technique requires branding irons being placed in a container of dry ice and methylated spirits, and when the irons are ready at the required temperature, they are placed on the heifer 's back. As you can imagine , not all heifers take kindly to this, not having the best of temperaments. One particular beast took exception and lashed out, hurtling my brother, who was at the rear end, into an iron gate. The end result was one fractured arm and total chaos.

OVERSEAS

Malta THE need to replace the oldest of the three ambulance vehicles had been felt for some time and the decision to replace it was taken at one of the periodical Superintendent's Conferences.

Personal appeals for funds for this purpose were made by HQ Staff Officers to various individuals and organisations and sufficient funds to purchase a refurbished used vehicle were eventua lly obtained. The Overseas Relations Branch at HQ in London obtained ehe ve hicle and arranged for a n ew eng ine to be fitted and for so me other minor work to be ca rried out. The Commander London District very kindly kept the vehicle at Edwina Mountbatten House until we could make the arrangements necessary to bring it to Malta and while in London also arranged for the vehicle to be res prayed and maintained in good condition.

I don t mind admitting, at that time, I wasn't sure how to treat a fractured arm so along with a couple of farm hands, we bund led him into the re ar of the farm Land-Rover comp lete with straw, empty feed sacks an d other items found in the rear of Land-Rovers in the middle of winter, and ferried him to hospital. Needless to say, his recovery was long and painful.

It was at this point that I retu rned to St John, to a re-exam and a uniform, which lead s me on to 'W hy I Stayed'.

Firstly, through my present work within the County Ambulance Service, I believe that I am in the ideal position as a cadet officer, to pa ss on my experience, first hand to the lads on Monday evenings.

SJA Malta's new ambulance, brought by road and sea from London. gets to work on the island to be not completely washed out: her landing fr om the royal barge from the Britannia anchored in the outer harbour then inspecting the Guard of Honour and her 'wa lk -abo ut" chatting to some of the many people out to see her land. The drive to and from Parliament , then back to the Britannia for lunch of which many dignitaries partook.

WHY I JOINED

...

The heifer that I<icl<ed

by DAVID McSEVNEY 0/0 Weymouth Division

Secondl y, with all the pressures thrust upon us today, it's satisfying to belong to an organisation whereby people give up their time freely, because they really care about their fellows. I don't suppose there are many voluntary organisations which consist of people from all walks of life , ranging in age from 10 to over 65, all under one roof, caring for others.

Although I find teaching young lads the basics of fir st a id as well as the associated bad ge subjects, demanding, to say the least, like all hard work, it has its rewards. In Weymouth we have just heard that two of our cadets, now transferred to the adult division, have gained entry into Medical Schools. While all credit must go to the individuals and their families, perhaps I, and my fellow cadet officers help e d plant the seed.

However, m y one regret is that after nurturing young lads from 10 + through until 16 and in some cases 18, some decide to leave because they find the work too demanding of their time. This is such a vital age group in the Brigade. New members will a lways be welcome.

Then the rally of thousands of s chool children from all over the island which was also a public welcome. It was there that I had the honour of being presented to them both. We had a little chat about St John. Then soon after there was a reception at Government House which I also had the honour of attending.

OBITUARY

Mrs Margaret (Peggy) Ann Bartle, 94, founder member of Worksop Nursing Division, Notts. 47 years service. Northern Area Superintendent. Notts. Officer of the Order.

Mrs Grac e Winifred Lodge, OBE, JP, who until 1976 was County Superintendent, South and We s t Yorkshire.

R e\,. Matthew Nelson, 72, Chaplain of the Order and N.E. Area, Chaplain SJA Greater Manchester. Joined the Brigade when he was 15. President of Heywood Division for many years and N.E. Area President until 1984. Died December 21 1985.

Mrs E. Palm er, President and founder of Framlingham and District Nursing Cadet Division, Suffolk. Serving Sister of the Order.

GREATER MANCHESTER

Age Concern Lool<s Lively

the se would improve elderly people 's health and quality of li fe

rely limited by painful feet. Local Age Concerns can help Some a rran ge transport to chiropody clinics. Some hold weekly surge rie s with a visiti ng ch ir opo di st at t h eir centres. O t her s train vo lunt ee rs to provide a nail -c uttin g se r vic e. But the underlying p rob lem is the lack of ch ir opo di sts, with waiting li s t s up to two yea rs in so me a reas. Last October , as part of its national 'Look Lively ' ca mp a ig n o promote better preventive heal th care for o lder people, Age Co n cern urged the gove rnment to expa nd c hir opody se rvices.

Enjoy life

The campa ig n message is clear: age Co ncern wants everyo ne to enjoy their age to th e full - and that means good health. Although most retired people are Ilt and active, ill health does increa se as people get older, particu lar ly among the over 75s. Relatively s imple, inexpensive mea s ure s can improve peop le's we ll being and help to preven t illness. A warm home, for example, i crucial to good health , but many old peop le live in damp, draughty housing. T hey tend to have o ld er, ess efficient (and more ex pensi ve) healing app lian ces, and to have lowe r income s than the rest of the pop ulation. Frightened of run nin g up large bills often old people will live in the co ld rather than get into deb - with dreadful co nsequences for their hea th. Age Co ncern will p ress the government to give retired peop le more help with heating costs, in sulation a nd draught proofing.

Oth e r campa ign object ives include a reduc ion in wait in g t im es for N HS heari ng aids, fr ee spectacles fo r all e ld erl y people and mor e readily ava il a bl e low -v isio n aids. All of

The Look Liv ely' campaign also e ncourages older people t o help th e mselves to hea lth. A Ieaflel Activ itie s for Health - Ideas for R eti red P eop le (ava ilabl e fro m Age Concern Eng land - address below) de sc ribes a ll kind s of activi tie s which are readi ly ava ilabl e or easy to set up such a s sw immin g, dancing, keep Ilt and go lf, wit h he lp fu l advice on exe rc isin g safely and useful contact s for further information

Stretching the mind is just as imp ortant as a ll -round health. Some Age Concern groups run c lasses or courses on a range of topicsofte n health related but not necessarily. In Leeds, for exam pl e, computing , art, F r ench and c reative wri ting a re on offer, a s well as keep Ilt. C lub s, so im portant in providing compa ny for those who live alone, often invite speakers from other organisations to ta lk about their work. Many would welcome an approach from SJ A members, to add to their programme of activities.

Encouraging o ld er people to have regular medical and dental check -up s, prov iding transport to day centre s and c lubs , organisi ng o utin gs and holid ays and campaigning for better serv ice s are among the ways Age Concern helps people to enjoy a happ y, health y retirement. Many SJA members will a lready be work in g with or alongside th e m in the commun ity. But if you wou ld like to know more about our work, the campaign, and how yo u can help do send for our campaign leaflet , Age Co nc ern Look s Live ly.

Further information and leaflet s from : Public Relation s Department. Age Concern England 60 Pitcairn Road Mitcham, Surrey CR43LL.

WE WELCOME the formation of three new branches thi s month , including the first in Co Durham:

Durham County Branch - contact: Mr J. Murray BEM 23 Glanton Close Chester-Ie-Street, Co. Durham. Weston-super-Mare Branch Avon contact: Mrs E. L. Per ryman

ST JOHN REVIEW

Adventuring (from p.61)

the chocolate, sweets and spaghetti - a feast - but we all saved our biscuits.

On the third day we co ll ect ed water and wood, etc and then at about I 1 o'clock it started to rain. We crowded into o ur shelter until about 4 o'clock, and then began to build a raft - our only allocated ta sk. We we r e up early the following morning to finish the raft.

At about 10 o'clock, Piers 'Bossman' arrived to escort us back (safety and all that). Th e raft turned ou t to be extremely unstable, so I e lected to go back in the boat and take photos. The raft sailed half-way (which took ages), but then it started to r ain again, so they jumped into the boat and we towed the raft back. I enjoyed the 3 days marooned on a desert is l a nd , but found it a bit bor ing at times.

The following morning it was back to work on the wall. We put in the last cage and then I had a go at dri ving the boat to ferry rocks from one end of the wall to the other. That evening three of the locals drove out to see us with g ift s - two crates of beer. Friday night is disco night on Inaguaand we a ll went a long. It was good fun. The locals thought we were all crazy but everyone joined in and we had a grea time

On Saturday a basketball match was arranged against the locals, who thrashed us (the ir average age was 14), but it was good fun. We had farewell drinks with the local

people, w ho h ad bee n so goo d to u s There are a lot of Eng li s h people, mainly teachers working on t h ese is lands.

At 7.30 on Sunday morning we were on t h e dock to see Sir Walter Raleigh come in to co llect us. At 9 o c loc k we found th at the (one and o nl y) Customs' man was at church

so we h ad to wait for the se rv ic e, along with the c hit -c h at afterwards, to finish before he would clear t h e ship About no on, clearance was gi ve n and Co l. John Blashford -Snell came asho r e. We then went to the ship on the sea-rider. I had lunch and a h ot fres h water shower. Sheer lu x ur y.

In the evening I had to visit J.B S. in his cabin to tell him the s tor y of the shark. The previous Thursday evening, five of us took the boat out to a reef just offshore. Th r ee guys went snorkelling, w hile Pier s and I waited in the boat. No luck - no fish. Then Piers and I went in spea r fishing (he was, I was watching). After several f ailed shots Piers got a perfect aim on a large grouper. The spear and fish sank to the bottom. As Piers dived to retrieve them, a six -foot nurse shark went for the fish at the same time as Piers did I screamed at Piers , who thinking I was drowning, came up to lose the fish on the way The amazing thing was he didn ' t eve n see the s h a r k; he felt something heavy bump against hi m, but thought it was me follow in g him down. All he was worried about was that he had lo st the fish and it was compo for dinner again

REVIEW CROSSWORD No.3 (86) by W. A. Potter

Across: I. Plexus from w hi ch the great sciatic nerve originates. (6). 4 Rounded prominence of a bone is tuberculosis le sio n (8). 10. Damp chi ll y atmosp h ere for area from whic h ski n ha s been lost. (3) 1 I. Circulation of micro -orga nisms in he b lood stream. (l I). 12. Sharp claw of bird of prey. (5) 13. Compound fracture. (4). 14. Unusual itch fo r a sma ll

72

This story was passed to the press as good publicity for he adve n t ure aspec t of Operation Raleigh.

We were five days sai lin g back to Freeport o n t h e Sir Wa ll er Raleigh, a nd then s pent our final week in t h e Bahamas sleeping at the Rugby Cl ub , a week of rest and recuperation.

On Marc h 6 we sai led back to Miami and from there flew home via Ho u ston, Texas, to a cold wet day in E ngl and after nearl y 3 mont h s of adventure in the sun.

Envious? You too can go adventuring, f you're prepared for a lot of hard work. Ask your d visional super intendent how to go abo ut it.

Stjohn House Club

YOUR CLUB

Eaton

chi ld. (4) 16. Formed by h ead of the femur and the acetabulum. (3-5). 19. Vegetable rich in Vitamin A precursor. (6). 21. Extremity of ower limb. (3). 23. Cellu lar osseous tissue betw ee n inner and outer tables of sk ull bones. (6). 2S. Hot clear concoction forms part of lower surface of humeru s. (8). 28. Painful chronic skin le s ion. (4). 29. Deeply unconscious state. (4).30 Under stress. (S). 32. So lid action producing joint injury ( II). 33. Lobes of left lun g and phalanges of thumb. (3). 34. Steamers for powerful facial muscle. (8). 3S. Killed or disabled by inhaled poison. (6).

Down:

I Had a slight s uperficial injury and did not pl ay. (9). 2. Wild flow er intimidates a facial struc ture. (7) 3. Ran so crookedly in a serious crime. (S). S State of bone in healed fracture. (6). 6. Dutch cheese made wrongly. (4). 7 Aromatic substance used in pharmacy and as insect-repellent. (7). 8. To enforce payment is precise by former statute. (S). 9. Assign to office ha ving top pain (7). I S. Main constituent or dusting and cosmetic powder s. (4). 17. Wood-wind instrument. (4). 18. Add a dram of iquor for a s mall ch ild. (3) 20. Carpal bone containing a prize dot. (9). 22 To make a mistake at 99 is unpredictable in conduct. ( 7) . 2 4. Heart-burn. (7). 26. Syr up y cough m ixtu re. (7). 27. The sa m e w ise man gives prescribed amou nt of a drug. (6). 28 Change of moods in wicked town. (S). 30. Ringworm cou ld be in tea (S). 3 I Rai sed pigmented area of sk in and uterine t u mour. (4).

SOLUTION TO CROSSWORD No.2 (86)

Across: I. Vi ·ab·le; 4. Crepitus; 9. Rarity ; 10. Clavicle; 12. C u sp; 13. So ·up ; 14. Tu·li·p; 16. Spotted fever ; 21. Great omentum; 26. Aura·l; 28. Ovum; 29. Sera; 3 1. Append·ix; 32. Report; 33. Antidote; 34. Rib·ald.

Down: I. Varicose; 2. Abrasio n ; 3. Late; 5. Relapse; 6. Pivot; 7. Tickle; 8. Sleepy; II. Cord; I S. Stir; 17. F i t; 18. Ever; 19. Atheroma; 20 Imp·acted; 22. Agonist; 23. On· u s; 24 Banana ; 2S. Armpit; 27. Lined; 30. Beri.

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WHAT'S HAPPENING - AND WHERE

ST JOHN REVIEW

THE JOURNAL OF

Volume 59 No.4

Contents

Cente nary Logo Competition p.73

The Association Bran ch and the Future by Robert Balchin p . 74

They Fly for SJA and the Sick p.7 5 Awards, Jan 1 to Dec 31 1985 p 76

Australia Bound p.78

Around and About by the Editor p .80

Cadet Chat by Jim p .84

Champ ions of the Cross (4) by Hugh A. R Edgell

About Medals (3) p 86

Sussex p 87

Order Investiture, Feb 6 p.88

Readers' Views p.90

News from Scotland - Wales p.92

Why I Joined - SJ Fellowship

SJA Music Makers p.94

Review Crossword p.96 p 93 April 1986 p.86

CENTENARY LOGO COMPETITION

WHEN THE judges for this competition entered the room at Headquarters where all the entries were laid out for examination their reaction was unanimou s - everyone who had sent in a centenary logo design should win a prize. For the response to the leaflet YOUR CHANCE TO WIN £50! which was included with the December Review was incredible. And the effort , imagination, var iet y and professionalism put into the 150 designs received were indeed staggering.

Nobody expected such a wonderful degree of creativity and it was good to see all ages had entered. Some designs were st unnin g ly beautiful others very businesslike and practical. And some were trul y entrancing. It's a shame we can 't use them all. It took the judges two-and-a-half days to make up their minds - we know National HQ are renowned for taking a long time in making decisions, but this was a very hard one which got them into quite a stew!

However, at the end of the day (or rather the third) the following was the outcome:

1st H. Ridyard , Bolton £50

2nd G. H. Bourdon, Basingstoke £25

3rd A Joiner Thornbury , Bristol £25

4th D M Kemp, London £25

The winning designs will be submitted to artwork specialists so that they can incorporate the excellent ideas into producing SJA 's Centenary logos for 1987. Thanks. everyone

The Association Branch

by ROBERT BALCHIN Director-General

DURING the last few years the role of St John Ambulance Association has changed dramatically, mainly because of the effect of the Health & Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 and subsequent amendments, and the introduction of our FA W courses to meet the requirements of the Act. At the same time we have been developing an ambitious Schools Project which involves the training of teachers in Emergency Aid and the encouragement of schoolchildren to obtain the St John Ambulance One , Two, Three Cross Award. First Aid training for the Youth Training is an important part too for our project for young people.

It is clear also that more first -aiders must be encouraged to use the services of St John Ambulance and even to join the St John Ambulance family in some kind of active service. To encourage this, we are currently developing a new Association Membership Scheme which will give the holders of the FA W certificate more benefits and a much closer contact with our organisation We very much hope that this will , in the future , provide a very v aluable resource in the Brigade recruitment programme.

and the FUTURE

If we are to attract more and more firms int o u s ing the first class courses that we offer, our public relations and our marketing and management at local level must be of the hi g he st order, and accordingly I have instigated a mana geme nt training scheme which. although in its early days at the moment, will eventually invo lve a ll County Association personnel In order to assist with these impo rta nt projects, have appointed three new Assistant Directors -Genera l w ho will eac h be responsible for a distinct area of the Association ' s expa n s ion:

Dr Anthony Blower s. CBE. will be co n cerned with the memb e r s hip and recruitment project the Rev Peter Galloway wi ll be dealing with the school and YTS programme. and Mr Mervyn Malcolm will be responsible for marketin g and management planning. Each brings his s pecial knowledge and experience to St John Ambulance. and I am sure that a ll countie will give them as much hclp and co-operation as possible when they visit during the coming year or two

THREE NEW DIRECTORS-GENERAL

Dr A. J. Blowers, CBE, JP, PhD, CBiol, MIBiol, FIMLS, MIST, FRSH

Anthony Blowers has completed nine years' service with St John Ambulance, and as well as being Assistant Director-General at HQ is also a County Staff Officer in Surrey, having previously served with the Addlestone Di v ision where he held the position of President from 1977- L984. He is employed as a psychopharmacologist in the pharmaceutical industry, and obtained his PhD at he University of Surrey.

His career s tarted with the Ministry of Agriculture, from where he moved to the Central Veterinary Laborator ies and later to Sandoz Pharmaceutical s, where he is currently working. His many attainments include Member of the Institute of Science Technology Fellow of the Royal Society of Health, Chartered Biologist and Member of the Institute of Biology. He belongs to many medical soc ietie s, including the Br itish Assoc iation for Psychopharmacology Society for the Study of Drug Addiction, Pharmaceutical Group Royal Society of Health and the National Association for Mental Health.

He is a prolific writer and has publi s hed a formidable number of works , including one on Salmonella Poisoning , the use of Pindolol , Tardive Dyskinesia and the Mentally Handicapped, Treatment & Management of Disturbed Mentally Handicapped Patients , an article on Cannibis, Care in the Community and others on Geriatric problems.

Dr Blowers has given much public service, incl uding 21 years in local government at

county and borough level , during which he chaired the Surrey Police Authority and both Cher tsey and Runnymede Councils. A Justice of the Peace , he is also a Freeman of the City of London and the Borough of Runnymede.

He currently chairs the West Surrey and North East Hamp s hi re Health Authority, and in 1985 was awarded the CBE.

Midwi ves). At the moment he is president of Entreaty International, a marketin g and financial consultancy for charities based in San Francisco. Melbourne and Exeter.

Mervyn Malcolm has been commissioned and served with both the British and Canadian Armies. th e latter with the 6th Duke of Conn aught's Royal Canadia n Hu ssa rs as Brigade Major of 20 th Canadian Armoured Brigade. He is a Comma nd er of the Order of St John.

Mervyn Malcolm has served with St John Ambulance for over 14 years, all as County Director in Devon. His business background has been entirely in the fields of international business management and marketing mainly headquartered in New York and co ve ring Europe, the Far East and South America. He was employed by Remington Rand as General Manager of Lektro Products Inc in Canada and as their European Manager. He was also marketing director of the international arm of American Home Products and international director of Doyle Dane Bernbach Inc, all of New York.

During this time he was chairman of the international group of the American Marketing Association, Director at Large for the International Advertising Association and a member of the internationa l committee of he American Advertising Agency Association. Since returning to the United Kingdom, he has been involved with severa l enterprises including St Loye 's College for Training the Disabled for Industry and Commerce , the SW Regional Health Authority, and The National Staff Committee (N urses and

The Rever e nd Peter Gal lo way, BA, was born in London. A g raduate in history of th e University of London he spent three years working in local government as an archives assistant with the City of Westminster. After being accepted for training fo r the prie st hood in the Church of Eng land h e spe nt a year working as a hospital porter at the Middle sex Hospital in London. He subseq uentl y studied theology at St Stephen's Hou se, Oxford, and was ordained by the Bishop of London in 1983. Since then h e ha s been Curate of the parish of St John' s Wood in London , on the northern s ide of R ege nt' s Park , the church standing across the road from Lord 's cricket ground. He is also a part -t ime researcher at King 's College , London, working on an aspect of the hi s tory of the nineteenthcentury Oxford Movement. His first book , a Hi s tory of the Order ofSt Patrick , was published in 1983, and he is also the author of a publication on the life of Henry Mack ay, an ear ly twentieth -century Anglican priest.

THEY FLY FOR SJA and THE SICI(

1985 saw the Air Wing receive Britain's top award from the Queen

THE YEAR 1985 will go down in the history of the Air Wing as one in which we achieved our highest honour. At a glittering gathering of member s of the Royal Aero Club held in the Great Banqueting Hall in Whitehall, the Queen accompanied by Prince Philip presented the Britannia Trophy to the St John Ambulance Air Wing This trophy, first presented in 1913 is normall y awarded annually to the British flyer for aviation acco mpli s hm en t s which, in the opinion of the Royal Aero Club, are worthy of the most meritorious performance during the preceding year. Several years have been without an award.

The citation for 1984 reads: 'St John Ambulance Air Wing. For outstanding service to humanity in transporting by ai r over 700 heart and liver transplants and accompanying medical staff by 165 vo luntary private pilots, since its inauguration in 19 72.'

The recipients of the trophy were Sqn Ldr H. G. Pattison DFC , OStJ , the Air Operations Co -ordinator, Mr W. Bailey , OStJ, a senior pilot and Mr Patrick G. Bowen, OStJ, DPA, the Senior Flight Controller. This outstanding recognition is a credit to everyone involved in the work of the Air Wing.

Over the past few years improved surgical experience and procedures, new drugs and much re sea rch , have extended the storage life of donor kidneys to a point where they can be held until a scheduled air service or other means can transport them at less expense. However , both the liver and heart transplant programmes have expanded to the extent that the majority of requests now received from the UK Transplan t Centre are for the fast transportation of specialised teams of surgeons to fly to the donor to retrieve the organ/ s and then return to a specia lis ed transplant centre for the transplant operation. In the early days of the Air Wing activities the organs had to be transp lanted with in six to eight hours, but kidneys can now be kept in store for three times that period. However the time

group.

available for the more specialised operations involving livers hearts and, more recently , heart / lungs, remains four to six hours for a liver , four hours for a heart and even less for the latest heart / lung transplants

The develo pment of contacts with Transplant Centres throughout Western Europe ha s resulted in the Air Wing flying greater distances and needing faster long range aircraft. These factors convinced the DHSS and the Civil Aviation Authority that all flights with passengers (i .e ., surgical teams and patients for urgent transplant) must be carried out in accordance with the Air Navigation Order and s ubsequent regulations. The ultimate safety of the surgeons and staff, and the question of insurance , made it essential that, despite the Air Wing's almost faultless record over 14 years of voluntary service, St John must comply with the standards set for commercial operators. Throughout 1985 negoti ations between St John Ambulance, the Civil Aviation Authority, and DHSS and existing members of the Air Wing have taken place and a new policy for operating passen ger flights has been introduced.

The Air Wing has undertaken to use only commercially licensed pilots, with full current certification to fly aircraft maintained to the Public Service category from October 1 1985.

Sadly, this has resulted in some of our long serving pilot s being no longer permitted to fly passenger flights a fact much regretted The Air Wing will continue to call upon all our former pilots for reque s ts where unaccompanied organs (k idneys and livers) are to be moved. It must be recognised that without the dedication and support given by our pilots and controllers over almost 15 years, the whole transplant service in the British Isles would have been greatly restricted. It is sincerely hoped that the support of all our volunteers will be maintained under the new procedures now imposed , and that our work will continue on an even greater scale in the years ahead.

Our achievements during the difficult year of 1985 have been quite extraordinary. The 1984 record total of 91 missions was

surpassed early in December and in the closing minutes of the old year. the 100th mission of the year was completed on December 31 1985.

It is worth recording that our missions now extend throughout Eu r ope (Berlin, Vienna, Stuttgart , Frankfurt, Innsbruck and Malmo ) and that in 1985 our aircraft flew 19 such missions and fi ve to Eire.

The team of 14 flight controllers who maintain a constant availability either at the Control Centre (a total of 2.416 hours in 1985) or in their houses has changed sl ightly with the loss of Mrs D. Fleming. after 10 years service. and Ron Crawford, who has returned to his native Scotland. Two new controllers have been trained and are now operational. Mr C. M. Jo y (Jimm y). a former Commander of the Ci vil A viation Authority Flying Unit, and Mr M. McConnell. a former RAF pilot.

Our youngest new member , Alan Cook, in his early twenties. has commenced training: this introduces the third generation of the Bowman family who have given stalwart service since 1972. Alan's Grandmother. Mrs Betty Bowman. has now controlled ove r 150 sepa r ate fl ights.

Our pilots under the guidance of Sqn Ldr H. G. Pattison have given their maximum effort. flying at short notice to far away place s often through appalling weather conditions. Without them the Air Wing could not have existed. T hey have flown. 2,815 hours covering 357.925 nautical miles (equivalent to 14 times round the world) since our inauguration in 1972. During 1985. one pi!ot. Frank Quick SBStJ. has flown 29 missions in addition to taking an extremely energetic share in the Control Room organisation and administration while Captain Eric Thurston OBE. OStJ. has been of invaluable assistance in our long negotiations with the Civil Aviation Authority.

Our finances remain in a sound nonprofit -mak ing basis. thanks entirely to the dedication of our stalwart Honorary Treasurer, Mr D. Anderson, OStJ, who has guarded our finance s continuously since our foundation in 1972

Senior Flight Call troller

Mervyn Malcolm

The Rev Peter Galloway

St John Ambulance Air Wing Booker SJA pilot

ORDER AWARDS

Life Saving Medal in Gold

Mr Rene Marc Jalbert, Sergeant-alArms, Quebec General Assembly, Quebec, Priory of Canada.

IN RECOGNITION of his great courage when, on the morning of May 8 1984, a man entered the side door of the National Assembly Building in Quebec and opened fire with a machine gun, then climbed the main staircase and entered the Assembly Chamber firing as he went. By this time Mr Jalbert had entered the room and succeeded in calming the man sufficiently to allow several people to vacate the building. He then invited the armed man to go downstairs with him to his office, thus setting himself up as a hostage by removing the gunman from the scene. There, at extreme personal risk but with unflinching authority he spent four hours trying and succeeding to persuade the gunman to surrender to the police. The audacity of this retired major of the Royal 22nd Regiment a Second World War and Korean veteran, almost certainly prevented a higher death toll than the three people killed and the 13 wounded.

Life Saving Medal in Silver

Mr Franklyn Patrick Fraser, captain of fishing boat Lorrie F of Alberton, Prince Edward Island. Canada.

On the morning of June 4 1984 a number of fi s hing boats had left Alberton harbour to go fishing , but by 0730 the seas were so rough most of them had returned.

Captain Fraser, owner of Lorrie F, had just reached the shelter of harbour when he heard on the radio that one of the vessels Just Another Boat was in trouble, so he turned his boat round and went back out to sea to help.

All attempts to get a rope to the foundering boat were unsuccessful so Captain Fraser decided to take the men off one at a time. He circled and went in but on the first attempt could not get any of the men to jump He went in again, keeping the bow of his boat into the sea because at times his propellor was out of the water, causing loss of control. Finally the sea subsided enough for one man to jump but he was only able to get a hold onto the rescuing vessel's rail but one of Captain Fraser 's crew managed to hang on to him and drag him aboard with great difficulty. Captain Fraser circled and went in again and rescued a second fisherman , but his boat soon began to hit the bottom and he was not able to turn toward s the sinking boat to rescue the third man. In a few moments Just

They were ready

AWARDS

Another Boat disappeared in the raging seas.

By his great gallantry Captain Fraser saved the lives of two fishermen who would otherwise have drowned

Mr Mark Kristen Oetter, Oiler, British Columbia Ferries, West Vancouver, Priory of Canada

In recognition of his great gallantry when he rescued a man from his burning car. He had been travelling beh ind a Volvo car owned by a Mr Annett when a s tolen Austin-Mini, which had been travelling in the wrong direction along the westbound lane of the Trans-Canada Highway , crashed into the Volvo. Mr Oetter immediately stopped his car and dashed forward to see what assistance he could give. He found that the driver of the Mini was dead, but whilst he was examining the driver of the Volvo, who had his leg s trapped and was tr ying to get out of the window, he heard another vehicle approaching at such a speed it would be unable to stop. He was forced to get out of the way. The oncoming car ran into the rear of the Volvo , rupturing its fuel tank and igniting the petrol which was spreading over the road. With no thought for his own safety, Mr Oetter again went to the Volvo and dragged the driver out of the window and over the burning fuel on the road to a safe place some distance away. Thus by Mr Oetter's persistent courage a man 's life was saved.

Mrs Catherine Anne Rolfe. member of Douglas AIN Division, Isle of Man.

In recognition of her great courage and professionalism under very dangerous conditions at the I s le of Man T.T. race s when on Tuesday July 9 1985 Mrs Ro lfe was on duty near the Stadium Bend It was here a motorbike and sidecar crashed and she had to run up the course facing oncoming machines approaching at 100 mph to attend the casualties. She quickly realised that one of the men was severely injured, with a double fracture of the lower leg, and stayed to reassure him until the doctor arrived. She then helped the doctor to give an injection and get the injured man into the ambulance

Later that day a more serious accident occurred at the same place and Mrs Rolfe had to run to the scene with oncoming machines now racing at even greater speeds. A severely injured rider lay in the middle of the course with machines

passing on either s ide but with comp let e di s regard for her own safety Mr s Rolfe proceeded to g ive prompt a nd effective first aid. She d ia gnosed s evere back injuries a nd , in spite of ur g in gs of onlookers refu sed to move the casualty until the doctor arrived It was ater confirmed by the doctor that thi s man would ha ve had to spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair if he had been moved with such severe injuri es to his sp in e.

Mr John D. Woodhouse, Security Guard, Edmonton, Alberta, Priory of Canada.

In recogni tion of his great courage when he rescued a driver from a blazing car in the ea rl y hours of February 3 1985. Mr Woodhouse had just completed his secu rity rounds when he noticed flames coming from the road as a result of a two-car collision The rear and back seat of o ne car were completely ablaze, while the front passen ge r seat was just beginning to flare up. Armed with a fire extinguisher , h e approached the ca r and through the thick s moke he could see someone trying to open a jammed door. Smashin g the door window with the fire ext in guisher, he reached inside and unsuccessfully tried to open the door. He emptied the contents of the extinguisher on to the blaze and tried once more to drag th e man out. but a s udden flare up of flames through the window drove him back. But at great risk to hi s own life he finally s u cceeded n dragging the driver to safety. The entire vehicle was now on fire and if it had not been for t he courage and persistence of Mr Woodhouse the man inside would have been burnt alive.

Life Saving Medal in Bronze

Mr Christopher Daniel Murphy, Fisherman, Alberton, Prince Edward Island, Canada.

In recognition of his great courage in goi ng with his captain to the re scue of fe llow fishermen at the risk of h is own life. On the morn ing of June 4 1984 a number of fishing boat s had left Alberton Harbour but by 07 30 the seas were so rough they returned to the ir base. However, a call came in over t he radio that the vessel Just A not her Boat was in trouble in the rough seas and Mr Murphy went wi th hi s ca pt ain to assist in the re sc ue of the crew. It was on the second attempt to get close to the vessel that one

January 1 to December 31 1985

man dared to jump but he could only get a hold on the boat.

Mr Murphy managed to han g on to him until the seas abated a littl e and he and the captai n managed to pull h im aboard.

Circ ing a third time a second man was rescued, but then the rescue boat began to pound the bottom an d they were unable to attempt to re scue the captain of Just A nolher Boat before it sank, and no trace was found of him.

Mr John Malcolm Weeks, captain of the Fishing Boat Miss Linda II, Alberton, Prince Edward Island, Priory of Canada; and Mr Ernest Joseph Myers, second man in the boat.

In recognition of the g reat courage of these two men who went to rescue fellow fishermen at the risk of their own lives.

Captain Weeks and Ernest Myers were waiting in their boat Miss Linda II just outside the harbour on the morning of June 4 1984 to return to shelter from the storm which was now raging. Ahead of them was the Mist)' Maiden If, which s uddenly climbed a huge wave and then disappeared. When the sea broke Misty Maiden II was see n upside down , with only her bottom s howing. At full throttle Captain Weeks went towa rd s the stricken boat, in spite of the floating nets around her, and found a man h angi n g on to the hull. Ernest Myers threw a line to the man several times before he caught it and was hauled, aboard. They then searched for the boat's captain but no trace was found of him.

Mr Gordon Giesbrecht, Occupation unknown, Prespatou, British Columbia, Canada.

In recognition of his courage and prompt action in saving the lives of two people from a cras hed plane on the morning of August 22 1984. Mr Giesbrecht immediately ran towards the plane shouting for the couple to get out as he could see smoke under it. As he was helping the woman to climb from the plane fuel fumes burst into fire. He then had to reach through the fire and drag out the pilot , whose foot was trapped behind controls. He made sure the casualties were a safe distance from the aircraft before he phoned for an ambulance. Within moments the plane was destroyed by fire and it is certain that the pilot would have been burnt in the flames if he had not been rescued by Mr Giesbrecht.

Mr Jean Pierre Sidaner, Transport Member, St John Ambulance, Guernsey.

In recognition of his great courage on the afternoon of May 25 1985 when he a nd a fellow SJA Transport Manager answered an emergency call of: 'Man fa llen onto rocks '. Leaving his colleague with the ambulance, Mr Sidaner was led by member s of the public t.o the cliffs where the accident had occurred. The casualty was in a ve r y inaccessible gulley at the bottom of the cliffs.

He radioed to his colleague to alert the Cliff Rescue Team , but two friends of the casualty were getting very concerned about the condition of their friend Philip Hughes, 14 who was losing a lot of blood and hardly able to breathe. So Mr Sidaner decided to climb down to him. Leaving his walkie-talkie and first aid satchel with a member of the public, who agreed to keep in contact with the a mbul ance and th row down the satchel when required, he made several attempts to climb down the cliff. But they all failed , so he finally tried to get to the patient by water. He climbed down the cliff further along the coast and then jumped the fin a l 10ft nto the sea. From there he swam 50 yards around the rocks and then managed to climb up slippery rocks to reach the casualty , whom he found to be unconscious and showing signs of distressed breathing. Having called for and got his satchel from the top of the cliffs , Mr Sidaner cleared the casualty 's airway and cut free the tight clothing round his neck to help him breathe more easily. On taking stock of the very severe injuries Mr Sidaner shouted up to the lady with his walkie-talkie to call for a doctor, who arrived soon afterwards by inshore lifeboat. Mr Sidaner, still in his wet clothes, helped to tend the boy until he reached the hospital.

Certificate of Honour

Miss Cheral Appleby, Member-in-Charge, North Warwick Cadet Division.

In recognition of her great gallantry in saving the life of a road accident victim on the night of July 27 1985, when she was driving home in the pouring rain. The side of the man 's car had been ripped off and he had severe bleeding from cuts in his arm. While Cheral was putting an improvised tourniquet on his arm to control the bleedin g, his breathing became worse and she had to remove his false teeth and clear blood from his throat.

It was raining heavily and she was very wet, but she stayed with the driver until the police and an ambulance arrived to take him

to hospital. At the request of the police s he went to the casualty S h ome and informed the baby-sitter what had happened. Her care and attention to the injured man certainly saved his ife.

ASSOCIATION AWARDS

Meritorious First Aid Certificate

Mr Keith Ball Perranporth , Cornwall

Miss Marianne McMillian, Lancashire

Mr Alan Kendle, Essex

Mrs Judith Ann Ellis, Huddersfield W. Yorks

Mr Graham Aylott, Colchester

Mr Gerrard Richard Armitage, Staff Nurse, Leeds

Mr Alan Lomas, Stoke -o n -Trent Constable Andrew Kirkland, Staffordshire Police, Southern Traffic Group.

Mr David Edwin Causon, Fireman , Avon

Miss Susan Drewell, Chelmsford , Essex Special Constable Clive Reginald Poole, Essex Police

Sergeant Peter Ian Parkman Essex PoLice P.C. David Hudson, Traffic Officer

W Yorks Metropolitan Police

Mrs Muriel Oliver , Featherstone. W. Yorkshire Police Acting Sergeant Henry, F. Sunderland Division. Police Constable McCabe, F. Sunderland Division

BRIGADE

Australia Bound!

Ten cadets from Devon and Sussex set off for a , dream' trip to the other side of the world

ON FRIDAY December 27 the two winning teams from the 1985 Brigade Finals Competition (Ringmer Combined and Newton Abbot Nursing Cadet teams) and myself excitedly set off for the first Commonwealth Cadet Competitions which were to be held at an International Camp in Adelaide, South Australia.

After a long flight (with a refuelling stop at Abu Dhabi) we landed at Singapore to learn it was 3.15 p m. Dec. 28. We had lost eight hours already!

Our St lohn hosts for our two-day stop-over on the island of Singapore were waiting for us. They kindly transported us to the YMCA where we were to stay overnight: a large modern building with 221 rooms , each with private bathroom, colour tele v ision and air-conditioning. There was also a gym, sauna and swimming pool. The only thing we couldn't find was the dining room or restaurant. But we soon found an entrance to MacDonalds by the reception desk!

After a welcome phone call from Haji Siraj de S lv a , Executive Director of Singapore's St lohn Council , we discovered that the YMCA is in the main shopping street and the shops are open until 10 p.m!

After breakfast at MacDonalds the next morning we were collected at 8 a.m. sharp by Haji de Silva to take us on a tour of the island. First stop was Parliament Square , followed by a short walk to the riverside from where we saw modern skyscrapers mingling with old Chinatown and the famous iro n bridge across the river. We then went to Chinatown proper where everything was very cramped with open drains in the street, and a dreadful smell. One house was

decorated as a death house and we learned that families hire professional mourners to sit weeping in the street with photographs of the deceased. While we were in the area we visited an Indian temple which had intricate decorations and statues of animals.

Next stop was one of the cable car stations and a marvellous panoramic view of Singapore. We heard how a ship's mast had dislodged one of the cars sending four people to their deaths. After a vote we decided that a ride in a cable car was an opportunity too good to miss. So after checking tra ve l insurance details we went to a different cable car station for a ride to Sentosa on the south of the island.

After a brief look around Sentosa we took the cable car back and then headed west to Tiger Balm Gardens. This is a large park featuring a series of larger -than-life statues of famous Chinese characters and stories. It was here we encountered snake charmers. Three of our girls were brave enough to be photographed with a large snake. The y were then charged $10 to have it removed from their shoulders and were presented with a free snake charmer's music maker.

We then went in search of lunch , to be hosted by Singapore St John , and ended up at MacDonalds. Next stop was to the far north of the island, to view Malaysia , followed by a visit to the cemetery to see the British war graves and gardens. Going south aga in, we were about to visit a Chinese temple when we discovered three of our party had fallen asleep. Instead we visited the St John Headquarters for welcome refreshments and a tour of the building. Next we visited a Chinese and then a Siamese temple,

Heid Cuming and Nicola Evans, both Devon cadets, with friend in Singapore's Tiger Balm Gardens.

which housed the big gest idol we'd ever seen. We just had time to briefly stop at Raffle s Hotel for photographs, before he a din g back to the YMCA. We had one hour to change and pack before headin g for the airport.

Singapore airport is very large and modern and we just had time for a brief look around before being called for our fli g ht.

Julie Salter from Devon had her birthda y curtailed as we put our watches fo rward another three hour s fo r the journ ey to Sydney. We landed at Sydney at 7 a.m. on December 30, where we were sp rayed and completed the immi grat ion procedur e. We then left for a two - hour flight to Adelaide, where we put our watches back half-a n- hou r. By now we had completely lost track of what time or what day it was! We finally landed at Adelaide at 10 a.m. on December 30.

St John members met us and immediately took u s to the camp at Woodside. in the hills outside Adelaide. On the journey we n ot iced the damage ca u ed by the bush fires in 1984. The camp itself was very isolated a nd in a hilly area. With just one hour before lunch, we had to quickly unpa ck and co llec t bedding. which meant a walk up and down 'car diac hill' (a steep incline we were to become very familiar with).

Although our cadets were not wildly enthusiastic abo ut the black and white tracksuits tee -s hirt s and baseball cap provided for r ave llin g, the outfits quickly became a hit with the Australians. Within half-an -hour of arriving our Brunei Beard had swopped his baseball cap for a miner 's helmet!

After lun c h we visited the nearby to wn of Stirljng to change traveller's cheques and arrived back at camp to find we had ju st 20 minute s to appear in uniform fo r the opening ceremon y. I was surprised to note that every State seemed to ha ve a completely different SJA uniform. For some reason everyone was fascinated by my uniform hat. After marching in a parade up and down 'cardiac hill ,' unfurlin g flags, ge tting changed, attending a briefing (a nother trip up 'cardiac hill '), eating (and back agai n) , attending a programme meeting ( up again!), phoning England (a nd back again), I finally retired for the night - but not before dealing with o ne misplaced passport and broken suitcase

The cadets had a wide choice of activitie s to enrol for at camp includin g swimm in g, canoeing, archery, casualty sim ulation a nd a very tough assault course. Also available was a selection of optional v isits (to a wildlife park shopping, bowling, ice s kating , etc). On three days the whole camp would undertake three separate trip s. Tuesday afternoon I visited so me of our group attacking Challenge Hill the dreaded assault course. This was a heavily wooded hill with various obstacles to encounter on the way up and down. The course took 1+ hours to complete New Year 's Eve was spent outdoors with everyone huddled in blankets. At four minutes to 12 there was panic stations', as an announcement was made requesting

volunteers to help with a major disaster in Adelaide. There was rioting at a firework display to celebrate 150 years of South Australia. At 10.30 a.m. the following morning we celebrated our New Year. There was great excitement when we learned that one of the Fiji contingent, Mrs Maika Shah, had been awarded the MBE in the New Year 's honours

The following morning there was an early photo call at 7.30 for the local press. We then se t off on the first of the three organised trips. After a two-hour drive we arrived at cold and windy Victor Harbour, where we wa lked across to Granite Island in search of penguins. After a short cable-car ride and much searching, the penguins were nowhere to be found. However, we did photograph our first wallabies and even spotted camels giving rides on the beach! Next stop was Greenhill Park where we found golf, go-ka rt s, BMX, water s lide s, etc. On the way back to camp, we visited Noarlunga Ambulance Centre.

[n South Australia St John Ambulance runs the ambulance service. Professional , paid ambu lance personnel are on duty from 9 a .m until 5 p.m. Monday to Friday. Eve ning s, nights and weekends are covere d by the volunteers, who all undertake a special course before volunteering for ambulance duty.

The next day I joined two of the volunta ry trips. In the morning we visited Hahndorf, the oldest surviving German sett lem ent in Australia. In the afternoon we went to

Cleland Conservation Park where you could have your photograph taken cuddling a koala bea r and wander among the emus and kangaroos.

On Saturday January 4 Major General P. Falkland, the Chief Commissioner , arrived and presented each overseas vis itor with a sma ll brooch. This was the day of the A ustralian Cadet Competitions, held by tradition at the annual camp.

[n Australia cadets can compete in competitions up to the age of 18 years old, in teams of three and complete two team tests, one using improvised materials, the other a standard first aid kit. There is a separate competition for indi viduals, who also complete two tests on the same lines. There is also an individual competition for cadet leader s (aged 18 plu s who have no t yet transferred to adult divisions). Each State nominate s a 'tea m manager' (us uall y a District Staff Officer Cadets) who look after the competititors accompany them into isolation and lead them int o the presentation. It was interesting to note that Patient Care (nursing) was to a certain extent included in the team test.

All the tests were held out of doors, with competitors coming out of isolation to compete and then bein g returned to isolation before being called for their se cond test. They were then returned to isolation until the

(Left)

Many of the Australian cadets were under canvas.

presentation. No competitor ever saw another compete or any othe r part of the competitions.

All competito r s received an award from their Chief Commi ss ioner, and the four trophies were awarded for the team. individual, cadet leader and State with the best results.

Sunday January 5 was the day for the District Staff Officers (Cadets) conference. This, too , is held by tradition at the annual camp, when all senior cadet staff are gathered together. It is A ust ralian polic y for a District Staff Officer (Cade ts) to hold the appointment for s ix yea rs only.

It was interesting to note that many States only accept recruit s at the beginning of each year and potential recruits join a waiting list until then. All the officers felt ve ry strongly that cadet service should count in full towards the Service Medal.

The Lunatic' posters issued in Britain recently proved ve ry popular here and had been adopted for their annual appeal.

Apparently the Sovereign' s Award had been approved by the Chancellor and they were in the process of adapting the forms received from Britain. The first branch of (he Australian Fellowship was in the process of being formed.

That evening we all attended the camp se r vice held out of doors. The highlight for u s was when Karen Saunder s read one of the lesson s and recei ved a round of applause!

continued on p.89

Headquarters of the camp outside Adelaide. (Right)

(Below) The youngest of the UK cadets, 12-year-old Brunei Bea rd, from Sussex, on the assault course. (Right) The winning team from Ringmer Sussex, w th South Australia 's Lynette Dansie

T

many things for love and money Things haven't changed a bit , have they? It was not Black Adder striking again in SJA Lincs , but the Black Knight in a mood of generosity, albeit with conditions , Throughout the year Peterborough Medieval Society organises jousts and other activities not only to raise funds but also to enjoy themselves Sensible people. The profits go to charity. A Lincs SJA member has a contact in the Society, and as a result I received a phone call asking what I would buy if I were given £300. A new resuscitation dummy, r e plied. 'W hy? ' The Medieval Society has chosen us as their beneficiary for 1985: replied Bob Barnes 'b.ut they would like to know how the mone; will be spent. And the only condition is that I have got to dress up and attend the annual banquet.' The thought of the caller 's le gs encased in black tights was amusing to contemplate.

The banquet, held in January meant a merry and enjoyable evening, with plenty of grub and quaffs fo r all. The falcon present (a real one) tried to devour SJA's cheque!

Priest ley (18), and Hazel Priestley (16).

continued as a lecturer for a pharmaceut ical company. Meeting people has been the most pleasurable aspect of her work. We're sure all counties will be looking forward to meeting Anne, when she calls to discuss and help introduce the Sch ools Project.

TV AND RADIO

The Chief Commander has written to all counties: As yo u are well aware, we are doing much at present to improve the public awarenes s of St John Ambulance. The Director of Information, Lt Col John Mills, ha s identified an aspect of TV and radio which is little u sed at the moment, and I feel the sooner we get into it the better. Regional television and local radio stations throughout the country frequently have quer es or require people to talk or comment on first aid matt ers. Very few of these stations ha ve a definite contact in the first aid fie ld I would like to make them immediately turn to us.

And (r ight the 4th mem ber of the SJA Pri est ey family from Seft o n (Mum is Pam ASO cadets), 11-year-o ld Jill also won fir st prize in an Association competi tion to find a mascot to represent the Area. (P hoto: Gordon Whiting).

I would be grateful if you wou ld give your s upp ort to Lt Col Mills who wi ll s h ort ly be contacti n g you with detai ls of this project, and in particular asking for your assistance in identifying those to be the first aid spokespeople for the TV and radio stations covering your county area.

DISABLED GUIDE

The latest edition of the Automobile Association's authoritative guide for disabled motorists -a imed at helping those of all ages and with all types of disability, travelling both in Britain and abroad - is now available.

The 140 page AA Travellers Guide for the Disab led lists, in county order, more than 400 suitable hotels, guesthouses, inns and other accommodation suitable for those confined to wheelchairs , plus over 180 suitab le for dining only. As wel l as basic information, including

listings of accessible public toilet facilities, country parks and picnic sites, it also includes six European tours suitable for handicapped people. The most adventurous trip is a 2, 561 mile journey taking in Lucerne Rome and Monte Carlo.

In all. there are 14 sections, containing legal advice, details of motoring legislation , allowances and exemptions affecting the handicapped, even adventure centres which cater for disabled people and their families.

The Guide is available to members free of charge at AA centres and on sale at most good bookshops price £2.25

DISABLED VISITORS

Stannah Lifts of Andover Britain ' s leading manufacturers of lifts for elderly and handicapped people have sponsored the latest edition of the booklet 'Providing for Disabled Visitors'.

The publication aims to encourage hotel and guest house proprietors to open their

Prize winning letters of 1985

THE REVIEW Board s selectio n of best letters published during 1985 are: 1st (£20) Officer Training from % John H. Hill of Thrapston (Jan); 2nd (£10) AIDS from Area Supt S. Nicholson of Bedford (Nov); 3rd (£5) Not a Rotten Lot from Mrs R. M. Harrod of Birmingham (Sept).

doors to the large market of disabled people and their families. It shows how disabled visitors can be welcomed anywhere by first giving careful thought to access. Where necessary, adaptations to existing buildings can be made , sometimes at little or minimum expense.

Many hotel vlSltors prefer to travel between Boors via a lift rather than stairs. This applies not only to the elderly or disabled , but equally to those people with luggage or young children and perhaps a pram or pushchair Stannah Lifts chose to

SJA Bridlington was the charity of the own s Boots Chemist for 1985 and the manager Mr Bough , hands a cheque for £400 to representatives of the D i visions. Photo: Bridlington Free Press)

sponsor Providing for Disabled Visitors' because they aim to make life better for everyone through their wide range of thoughtfully designed lifts. Commercial passengers lifts with capacities from four to 26 people come with special options such as wide doors and low level controls for easy access by wheelchair-bound travellers. Large push buttons can be provided for arthritic fingers. Braille controls and voice synthesizers help the visually handicapped Smaller hotels and guest houses will particularly welcome Homelift. This lift with 2 or 4 person capacity, needs no load bearing wall or support shaft. Being free standing, it easily fits into stairwells. Entrances can be on up to three different faces so the lift copes easily with the constraints of existing architecture.

The booklet. with a foreword by Prince Charles, is available free from Abucon 15 I Ashley Gardens, London SW I. It contains some lovely cartoons.

Berwick-on-Tweed Division receive a cheque for £2 , 500 from Bob Armstrong manager of Polychrome towards a new ambulance Dr F. Constable County Commissioner receives the money

Meet he SJA brains team from Sefton (below ), who WOI'l the general knowledge knockout quiz for yout h organisation teams in the area. They are (left to right) David Prie stley (1 5 ), Shelanne Newe ( 15 ), Richard

Farewell to Dr an d Mrs R Cutcliffe (3rd and 4th from left), County S ur geon and President Waterloo Division, from M erseyside staff on their retirement to Hereford.

byJIM

True story

A GROUP of cadets in their first competition won. Everyone was delighted. The local press was phoned , and they came on Monday night and took a photo.

On Wednesday each cadet was called from their class and told to report to the Head (all four went to the same school). So each went to his study wondering what they had done wrong.

On arrival they found their cadet team-mates. The Head called them in and showed the photo in the paper , to say he was over the moon Next morning he had the team on stage during assembly, and made the cadets 10 the hall stand up in their places.

Do you let your Headmaster know what his pupils get up to?

Do you send him a copy of your newsletter?

Do you invite him to your open night?

Do :(ou write to him, each year telling him which pupils of his are cadets?

(I know that 1 learned something when this happ ened to me.)

Silly game (Best played by 6-8 people).

Fill a bowl with flour and turn it on to a plate. Remove bowl. On top of flour place a nng.

First per so n cuts away section of flour. Second. and so on do the same, until ring drops IOta the flour. Person then leans forward and picks up ring with teeth (and collects face of flour at the same time).

More ideas for your Bazaars

One of our Dads collects ends of wood (about 4 inchs long) and cuts them in half. They are then cleaned and passed to another supporter who turns them into doorstops. A small design is drawn on each or some wording. They are then returned to our first He drills a hole through the side.

A cord IS passed through and tied They are then varnished, and ready to sell.

This started as a small item at our Spring Fayre. We now ha ve people ordering them. We also get people asking for their own designs.

Ask friends and members to collect commemorative and foreign stamps. These can then be sorted out in bundles of 25. Put 10 a small plastic bag with a little bit of coloured card. A printed label is then placed across the top. These can be sold at your fayres and bazaars, as well as on duty. Sell at 5p to 25p.

Find out if the local pub will help you run a:

- Yard of Ale contest - Barrel Lifting Contest - Darts Match

Have you ever of taking your cadets brass rubblOg, J bowling, ice-skating, to the local practtce ski-slope, to a TV or radio show.

Have you ever thought of

Asking the Casualties Union to give a talk on makeup, dealing with reaction to handling, types of breathing , etc?

Then at the end of the talk and the Cadets think finished throw' an epileptic fit.

Holdmg an exercise for your cadets in local factories, youth clubs, park buildings at local scout camp, in pubs ' (not during opemng hours), colleges, etc.

Having an improvised stretc her race M.ake sure you have plenty of brooms cnck.et bats , old coats, ties, stockings, string, plastIC bags , etc. When teams have made stretchers, make them carry each other on them.

your cadets a 'questionnaire'

(Witho ut names on). Try questions like:

Why do I like St lohn?

What don t I like?

What do you think of drill?

What else would you li ke to do?

What badge subject would you like to do?

What new badges would you like ?

Angela Thorne (granddaughter). Lin da

Bennett and Tracey Goater) was blessed.

Asking your teams to prepare a taped They could includ e music, interViews local news, etc,

This pro)ect could be carried out during a school holiday. You could even ask if the local hospital wants to pla y them if they come up to standard.

When sending Divi s ional news to the local press, do you also end a copy to the local 'talklllg newspaper' for blind people?

Glvlllg each cadet a 's tandard' size match box and telling them. to return the following week With as man y Item s as po ss ible in the box. It shou ld ran ge between 65-90.

Try to arrange for your cadets to visit the local Ca s ualty Department in small groups. This will help th e cadets understand what happens when they send a casualty to hospital.

Do your cadets go on duty at the local hospItal? If so , why not ask the sister on their ward to visit. you and talk about why she started nur S1l1 g and how s he like s on her ward. And don't forget to IllVlte her to your open night.

Having a talk from the blood tran sfusion service. This can nclude how to take a sample , blood groups, and why blood clots.

Making more use of yo ur Mum s and Dads. One of them might be able to give a short talk on hi S Job; or telling some of the silly things that have happened to them during their work.

Why don 't you hold a Di visional swimming group. We d id this when I was at cadet age every Sunday morning. So much fun was had, and even non -sw immers cam e along for a splash!

Asking your cadets what they remember most as cadets. You may get some answers like we did'

on duty

local firm' s Christmas party who put a sling on a womble!

(2) Or the day we were travelling to regional competitions in a coach when the boys in the back seat 'made' guns with their hands and started shooting at the armoured car behind us. To their surprise, the crew of the armoured car started shooting back

(3) Or the cadet on a visit to a bakery who put on a white coat and hat and said 'This is just like Jim 'lI Fix if."

Showing yo ur cadets how to us e an inca pad as a dress ing.

Spending an hour talking on ·splints'. We have wooden, inflatable ladder. Why not talk which you would use and why? ome time on 'releasing casualtIes: (I) from under cars; (2) on top of gym eq uipment,: (3) from in si de cars; (4) astride a motorbike.

Finding out if one of yo ur Dads or adult members can fix up a set of buzzers and li ghts, so that the next quiz you hold will be 'just lik e on telly'.

Contacting the local Assoc ation groups (e.g., police: brewers, gas board, etc.) and uSIng their members as casualties. They may also be able to offer you help in other ways, such as using their buildings for competition training, etc.

(Below) Romford nursing cadets (and Shep who s often used as a casualty) with heir haul of troph ies for 1985 including (for the 6th year) the Area Efficiency Cup. DI S Mrs Lynn Lowe is delighted

Cade ts of Ashbourne (Derbyshire) Quad Division which was formed in 1980 at their presen at ion evening. Best all-round cadet was Donna Allsopp and best nur sing cadet

Rachel Br ttan. Best ambulance cadet was, jointly, Robe rt Purdy and Andrew Ball.

(Above) At Lo ndon's oldest nursing cadet division, Wemb ey, the 60th anniversary evening included presentations. Here

Justine Raison received her Grand Prior 's award from Dr C. Seccombe Area Commissioner. ( Below) London Commissioner John Gerrard cut the birthday cake.

(I)

(Right) WIRRAL : Gregan

Laite who

CHAMPIONS OFTHE CROSS

Written and

illustrated

by Hugh A. R. Edgell, Assistant Chaplain of the Order

Part 4

AS BOTH Hospitallers and Templars were monastic orders, their daily lives in their headquarters in Jerusalem, and in the Priories and lesser houses in Europe, were centred on the monastic hours of worship. In the headquarters there were always large numbers of knights and other members to observe the Rule. In the smaller houses there might be only a handful - the knight , or senior brother in charge; one or two other brothers; the chaplain; perhaps a novice and the servants. Yet everywhere the Rule was strictly followed.

Rising just before midnight, the members assembled in the chapel for the offices of matins and lauds. After a few hours sleep, they were called again at dawn for the office of prime , and their day began. After a light breakfast they attended the daily mass. The rest of the morning was taken up with administrative duties discussions on a variety of subjects, and other necessary business. At midday there was another office (sexte) and this was followed by lunch, during which silence was maintained, and some spiritual book was read to them After that the brothers were allowed to enjoy an hour s rest in the dormitory , and this was followed by the office of none. Unlike other monks, who devoted much of their time to manual work in the gardens, or in copying and illuminating manuscripts , the orders spent their afternoons in military activitieshorsemanship, weapon training, studying mining techniques, and physical training. A brief pause was allowed for refreshment afterwards, but baths were not permitted. The office of vespers followed in the late afternoon, and then the members gathered in the refectory for supper. The meal was followed by readings from the scriptures or other spiritual books, and after the office of compline , the brothers retired to an early bed. It was a full day, emphasising the dual roles as monks and soldiers.

Discipline was severe. For minor offences a bread and water diet was the usual punishment but for persistent offenders the Septaine was inflicted - seven days of fasting , including flogging. An even harsher form was the Quarantaine' or forty-day punishment. Some offences however, were unpardonable - those found guilty of heresy, desertion to the enemy, or of killing a fellow Christian, were stripped of their habits, and expelled from the Order for ever.

Templars and Hospitallers

As we have seen the Hospitallers of St John were granted official recognition as early as 1113, but this applied only to their work in the Hostel, caring for the wounded, the sick, and the pilgrims. Their Grand Master Raymond du Puy introduced Military Brethren for the defence of pilgrims and property in 1125, but it was not until 1206 that they were officially recognised as part of the Order 's strength.

The Templars, on the other hand were

THIS is the story of two of the great Military Orders which were part of the everyday scene in Mediaeval Europe and the Middle East. Many towns and villages in Britain also bear witness to their influences on local life. The Order of S( John was founded to provide carefor pilgrims to the Ho(y Land and the Poor Knights of Christ (The Templars) to give protection to pilgrims on their dangerous joumeys. Both of these Orders were to develop far beyond the visions of their founders. Within afew years, monks and fighting mefl had become one and the same. wielding immense military and political power in the Holy Land and throughout Europe. Within two centuries one of the Orders was to disappear under a cloud of suspicion and disapproval. The other was to survive to the present day and in the process £urnfull circle

in the Orders.

Everyday

dedicated to military operations from the day that Hugh de Payens first ga thered his small band of knights together. In 1128 they were granted a Rule by the Council of Troyes. Thus the Templars became the first of the Military Orders, and it was their 'Rule' that formed the basis for the later military branch of the Order of St John.

The supreme head of both Orders was the Pope, and it was to him alone that they owed their allegiance. The new Kingdom of Jerusalem frequently found this a source of embarrassment, as the interests of th e Kingdom clashed with the intere s ts of th e Pope and the Orders The situation becam e so bad at times that it seemed as though there were three Kingdoms instead of onethe Kingdom of Jerusalem, the Templar s , and the Hospitallers.

As the influence of the Military Order s developed, so they became more and more involved in the political life of the Kingdom Their knights provided the only stable military forces, and their support was constantly being sought by one fact io n or another in the political plotting and counter-plotting that marked the whole brief history of the Kingdom of Jerusalem Even the orders themselves were usually at variance O f the two orders, it was the Hospitallers who were to become the largest numerically and the wealthiest, but it was the Templars who established themsel ves in the financial world, and became the 'Bankers' in both Europe and the East. A 'c heque ' drawn on a Templar 'Bank' was honoured anywhere.

As the twelfth century progressed the power of the orders increased. They were engaged in almost every campaign against the Muslim enemy, and involved in almost every political squabble that arose. Both orders had developed far beyond the visions of their founders.

During the last quarter of the twelfth

century there was one knight whose personal crusade against the Muslims was a by -word even in his own lifetime His independent 'war' was ultimately to lead to the downfall of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, and the eventual destruction of much of the work of the Military Orders. Reynald de Chatillon was Lord of the Castle of Kerak to the south-east of the Dead Sea. The castle was virtually impregnable, and provided a use f ul base for raid s on Muslim caravans tra velli n g from Arabia to Damascus in the north. The commander of t he Muslim forces at this period was the famous Saladin 'King' of Egypt and Syria.

In 1 182 , Reynald planned his most ambitious expedition. Building a Aeet of galleys, he sai led down the Red Sea , sacking Muslim ports and c reating havoc among their shipping. His ambit ion was to destroy the most Holy City of Islam - Mecca. At first all went according to plan. Several ports were destroyed, and shippi n g sunk, including a ship full of pilgrims. This was more than Saladin could to lerate and he swore vengeance on the infidels' and on Reynald de Chatillon in particular. The expedition was eventually destroyed, but Reynald escaped. In November , 1183, Saladin besieged Kerak but was unab le to take it. His revenge would have to wait, for other danger s threatened. Bad harvests had created a serio u s danger of famine for both Christians and Muslims a nd in March 1 18 5 Saladin and the King of Jerusalem agreed to a four-year truce. Trade between the Kingdom and it s Muslim neighbours improved, corn was imported to save the people from starvation, and apart from the occasional sk irmish, the land was at peace. But Reynald de Chatillon was a law unto himself.

Early in 11 87, Reynald decided to attack a large Muslim caravan passing through his lands. The defenceless mer chants , their wives and families , and their merchandise, were captured and taken to Kerak. Saladin was furious at this Aagrant breach of the truce, and demanded that all prisoners should be released and compensation paid for the goods taken. Reynald refused in spite of urgent entreaties from the King of Jerusalem. The truce had been broken, and now a full - scale war was inevitable.

This book can be ob tain ed price £2 a copy plus 34p pas/age from S/ John Ambu lance HQ 59 King Street , Norwich NRJ lPH.

hasty move towards either terminating a particular decoration or medal, or ceasing to make certain awards. Thus, while new conditions may result in the creation of new decorations, such as the George Cross (GC) and George Medal in 1940 and the Queen 's Gallantry Medal in 1974 , earlier awards such as the Albert Medal (AM) for bravery at sea and the Edward Medal (EM) for the mines , ceased gradually to be so awarded. Until 1940 the foremost civil award for bravery was the British Empire Medal for Gallantry (EGM). The earlier decorations were later gradually s uper se ded by the George Cross (and were indeed ofRcially exchanged for it). This is now the highest decoration for ga llantry , other than the Victoria Cross (VC) which is for military valour in the face of the enemy. The Edward Medal is now only awarded posthumously. Other decorations wh ich are only awarded posthumously are the Queen's Police Medal for Gallantry and the Queen s Fire Services Medal for Gallantry. At the same time , the British Empi re Medal Aourished still in the absence of the Empire and the Queen's Police Medal for Distinguished Service (QPM) and the Queen s Fire Services Medal for Distinguished Service (QFSM) are well known.

The Africa General Service Medal, last used in 1908 in King Edward VII's day, was sudde nl y revived in 1955 by Queen Elizabet h II for the Kenya campaign. Some other medals , lik e old soldiers , just fade away because either the purpose s for which they were created have ceased to prevail or preference has turned to other medals. We seldom hear of the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal (CGM) these days, yet the sailors and airmen for whom the medals stand continue to perform gallant deeds. How rare are medals of the 19 14-18 War, because the veterans themselves are now few in number, even among the Che lsea Pensioners I

In recent years, too we have seen two illustrious Orders fade into oblivion when their last surviving holders passed away. The Order of St Patrick (KP) , one of our three primary orders of chivalry, was last held by the late Duke of Windsor ; the Royal Order of Victoria and Albert (V A) ceased when Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone, died.

During the 1939-45 War two medals were specially created in order to recognise great service to this country by foreigners. King George VI awarded the first Medal for Service in the Cause of Freedom to Mr Winthrop Aldrich for his work in the United States with the British War Relief Society and to other foreigners who had contributed significant services to the Allied cause. The Medal for Courage in the Cause of Freedom was similarly awarded to foreigners who had been instrumental in helping escaped prisoners of war and aircrew and for similar dangerous acts e ntailing risk to their own lives.

award of an order, decoration or medal has its abstract place, a few practical benefit s do accrue here and there. We are all aware that certain honour s bring with them a title or permission to use letter s after the name , others bring a small annuity to the recipient , but this is very seldom the case. Holders of the Victoria Cross and the George Cross, for example, receive £100 per annum. This is really a nominal sum these days (for it is not index linked!) but did mean somet hing more substantial perhaps in the days when the VC was young and the annuity was £IO!

Then, for some State appointments, job candidates have to show that they hold a certain minimum number of war medals or a long service medal or both. Generally speaking, however, our decorations and medals are the reward in themselves bringing no bounty save the satisfaction of having been recognised. Even this system has its obvious limitations, for not always are the fine deeds or good works performed in front of witnesses who can testify later and help build a citation; good fortu n e must play its part.

Unofficial Medals

As mentioned briefly in an earlier article, in addition to the official awards by the Crown certain medals for saving life are bestowed by some distinguished societies and these are permitted to be worn. Such medals, known loosely as recognised UNOFFICIAL MEDALS, are as follows:

Medal of the Royal National Life -Boat Institution

St John of Jerusalem Life Saving Medal Stanhope Gold Medal of the Ro y al

AS I SAID last month, there are no automatic awards, per se; all are subject to qualification and recommendation. Thus, an over eager zealot is effectively prevented from contriving to collect for himself a plethora of entitled medals! The recommending authority has to make specific citations or, in the case of war medals,

provide nominal rolls of those having served and who are recommended to receive medals These limitations are subject to review at several stages and may well be considered in a higher office where perhaps a broader view may be taken, until a certain award is agreed and approved. Tradition tends to effect restraint on any

Medals, even campaign medals, can be awar ded in retrospect. We recently saw in the media how Dame Vera Lynn only this year received her entitled Burma Star, yet her service for it had been rendered in the campaign which had ended in 1945, no less than forty years ago! Decorations and medals (but not the membership of an order) can often be bestowed posthumously and these are handed to the next of kin legally entitled to receive the deceased 's property.

While the honour bestowed with t he

SUSSEX

to serve its 'masters the sick'.

life

Photos by Tim

ORDER

INVESTITURE

James George Newcombe, BEM (London, SI::: 16

Colonel Ricardo Re ginald Owen, MBE (Surrey)

Cleon Whit e. MB. ChB. DIH. F FO M DIM (Birmingham)

Officer Mi c hae l John Calton. MB BS. MFON. DPH (Essex)

John Arthur Chapman (Derbys)

Margherila. Mr s Hare (Sun'olk)

Daniel Mich ae Lin es (Kent)

Jo Iyn Gre y Owen. CBE (Devon)

Lieut. -Colonel Huw Pik e DSO. MBE (Wilts)

Doroth y Mrs Ra dwanski (Middx)

James Thea dore Sk ipper (London. W5)

Peter Forbes Smith (Lo nd on. 1:::4)

James Jo seph Tarbuck (Lo nd on. SW3)

Gwendoline Mrs Vines (London. SE24)

J ohn H ar rold Williams (Glos)

Se r ving Brother or Sister Rosa M argaret. M ss Ash, S R N. SC M (Somerset)

Rob ert Jo hn Barlram (Norfolk)

Carole Mary. Mr s Birkbeck (London. SW 18)

Pamel a Jil l. Dr Bishop. MSc, PhD (Suffolk)

Susan Heather. Mrs Bishop (Warw cks)

William Th o ma s Blow s. RMN. SR RNT. FGS (Kent)

R aymond Sydney Brain (Herts)

David William Brookes (Grea er Manchester)

George H arrison Brown (Nolts)

Grace Marion Diane. Mrs Brown (Northants)

Derrick Fr ank Bush ( Wilts)

Albert Henr y Coles (Middx)

Barry Edmund Coll in s (Middx)

Mary. Mr s Coo per ( Lond on NW2)

Harry Tobia s Cox (Leic )

Anthony Brian Cro nin (York)

Margar e Anne. Mr s Cummins (South Yorks)

Percy William Curtis (Northants)

Rob er Denis Christopher Darby (Middx )

Ra ymo nd Edward Doidge (London E 18)

Alice Rebecca. Miss Edwards (Ken t)

John H enry Ellery (Cornwa ll )

Gerald David Evans (Derbys)

Joan Mary Mi ss Fackrell (Somerset)

Peter John Finlay (Ayrshire)

Paul L es lie Freeman (Hants)

John Paul Gibson (Essex)

Teddy Gilbert (S taffs)

Albert George Godfrey (Rcnfrewshire)

Kenneth Raymond Goode (Leics)

John Edward Goodness, MB BChir (Suffo lk)

Alfred Goodwin (York)

Robert Godfre Green ( Herts)

William Thomas H aram (Ty ne & Wear)

Ernest H ard y (Sou th Yorks)

Lily. Mrs Hard y (Sou th Yorks)

J ack Harper (Hants)

John Robert Hewitt (NoltS)

Ruth Christine, Mrs Hill (Suffo lk)

Dorothy Mar y, Mr s Holtom ( Warwick

David Walter Hop ki ns ( London , SE26)

Hilary May. Mi ss Horne (Essex)

Brian Howlett (Northants)

Marga ret, Mrs Hug hes, MB, ChB, CPH (Hant s)

Edward John Charles Jammett (Kent)

an Pau Jane (Devon)

De r ek Kenneth J arvis (Notts)

Joh n Wilfred Jones (West Midlands)

Ell en Lill i an, Mrs Joplin g Sur ey)

Ch r istop her Kimber ey (C heshire)

Ba rr y K in d (Leics)

Denn s Knifton Warw cks)

Berna r d Kn pe (South Yorks)

E izabeth Wi son, Mrs Lee (North u mbria)

Mar on Marga et, Mrs Lee (Ke nt) Yola nde Aurea R us o n Mrs Lew s (Kent)

Barbara Ann, Mrs Lockhart (Noll s)

(Left) Mrs Jean Lover, Nursing a -fficer of Su rey 's Horley and Gatwick Cadet Division who recently completed her 100th flight with SJ's Aeromedical Services, becomes a Serving Sister.

(Right)

Kenneth John Lockhart (Nolls)

Jean Mrs Lover (Surrey)

Allan Duncan M acdonald ( West Su ssex)

James Br and M acfarlane MB. C hB ( Wesl Yorks)

John Joseph M annio n (Dublin)

Frances Rebecca. Mr Marsh (Sussex)

A rthur Mason (York)

Frederick Mckenzie. JP orth York s)

Roland Bowles Mille (Ea s Sussex)

Patrick Percy Mills (Surrey)

Richard Henr y Moseling (Kent)

Raymond H orace Mullis orthants)

John Edgar Mulyc(London, El Cyr il Murphy (No tts)

David Myer (Suffolk)

Raymond Jo hn Beddoe O'Neill ( H ant s)

John Robert Par kin (Leics)

Florence Elizabe th Mr s Povey (Middx)

Australia Bound! continued from p.79

In stead of traditional hymn s, there were catchy lit t le so n gs with movement s and a very informal se rmon.

On Monday January 6 we went on the secon d of the organised trips. First stop was 'Cockatoo Capers', a bird s how featuring cocka too s which performed tricks, including riding a scoote r and a bicyle across a tightrope. Brunei Beard (aged 12 ) was chosen to take part in the show to play one of the cockatoos at poker. He lost. We then vis ited Birdwood Mill Museum, which houses the national motor museum. Next stop was a toy factory where we saw the biggest rocking horse in the world. Built of stee l, t stands 18.3 m high with three observation platforms. Next we went to the Whispering Wall', the side of a dam where you co u ld speak quite quiet y at one end and be heard very clearly at the other. Finally we had a ride on Adelaide 's new buses, which are not yet in service. New roads are being built so that the buses run on a sort of 'monorail' so enabling the driver to leave h is seat to collect the fares.

The next day, Tuesday was international competition day After a quick breakfast at 7.30 t h e compet it ors went straight in to iso lation.

Both team tests were situated up near Cha ll enge Hi ll It was part icu larly nice to see ASO Mrs Paynton and her husband from Sussex, who had travelled through the ni g ht

That afternoon we all set off on a tour of the wine region of Barosa. which was very interesting , but we had difficult y keeping awake. In the evenjng all the officers were transported to a nearby hotel fo r the Officers' Dinner (a glorious buffet compared to the basic camp food). Meanwhile some of the cadets managed to speak to England, thanks to the local Amateur Radio Club.

The following day we went on the last of the three organised trips, to the seaside tow n of Glenelg. We were driven to Adelaide where we boarded the old trams for the ride to Glenelg. There we fo und the Magic Mountain (a collection of water slides), a cycle monorail and a musum in an old sailing ship.

That evening when we returned to camp there was great excitement as the BBC te lephoned Karen Saunders, the captain of the Sussex team, for a live radio interview.

After supper the Commonwealth Cadet Trophy was presented and the camp Aags were lowered for the last time for the c osing ceremony.

The following morning everyone was up ear y and packed ready to wave ofT all the

lt

Jennie EOl'es, Sro./}'O/jicel' Coders

STOP MOANING!

from Mr R. Dixon , Ambulance Member Moan, moan, moan; grumble, grumble, gru mble. Isn't it time we all tried to forget our differences, forgive the faults of others, and forget our own petty little thoughts?

Let's get on with what we proudly enrolled to do - help others, in the service of mankind. Criticism, in its place, is fine, if it's constructive, but I haven seen or heard much of that recently We seem bent on destroying one another and who does that help ?

All right, there have been problems. Some members complain about FA W, some about the uni form, but for goodness sake let's now forget the past - it's gone. Let's get on and live for today and also think about how good tomo rrow can be.

'Tomorrow' is our centenary and we can't spend it quibbling with one another. It 's the one opportunity we have to do our duty well - to show the public how damned good we really are, and how much we are needed.

So come on everyone - let's get o n with what we are meant to be good at - helping others - not hindering each other.

Lincs R. Dixon

SOVEREIGN'S AWARD

from Miss Teresa M. Durham

Why can I, a 20-year-old third year student nurse with 12 years' St John Ambulance service, enter for the new Sovereign s Award?

Shrewsbwy Teresa M. Durham

Headquarters replies: Subject to recommendation by your immediate superior officer and concurrence by your Commissioner there is no reason why you should not undertake the Sovereign s Award projects, so long as by the end of the three-year period you are able to attain all the requirements. This includes the need to achieve a statutory First Aid Certificate and a Caring for the Sick Certificate. The full rules were published in Brigade Orders in Brigade General Circular 4 /84 and in the September 1985 Review on page 197. (Applications must be into Brigade HQ by December 31 each year.)

WHAT A LOVELY

from Mrs Gwen Vines, Divisional Superintendent

On February 6 I was at the investiture at the Priory Church and found myself in one of the mest moving experiences of my life, On arrival I was greeted by District staff as an old friend; this helped so much , as was feeling very nervous even though it did not show. hope.

Once I was seated, the next chair was still free, when suddenly escorted by a HQ staff member Mr Jimmy Tarbuck was shown to his seat - next to me! What a shock - but what a delight and honour. Jimmy Tarbuck is one of the nicest persons to meet, but like us all , he was extremely nervous. We chatted about everything unti l it was time for the actual investiture; poor sou l he was very white so I held his hand to help his nerves! By this time the old St John routine was working and my own nervousne ss forgotten. Jim went ahead of me, but what a credit to St John he is. He looked so welJ dressed and yeshumble - the way we all felt.

The newly installed Lord Prior was kind and nervous too. That walk back round the aisles to my seat was a ve r y proud few moments. A colleague sitting behind me summed up all our feelings in a delightful accent: Gosh - it makes you feel that all the hard work is worth wh ile. What a lovely thank yo u!

When the ceremony was over and we had tea, so many people came to congratulate us. May I say to everyone involved : it was well worth all the hard work and thank you for making that freezing February day so memorable. Incidentally, it was Jimmy's birthday and the eve of mine!

London SE24 Gwen Vines

ENTRY TO THE BRIGADE

from Wg Cdr E G N. Cappuccitti

I refer to Frustrated's letter (February Review) and would point to an inaccuracy in hi s interpretation of the qualifications required to enter the Brigade.

Frustrated states that a member Of the public must first take the FA W course. Wrong! Entry to the Bngade may be achieved by taking the public first aid course. A member thus qualified may do public duties under s upervision. The member may then work for and qualify for the FA W (statutory) certificate but still requires supervision on public duties The White Cross course is designed to bring the member up to the standard of the original St John Ambulance certificate before the FA W saga began. When the White Cross course has been taken a member is then qualified to undertake public duties without supe rvision

Frustrated has good rea so n for his feelings when one considers that the original St John Ambulance sy ll abus could have been modified to suit HSE requirements for FA Wand still retain the standard needed for public duties Then there would be no need for a public first aid course a FA W course and a White Cross course - enough to put anyone off joining the Brigade.

No/folk

E. G. N. Cappucci/l i

Association General Manager Shaun Glenny replies: 'Fr u s tr a ted' s incorrect in his facts. To qualify for full public duty a Brigade member needs a FA W statutory certificate plu s a White Cross course (10 hours) and not the three courses (FA W. PF A and White Cross). as he quotes.

The ' original St John Ambulance course' quoted by Wing Cdr Cappuccitti was presumabl y the old Adult First Aid Course. This was totally unacceptable to the HSE becau se :

(a) It attempted to teach far too much in too short a time.

(b) The method s of teaching varied too much throughout the country

The FA W course was designed specifically to avo id (a) and (b) and to meet HSE requirements It was 1'0/un/ariZl adop ted by the Brig ade almost a year after its introduction.

OFFICERS' CAPS

from Laurie Hawes, Chief Staff Officer

With reference to the letter (March R eview) from J. N. William s, President , regarding officers' caps, we spent approximately one year seeking the view of counties before implementing the new uniform s.

The s uggestion that officers should wear a white band on their caps , as other ranks , was ne ve r put forward from the counties and I mu s t confess was not even hou g ht of by Headquarters staff who were dealing with this.

I have brought this to the notice of the Commissioner -in -C hief and. although we cannot make any changes at the moment. as we have already introduced the new uniform, he does agree that this suggestion could be considered when future changes are made We s hould be interested in other's views on this idea.

Headquarters Laurie Hawes

YOUR CASUALTY SIMULATOR

from Mr P. S London, President, Casualties Union

I read Mr Clarke s letter on competitions (January Revie w) with both interest and sympathy, because T am not sure th at all would accept, as I do, the purposes that he accords to competitions. I question, however , the propriety of his words Make - up is the least of my worries '. Casualtie s Union has since its beginning in 1941 emphasised the importance of realism, which depends upon the co rr ect staging of the occurrence , accurate make - up and portrayal by ski lful acting of the supposedly injured person. Without this there is no trace of realism and students are misled if not confused, in the ir training. The Ch ief Commander has recognised the importance of reali sm in teaching and has called upon each Division to have a trained casualty simu lator in its ranks. Casualties Union is at the serv ice of Mr Clarke and others who wish to improve the performance s of their casualties' as well as their first-aiders and others. Our headquarter s (Casualties Union, 1 Grosvenor Crescent , London SW I X 7EF) will be pleased to s upply on request the name and address of t he ne a rest branch of Casualties Union. London SWl P. S. London

PEN-FRI EN OS

from G p Capt J A G. Siessor Secretary, Overseas Relations

Over a period of some eight years this has put ina lot of time Anding pen -friends overseas for cadets takmg the Intern.atlOnal Fnendsh ip qualification for the Grand Prior 's v lc e-ve:sa: At a rough estimate we have made about 1 000 patrlngs dunng th IS tIme so s hould in theory have 2,000 satisfied customers, at home abroad. We perform thi s task very willingly, in what we conS Id er to be an excellent cause, but the disappointing aspect of It IS that I have only on two isolated occasions ever heard from cadets that they have successfu ll y established contact with their pairs and have corresponded with them as intended. The outcome of thIS IS se lf-e vident; in the vast majority of cases we have not the slIghtest inkling of whether our efforts are successful or whether , perhaps for perfectly valid reasons, they come to nothmg Could therefore ask cadet officers to publicise a s imple reque s around their divisions to the effect that we would welcome ne,:,",s of successful pairings; in particular , whether these have led to mternational friendship qualifications and subsequent awards of the Grand Prior 's Badge. A s hort letter or postcard to me is all that is necessary.

H ea dquarlers

TRAINING WITH RN

from John Brent Area Commissioner (R)

John Slessor

It was with interest that read (Jan and Feb Reviel'v) of s pecial training at RN Hospitals for selected members As a former Military Reservist ( 1934 - 39), our training, one week a year, was of hIghest order and fitted the work entrusted to us. From my dIVISIon SIX member s were all called up, and other division s did likewise, with many Brigade member s going into the Royal Naval Sick Berth Reserve

T wonder why on earth in these days of uncertainty these reserves are not re v ived. 1 am sure all concerned would benefit and there would be a good response.

John Bent

Dudley

ALL ABOARD

from John Springer Divisional Superintendent (A)

As officer-in-charge of a quad division that has enjoyed cruising on narrowboats I was distressed by the tone of K. Chantler's de scr iption of Willingdon Combined Cadet Division 's cruise. (Camp '85, Feb R eview.)

I wonder what his feelings would have been If he had carefully orga ni sed a major competition in a public area with as to use and found the event disrupted by a gang of heartIe s dnvlllg tractors all over it? This is the rough equivalent of what he did to dinghy s ailing racing and, apparently , was surprised at the reaction. He should have been given, and probably was, LDstructlOns on rules of the road afloat by his boat hirer. .,

Later he describes the most dangerous pOSSIble situatlOn III boating in dismi;sive terms. 'First Karen fell in the water Elaine fell in .' For obvious reasons hire firms do not publicise the number of injuries and fatalities involved in boating. I assure you they are considerable.

I enc lose a copy of my training manual which is available (from me) at 2Sp plu s 15p postage total 40p. It has been reviewed by Canal alld Riverboat MOl1lhiy and is used by several local authorities.

45 Bank Lane, Upper D en by, Huddersfie/d HD8 8 UT John Springer

Editor: In fairness to D I S K. Chant ler , his report on cruising was heavily edited due to limitations on space, but the 'three-men-LD-aboat' style of the report is from the original and shouldn t be taken too literally. Boating, especially when retold, shou ld be fun

DOWN UNDER

from Miss M. F. Weller

The account in the Review by Lisa Prager of a v isit to Wh ya lla and Adelaide revived many pleasant memories for me, as I was one of the first (if not the first) of the aeromedical staff to escort a patient to Why alia, where I stayed for a few days

My accommodation was with a couple, both St officers, and I was not only given the 'red carpet treatment by semor officers there but also taken on several air ambu lance flights.

Subsequent flights 'down under' with the Service included one to Perth , where only my refusal to dIvulge the name and diagnosis of m y patient, and address of the relatives, prevented me from appearing on Australian television!

A book on the adventures of members of the aeromedical staff would certainly make interesting reading - not forgetting those of the E. Berks aeromedical ambulance crews on their trips across Europe by road!

Slough M. F. We/ler

Area winners - all smiles for Radcli ffe Nursing D ivision.

(Above) And Radcliffe Ambulance were winners too

Area winners (a bove Whitefield nursing c adets and (below) Whitefield ambulance cadet team.

NEWS from SCOTLAND

A T A PLEASANT little ceremony recently in the Perth College of Further Education, where the honorar y secretary of the Order in Perth and Kinross Branch Area is administrator, a cheque for £500 was handed over to the Hospitaller in the Priory of Scotland, Colonel A. J. Watt.

WALES

More first aid in schools

FIRST AID in schools in Wales is very much under way, thanks to a scheme which was pioneered in a Newport, Gwent, school. Instruction is now spreading throughout Wales.

Since the Priory for Wales launched the project la st September, more that 20 schools in Gwent were putting first aid on the time-table. At he end of 1985 691 pupils aged 10 upwards received training.

In February, the chairman of Gwent County Council, County Councillor John Pembridge, held a special presentation for 24 teachers when he handed them their instructors certificates at County Hall , Cwmbran.

The Director of Association for Wales , Dr George Mitchell said, 'We are delighted that Gwent has led the way in offering first aid courses for school children from the age of 10 upwards and are grateful to the Education Committee who have given so much support to the project '.

The project was launched at Newport's St Joseph 's High School with a three-year pilot scheme carried out by Keith Dunn , SJA Training Officer for Wales. Other Welsh counties are now under way with pilot sc hemes.

Scout leaders receive awards

Eighteen Newport and C wmbra n Scout leaders (photo right) were reGently presented with first aid at work certincates by the Mayor of Newport, Councillor Trevor Warren.

Their training included two weekend sessions at their training centre in Newport by the Occupational First Aid Training Officer for Wales, Keith Dunn , the Training Adviser for Gwent, Mrs Cynthia Duggan, and Mrs Margaret Berry, Guide Commissio ner for Newport District and FA W Instructor.

This is only the second time in Wales that Scout leader s have been trained to this standard which will enable them to comply with the First Aid at Work regulations, as well as being able to teach the Essentials of First Aid course to scouts.

The Director of Association for Wales, Dr George Mitchell, also presented the Scout Leaders with special badges for their uniforms.

92

Colonel Watt is presently head ing up and organising an appeal throughout the Priory in Scotland for funds to pay for a new laser machine which has been installed in the St John Ophthalmic Hospital in Jerusalem. In accepting the cheque and thanking those who had worked so hard to rai se the money, Colonel Watt explained that the new machine is designed to enable s ur geons to carry out complicated eye operations in a hospital which is recognised for the skills of its surgeons and the caring concern of its nursing staff and, indeed, is recognised as one of the best centres fo r the treatment of eye complaints throughout the Middle East.

Colonel Watt also explained that the Perth contribution raised t he total gat hered to date to a sum which m ade the total of £25,000 required to pay for the la se r n ow see m a reali able possibility in the not too distant future. As a resul t of the fund - rai si ng endeavours of t he Order and Association members in the Perth area during th e year, an Ophthalmascope was presented to Perth R oyal Infirm a ry and the welfare funds of three Cottage Hospitals in Perthshire benefited by some £50 each. The officebearers and members in the Branch Area are to be warmly co n g r a tul ated on a mo st creditable effort.

schools in Wales is taking off - here are some of the Gwent teache rs who have qualified as SJA instructors (Photo: S. Wales Argus)

A resuscitation symposium arranged by Dr C Thoma s (3rd from left). Assist Chief Surgeon fo r Wales, for Brigade surgeons and G p 's at Llanelli. Equ ipmen was supplied by Oyfed and Gwent Ambulance Authority and demonstrated here by (right) % Oe unick (Photo: Jeff Connell).

I BECAME a member of the St John Ambulance at the age of eight, and during the last 10 years I have never re gretted m y deci s ion to join. I was looking for a hobby which I cou ld not only enjoy, but from which I cou ld also earn something which would help others.

As a junior member, I learnt the basics of fir s t aid. At the age of 10 I participa ted in a course in the 'Esse ntials of First Aid learning both theory and practical work under the ski lled s upervi sion of the divisional officers. The practical work included the treatment of fractures, wounds, burns and sca ld s, and the practice of artific ia l re s piration and heart compressions

All this work suddenly became much more realistic, when having passed my examination in the 'Ess entials of First Aid', was issued with a uniform and allowed to go on duty to help other cadets and adult member s.

Duties covered by member s of the St John Ambulance include grass trac k s, spee dway , concerts and the local Arts Centre, various s ports functions and beach hut duties, to name just a few. All thes e duties are vo luntary but there s always someone there when help is needed.

The St John Ambulance is not only concerned with first aid. Cadets also take a course in home nursing. when they are taught the best ways in which to look after s ick people Practical work includes bedmaking, the giving of medicines and bedbath and the taking of temperatures, pulses and respiration rates. This course is particularly va lu ab le for anyone considering a medical ca reer but is interesting for everyone

Each year, the county holds first aid and home nursing competitions, where divisions compete against each other for the honour of having a team representing the county in the regiona l competitions. The winners from the regionals then represent our region in the national finals.

Having participated in such competitions for six years, I know how thoroughly worth whi le they are. I have been a member of a

WHY I JOINED ...

A hobby

... and also to learn something

by JULIE MARSH, Poole Combined Division

team competing in the national finals three times , and I am s ure that all the training involved has improved my first aid considerably.

Each team has four members , who must perform individual and team tests. The team must discover the history surrounding a situation in which an accident has happened, diagnose the injuries, treat the casualties, and prepar e for their journey to hospital, all within 10 minutes.

Howe ve r , competitions are not a ll hard work. They are extremely goo d preparation for any similar situation which may arise in everyday life. They also prov ide an ideal place for you to meet peopl e from all over the country. Many a friendship has been formed between people with a common interest who would never have met if it hadn't been for the St John Ambulance.

The association also provides the opportunity to gain proficiencies in other subjects, such as child care, knowledge of the Order of St John , casualty simulation, fire fighting, animal care. etc. Having gained twelve profic iencies you qualify fo r the 'Grand Prior badge - the highest award a cadet can gain.

The St John Ambulance is not just about learning to care for the sick and injured, although that is its main function. It also pro vi des an opportunity to make new friends and meet different people. The annual county camp is the best place for this. Every

summer, a week's camping holiday is organ· ised for cadets from all over the county. Everyone who participates thoroughly enjoys them se lves and camp a lso provides an ideal place fo r some of the ou tdoo r proficiencie s like camping and map-reading. I believe that St John Ambulance has a lo t to offer everyone, however old or young. It pro vide s a knowledge of how to help someone in need. and also shows how people should work together as a team for the good of others.

I do not regret my decision to join, and [ ha ve enjoyed every moment of my ]0 years member ship I thoroughly recommend anyone intere s ted to find out more from their local division.

HA VE another new branch to announce this month. the fourth in Lanes. Lancaster Branch - contact: Mr W. H. Carter, 63 Sibsev Street, Fairfield, Lanca ster LA I 500.

There are now four counties each with four branches. Berks, Bucks. Lancs. and South and West Yorks. Which will be the

first to have five?

The Annual General Meeting 1986 Unfortunately it has become necessary to amend the date of the AGM as announced in the Janu ary 1986 Rel'iell'. We discovered there are no cheap Saver Return Fares on British Rail to Birmingham on Fridays.' The cheap r a tes are available only from Monday to Thur day, and Conference Travel rates do not apply to a one-day meeting Because of this. the Commander West Midlands ha s kindly adjusted the FA W courses held at his headquarters so that the AGM can now take place on Wednesday, May 28 1986 at 2.15 p.m. All branches have been informed.

31 Ma/l'ern Courl, 011 loll' Square , LOl/don S W7 3H Y S. C. Puckle alional SecrelalY

Scout eaders of Newport and Cwmbran who received their FAW certificates.

Banbury Cadet Band

CONGRATULATIONS to Ba nbury Cadet Band for their recent success in the Traditional Youth Marching Band Association contest at Solihull, Wa r w ickshire. They won the award for best wind section in the contest class and Vanessa Claridge took the award for Best Drum Major despite competing against musicians much older than herself. The two photographs show the band performing their routine and Vanessa recei ving h er award fro m the Mayor of Solihull.

Isle ofSbeppey Band

I understand that Sheppey Band i s this year celebrating its 40th anniversary and we would like to send them our congratulations on this achievement. Our photo shows Sheppey Band at a recent function on the island.

Royal Tournament 1986

The date f or this year's St John per fo rman ce at the Ro yal To urnament is Saturday July 12 in the afternoon. Three band s a re combining fo r the performance to form a massed band. They a re the Southwark Corps of Drums, Southwick St John B and and the Surrey Corps of Drums all from the Southern Area of the Federation. This is the first time that more than two bands hav e played toget h er for a marching display in public. Remember the date and book ea rl y; and come along and support the bands on this memorable occasio n

Southwark Corps ofDrums

The Southwark Corps of Drums recently held their annual display and presentation of awards, which was attended by their band president, Lt-Col Duncan Beat , and he

SJA Music Mal<ers

Three bands join forces for the BIG display (and sound) at Earls Court

Th e big sound from Dizzy" (Leon) Grant, the euphonium man with Southwark s Corps of Drumsters

London District Commiss ioner , John Gerrard. Our photo shows 'Dizzy', a li as Leon Grant, pl aying euphon ium during the concert perfor m ance. The seco nd s h ows Drum Major Caroline Minney receiving the First Aid and Care of the Sick Trophy from ASO Bernard Green, who donated the trophy to the Corps of Drums.

AGM 1986

The Federation's annual ge ner al meeting wi ll ake plac e o n Saturday Apri 12 at Lo nd on District Headquarters Edw ina Mountbatten House, York Street , London W I at 11 .30 p.m. We would like to see as ma n y bands as possible represented at this meeting which wi ll be chaired by the Deputy Commissioner -in-Chief, Gera ld Easton, who is the Federation s President.

BANBURY

Banbury SJA music makers trad tionally ma ching at a Sol hull c on test, where (below) bonny drum ma jor Vanessa Claridge took the award for the b est on the field

SOUTHWARK

What about this fo r

New Band

A new band is being formed in the North E astern Area of Hampshire under the direction of David Leeming. [ under s tand il will be a drum and fife band. We look forward to welcoming the band into members hi p in the not too distant future and t o receiving a report on their progress.

Sittingbourne and Milton Cadet Band

Bandmaster A lan Baker write s : On October 24 our combined cadet band held its first birthday celebrations , wh ich were attended b y many officers and members from both

Area and Count y our local

REVIEW CROSSWORD N o .4 ( 86 ) by W A P otter

Acr o s s

I. Inval

pro hibition, (4), 13, Permission to depart for holiday. (5). 15. Acid in vinegar. (6). 16. Forlorn from disruption of sole date, (8). 18, Regional centre for c h arged atom. (3). 19. Irritating procedure for treatment of cataract. (8), 20, Fat-digesting enzyme of pancreatic and gastric juices. (6). 23, Concerned with birth in South Africa. (5), 25. Poisonou s Javanese tree from Pennsylvannia in United States (4). 26. Hose for footwear (4). 28. Life marked by abstinence from luxury and comfort. (7). 29. Tooth or bone affected by decay. (7). 30. Tapped to elicit the knee jerk. (8.6).

Down:

I. Smallpox. (7). 2. Accommodating structure. (4.2.3). 3. Roman garment taken from goat. (4). 4. Wild gander produces hazard. (6). 5. Main constituent of air. (8). 6. Severe pain due to passage of calculus through ureter. (5.5). 7. A main upset for the soul. (5). 8. Audible sign of irritation of nasal passages. (6) . 14. A cubic centimetre of fluid. (10). 16. Male of the spec ies. (3). 17. Midd e layer of the meninges. (9). 18. Unaili n g m alformation in the gr oin. (8) . 19. Dwarf's condit on. (6). 2 1 E n zyme of. in t est inal juice completing digestion of prote ins. (7). 22. Zod iaca l s gn for malignant growth. (6). 24. Jewelled decorative head dress. (5). 27. Authentic part of the pe lvis. (4).

SOLUTION TO CROSSWORD No.3 ( 86)

Across : I. Sacra ; 4. T u bercle; 10 Raw; 11. Septicaemia; 12. Talon; 13. Open; 14. Chit; 16. Hip joint; 19. Carrot; 21. Toe; 23. Dip oe; 25. Troc hlea; 28. Sore; 29. Coma; 30. Tense; 32. D is location; 33. Two; 34 Massete r ; 35. Gassed.

Down: 1. Scratc h ed; 2. Cows- li p; 3. Arson; 5. United; 6. Edam; 7. Camp h or; 8. Ex·act; 9. Ap po int; 15. Talc; 17. Oboe; 18. Tot; 20. T r apezoid; 22 E r r at·ic; 24. Pyrosis; 26. Linctus; 27. Dosage; 28. So d o m ; 30. T in ea; 3 1. Mole.

FUND RAISERS

and WOMENS

Reduced price for BULK ORDERS

/

Yes, there are still competitions . . . AT THE Armagh Area competitions {yes, competitions, and all aspects of normal life continue in Northern Ireland} at Craigavon Hospital on February 22, Portadown Division won three cups:

1. The Team Cup for First Aid.

2. First Aid Cup for individual ambulance member, won by Roland Wright (in photo above), Portadown's Divisional Superintendent.

3. First Aid Cup for individual nursing member, won by Mrs Sheila Sinton {photo right}.

This, as with every other SJA Division in Northern Ireland, is playing a very important part in the process of trying to heal the wounds of a nation - but about which it would be imprudent of us to write. The thoughts and support of all SJA are continually with them ;

Northern Ireland ST JOHN REVIEW

Best Wishes to all our members

JOURNAL OF ST JOHN Volume 59 No.5 May 1986

Contents

Best Wishes to SJA Northern Ireland, inside front cover

St John Fellowship p 97

Working Together by John Moss p.98

Larry's Ambulance Men p.100

After 7 t years I get to the Ophthalmic Hospital by Sister Jane George p.102

Jersey Cadet Golden Jubilee p.102

Around and About by the Editor p 104

Cadet Chat by Jim p.108

I n Camp at Bexhill p.109

Drowning by DI O D Little p.110

About Orders of Chivalry (4) p.112

St John s Wort p 113

Readers'V i ew s p.114

Our Hospital p.115

News from Scotland - N. Ireland - Overseas p 116

Champions of the Cross (5) by Hugh A. R. Edgell p 117

Greater Manchester p.118

Pol ice Competition Results p .120

St John Fellovvship

Agenda Before

1. Apologies for absence.

2.

3. Matters arising.

4. Adoption of the Annual Report for 1985 / 86: Proposed by the Chairman ; Seconded

5.

6.

WORI<ING TOGETHER

The London Ambulance Service and St John Ambulance cover the London beat

byJOHN MOSS MBE Chief Operations Officer, LAS

IT WAS once said that if America sneezes today - Europe catches pneumonia tomorrow! As a parallel to that old adage, it would be nice to report that the positive manner in which the London Ambulance Service currently intertwine with their St John colleagues on operational commitments will inevitably be copied by the rest of the country - if not tomorrow, then very shortly!

What we have achieved in London by hard nosed' on-going liaison arose some 20 years ago from the simple realisation that neither service (LAS/St John Ambulance) can operate effectively entirely on its own.

Given the multifarious activities that take place regularly in our capital city, such as Royal events, State occasions, large scale public demonstrations, New Year's Eve celebrations (Trafalgar Square), Wimbledon, Wembley Cup Finals and the like are of course unique to London. However, many other events such as well-attended football matches, marathon runs, 'pop' concerts, athletic meetings air displays, city celebrations (for cup or league etc , occur not just in London but across the length and breadth of the country.

Common factor

The single common factor at the vast majority of these large or modest gatherings is that of a St John Ambulance presence. What is needed nationally is that which we in London have jointly striven for for years to attain -a regular liaison, a basic working arrangement, between St John at the scene and their professional colleagues in the NHS-provided ambulance services.

Is there a conflict of interest? I think not, if one considers these basic facts:

The statutory ambulance service has neither the wish nor resources (let alone the finance) to provide a presence at every gathering or event where casualties are likely to occur. Yet St John does this regularly, albeit on a voluntary basis! To ignore that fact is to dismiss the vast potential of that thin black and white line of St John Ambulance personnel who, by their very p>resence, are the first level of medical assistance 'at scene' should a serious or large scale incident occur. Every action they take (or indeed fail to take) fashions the speed and effectiveness of the responding professional ambulance crews and its officers.

We in London have worked and continue to work towards joint objectives whereby 'on site' St John personnel use a common 98

language with their LAS colleagues. Radio codes and abbreviations, forms and their usage provide the basis for such an understanding.

Secondly, equipment must be compatible for free interchange between the two services for hospital bound patients, and to support casualties stabilised at the scene who require , say, additional oxygen, entonox supplies, etc

Thirdly, the ability to talk a common language and utilise common equipment, brought us to the need to operate a joint procedure. This required not only a master plan but regular training sessions to ensure that the plan (or procedure) is understood and alse that staff from both services make sure it works.

The statutory ambulance service cannot stand back and hope that these three pillars of strength will exist of their own accord, simply because they have been identified Not only must their ' trainers train' to achieve the objectives, but they must also supply the means (communications and advisers) to ensure a full and effective system.

Let me illustrate how these recognised steps have been adopted to operate in our London scenario.

The LAS forward based mobile control vehicle (Red Major) has provision to accommodate a St John R / T operator (with dedicated St John R/T frequencies) plus facilities to work alongside his LAS control colleagues with an in situ police liaison officer.

Field advisers

When any pre-planned event has a predominate input ef St John personnel (Trooping the Colour, New Year celebrations, etc), we in the LAS provide all R/T links - site, hospitals, base control - with uniformed 'field' advisers. Given a serious/ major incident, the LAS advisers by procedure become supervisors and assume control at scene as the statutory service responds in accordance with its Major Accident Plan.

When a pre-planned event has a joint or LAS orientated input (large scale demonstration, Notting Hill Carnival, Wembley International or Cup Final, etc) the LAS forward control unit is complemented with an LAS Senior Incident Officer, who co-ordinates all on-site medical activities of both services and organises, through group delegation (LAS officer with specific area based St John mobile units and ambulanoes), the casualty flow to and £rom designated

(pre-alerted) hospitals

If the reader has, at this stage , formed a mental picture of LAS officers strutting around barking out instructions for St John uniformed doctors, nurses and ambulance crews to rush to obey - forget it! We operate so regularly together and talk together that we recognise and respect the expertise , strength and limitations of our respective organisations. The transition of an LAS officer from adviser to supervisor would not , in my view , be detected by an y out s ide observer. Their movement from the shadow s to centre stage is achieved by a quiet word a nod here or a wave there - no hi strionics simp ly a smoothly organised change of emphasis within a team structure.

Same patient

Some 20 years ago , two crew s (one LAS the other St John) descended on the same patient in Trafalgar Square on New Year 's Eve and in effect almost fought to gain their right to treat and remove the innocent victim. As the representative for LAS management I met the then St John Commissioner (Derek Fenton) and we were jo intly determined to avoid any such repetition. That meeting was indeed a watershed - when liaison was established when the need for inter -service training / equipment noted , and the requirement for a joint procedure formulated. All that followed is now history, with John Gerrard (now St John Commissioner for London Di strict) vigorously and methodically enhancing the St John and LAS liaison.

Have we in London got our priorities right? In my view , we have Have we achieved a togetherness that the rest of the country should emulate?

Again the answer has to be yes Do we in London possess the definitive arrangement which unites completely the resources and expertise of the St John with its sister statutory ambulance service? That answer has to be: ' Not yet'.

We have certainly identified what we still need to do, recognised the shortfall to our objectives, and continue enthusiastically to apply ourselves to achieve our known targets

Finally, the question is - and it is for you to ponder - will the 'sneezes of London' today result in a 'let's wait and see' attitude in your county? Or will you (SJ A and the Local professional ambulance service) close ranks, learn from our lessons and rejoice in contracting 'pneumonia' tomorrow?

LARRY'S fiMBULfittCE

MEtt

I FIRST went along to a St John nursing cadet meeting when I was 14 years old. I went with a friend and although she soon stopped attending I continued and became a cadet. I enjoyed going on an assortment of public duties, adventure activities and working on Grand Prior badge subjects. On leaving school at 16 I started a two-year pre-nursing student course, during which I spe nt about three months working in each of the wards and departments of the local general hospital. I was then allocated to the ophthalmic ward, which I found the most interesting. When I mentioned this to a member of our Division (Daventry) she told me that the Order of St John had an ophthalmic hospital in Jerusalem. This remark laid the foundations of my ambitions to become an ophthalmic nurse and work at the St John Ophthalmic Hospital.

I set about converting my CSEs into '0' levels so that I could start training for State Registered Nurse I was accepted as a student nurse and moved into a nurses' home. I could now only attend divisional meetings when I came home on free days, but I managed to attend duties with a St John Division near to the hospital and also went on adventure activities with them. I considered transferring to this division, as many of its members were nearer my age, but in the end I decided to stay with Daventry.

In my final year of training I asked my SJ A Area Nursing Officer how to get information about working at the St John

After 7 t years I get to the Ophthalmic Hospital

says Sister JANE GEORGE, ex cadet

Ophthalmic Hospital and applied to Moorfields Eye Hospital for an ophthalmic diploma course. I was accepted and started in January 1983 , following a year as staff nurse on a male medical ward. A few months after starting this course I wrote to St John's Gate for further details and an application form to work at the hospital. After completing the form I was interviewed by the Hospitaller, Sir Stephen Miller, who arranged for me to meet the matron of the hospital on her next visit to Britain. In fact this visit coincided with the date of my diploma results. I was accepted on a one year contract as a nursing sister commencing April 14 1984, seven and a half years after the seeds of my interest in the Ophthalmic Hospital had been sown!

The week prior to leaving for Jerusalem, Daventry Ambulance and Nursing Division presented me with a cheque for £ I ,000 -a donation for the Ophthalmic Hospital. April 14 soon came and with a mixture of feelings I waved goodbye to my mother and brother at Heathrow Airport. I was excited (Leh) Visit by Princess Alice Duchess of Gloucester. Below) Th e Chie President Mrs H. Phillips c arried out the annua nspection in June.

about the forthcoming year but nervous about sta rt ing a new job and settling in a country with a completely different culture to our own. For my family too it was a worry - wondering how I would settle, especially as I did not know anyone there , and how I would be affected by the vio lence in the Holy Land so frequently shown on television.

I was met at Te l Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport by two British nursing sisters and an American doctor working at the hospital. It seemed hard to believe that they probably felt as I did when they first arrived , but their familiarity with the surrou nd ings and li fe style did not numb the ir awareness of how I was feeling. They were very reassuring as they chatted about life at the hospital. At the hospital I was shown to the Sisters' House , where the resident sisters had prepared a meal. After brief introductions , we all sat chatting over the meal. A new sister had arrived from Canada earlier that evening. Once the meal was over we were both taken to the Warden s House where we would be

Jersey Golden

1985 marked two important events in Jersey. First, the 50th anniversary of the formation of St John Cadets on the island; and second, the 40th anniversary of the liberation of the island from the Germans at the end of World War II.

We therefore combined some of the celebrations and started by entering a float in the Liberation Cavalcade on May Bank Holiday Monday. The theme was 'St John - then and now' and thanks to some members who served with St John during the war we were even able to find some original Red Cross parcels (albeit empty) together with the uniforms of the time. Cadets dressed in up -to-date uniform and demonstrated resuscitation The float was escorted by cadets bound together with bandages to form the design of our Cross.

In June Mrs H. Phillips, the new Chief President, visited the island to carry out the annual inspection of the Brigade. This was, a s usual, preceded by a Church Service and then members marched to the Royal Square where we were delighted to welcome our inspecting officer.

August saw the Battle of Flowers for which the island is famous and again we were busy designing and building a float for the event, which we have not entered for some years. It was decided to enter the Paper Flowers Under 12 Feet Class and we entitled our entry 'Help all over the Water'. A large number of black and white flowers were made and duly became our famous Cross, topped by a globe of the world made

living until rooms were vacant in the Sisters' House. The following day a group of the sisters took us to Bethage to watch the start of the Palm Sunday walk, our first reminder that we were really in the Holy Land. What a wonderful feeling! The next day we went through the formalities of any new employment. I was told I would be working on the second floor of the hospital, which consisted of children and female beds. I was surprised to see how few staff there were on the wards in comparison to what I was used to. Some of the staff were student nurses on the Ophthalmic Nurse Training Course run by the hospital. None of the nurses had general nurse training - just many years of experience to draw upon My first weeks on the ward was a period of adjustment to the role as sister, ward routine and communicating through a third person. I was never very good at languages and the nurses who so patiently attempted to teach me Arabic soon discovered this! Hours of hard work often only provided them with amusement as they listened to my feeble attempts to communicate with the patients.

One sentence I am proud to say I mastered almost to perfection was: I do not understand / speak Arabic! However, I became so fluent at those few words no one believed me! I found communicating with the children less difficult, as they had hours of fun trying to get me to understand them. The older children enjoyed practising their English on me too! Sign language worked well with some of the children, unlike the

Cadet

Jubilee

women who were often too visually impaired to use it.

As the months sped by the satisfaction from nursing these patients became tremendous , not to mention the wealth of experience. Eye diseases in the Middle East are so much more common and severe than in Europe. The effect on a family of having a blind relation is devastating, especially if it is the wage earner. For these people there is no national health service or socia l security. Fortunately for many who attend St John treatment can often be given with success. The hospital is well known throughout the West Bank, from where thousands flock to this only eye hospital in the area. I felt ve ry proud to be part of the team responsible for their care, sharing the joy of success or the sadness of fai lure. I also became aware that the hospital was dependent on donations for its existence. So all the staff endeavour to work diligently and make the best possible uses of available resources, despite struggling with high inflation in Israel. For the most part there was a tremendous team spirit among all grades of staff. The senior nurses were often extremely willing to give advice and support, and their knowledge of ophthalmic nursing was of the highest standard. The junior nurses undertake intensive training in ophthalmics During my year I enjoyed giving occasional lectures to the student nurses on various subjects , especially first aid, which is relevant to a hospital. The year was not all spent working - days off and holidays I spent exploring the (Right) St John world wide was the theme of th e flo a t in th e Batt e of Flowers (Below) F rst aid demonstrations at th e Government House garden party

of green and blue flowers. The vehicle was pulled by members in uniform with sashes naming some of the many countries in which St John has representation. The entry won third prize in the class Junior Youth Club Awards.

September was the month when , by kind invitation of Lady Pillar, the Governor's wife, we held a garden party in the grounds of Government House. Thi s coincided with a visit to Jersey of our Commissioner-in-Chief and during the afternoon adults and cadets demonstrated First Aid and Caring for the Sick techniques to the general public.

In October we were delighted to welcome Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester to our Headquarters where she unveiled a plaque in memory of her visit and watched a First Aid and Caring for the Sick demonstration before presenting some awards.

Those who saw the Festival of Remembrance broadcast from the Royal Albert Hall in November must have seen Miss Emma Le Feuvre representing St John and, we are very proud to say, Jersey. During the war Emma was very involved with St John both in the distribution of food parcels and escorting prisoners-of-war to France, a task only St John personnel were entrusted to do at that time.

The year ended with the appointment of a new County Commissioner, Mrs A. Everard, who is only the third lady commissioner to be recognised in this way by St John in the UK.

Holy Land, visiting remains of the Crusader period and gaining further understanding of the history of the Order of St John The most spectacular of the remains was the city of Akko. My tours also included visits to the holy sites, my favourite area being Galilee. From the life style of the people and the countryside it was easy to see from where Jesus got his inspiration for the parables. The beauty of the Holy Land was at its best in spring , but there was beauty too in the contrasting landscape. The desert with magnificent rock formations, the lush green hilly areas, and the coastal plain. Swimming in the freshwater of Galilee, ' sleeping on the Dead Sea , and exploring the corals of the Red Sea - each day seemed like a holiday in itself.

Religious festivals in the Holy Land were very inspiring too, Easter especially was most memorable , sta rtin g with the Palm Sunday walk from Bethage to the Old City of Jerusalem, Maunday Thursday retracing Jesus' steps from the room of the Last Supper to the Garden of Geth s emane and along the route following his arrest. Good Friday , the mournful walk along the Via Dolorosa, pau s ing at each of the stations to reflect on happenings of that da y thousands of years before! I now appreciate the true joy of Easter

My second Easter in Jerusalem was sadly also time for me to return to the ' rat race of Western life sty le! I was looking forward to seeing my famil y again but sorry to leave the hospital and friends. But perhaps I'll return in the next few years I certainly hope so.

SMILE AND THE WORLD

'Let's have more smiles,' someone urged at SJA's national PR conference at National HQ on March 14 , when 42 county representatives, most of them public relations officers, took part in the first of this year's PR meetings. (Photo right).

Lord Westbury, chairman of Public Affairs, started the day by welcoming everyone and giving a run-down on the day, and then over to the Director of Information, John Mills, who with the assistance of the Chief President, Mrs Phillips, Lady Westbury and Richard Radcliffe covered the centenary and the 'Lunatic' campaign (Josephine Seccombe of Saatchi & Saatchi spoke too on the latter). After a very pleasant lunch, back to PR matters and a fascinating insight in the world of radio given by the managing director of Chiltern Radio, Mr Colin Mason.

AHEAD

May 13 - County Presidents Conference, Grosvenor Crescent

May

Jun 2l - Festival Service, St Paul's Cathedral

A spirited discussion ended the busy day, with John urging all PROs to get to know the media, make use of them, and to tackle the media with enthusiasm - lots of it.

WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE WORLD OF ST JOHN

BY THE EDITOR

LOUISE MEETS

Nursing Cadet Corporal Louise Mason, 15, of Leics' BarweLl and Earl Shilton Combined Cadet Division, had the honour of being presented to the Duchess of Kent when HRH visited the county's Fire Brigade's new control centre to unveil a commemorative plaque.

Louise (p hoto right), with HRH and Leading Fireman Trevor Harvey, who trained the team, took a youth team of nursing cadets representing the county through four rounds of a national firefighting competition over the last two years,

This year's training has started and we wish Louise and the team good luck and hope the St John cadet team reaches the national finals.

OUR PRESIDENTS

Dates for Regional Presidents' conferences:

No. 7 Region: (A von, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Wiltshire, Cornwall and Devon) September 28 1986.

No.9 Region: (West Midlands Staffordshire, Shropshire, Warwickshire, Hereford and Worcestershire) November 1 1986.

MALTA MARATHON

I hear that Huddersfield marathon runner Paul Pickup , who ran and won the first Malta marathon during February, raised £ 1,000 for Huddersfield Combined Division. Paul 24 , was accompanied by his uncle Mr Arnold Pickup 54, and friend Mr Donald Bamford, 50 , both of whom also ran to help the local SJA Division. The Division also covered (with its ambulance) an 18-mile walk from Huddersfield to Leeds by a 31 -ye ar-old disabled woman, Mrs Linda Haigh, who raised £2 500 to buy laser equipment for Leeds General Hospital.

There is a County Presidents conference (48 county presidents by invitation only) at National HQ I Grosvenor Crescent, London SW Ion May 13 1986.

LIFE-SAVING LESSONS

I hear that a member of Staffordshire's Kidsgrove Combined Division is giving local Burslem Schoolgirls lessons which could save life or limb - but in this case it ' s se lf-defence not first aid.

Their teacher is judo expert Ron Kidner whose le ssons on how to deal with an attacker is now part of the school curriculum - the first in the area.

'The feedback from the girls has been magnificent and we are now looking at developing the course ,' said deputy headmaster Norman Parker.

FAMILY COMPLETED

'A

THANKS, DOWN UNDER!

A

CORNWALL

byJIM

THE RAMBLERS Association, 1/5 Wandsworth Road, London, SW8 will supply you with details if you want to spend some time working to help clear footpaths, etc, (service to the community). Did you .know there are more than 120,000 miles of footpaths and bridleways in Britain.

They will also send you details of leaflets on - €Cjuipment for ramblers - maps for walkers - long distance paths

- what to wear, etc.

Desert Island

Here are various ideas on the Desert Island theme that we have used on journeys or over lunch at one of our training events.

Ask the cadets to choose which six ite ms they would have on their island (eg, string, knife, matches, etc).

Name one luxury item?

One animal they would pick.

One person they would have with them eg, their Mum, David Attenborough, Magnus Pyke, David Bellamy, Noel Edmonds or Anna Ford.

In which order would you build your: (a) Shelter

Nine-year-old Dean White, a cadet of Richmond, Yorks, with the Young Citizen of the Year award he received recently from the Lord Maygr of London for clocking up 260 hours of voluntary service in his first year with SJA. (Photo: North of England Newspapers).

TEDDY

BEARS have soot hed sick children, c heered the sad, comforted the home sick, be en a familtar fnend and companion in loneliness, on journeys, in strange surroundings Now they h ave a chance to do even more. They can provide help for c hildren who a re ha ndicapped, and for thos e who are neglected, poorly housed or have

The <:hildren 's Society is appealing for teddy bears to sell for fund s to maintain a nd expand work chIldren young Teddies given to the Society will be carefully valued then sent to Phllltps for auctIO n or sold m the Society's shops.

Those sendi ng a teddy are to .pin to him a note g iving a brief life sto r y describin g hi s age, travel.8?d any or.deta.t1s of mterest. The Society hopes to produce a newsletter / broadsheet contammg stones of the teddIes gIven to the appeal. Donors who would lik e to receive a copy s hould enclose a stamped addressed envelope

Teddies feature in children's ficti.on from Enid Blyton to A. A. Milne; they are the subject of verses, songs, plays r hymes.and games; pIcture s of them decorate nurser ies, furniture and chi ld ren's clothing.

They draw out affectIon confidences, and stimulate imagination; often the y remain well loved long after other toys have been dIscarded and forgotten.

If you can bring yourself to part with your teddy (but consult the family first) send him to (marked SpecIal Appeals): Room TB I, Church of England Children s Society, Old Town Hall, Kennington Road, London SE II 4QD, or hand him in at one of the Society's shops. The change of ownership will benefit a child.

(b) Warning fire

(c) Animal pen

(d) Stockade

(e) Cooking area

What eight records would you take with you?

Blanket-napping

One game we have only played once so far.

This is played in 'total blackout. All the cadets move at will around the hall.

A leader grabs a cadet, who without a sound drops to the floor, and is covered by a blanket. The lights are turned on. The first cadet to know who is blanket-napped wins a point for his team. Then try it with two 'blanket-nappers'.

Farmyard

Give out cards to all cadets in a circle, on each card is the name of an animal. Each name is used twice. On the word Go' each cadet starts making the sound of the animal.

Pair up and report to leader. First pair win.

Cadets stand in a circle, with one in the middle. He has three plastic bottles around him. The cadets in the circle try to knock bottles over with a ball.

The cadet in the middle can pick up bottles when knocked over, but he is out

when all bottles are down at the same time. if the game starts to 'drag' trying using two balls.

A ditTerent Kim's game

Two leaders stand six feet apart, in front of the cadets The first leader takes objects out of a box which is in front of him and throws them to the other leader , who hides them away. When all items have been passed , cadets can write down the ones they can remember.

Extra points can be g iven for the correct order.

Stranger in the camp

Have the cadets do something simple such as revision bandaging , and someone they don 't know enters and s peaks to the leaders for a fe,:", minutes. He carries something (eg , bnefcase) from which he takes and hands over an item, such as a frying pan, which the leader quickly puts away.

The stranger leaves. Five minutes later ask the cadets what he was wearing, what he said and what he handed over.

Most of them will remember quite a few details , even if they shouldn't have been listening.

Crab football

Players have to s it down and can move only on all fours, Normal rules for football. No ball over head height.

Eyes open

What do you do on those duties at local museums, etc? Why not set the cadets small quizzes on the exhibits, so that they have to walk round and examine them

Here is a quiz that can be used on duties when nothing is happening or as programme fillers:

In whic h year:

was the Division formed?

was the Titanic sunk?

did England win the World Cup? did the Order leave Rhodes?

OVERHEARD while on duty, National Camp ? That s boring! , Really? It can't be the same one as we go on then!

Oh. - Why?

We wouldn go back every year if we didn 't enjoy it, would we?'

We started going in 1979 Most interesting to meet St John bods from all over the country and occasionally from overseas. Where else could you have ' It's a Knockout when the Irish contingent built a pyramid of their men , putting the smallest on the bottom and the largest (and mean large) at the top!

And in the race to fill buckets of water they dumped their water in someone else ' s bucket! (Great people though, with a terrific sense of humour.)

The week is built of course, around a programme. How would things come together if there wasn't a pattern ?

But let ' s start at the beginning, On arrival at camp (from 4,30 p , m so that the camp staff can clear up from the previous week and get things ready for US) we have a cup of tea and a sticky bun Then - to your tents! No chaps, not so fast, you have to put them up first. Ever put up a bell tent? Good practice for your camping proficiency subject. Don talk about it , do it. (If you're very, very lucky your tent is one from the week before and you miss out on the fun,) In seven yea rs we've never inherited a tent. Folks are most kind though You don t have to struggle if you haven a clue , some kind sou l will always help, By the time this is done it's getting on for 6.30 p,m ., so get your bag of bits (plastic plate , pud dish cup, cutlery, teacloth and jug mop) and line up for Dins. Contrary to common belief, the food is great (a trained chef in the kitchen, no less). So much so that our cadets were going up for second helpings and thirds, if they could get away with it.

Everyone is called to the recreation hall straight after dinner for a run through on the Do's' and 'Don'ts' of camp. Later there is an officers ' and adults' meeting, where the week's activities are planned (entertainments, proficiency subjects, camp bank, use of mini-bus and divisions duty days).

Each division has a duty day which starts at 8 p.m" taking over from the previous division at Flag, and helps run the camp for the day.

Sunday is slightly difTerent. After breakfast it's into uniform for the interdenominational service conducted by the local

Flags Make a set of postcards, in the design of flags from different countries.

Cars Ask questions to find type of car: Crossing point of river - Ford; What no s andw ichesRolls; Climbs hills well- Hillman, Who am I?

A game to play with two or three cadets on a duty

One person picks a famous man or woman (eg, Geoff Boycott, William Shakespeare) while the rest have 20 questions to find out Who Am I?' Questions like: Man or woman? Alive or Dead ? Are you a sportsman, etc?

IN CAMP AT BEXHILL

The person can only answer with yes or no (or other one word answers).

If he is discovered the cadet who guessed correctly takes over. If not , then the winner thinks of someone else.

Contributions

Contributions and entries to competitions in this column should be sent to Jim , 3 Brandreth Road , London E6 4QB. I f you have any ideas about games, training activities or events that your cadets have taken part in and enjoyed, please write because I am always in need of material to include in the column. Cadet Chat badges are sent to all those who contribute to the column,

Entertainments involving everyone are arranged for the evening by the soc ial committee fancy dress , games, disco , mini -hike (fo r the young and not so fleet of foot) and midnight h.ike (10 p.m. actually) for seniors , first aid exercises, bonfire (a nd chip s and cocoa - 200 portions of chips is a tall order for the local shop).

Cocoa and bickies for the cadets is at 9.30 with lights out at 10,30 w hen supper for officers is in the dining room - if we can stay awake

Baptist Minister, which is held in the Rec Hall. The afternoon is our own , which usually means a trip to the sea, even if we're having one of our summers!

The week starts at 8 a m on Monday with the whistle being blown to call everyone to breakfast, unless Jeff Nice, from Nettleham, has found his bugle , when we re treated to a rendering of Reveille. At 9.45 we're off t o Flag, then morning prayer , post, notices for the day , and whether tent inspection is inside or out, and brailings up or down Tent inspection is to ensure that the tent and everything in it is aired daily; points are also awarded, the winning tent being presented with a certificate at week 's end.

At 10,30 the tuck shop opens and at 11 cadets go, in groups , for proficiency subjects, during which the bank opens for officers to draw cadets money for the afternoon trip. At 12.30 it ' s lunch and then out. Examples of outings are: Hastings (very popular), Bodiam Castle , Bexhill, Battle Abbey, Rye, Eastbourne, swimming (sea or pool , depending on the weather) or anywhere else within easy reach - to be back at camp for dinner at 6.30 .

The week is hard work in many ways, For cadets - sharing and maintaining a tent for a week taking care of themselves and their belongings , learn ng ( hopefull y) to give and take , and w orking togeth er as a team. For officers - in keeping an eye on everyone sorting out problems , ferrying the cadets around safely, and generally acting as mum and dad for the week, The range of proficien cy subjects offered depends on who is in camp. Camping , map reading and rambling a re three that can be easily taken with everything at hand, My other half (the Di vision's tran sport officer with 25 y ears in the motor trade) run s a course on motoring. A junior subject is nature study, Some people consider that subjects gained at camp are too easil y acquired, but when one considers the time normall y de vo ted to a subject during' weekly meetings (35 to 45 minute s for 8 to 10 weeks) , the same or more time is spent on a subject during one week in camp with the advantage of more intense s tud y. At Friday's entertainment the week s award winners are announced And as this is the last night in camp. it is ve r y difficult to get everyone to go to sleep Saturday is rather sad. After breakfast everything is packed ready to leave for home (we must be ofT the s ite by midda y), with many sad farewells. We stop on the way home for lunch at a Happ y Eater ', a nd once on the road again e ve r yone is asleep. We drop ofT the cadets at their homes , which is better than risking keepin g parents waiting at one point and then head for our own home, After a week in a tent , everything at home seems so much bigger. And Saturday night in a real bed is heaven. And the 100 is there with no need to get into wellies , Next year - going again ? Of course Of course we are, , Kate Pennock D / Supt Weybridge Cade ts 109

Avon s deputy County Commissioner Mrs Marina Dolman presents the Cadet of the Year cup to 16-year-old Fiona Mall ett, of Bristol's Longwell Gre en Div sion, with other award winners. (Photo Myra Meredith)

(Left) Jeff Nice from Nettleham L nes and his bugle B elow) But not everyo ne

IN 1982 AND 1983 the Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS) published reports analysing the available data on deaths by drowning in the British Isles in order to identify critical sections of the population at risk, which activit ies placed the individuals in danger, and to subsequently produce a water safety programme to reduce the risks identified.

A general study of the statistics for the number of drownings in the British Isles between the years 1961 and 1983 reveals that the number of fatalities varied between a maximum of 1,083 (1975) and a minimum of 485 (i 983). These figures are presented graphically in Figure 1.

The years 1982 and 1983 show 516 and 485 fatalities respectively. Thus between these two years there was a decrease of 6.008% in the number of fatalities

St John response In addressing the needs of the drowning casualty the requirement for urgent remedial action becomes immediately apparent. The 1982 edition of the First Aid Manual , refer

Drowning Part One

to page 48 suggests that resuscitation can be applied to the casualty at all stages of the rescue process, even in deep water. It is interesting to note in passing that the introduction of the expired air resuscitative techniques considerably reduced the time lost in beginning artificial respiration In the days when only manual techniques were practised the casualty had to be landed before resuscitation could be commenced. Before entering the water to effect a rescue of the type described in the First Aid Manual, the potential rescuer must not only carry out the responsibilities of a first-aider at the scene of an accident (page 9) but must also take stock of his own swimming ability physical endurance and knowledge of rescue techniques.

ANALYSIS ON A BIENNIAL BASIS BY R.L.S.S.

The basic techniques essential in the repertoire of any would - be - rescuer where water is involv ed are discussed below.

Historical background

The art of rescuing a person from water is a phenomenon that is well record ed throughout the ages. One of the most notable historical rescues is that of Julius Caesar from the raging waters of the by Caius Cassius. British authorities on swimming, between 55 BC and AD 1719 , either neglect to mention the existence of the rescue process or recommend that if a man wishes to put his trust in the skill' of swimming, 'let him conceal it lest others trusting therein take hold of him and make him perish with them '.

While in modern day society concealment of one's swimming ability is not encouraged , the statement above does uniquely highlight the rationale behind the currently practised rescue process. This requires that commitment to the water and direct physical contact with the casua ty occurs only as a last re sort.

The provision of education in resuscitation and life -saving skills were considered essential in the 18th and 19th centuries due to the high number of deaths by drowning that we re being registered. The Royal

Fig.3 Rescue process

RESCUER CASUALTY

WITH SUMMER COMING, RESCUE TECHNIQUES EVEN FROM SHALLOW WATER SHOULD BE UNDERSTOOD

says % D. Little, of SJA Herts Humane Society (founded in 1774) and the Royal Life Saving Society (founded in 1891) were created to fulfil this requirement.

The introduction of expired air resuscitation in the early 1950s as an alternative to the recommended manual techniques, allowed resuscitation to be initiated at an earlier stage in the rescue process.

Although it was regarded at the time as a new technique it is in fact recorded in the Bible (i 1 Kings, Chapter IV, vv 31 to 36) as one of the three techniques used in combination, by Elisha to successfully resuscitate a small boy. This event is believed to have occurred circa 800 BC. The expired air technique is also mentioned in many legends of much greater antiquity. An example of this type of legend is 'We sakejak Makes The New World from Canada. In this story Wesakejak revives the apparently dead Muskrat who made possible the creation of the new world.

Casualty recognition

The first -a ider who is considering entering the water to effect a rescue should pause before making a headlong rush into the murky depths and identify the type of casualty with which he is about to deal.

There are four basic types of casualty that can occur in the water (figure 2) who will require assistance in order to avert a tragedy These ba sic casualty types are:

I. The conscious non -swimmmer

This person will assume a vertical po sitio n in the water and invariably be in a state of panic and therefore will attempt to grasp any rescuer who ventures near. They mayor may not be achieving support from the water by using their arms and legs and will seldom cry out for help. They may be facing away from the land and the rescuer's instructions produce no response in the casualty.

A contact rescue, needed to save this type, is always potentially dangerous and only a trained life -saver with a high degree of expertise can be expected to perform the rescue.

2. The conscious weak swimmer

Because of their limited swimming knowledge this type of casualty will be using their arms and legs to obtain support from the water and will usually be facing the land They will appear anxious about their situation but will usually co-operate when firm and concise instructions are given.

This type of casualty can often be rescued by a non -contact or an accompanied rescue.

3. The conscious injured swimmer or non -swimmer

This type of casualty maintains an unnatural position in the water due to

their injuries. The injuries may also limit their attempts at highlighting their critical s ituation as well as their response and co-operation with the rescuer.

Rescue by a tow may prove to be difficult due to the unnatural position of the casualty in the water. A careful observation of the casualty should be made and questions asked (at a safe distance , of course) to determine the nature of the injuries and every effort taken to avoid further complication

4. The unconscious casualty

No attempts at attracting attention will be made by this casualty as they are completely limp in the water with only the head visible if the body is at the surface. Obviously the casualty will not respond or co -operate in any way with the rescuer.

A contact rescue and resuscitation if breathing has ceased , are essential when rescuing this type of casualty.

The various steps of the rescue process will now be discussed.

The rescue process

The experienced life-saver is trained to assess the situation confronting him for inherent dangers , both apparent and hidden and will only commit himself to the water as a last resort because this involves the greatest risk to himself

The progressive steps of the rescue process that a life-saver will consider are detailed in Figure 3.

Reaching rescues

'It was a scorching hot day , the water in the stream was slipping by so coolly , and one of the Mice dived in. But just as he sliced through the air, he suddenly remembered he couldn ' t swim.

'T oo late! Splash! He was in the water. And the current would have swept him away, if Hedgehog had not appeared on the sce ne "Here, hang on to this!" he yelled holding out a flower stalk. Mouse grabbed the stalk and was pulled to dry land, frightened and shuddering with the cold By s heer luck, a dreadful accident had been avoided .'

This quote from the children ' s story entitled The Swimming Pool illustrates a classic reaching rescue and demonstrates that a life can be saved without the rescuer entering the water. Thi s type of rescue, the first in the rescue process is (a) safe for the non -swimming rescuer, and (b) effective in saving the casualty when they are near the bank or shore line. The rescuer must lie flat on the bank (Figure 4) as this lowers his centre of gravity and prevents him from being pulled into the water. Having a person present to secure the rescuer 's legs provides added safety.

The type of aids that can be used in this type of rescue are:

(a) rig d - umbrella, oar branch or pole

(b) flexible - one or more articles of clothing tied together, towel or sk ipping rope.

Rigid rescue aids are preferable to flexible aid as they gi v e the rescuer more control over the casualty.

If at any stage during the rescue the rescuer feels that his safety is threatened he should let go of the aid.

Throwing rescues

This form of rescue (Fig ure 5) is utilised when the distance of the casualty from the bank precludes a reaching rescue. Again two types of aid can be used to effect this means of rescue:

(a) buo ya nt aids - this can be a football, empty plastic container or a child s ring.

Fig 4 Reaching rescue

Fig.5 Throwing rescue Fig 6 Slide in entry Q 0))

(b) line or rope .

When throwing any type of aid to the casualty the rescuer must take account of the wind, currents tides and weight of the aid. An aid which is heavy enough to render the casualty unconscious is unsatisfactory

The aid should ideally be targeted to land within arm s reach and in front of the casualty. When the casualty has secured the aid they should be encouraged to make their way to the bank.

Throwing a line or rope requires a slightly d fferent procedure in that care must be taken to retain the end that is not being thr own in order that the casualt y ma y be pulled into the bank or the rope retrieved in the event of a misplaced throw

There is a natural div i sion at this point in the rescue process a s the remaining techniques , except rowing , require a safe entry to be made by the rescuer into the water. Let us now consider the methods of safe entry into the water before continuing with the remainder of the rescue process

Entry into the water

The tran si t on from the throwing rescue to the wading rescue requires a safe entry to be made into the water There are four types of entry taught by the Royal Life Saving Society for specific circumstances. They are as follo ws :

(a) Slide-in entr y: This type of entry (Figure 6) is safe and controlled and is used when t he water is mu r ky and the condition

OTHER MORE prest igious and often more complex decorations are those of the various ORDERS of chivalry. Orders are reall y a form of exclusive association or club to which persons are admitted as an honour in recognition of outstanding achievement or service.

Agairi, while there are few ri gid clear distinctions , each order is concerned with a primary sphere of activity, eg, high military achievement is usually recognised by the Order of the Bath; diplomatic distinction by the Order of St Michael and St George and, as we know , service to the community in our own special fields by the Order of St John of Jerusalem A further illustration of the flexibility of our national system of honours is that, overlapping these other orders mentioned , prominent endeavour in both military or civil work may well be acknowledged by appointment to the Order of the British Empire , and Civil Service and technical' reward may also often be made with the Order of the Bath.

Some orders are divided vertically, so to speak, throughout into DIVISIONS, eg, the Order of the Bath and the Order of the

of the bottom is unknown.

(b) Step -in entry: For entries made from a height greater than one metre into known waters. This is used where a head first entry would be hazardous.

(c) S raddle jump : Used for heights up to one metre. This method provides a s haJlow entry into known water where the rescuer can keep his head abo ve the waterline. He thus maintain s continuous observation of the casualty.

(d) Shallow di ve: T his technique c an be used where the water is clear and the bottom can be observed for obstacles. It covers distance quickly but ha s the di s ad v anta g e that the casualt y is los t from sight briefl y

The rescue process

Wading rescues

This type of rescue (Figure 7) aJlows the rescuer to get clo ser to the c asualty and thereby reduces the distance o ver wh ich a reaching or throwing rescue is made. It should be used only when the reach or throw rescues from the bank have been unsuccessful or impracticable.

As the rescuer has to enter the water he must ensure that such prevailing conditions as depth , current and temperature of the water will not haza r d hi s safety and not go beyond waist depth

Once an aid , similar to those described in the reach and throw rescues has been obtained a cautious entr y must be made into the water. The rescuer will then wade care -

ABOUT ORDERS OF CHIVALRY (4)

British Emp re each have a Militar y and a Civil Di v ision.

British orders have from one to five CLASSES or GRADES, usually described as follows:

Class I - Knights and Dames Grand Cross and Bailiffs

Class II - Knight s and Dames Commander

Class III - Commanders and Companions

Class IV - Officers and Lieutenants

Class V - Members and Brothers/ Sisters

(The titles describing these grades vary according to the custom of the particular order concerned ) Those of the first two grades usually receive the title 'Sir' and ladie s 'Dame (for this is the feminine equivalent of a knighthood) Lower grades do not bring a title.

It may be of interest to clarify here a Fig 8 Rowing rescue

example , a per son might have been m a de an MB E (Milit ary) while in t he Arm y; ye ars a ter the s a me person ma y hav e gi ve n servi ce o f dis t in'Cti o n as a civ ili a n a nd t h en bee n a wa rd ed an OB E ( Ci vil). Tha pers o n wears both med a ls , o r BADG E S as the y ar e a s o ca ll ed

Fa mil y, as ar e he asso c ia t ed Me d a ls (R V M )

full y toward s the ca s ua lty st opping when near enough for th e c a sualty to g rasp one end of the aid. The re scuer s hould then a s sume a firm stance and pas s the aid to the casualty w ho will then be pulled toward s the bank or n the c a se of a flotation aid he should be encourag ed to make their wa y to land.

Thi s type of rescu e c an be extended considerabl y b y the u se o f the human chain technique

Ro wi ng res cu es A s Rat said to Mole th e r e is no thin g half s o much wor t h do n g as s impl y mes sin g about in boats While t his is undoubt ed ly true t should be not ed th a t if a r esc ue is to be mad e in a bo a t th e r e scuer mu st kno w how t o r ow and control the c r aft pr o fi c ien t ly.

Thi s t y p e o f re s cue w ill , f a s ui ta ble c r aft is use d (Fig ure 8), allo w t he re sc ue r to c arr y out a r es cue ov er a di s tan c e th

the casualt y a ss is t ed o r li ft ed o ver the en d

Re s u sc itatio n can be co mmen c ed be fo re the casu a lt y is lift ed int o th e boa t if ne cess a ry. Once the cas ualt y is in th e bo a howeve r, t re at m en t c a n be co n tin u ed T h is ca n ta k e t he fo rm of: (a) r esusc it a ti o n (b ) an y afte r c a re re quir ed

(Cont inued next mont h) popular m isn o mer. A p e rs on w ho has an OB E' o r an MB E' is an Officer or M ember oj th e Order of the Bri t ish E mp ire not a n Officer o f th e Br iti s h E mpire no r a M e mb e r o f the Briti s h E mpir e' - ho p efull y we are al l ab le to re g ard our se ves a s one of the latter! Should a p erson who is alread y a member of an order achie ve rec o gn i ion a g ain la t er he or she ma y be pr o m o t ed from on e grad e to a nothe r wit hin the sa me order. Su c h promot on s need not nec e ssaril y be by single stages (this is another popular misunders tandin g) E g , a M e mber ( 5th Class ) could be ele v ated directl y t o , s ay Commander ( 3rd Class) or Knigh t ( 2nd C la ss ). On promotion within an order the person relinquishe s his earlier, lower grade in that order and must no longer wear its more junior in signia. How often in t h e Order o f St John ha ve we seen , say , a Command e r Brother still wearing his Offioer Brother medal , and so on ? On the other hand a person may hold one grade in the Militar y Division o f an order and another similar, or different grade in the Civil Division of the s ame order. In s uch a case the insignia of both divisions may continue to be worn at the sam e time . F or

T he re are severa l o th er po int s o f intere st. T he hi ghest o rder s in th e land th e O rde r of th e G a rter (K G) and t h e O rd e r o f th e T his tle (K T ), both o nl y h ave o ne grade , th a t o f K ni g ht Comp a nion o r La dy. S o m e o th e r very d is ting ui s h ed or d ers a lso ha ve on ly o ne grade, th at of Co mp a n io n , eg, th e Or d er o f Me ri t (O M) a nd t he O r der of th e

Com p a ni o n s of Hon our (CH) T h e O r der o f the Ba th h as o nl y the thr ee h igh es t gr a d e s.

The R oya l R ed C r oss, fo r o u ts t anding milita r y nurs ing ac h ievement has un u su ally two gr a d es, hat of Me m ber (RRC) and Associate (A RR C). A so th is deco r ation , once exclusively fo r wo m en is now avai lable for men as well.

Both the Distinguished Service Order for mi litary actio n in the field and the Imperia l Serv ice Order ( I SO) for outsta n ding Civi l Serv ice work also have o nly one grade

Some orders are exc lusively in the gift of the Sovereign, requiring no government sponsorshi p , eg the Royal Victorian Order is given for perso na l services to the Royal

The exc ep t io n t o t he ge n eral p attern o f k ni g h th ood s is th e Kn ight Ba c h elor (Kt); b a ch e or' beca use the knighthood is n this case no t allied o r wedded to a ny p ar tic ula r o rd er. It is t his a w ar d wh ich is ofte n g a in ed for civ c or bu si ness ac h ievement o r in sport.

Eg , Sir Geoffrey How e Kt, Sir Stanley Ma tthe ws K t , Sir Ha r ry Secom be Kt. (T h e app o intme n t of a baro net (ie, 'litt le b aro n ') is outsi de t he scope of our di sc u ss ion , b ut it ma y h elp at this point just to giv e a few words of explanation about b aronets. T h ey a re a lso tit led Si r and wear a ne ck d eco r a t ion k nown as the Baronet ' s B adge. A bar o n etcy alt hough not a peerage , is a heredita r y t itle and may be seen as ranki n g somewhere between a knight and th e lowest grade of peer, a baron. To distinguish the title from that of a knig h t , the a b brevi a ion 'Bt or Bart is written after the name, t h us: S ir Keith Joseph Bart ) O ne interesting fact that may not be common ly realised is that the British Empir e Meda l is issued by the Order o f the Briti s h Empire and recipients as s uch a r e themselves not membe r s of the Order. The Medal does not have the Sovereign s effig y on it. It is the custom for high nationa orders to be bes owe d u pon Heads of State an d other

ST J 0 H N ' 5 WO RT: 'Our' plant which

ALTHOUGH I have not been able to as certain when St John s Wort beca m e the emb lem of the Orde r of St John it was obviously c hose n fo r its medicinal properties and was widely used for such in days gone by Its genetic name H y pericum is from Greek m eaning over an ' ap p arition ', and some cons ider here is a link between the flower and St John t he Baptist's birthday , whic h was the summer solstice. Others think the name re lates to the blood red oil its lea ves co nta in a n d whic h is so m et mes calle d St John s blood. The green or green - bl ue leaves a re covered with tran s parent sub -s ur face oil gland s wh c h appear to be eaf spots , but w hen held to th e light loo k li ke s m a ll ho les he nce th e n ame Pe r fora tu m Li n n. T he re are a bo ut 4 0 0 species of St John's Wort in th e wo rl d 50 of whic h are to be found in t he British Is les. Some grow to a he ight of thr ee to fi ve fee t , w hile o th er s keep to he gro und . T h eir s un -like fl owers are of cons ider ab le bea u ty , with five petals a li ttl e lo n ge r th a n t he s epa ls, an d n u me r o us stame ns w h ich un for t un ate ly h ave a u rpe ntine o dour. Th e fru is a thr ee-ce ll ed ca p s ul e conta in in g d a rk b row n see d s. St Jo h n's Wort is a lso kno w n by other n a m es: Amber , Goa Wee d , Kl a m a th Weed, T ipto n Wee d ,

Aa ro n s Be a r d , and R ose of S h a r o n

In times lon g pas t S t J o hn s Wo rt c ould be see n climbin g ove r hou ses to protec t t hem fro m evil s piri t s - wi tc hcra ft , de vi s, d a n ger, ghosts, s torm s , lig htnin g, e c. Th e somewh a mys tical, re li g io u s tie s of th e plan t are clear , howeve r , and it w a s a lso r e putedl y valu a ble

d s t ing u is h ed fo reig n er s as a gesture o f frie ndl y na t io n al courtesy , in appreciation of c lose mutua link s or for ser vice s on th is country 's behalf. Order s of kni g hthood in s uch ca ses are honorar y and as a co n seq uence do not confer title. An example is Mr Doug las Fairbank s 1m who is an Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE ) As a United States citizen he cannot use the t itle S ir (A further point of interes

flowers from May to September

for exorc sing evil sp irits. It has been used as an astringent nervine and aromatic. Some v alu e it fo r heali n g wounds. Other s u sed it for coughs , lung ailments , and especially in urinary comp aints An infusion of one ounce of the herb t o a p int of boiling water w a s prescri bed in wi n e glass doses The calming properties of St John s Wort ha ve been us ed in the treatment of bed wetting , forms of c olic , jaundice , and other complaints so on e can well unde rs tand its association w ith S t John T he herb can be used in man y w a ys, but he re ' s one. Pu t fr es h flowers and le a ves in a jar an d fi ll wit h oliv e oil hen clo s e the jar and s t a nd i t in a s un n y or warm place for six t o se ven week s, shaking it often T he oil will turn red. Strain the oil through a c lo t h and if after it ha s stood for a while a wa ter y lay er appears , decant or siphon it off. St o re the oil in a dark c ontainer and it will ke e p for up t o t wo y ears. Ten to 15 drops a r e aken in w a t e r mornin g and ni ght. You will note the emb lem of St J o h n s Wort on the rever se side of the Service Medal of the Order o f St John , and o n badges of Officer grade one , two and se ven. Agai n it will be seen on the gor g et patche s of h ig h r anking officers and Grand and Chief P r es iden t. It also decorate s the top ri g ht and left hand corners of the certificate given for 45 years efficient Brig ade serv ice But I t hink t he best example is to be seen on the left s leeve of many St J ohn Ambulance cadets - the eight pointed white cross surroun d ed by the wort wre a th and domi n ated by the Impe r ial C r o w n - the Gra nd P rior ' s Ba d ge, of course. Do ve r Com bin ed Divi sion, by the way, h as wo var eties of St John s Wort growing in fro nt of their divisional HQ - wh ich is mos a pp ropr iate Jack H ew itt D ove r C OUIlty P oo l Officer 113

YOU CANT BE WORSE THAN

from Anon, ASO

We are still getting correspondence about the 'Lunatic' poster publicity approach. If it is true that St John Ambulance is losing 10 adult members a day , and the organisation may not be here next year, we can surely ill afford further discussion on whether the poster is in bad taste or not. It may well offend the memor y of Sir John Furley , but times have changed and I for one can say (having used the new material) that it is helping to attract attention.

The words of the doctor in the Ford first aid film could be used in the context of our membership plight: You can t be worse than dead

So let's all give it a try at the same time. Surrey Anon

TRAINING FOR JUNIORS

from Miss M Boland, Divisional Superintendent (C)

It has alway s been our policy for Juniors to attain as high a standard as possible in first aid techniques , so that even if they are not able personally to put their knowledge into practice they w ould be able to instruct an adult.

Th e r ealit y of thi s w a s brought home t o us when we hea r d that one o f our Juniors a ged nine years h a d the app a ll ing task of instructing her father in re suscitating her younger sister who was suddenly taken ill. Then she took o ver to enable him to telephone for an ambulance Unfortun a tely their attempts were to no avai l, but at least one famil y felt they had done all in their power to sa ve life because of their first aid training by St John Ambulance.

Let us all remember just how important our training is , and what a respon si bility we have in teaching anyone of a n y age , the principles o f fir st aid We never know when we may need to use our knowledge. So be prepared.

Ash Vale, Rants Mary Boland

ABOUT OFFICIAL MEDALS (2) from Mr C Freeman ASO (Cadets)

I ha v e read with interest the articles on the above subject by JHW , but there seems to be an error regardin g one item (March Revie w). This is contained in the third paragraph from the end and is included in the passage, . for example a person who fought for some months in a combat zone s uch as North Africa and the Mediterranean probably receiv ed th e Star the Afr ica Star, the Defence Medal and the War Medal. Well so far as the Defence Medal is I doubt very much if that s er vic e would qualify. The Defence Medal wa s a w arded to anyone who served in Britai n on acti ve service, or , ifnot in the A r med Forces in the Police , Fire Service or ARP (as it was then known) for three years. The only other exception was that it was awarded to anyone who was awarded a decoration - as JHW states was D F C DSC , MM etc. In such a case the Defence Medal was awarded regardless of theatre of war and length o f service in that area.

Barnsley Clay ton Freeman

JHW writes :

I am encouraged by Mr Freeman s interest in my article but like man y, he must beware of folklore! My example is correct; no medal is handed out just to accompany another decoration . The Defenc e Medal was awarded between Sept 3 1939 and May 8 1945 in the UK , and until Aug 14 1945 in the East for service in areas subject to , or under the threat of enemy air attack (except West Africa and the West Indies). The colour of the ribbon epitomizes the air raids on our ' green and pleasant land ', ie , green - Great Britain, black - the night, orange - flames of fires. Time spent in captivity as prisoner-of-war did not count towards award of the Defence Medal.

KNOW THIS AMBULANCE?

from Andrew Young

I wonder if it would be possible to help us locate a vehicle, because we are writ ng a book about the history of Sidmouth SJA. We are trying to trace the first ambulance used in Sidmouth. Details of it are: Reg No DV 654, Ford (box type) , colour service green first registered May 2 1929 first owners Home Service Ambulance Committee, built

and bought in London price (new) £250 The vehicle had th e name SYMPA THY on its side and it wa s in servi ce in Sidmouth from May 2 1929 to Apr il 1937 I have been in tou c h with DV L C , S w an sea, but t he y dec lined to g ive an y inform a tion wo uld like to cont ac t th e p r esent regi s e red owner so as to take some ph o tog raph s of t he vehicle December 21 19 86 is the 60th anniver s ar y of the Bri gade in Sidmouth and it would be a nice surpri s e if w e could locate our old vehicle.

48 Furzehill, Sidbury, A ndre w Y o ung Devon. Phon e 0395 7 243 A FIRE HAZARD? from A F. Amor D v Officer

Recently we have been required locall y not to use ' sp ace bl a nket s' on account of fire haza r d. This raises the g eneral ques ion of flammab lity of first-aid material s. A few m inu e s res e a rch tell s me dre s sing s, triangular bandage s, swabs , g auze , alcohol , et c, all burn easil y, and in the presence of oxygen will burn fier ce ly I found Burn -eze w ill blo w out small flame s, but the re s idual liquid w ill al so burn.

The space blanket has use s a s a compact wi nd a nd w ater protec tor although its use as a radiation bar r ier ma y b e in d o ubt , but th e re remains a question and an o b ser v ation.

Firstly , why are 's pac e b lanket s' such a p a rticular fire ha z ard that the r u se is banned ? Se condl y, first a id and naked flames do not mix.

Smoking ga s and par a ffin heaters , and gas lamp s are all potential hazards especially if ox ygen is prese n t. Th e ri s k is hi g her if the patient cannot help himself.

Have any readers I wonder , had a fir e problem while pr a ctisin g first aid ? The statistics may be interesting.

Farnborough A F. A mor

A cov er all (w it h hood)

wate proo f for wheelchair user s is av ailable ogether wi t h other ga ment s from Three Jay & Co 9 Th e Pre ci nct High Road. Broxbourne Herts.

A staff memb er s i nv es ed by the Hospitaller with Matron

OUR HOSPITAL

New building has been open 25 years

ON October 25 1985 an investiture was held in the patio of St John Ophthalmic Hospital when 36 member s of the ho s pital staff were honoured. Twenty -three member s recei ved bars to service medal s aw arded for additional five y ear s of serv ice on top of the original 10 years and thi s group has provided a tota l of 496 y ear s as servants of the hospital. After the inve stiture a s mall garden party was held and eac h member of the staff received a cre sted mug as a mem ento of the 2 5th anniver s ary of the opening of the pre sent building in 1960 The Ho s pitaller , Sir Stephen M iller , addressed the company a s follo ws : During my five y ear s of stewardship a s Ho s p italler o f The Order of S t John some new de velopmen ts have ine v ita b ly taken place. Let us glance for a s econd or two at the m a in c h ang e s

The ou t-pati e nt department w a s re-de s igned o n a fl ow bas is making fu JI use o f the s p a c e available and pr ovi ding pri v ac y both fo r pat ien a nd doc tor and thi s ha s pro ved a g reat boon , e s pe ciall y t o Dr Henr y Bac khou se and his wife , wh o work so diligentl y da y by da y in t hi s department.

A library was established in 1981 for the use of medical offi c er s a nd thi s is kept up to date. Instructional tapes were al so m a d e av aila ble on vid eo and they have pro v ed in v al uable to our s urgical staff

An Outr ea c h P r ogramme wa s in stalled by Dr Geoffre y Bisle y t o eli cit la tent eye disease amon g the young and the elderl y in the vi llag es o f the We st Bank Its development under the guidance of D r L ee C hum bley ha s brought t og ether our staff an d our patients and inc r eased the respect and affection each has for the other Th e O verseas Developm ent Association in E ngland has fund ed research and service in th e inv es ti ga tion and treatment of vernal conjuncti vitis a disabling scur ge affecting young people with in th is ar ea a nd we loo k for w ard to the re s ult s of these in vestigat ons in due co urse.

Trainin g of pe r sonnel o ne of our important c o ntri bu t ion s to t h e wel fare of the community, is in the capabl e hand s o f our m a tr o n Mi ss P auline O Donnell. Th e cour se for Practical N ur ses whi c h is the r es po n sibility of our siste r tutor Mar y Manario us , is a bo ut t o be ex t end ed from 9 to 18 months , thu s enabling our r ai n ees hop efu ll y t o ac quire a certificat e which is generally recogni se d in the Middle E ast. A new course for trained nur ses to widen the ir horizons and their ex perti se is a bout to begin.

Training of primary health workers is an es sential pa rt o f the Outr each Programme and Miss Kaibni has recentl y join ed our nur si n g staff to undertake this important a s pect of our wo r k and she is alread y full y e nga ged.

The Arab Medical Association second s a ra inee ophthalmologist each year to our ho s pital so that he can eventuall y study for the diploma of Fellowship of one of our Royal Colleges , all of which recognise our hospital as an accredited training institution.

Solar heating has been tried out and after teething troubles it is now clear that is has much to offer in saving heating co s ts and its new found success is due to the pers is ten t ende av ours of our superintendent , Mr Nas ser Ba n y annan and his m aintenance st aff.

Updating in the operating theatres ; new tables , new lights new instruments and in the out-patient department a new laser , ultra -sound equipment and new slit lamps began in our centenary year in 1982 and has continued : There has also been constant attention paid to the Si sters' Home, Doctors' flats and Nurses ' staff quarters, all of which are kept under review.

During these five years six hospital beds have been endowed in the sum of £70 ,000 each. This capital brings in sufficient intere s t to pay the cost of one bed in perpetuity and in memor y of the donor.

Taken altogether these are considerable achievements against a

Following an article in the R ev iew in

eci d

to

, Crawle y Nursing

bit to help the hospita l, which w as de sp er ately t rying to find wa ys to raise funds. How could we help ? W ell , every Saturday morning at our Headquarte r s we run a coffee m o rn ng to raise fun ds. The suggestio n was made that we could donate the p roc eed s once a ye ar to help our hospital.

We a ppr oa che d the p ub lic affairs department a Grosvenor Cr escent a nd o btain ed va r io u s leaflet s and poste r s w hich we displayed aro u nd our Headq u arters. Our usua l arm y of willing members got b u sy cooking , serving the publ ic and w ashing up . ( See photograph ) T he first two y ears saw cheques of £77 and £70 respecti vel y heading t ow a rds the h ospital's fu nds.

Last year 1985 , we went one better. We thought it w as about time our me m bers knew as m u ch as possible abo u t the hospital the y were

WHAT'S HAPPENING - AND WHERE

ST JOHN REVIEW

Contents

Centenary

Public Affairs Dept at Headquarters p.121

Do you know your Manuals? (8) by Bruce Coltman p.122

You and the Review by the Editor p.124

To India and Pakistan by the Chief Commander p.124

Saturday April 5, by Brian Rockell p.126

J Smith nearly died when his team scored p.126

Around and About by the Editor p.128

Chief President's Pacific tour p.131

Cadet Chat by Jim p .1 32

Medieval music drama returns to the Gate p .133

Drowning (2) by D/ O D Little p 134

Champions of the Cross (6) by Hugh A. R. Edgell p.136

From van to ambulance in 2 months at £4,000 p.137

Readers Views p.138

News from Scotland - Wales

News from Divisions/ Centres

To the Gate p.143

The world about us by Jack p .1 40 p 142 p.144

Public Affairs Dept at Headquarters

FOLLOWING the recent resignation of director of public affairs Richard Radcliffe the Public Affairs Department has been reorganised into two distinct parts , separating public relations and all media contact on the one hand from appeals and fund-raising events on the other, Chairman of Public Affairs is of course Lord Westbury , and the two departments working under him will now be: (1) Director of Public Relations , Lt-Col John Mills, a press officer (to be appointed), and a secretary; (2) Public Affairs Manager is Miss R, Earlle, with appeals administrator Mrs June Bellinger special events and fund-raising, etc, Miss Helen Mayes , plus a secretary. The Director of Public Relations, Lt-Col John Mills, will be responsible for overall policy direction throughout the public affairs organisation at Headquarters.

THE Review and members of the Order and SJ A have recently come under the scrutiny of PR consultants Saatchi and Saatchi in an opinion poll conducted by Marplan as to 'why only 5,600 copies of the magazine are sold to an estimated readership (four readers per copy) of 22,500 people, when there are some 40,000 adults in the Order and SJA, i.e., barely 55% has any contact with the magazine '. And 'in recent years subscriptions and so readership has been falling'.

Can I as editor (for 16 years and this the 198th issue) say that with SJA membership falling at about 10% annually it is not surprising to find that sales of the Review are not rising (in fact it has been falling at about the same rate as loss of membership). And if 55% of members of an organisation read a magazine which they have to buy, I consider that a very good response. It would be about the readership response for a free house magazine. (The only other organisation that I can think of which sells its magazine has about a 12% sales response from membership.)

The Marplan survey covered phone interviews with 300 members (25% officers, 75% non-officers) throughout the UK.

IT WAS during the overseas seminar in Hong Kong last year when I first decided to visit India this winter rather than Africa. I had not been on an official visit there for more that nine years and I remember then being somewhat disappointed with what I had seen. But in Hong Kong the Indian delegates gave us such an exciting and different description of St John Ambulance activities there, that I felt I must go again.

Tge reason for my visit to Pakistan was quite different and was simply because we had had no news or communication from anyone there for over ten years, and it seemed a good opportunity for me to go and find out what was happening.

I arrived in Karachi at 3 am on February 8 somewhat uncertain as to whether anyone would meet me, but I need not have worried.

In spite of the time of night (or morning) I was met by seven senior officers of St John Ambulance and the chairman of the Red Crescent, and a motorcycle escort of six outriders led me into Karachi! Eventually I got to bed at 5 am, having discovered that my programme started at 10 am and was virtually non-stop until I left!

During the visit I learned that at some time during 1980 St John Ambulance had been banned in Pakistan. This did not seem to have had much impact on the organisation in Karachi which had refused to accept the ban, and in city today there two corps each of five divisions and eleven other independent divisions, making a total strength of over five hundr6d members. I visited most of these divisions and spent an interesting morning with the Burhani Corps where I was able to see a large mobile dressing station, which they erect on occasions such as Muharran when they expect and get large numbers of pretty

124

COMMENT

YOU and the REVIEW

BY TH E EDITOR

The summary of main findings were:

A wareness of Review is high (96% of membership). Almost everyone said they knew St John published a magazine for members, the vast mqjority correctly identified its title as Review. Four:lifths of the sample claimed to read Review nowadays although only half of them reported seeing the current (March) issue. (Edit: The March issue was late in delivery due to distribution problems.) No more than a quarter of all readers normally pay for the copy they see - in two cases in every three (and particularly so among officers). Divisional or County office is relied upon to provide the reading material. A wareness of cover price is low - one reader in every two said they had no idea, the proportion who unpleasant casualties. As well as normal duties, the Brigade divisions are trained to carry out inoculations and vaccinations under medical supervision, and in addition run a full-time ambulance and hearse service , not just in Karachi but all over the country.

This service carried out over twelve hundred journeys last year. The Association branch flourishes, and teaches, as well as first aid and nursing, courses in taking blood pressure and a special course for sea captains. Although I shall always remember the very warm welcome I received wherever I went, the memory of one particular visit I made will always remain with me. This was to see a first aid post in a small village called Korangi, some twenty miles from Karachi. The part of the village to which I was taken was in fact a collection of mud-brick huts in a patch of scrubland near an oil refinery. I learned that the inhabitants had been forcibly evacuated from their homes in Karachi and given this barren piece of land on which to build. The houses were all much the same, except one which was rather special because, flying above it and visible from a long distance, was the flag of the Order. The owner was a member of the Brigade. He had acquired an old bed, some blankets, an old cupboard, and a table and a chair, and there in his home he and his daughter devote their lives to running a first aid post for the villagers. Once a month he takes the bus into Karachi to collect medical supplies and ask to have inspected and approved his patients' register, which he keeps scrupulously up-to-date. As I left I was given a cup of tea and a chocolate cake decorated with the cross of the Order! This visit epitomised for me the spirit of St John Ambulance which exists in Karachi today and which, as I left for Delhi, made me

actually got it right was no higher than one in six.

On the whole, attitudes towards Review are extremely positive. Virtually everyone is able to find something in it for them - more than half say there is nothing they particularly dislike. Not unexpectedly, articles of most interest relate to first aid and medicine/nursing - Divisional News is also a particularly popular feature. While a third of all readers said they did not think that Review needed any refinement or modification, there were calls from some quarters (particularly among ordinary members) for a more 'local' feel and extended coverage of topics of interest at divisional level. There were also a few calls to 'liven up' the overall image and presentation of the magazine.

To India and

Two bands and even two elephants

- What a welcome!

BY THE CHIEF COMMANDER

determined to do all I could to keep the organisat io n alive.

I spent just over two weeks in India durin g which, I calculated I travelled over 4 ,000 miles either by car train, or plane, met members of some 19 division s, saw five Association courses, visited four Primary Health Care projects, and made 21 speeches! So it was a busy visit. Apart from saying that the Association Branch is flourishing and the Brigade, though weak numerically , has improved much since my last visit, I propose to devote the remainder of this article to describing some of the Primary Health Care projects I saw, since these represent a new 'departure' for St John Ambulance overseas and one which I have believed for some time could become the main work of the Brigade in the Third World in the future.

All the Primary Health Ca re projects in India today are in West Bengal and run by the Association rather than by the Brigade. The reason for this is simply that they are the 'brain children' of the State chairman, Mr Gimi, who dreamed of the idea and raised

The concensus among the sample of members we interviewed was very firmly in favour of a St John publication for members - in the mqjority of cases, the present format of Review was thought to be quite acceptable for this purpose. A 'tailor-made' magazine, incorporating features/articles of interest, was considered an attractive proposition. Indeed, readers seem more likely to purchase for themselves than rely on Divisional/ County office sources if such a magazine were available. Annual subscription is preferred to monthly payment by a ratio of almost 2:1, price expectations focused mainly on the current cover price of 70p.

Conclusions

Taking everything into consideration, readers appear to have adopted a passive acceptance (?see para 2 above) of Review in its current format - in this respect, no fundamental problems are apparent. However, some fine tuning to give greater emphasis to local/divisional items while ensuring up-to -date coverage offirst aid and medical issues (Edit: Difficult to obtain from HQ) is likely to make it a more attractive

Pakistan

enough money to transform the dream into real it y. In West Bengal there are fifteen Districts and each District runs a number of projects. The District Centres each have a mobile medical unit which consists of an ambulance which is used largely for carrying personnel and stores. The Centres recruit and train local volunteers from the villages who form Volunteer Aid Units (V AUs), and volunteer doctors form a vital part of each MMU. Each District Centre chooses a village, usually the largest in a group, and the MMU together with a number of VA Us visit this village at regular known times. The members of that village, and surrounding villages within walking distance, who require examination or treatment will come into the central village.

In one village I visited, at least 200 patients had gathered and four activities were taking place In one building patients were being examined by a doctor, who prescribed a medicine for them; next to him was a pharmacist who made up the medicine, and the patient paid a nominal charge of one rupee for it. In another building children were being immunised

proposition. This, coupled with a modest change in presentation style may stimulate readership and circulation.

Overall opinion

All in all, the Review is very highly regarded. Reactions were extremely positive - one reader in every three (34%) said their overall opinion was very favourable, well over half (59%) said quite favourable; only 6% returned an utifavourable verdict. Most favourably disposed are those aged 55 years plus (46% said very favourable) and every-issue readers (40%). No difference is apparent between officers and non-officers. 60% said they liked the Review format as it is; 18% would prefer a Free Sheet, 5% would prefer something more like a newspaper.

(Edit: Emphasising rules in text above have been added.)

So you the readers have confirmed that the Review is effective as representing St John despite the fact that some at Headquarters and elsewhere are sceptical about its value as a publication.

In that case as our magazine has influence, may we ask - plead - with against TB, in another a pathology unit was operating, while in the fourth, for the first time in the District , immunisation against polio was about to start.

I was invited to start it by giving the first dose to a baby. In India they administer the dose in a spoon rather than v ia a lump of sugar, and what with the yelling, kicking infant and my somewhat unsteady hands, this was not a success and most of the liquid went over the child's face which only served to increase the uproar! However, I finally declared the project ' open ' and handed over thankfully to the doctor. This Centre claims that in 1985 they examined and treated over 8,400 patients and taught elementary first aid to over 2,600 people in the various villages. This is a vast contribution to Preventive Health Care.

In Malda , on the borders of Bangladesh , where I spent a day I saw another aspect of St John Ambulance work: the organisation and running of Eye Camps. In this case the top floor of the District Headquarters had been turned into a hospital. One small room served as an operating theatre, and two large attics as wards. In the wards were some 50 patients, some in beds, some on the floor , all of whom had had cataract operations the previous evening. They were being nursed by St John Ambulance volunteers and would be there about one week. The surgeon in charge, a Doctor Ray , personally carries out some 6 ,000 free cataract operations each year in his own time , and St John Ambulance volunteers assist at many of them. The conditions are obviously extremely basic and would be unacceptable in England, but in West Bengal the villagers are having their sight restored, a service which up to a few years ago was a dream beyond their wildest imagination.

everyone in St John in the UK - county , area, division and member - to not disregard the efforts being made at Headquarters to put our organisation as a whole on a more effective footing. The public must be made more aware of the fine role St John plays in the everyday affairs of our society. That is a responsibility of national headquarters The 'Lunatic' poster is the first step in resolving that problem. The poster has already received enormous press coverage (details next month ) and hence public interest in areas where it has been used. It doesn t matter if that interest is in the form of remarks like 'H ow are the lunatics today ?' as one division told me. Such comments show people are paying attention to you - and that 's what matters (See Readers Views). Please - please - everyone - tryout those posters. Give them a chance. Send them to the local paper saying why you're going to use them If they're not tried , phase two of the programme of solving SJA's ba sic problem cannot be implemented It s up to you. It's up to all of us. Especially if we w ant to think in terms of a 2 000th issue of the Re view rather than a 200th.

In India, St John Ambulance is a separa te branch of the Indian Red Cross, and sev eral of the appointments at national level are joint. Except in Haryana, where the two organisations have actually merged, below national headquarters level they generally operate quite separately St John Ambulance being made entirel y responsible for all aspects of first aid. The relationships everywhere are excellent, and a model which perhap s one da y can be copied in this country. In discussions I had with the Commissioner-in-Chief, we agreed that Dr Corry the Director of Primary Health Care Projects at Grosvenor Crescent, would visit India in September with a view to starting more projects in other States.

During my visit I received so many kindnesses and was made so welcome it is difficult to single out anyone occasion for special mention , but my arrival in Ranaghat is something I shall never forget. We drove into the town on the main Calcutta road to discover it had been temporarily closed. Across the road a Guard of Honour with two bands were lined up , with two elephants in attendance! After inspecting the Guard we got back into the cars and drove slowly through the town to the District Headquarters through streets bedecked with St John flags banners of welcome, and lined by some 200 girls in St John Ambulance uniform! This one event demonstrated to me, perhaps more than any other, the high regard in which St John Ambulance is held in West Bengal. As I said later in a speech: 'This was a tribute to St John Ambulance -a way of saying " Thank you" for the splendid work they are doing '

Yes, I am glad I decided to visit India and Pakistan.

AT THE AIRPORT

Saturday April 5

SATURDA Y AprilS. I must give the lawn its first mow of the year. It seems a pity to cut down the heads of the few crocuses that remain. The phone rings. 'Is that St John Ambulance?' The caller wants the phone number of the Emergency Dental Service. Her dentist said we'd know! By chance I knew the number. Back to the lawn. It's beginning to look like rain. I hope I finish before it starts. Is that the phone again? I stop the mower and listen carefully. Perhaps not, after all. Carryon with the mowing This time I'm certain it's the phone. And very persistent.

It 's our Transport Officer. Yes, he had rung before. 'We've had a call from the Medical Centre at Heathrow Some kind of major emergency and they want us to back-up their services.'

Check that the call-out procedure is being followed, although on a Saturday lunchtime many members will be out. Agree to rendezvous at base at 12 55, 8 minutes from now. I must keep my hat with the rest of the uniform. It doesn't usually matter , but seconds are passing. Where are the car keys?

AT THE MATCH

Waste precious time looking only to discover they're in the trousers I'd just taken off and discarded in a heap. At last, I'm on my way.

Ambulance 'Whisky' is ready to go when I arrive at base. There are four of us.

Ambulance 'Yankee' is at a horse show, four miles away, fully crewed with extra members standing by. We reach them on the radio (we must be lucky), but waste time convincing them it is not an exercise

12.56: leave base and carve our way through the Saturday afternoon shoppers. It will take 15 minutes to Heathrow Airport. We know the route well because of regular aeromedical work. With equipment to hand, we're prepared I remember it is 13 years since our last incident at Heathrow. Then, 118 people died. What awaits us today?

We arrive in 12 minutes Where are all the ambulances? We are the first. 'Yankee' is six minutes behind. All seems quiet. Is this an exercise or a hoax? At the Medical Centre we know it is neither. The centre ample size for day-to-day matters is packed with people wandering aimlessly around. Walking wounded is an understatement. Every chair,

It wasn't April 1, was it, asked BRIAN ROCKELL, Berks' E. Area Supt

bed, cubicle and corridor contains injured and frightened people There are police, doctors and nurses , but they all melt together. Some of the patients are wearing fluorescent overalls. It 's confusing.

We are directed to treat as we find and there's no problem finding There ' s so little space. It's easier to bring in our own equipment. Most of the in j uries are minor. There are young, old and babes -in -arms. Most are ' Indian '; a few are American. There 's a language problem How can I put a sling on when she keeps holding her arm out straight every time I position her elbow? We seem to be short of dressings suitable for so many small injuries. Friction burns a re common. A Number 4 ambulance dressing looks out of place on an injury to the little toe. The patient seems reas s ured though!

'Yankee' and member s arrive. It seems as though we 'v e been here hours They tackle another roomful of patients. Mostly bruises and cuts, several feel sick, some have aggravated old injuries.

'W hat happened ?' we ask discreetly, s urrounded by the discarded wrappings of a

J. Smith nearly died when his team scored

THROUGHOUT the Football League season, almost every football ground in Britain is covered by a team of St John Ambulance personnel who assume the primary responsibility for first aid duties at the ground. Jaggarao, SIess, Grainger, Vincent and Chamberlain (1982) consider that a football stadium may contain tens of thousands of excited spectators for three hours or more at a time, and a high proportion of them must be men with important underlying coronary artery disease. In Sussex approximately 20 officers and members attend Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club, rendering first aid to both spectators and players injured on the pitch. In 1977, the directors of the club agreed to purchase equipment for use by the East Sussex County Ambulance Service, to work in conjunction with St John and the Police.

Two County Ambulance men trained in cardiac resuscitation attend each home game. Their services were called upon one evening last season when Mr Smith, who collects entrance fees at the ground, was watching the match from the rear of the stand, having finished his duties During the game he collapsed without warning and was attended within a few seconds by two members of the St John Ambulance, who placed him in the recovery position At that time he was breathing and a carotid pulse was present. The County Ambulance cardiac crew were summoned by radio from the other end of the ground as a precautionary measure. But as they arrived the patient stopped breathing and his pulse ceased. In an effort to revive him, and while waiting for the cardiac ambulance to arrive, external cardiac compression was carried out by St John Ambulance members in

mound of dressings. I find two seats for a family with a babe-in -arms 'You came down the emergency chute and landed heavily on the tarmac and you're three months' pregnant. .' I must check again after we have been round everyone . Where is the woman with the head injury? She was sitting here only a moment ago. Every time you turn your back people have moved and you fear you have treated some twice. Everyone has a cup of tea and many have already been seen by the doctors.

My lawn seems a long way away. But is this an exercise? It seems as though they held a major incident and only called out St John. We're coping though and the nursing staff seem grateful. The blood is real and the fear shows through in the children's eyes. Extra help arrives. Hayes and Harlington ambulance with four members. A call from London District, Western Area, at reception: Do we need any extra help? An hour has passed by now , and everything is under control.

The casualties are sorted and referral letters written. There are 11 casualties for hospital. Eight sitting and three stretcher cases. Will we take them to Ashford Hospital? Of course, particularly as ours seem to be the only ambulances on scene. The three of them leave only minutes apart. The uninjured are ferried away in coaches. They all look so confused. Some, with minor injuries, remain

The police are double checking names and addresses. Four members remain to check,

just in case we've forgotten anybody, and collect all our equipment.

The vehicles return. We load the equipment and return to base. It's raining. The lawn won't get finished today *

On Saturday, AprilS 1986 Air India Flight 110 was forced to return to Heathrow when the airline received a bomb threat. The 747 was over Brussels when the alert was raised but the captain decided to return to London.

The plane was searched after the emergency but no bomb was found. There were 282 passengers and 23 crew , mostly Indian.

Over 50 people were injured as they slid down emergency ahutes. The injured were treated by British Airport Authority Medical Centre staff and St John Ambulance members from Berkshire Eastern Area and Hayes and Harlington.

Just another job

An experiment at Brighton and Hove Albion

between defibrillation and intubation by the County Ambulancemen. Shortly after this the patient began breathing again and a pulse was present. He was then transferred to the ambulance, but his heart and breathing again stopped The St John members and County Ambulance personnel again worked together inside the ambulance, and were successful once more in producing a regular heart beat and breathing. On arrival at the hospital the patient received elective ventilation and inotropic support, and was extubated three days later and appeared comfortable. After a fortnight in hospital Mr Smith's recovery was complete and he was discharged home He was, of course, extremely lucky that help was immediately available and that everybody worked together to save his life.

In a five-year period under review at Brighton and Hove Albion, Jaggarao et al (1982) state that resuscitation has been

attempted seven times In the five years four patients recovered from sudden death at the football ground. There is, however , a problem in dealing with this type of emergency at a football ground in that the attention of a first-aider cannot always be immediately drawn. Nevertheless, J aggarao et al (1982) believe that the presence of a defibrillator and trained staff within the ground is helpful and almost certainly increases prospects of success. From a St John point of view members are happy to co-operate with the County Ambulance staff and Police in working towards these life-saving measures and look forward to it continuing at the Goldstone Ground.

References

Jaggarao N S V., Siess H. Grainger Roo Vincent R ., Chamberlain D. Defibrillation at a Football Stadium: an ex per iment with Brighton and Hove Albion. British MedicalJournal1982 ; Vol 284 1- 6.

The name of the person mentioned in the article has been changed in order to maintain the strictest confidence.

We acknowledge the support and help of Dr Richard Vincent, Consultant Cardiologist, Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton in compiling this report.

Alan Tidy ASO

Edward D. Slater Di S (Sussex)

Ambulance Whisky arrives at Heathrow Airport.

After the match. when Manchester United came home with the cup. (Photo: The Sun ).

HONOURED

Lord Arbuthnott, Prior of the Order of Scotland, was made a CBE in the New Year Honours List. He has also been appointed the Queen s representative at the 1986 meeting of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.

LONDON SERVICE

All members of the Order and SJ A are invited to London SW Area's St John 's Day service of commemoration and rededication on Sunday June 22 at 6.30 pm at St Andrew's Church, Ham Common. The address will be by The Right Reverend Lord Coggan , Prelate of the Order.

But if you are going to the service , please inform (for catering) Area President Mr William Best, 3 Dickerage Road, Kingstonupon-Thames , phone 01 - 942 7039. Otherwise you won't get any grub.

THEY DO LISTEN Ron Parkinson, PRO Lanes, writes:

When SJA personnel go out to organise demonstrations many must sometimes wonder whether their tuition is being assimulated

LOOKING AHEAD

Jun II - MOD First Aid Competition Finals , Buxton

Jun 12 - BP Chemicals First Aid Competition Finals, Buxton

Jun 20 - Foundation Conference and Lord Prior 's Reception

lun 2 I - General Assembly, Mansion House

J un 21 - Festival Service, St Paul 's Cathedral

Jul 5 - Brigade Final s Competitions , Fairfield Halls, Croydon

Jul 9-26 Royal Tournament Earls Court

luI 10 - Investiture , St John 's Gate and whether their often long hours of work, sometimes in adverse weather, will bear fruit.

Is it of any value? Let me say here and now - IT IS. IT DOES BEAR FRUIT.

I have just met a lady who not only remembered what she heard and saw at such a demonstration, but had the confidence to put it into practice. And as a result a nine-year-old in Cheshire is today happily

WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE WORLD OF ST JOHN

BY

THE EDITOR

was still unconscious. He was later taken to hospital in Blackpool, where he continued to recover before being moved to Stockport his home town.

This instruction certainly bore fruit.

SINGAPORE DISASTER

A disaster in Singapore on March 15 when a six-storey hotel collapsed trapping 50 people brought immediate rescue work from passers-by some of whom we hear, were Brigade members.

Seventeen casualties were rescued from the ruins in the first four days. But over the next three days 33 dead were recovered.

Jul ia Byrne - Fraser and daughter. Jenny. Mum remembered what the lady at the first aid centre told Jenny See THEY DO LISTEN (Photo: Daily Express ).

enjoying life, because a St Annes' girl wants to be a doctor. But the story really belongs to Miss Julia Byrne-Fraser of St Annes. Miss Julia Byrne-Fraser, a 34-year-old law student, took her seven-year-old daughter Jenny and another girl to nearby Blackpool for a lunchtime treat. On their way back to the car park they passed a demonstration of CPR and first aid being given in Hounds Hill Centre by Mrs W. M.

Lane, Lancs ' county superintendent, and SJ colleagues. J enny, who wants to be a doctor , insisted on stopping and was soon being s hown ho w to u se the equipment while the others listened to the instruction.

Next day Miss Byrne-Fraser, Jenn y, a friend Nicola and Nicola's fathe r , Ge rr y Stead went to a party at a St Annes' hotel, where the swimming pool was being well used by guests. Nine -y ear -old Arjuna Ranatun ga was waiting at the poolside fo r his mother, when he decided to enter the water. But soon he got into difficulties , so much so that hi s floating body literally bumped into Gerry Stead, also in the pool.

Mr Stead immedi ate ly got him to the poolside, where he was pulled from the water apparently lifeless. He was not brea t hing.

Miss Byrne -F raser hearing shouts and screams , ran to the boy. Later she said she instinctively knew what had happened but more importantly knew what to do and felt confident enough to do it.

Portishead (Avon) cadet John Beynon with the collage of cadet activities which won him first a a local flower show. (Photo Myra Meredith).

Finding no pulse, she immediately started mouth-to- mouth resuscitat io n, hearing aga in in her mind the instructions given the previous day. After about a minute the boy began to retch but almost immediately stopped breathing again. Julia continued mouth-to - mouth for several more minutes, until Arjuna again began retching, and then finally breathing fairly strongly, although he

SJ A Singapore (photo right) laid on a 24 - hour round -t he -clock service with two ambulances and 30 to 40 members rotating in s hifts of four and 12 hours throughout a week. Apart from the casualties of the hotel co llapse members tended exhausted and injured Civil Defence workers and other rescuer s, as well as bereaved relatives of the victims. The ambulances also brought in supplies from army camps throughout the island.

AEROMED SERVICES

The St John Aeromedical Services carried out 625 operations during 19 85. 250 by scheduled or charter flights, 139 by air ambulance, and 236 by road ambulance only.

Good going, fellows.

DOCS ON BIKES

I hear that the Rome medical authorities have set up a motorbike ambulance service to cut the time taken to reach serious road-accident and heart-attack victims caught up in the city 's traffic jams

Each motorbike, in white livery and emblazoned with a red cross. carries two doctors expert in anaesthetics and resuscitation and three panniers of medical equipment. Ten doctors man the service which will operate for a trial period of three months.

The service is the brainchild of Prof. Alessandro Gasparetto of Rome University who says that too many people die simply because ambulances often get stuck in Rome's traffic chaos. Gasparetto believes that up to 20 per cent more lives could be saved in · such emergencies with a faster means of first aid.

FIONA ACTS

Fiona Young, I , was a junior cadet in the Shaftes bury Quadrilateral Division, when in july 1985 a road accident occurred not far from her home

(Above) Caring for the s ck certificates for some bright g rls of Staffs Longton Nursing Division. (Front to r) CSO Maureen Upton D/ O Joan Walker. Area Supt Susan Clare and N/ M Dorothy Mantle.

(Right) SJA Sing apore s post at the recent hotel disaster s te. After an all-night duty it was a shower and off to work for many of them (Ce n re) Staff Officers Haji Siraj de Silva and Vee Swee Pew.

ST. JIIHN I MlUll ANCI:

CHEERS!

Cheers at Gloucester City s new HQ where the new main entrance has just been finished at the former vicarage. County Commander Nic k Warry (r ight) dispenses the bubbly supplied by Colman s of Norwich for the occasion. In foreground are the craftsmen who made the doors Dick Bouncer and Rob Matheson (left) At back is ASO Douglas Sp ence (uniform) and Area Comm Douglas Faulkner.

with the Governor-General, HE Sir Kingsford Dibela.

We like the ties, cravats See FIONA ACTS.

Fiona (photo above) hurried to telephone for the Emergency Services, and then raided bedrooms for blankets before returning to the scene of the accident. About six people were hurt, some seriously, all were shocked, and Fiona endeavoured to help those with whom she could cope.

The Emergency Services arrived and Fiona withdrew. However, the professionals were then called to another accident, so Fiona and her family remained with the casualties until a relief team arrived.

Fiona cleaned blood from a patient's hands, and when the young lady complained that her feet were cold, Fiona took off her own cardigan and wrapped it round the girl's feet.

It was not until about 8 pm that the last of the injured was taken to hospital, and Fiona and her family cleared up and returned home.

Cadet Fiona has now received a certificate from Dorset's Lord Lieutenant for her action.

THANKS

NORTH YORKS

SJA North Yorkshire county competitions, held at the Police HQ at Newby Whisk, were won by Selby (Ambulance), Ripon (Nu rsing), Acomb (Ambulance Cadet), and Dringhouses (Nursing Cadet). The Cadet Quiz winners were Acomb.

Everyone, from the County President and the County Commander, who is North Yorkshire's Chief Constable, was there.

SJ A North Yorkshire has a fund-raising event on September 14 at the Cairn Hotel, Harrogate, when there will be a historic film show and a bygones and antique fair, as well as - tombola. See you the re

FAMILY RALLY 6

The 6th St John Family Rally, for tents, caravans, etc, will be held September 12-14 at Holme Pierrepont National Watersports Centre, near Nottingham. Charge is £9.50 per unit (caravan, tent, etc), cheques to be made payable to St John Family Rally, together with a large envelope to Eric Brierley, 48 Russell Avenue, Wollaton, Nottingham NG8 2BN.

(Below) Hungerford Round Table chairman Mr Myles Young presents the papers of a new ambulance to Viscountess Chetwynd, represent ing the Order. for H ungerford Combined D ivision (D/S Frank Bennett).

Mrs Jean Hartley. (Photo : Myra Meredith).

TO MALTA?

The Maltese Department of Education is happy to host British youth gro up s visiting that sunny island with so many St John associations at £5 per person per night, which includes food, board and excursions. This price is val id till December 1986.

Full details from Mr E. Muscat, Education Officer, Dipartimentta' l-Edukazzjoni , Lascaris, Valletta, Malta. (We haven't gone mad - that department is in Maltese.)

ADVENTURE

Details of courses at SJ A Derbyshire's Adventure Centre , w hich include canoeing. board sailing and rock climbing, can be obtained from Andrew Collington, CSO. 140 Belper Road, Stanley Common , llkeston, Derbyshire (llkeston 305586). Sounds like fun.

Wallingford Combined Division s cadet leader Yvonne Street receives the Malta Trophy as the best cadet of the year in Oxfordshire.

Chief President's Pacific Tour

THE CHIEF PRESIDENT , Mrs Pillllips, made an overseas tour during February and March with visits to St John Ambulance Antigua and Jamaica in the Caribbean; then via the USA to Suva, Fiji, where aU the police and fire service, some 25,000 people, are trained in first aid.

Next stop was three days in the Solomon Islands, where all student nurses take the first aid certificate as part of their training.

Mrs Phillips spent 10 days in Papua New Guinea, where St John runs the ambulance service in Port Moresby , the capital, and also a help-the - blind service.

Flying inland to the remote West Highlands area, Mount Hagen members (who work in the local hospital) applauded Mrs Phillips' arrival, so pleased were they to see someone from Headquarters calling on them. Mrs Phillips' extensive tour of the Highlands area included a visit to Goroka, and later to the Trobriand Island of Losua.

Next was a one-hour flight to Sarawak for four days, where there are seven divisions in the capital, Kuching, and 20 in the State. For some reason divisions are opening very rapidly in Sarawak - five in the first two months of this year, and it is hoped 10 by the end of the year. Many of the SJ A officers are aged 20 to 21 and trained to a high standard. All pupils in schools must take a first aid course.

Next call for our Mrs Phillips was Singapore, and then - and we're sure she was very tired - home

(Right With the Commander SJA Papua New Guinea Mr J. Tauvasa at Government House. (Below) With the staff and members at the SJA HQ Port Moresby.

(OJ THE ORDER OF ST. JOHN

ST. JOHNAMBULANCE OF ST. JOHN ASSOCIATION FOR THE BUND

(Left) SJA Port Moresby ambulance driver Ne lson and his family at their home at Tanana.

Reception committee at Mount Hagen airport in West Highlands Papua New Guinea. Everyone was smiling.

Shaftesbury's Fiona Young - who ac ted, with (left) % Denise Potter and D/S Gill Hussey.

Commissioner of Bath West Scouts, Donald Norton , presents a resuscitation model (cost (325) to Bath Combined Cadet Division's 0 0

(Right) Being welcomed (w th le i) by cadets at Port Moresby airport, Papua New Guinea. (Left) and later,

(Right)

byJIM

Have you ever thought or?

Having a theme for your next bazaar? We did this one year. We asked all the helpers to dress as Arabs and belly dancers.

Give a prize for best dressed adult and best dressed cadet.

Another sponsored event

Pull your ambulance , with tow ropes etc.

Have helpers walking along with you at these events with buckets collecting as you go. Contact the police first for this sort of event.

The Fire Department of the Home Office, Queen Anne s Gate London, SW I, will supply you with various leaflets on fire prevention

Family Photo Competition

Photographs showing the whole family are specially prized as the years go by and families disperse. Here is the ,chance to create a photographic souvenir of happy family days, to help those whose family life may have been damaged by illness, unemployment and poor living conditions - and to win valuable prizes.

The Children s Society, which cares for nearly 10 000 children and families, is asking children and adults to enter a Photograph the Family' competition which David Bailey is backing. Prizes are generously being donated by Pedigree Petfoods, Abbey National Building Society, Bush and Meissner Ltd, Euro Foto Centre, French Travel Service and Olympus Cameras They include cameras and photographic equipment a holiday in France, supplies of Pal dog food and £ 100 for a school or college. The photographs will be judged by a

Asking the local pub to hold a pool' or darts competition , and if they will put up a prize for the winner. Entry fees to your funds.

Trying to obtain the use of the hospital s School of Nursing. This would be a great boost for your nursing training. It may even help lead to your obtaining a DNO if you don't already have one.

THAT SPECIAL EVENING

panel under the chairmanship of the President of The Royal Photographic Society, and the winning entries will be displayed in London and at the National Museum of Photography, Bradford.

The competition has two categories: (I) A Family Photograph, and (2) A Family with a Dog Photograph

Competitors are welcome to submit entries for one or both categories. Judging will be in three separate classes - adults young people and camera clubs and photographic societies. Prizes will be awarded to individuals who take the winning photographs and in the third class there will also be a club / society p r ize.

The competition closes October 21 and entries should be sent, from where full details can also be obtained to The Children's Society, Old Town Hall, Kennington Road , London SE I I 4QD.

Asking your loc a l new s paper to do a story on your Division for the 'kids' page.

Talks

Work of occupation a l therapist.

Work of local journali t.

Work of police do g handler (with dog)

Work of nursery nurse.

Find out if one of the leaders of the local Chine s e community will g ive a talk on their customs Thi s can cover their 'Dancin g New Year ' lion, if you hold it at the right time.

13-years- old Cadet Darren Warwick and 17-years-old AIM Simon Graham receiving a plaque from the Mayor of Barrow-In-Furness, with Assistant County Commissioner Mr John Dixon, during their 250-mile, seven day sponsored walk of Cumbria in aid of Upperby Cadet Division. Accompanied by Darren s father (0/0 Alan Warwick) in a car these two lads called on every St John HQ in the county during their walk, which raised some £500.

The money is going towards buying uniforms. The walk included Carlisle Wigton, Maryport Workington Whitehaven, Egremont, Millom, Barrow, Grange-over-Sands, Kendal Windermere Ambleside Keswick, Penrithwhew! - and back to Carlisle.

We have all seen surveyors working in the street with their equipment. Why not ask one to come along and show you how it works a nd what they do exactly. Your local cinema manager may be able to arrange a talk on The History of the Cinema

Your local BBC office may be able to arrange a talk on the BBC , its history and its work

Have any of your members (or from a local division) been on a trip to another country with St John (e.g., the Year of Nursing Projects) or an Outward Bound

cour s e or the Sail Training cruise s.

Why not ask them to give a talk on their trip s?

The Post Office is sue each year a calendar which gives full details of the eight new sets of s tamp s to be issued. Details can be obtained from: British Philatelic Bureau

Lo thian House 124 Lothian Road

Edinburgh EH3 9BB , or y our loca Post

Offi c e

If you live near one of the military hospitals you could try and arrange for one of their staff to give a talk on Nursing in the Se rvices '.

The wo r k of the League of Friends at your local ho s pital. This is ver y useful if your cadets go on duty there, al s o the hi s tory of the hospital.

Ask an architect to give a s hort talk on his work.

Visits

Your local airfield. Small local airfields are

CUMBRIA

WALK

t rophy from the Deputy Mayor of Havering, Cllr Mrs Joan Arthur.

often able to arrange behind -the- scene s visits.

Your local wildfowl refuge There ar e eight centres around the countr y Detail s of these and party bookin g s etc, from The Administrative Officer, The Wildfow l Trust, Slimbridge G oucester GL2 7BT.

A recording studio to see how a record is made.

A lighthouse.

A fish hatchery.

A farm , to help with milkin g the cows.

Call -in during office hours or write to the Health Education Council , 78 New Oxford Street , London WCIA lAH. The y are able to supply leaAe ts on all aspects of health

Find out where the neare st indoor rock climbin g wall is and visit it. The local education office should be able to help.

Find out where the nearest or ienteering club meet and ask them to teach y ou the bas i c rules of the sport. Thi s is an e vent that always goes down well at c amp.

Idea

At the last meeting before th e summer break

Medieval music drama returns

SEVEN centurie s after their heyday and following many generations of neglect, the music dramas of the medieval church are being brought to life again by scholars and performers all over the world.

On April IS at 7.30 pm in the Grand Priory Church, St John's Gate, Clerkenwell , the Order of St John Musical Society , sponsored by the National Westminster Bank , presented England s leading ensemble for medieval music in performances of three Easter music dramas. This was the first time that the New London Consort had performed Philip Pickett's newly prepared editions and reconstructions of the works. The three works, masterpieces of their time, are the great of Mary from the Carmina Burana Passion Play; a unique lament of the three Marys at the cross from Cividale Cathedral in Italy; and

to the Gate

the finest version of the Visit to the Sepulchre from the famous Fleury Playbook.

The characters were played by six singers and supported by organ, bells , harp vielle, hurdy -gurdy and recorder.

Philip Pickett s New London Consort has

Rescues Involving Swimming

WHEN ALL the rescues described in Part I have failed or are considered impractical then a swimming rescue may be attempted.

It must be' stressed that the rescuer should consider his own limitations regarding his swimming ability before he undertakes a rescue of this nature. It is all too easy to enter into a situation that the would-berescuer cannot cope with and thus become another statistic in the register of deaths by drowning.

this form of must only be mltJated as a last resort and the decision making process involved is illustrated in Figure 12.

Cu:rently there are three swimming rescue techmques taught by the Royal Life Saving Society. They are:

1. The Accompanied Rescue

Support of the casualty can be provided by a buoyant aid which has been swum out to the casualty by the rescuer (Figure 9).

The steps in this form of rescue are:

(a) obtain a suitable aid such as a kickboard, empty plastic container or a child's ring,

(b) enter the water cautiously,

(c) approach the casualty carefully, explain what you are going to do and what you expect of him. A safe distance must be maintained at all times during this stage,

(d) pass the aid to the casualty while maintaining a safe distance,

(e) t;ncourage the casualty to make his way towards the land ensuring that a safe distance between the rescuer and casualty is maintained,

Drowning Part Two

(f) encourage the casualty to exit from the water when land is reached, assisting where necessary.

2. The Non-Contact Rescue

This method of rescue is used when an accompanied rescue has been tried and found to be unworkable.

The the use of either a rigid or non-ngld aId, Ideally one metre in length. end of the aid is proffered to the casualty while the other end is retained by the rescuer (Figure 10). Thus a safe distance is kept between the two participants of the rescue.

Typical aids are towels, clothing, branches sticks, flotation rings and torpedo buoys.

The initial steps in this rescue are the same as 'a' to 'd' of the accompanied rescue.

(e) instruct the casualty to grasp the end of the out in the prone posItIOn WIth hIS head up or turn on his back holding the aid on his chest,

(f) tow the casualty back to land keeping the arm holding the aid straight and avoiding any irregular movements that will cause the casualty's face to be immersed

(g) on reaching land assist the casualty to exit from the water.

3. The Contact Rescue (which should only be 'performed by those fully trained in RLSS methods).

I n water rescues, always look to your own safety

(final)

There are four instances when a rescuer may find it necessary to perform a contact rescue on a casualty (Figure 1 1).

These instances are as follows:

(i) the casualty repeatedly refuses the aid proffered,

(ii) the casualty is reluctant or incapable of participating in an accompanied rescue, or non-contact tow,

(iii) the casualty is unconscious,

(iv) assessment of the situation demonstrates that no other means of rescue is possible.

The steps in this type of rescue are:

Firstly, approach the casualty from the rear where possible; this reduces the risk of the rescue.

Secondly, make contact with the casualty and .apply one of the following towing techmques: a. extended arm tow b. cross chest tow; c. chin tow.

Obviously the most hazardous point in the app licat ion of a contact rescue is when contact is about to be made between the rescuer and the cas ualt y. At this point the casualty may suddenly try to grasp the rescuer in order to provide a means of support to keep his head above the waterline.

Placed in the dangerous position of possibly bemg grasped or actually being restrained by the casualty the rescuer must extricate

himself by the application of defence and or release techniques specified by the RLSS.

Thirdly, the rescuer should calm and reassure the casualty throughout the rescue. The casualty may struggle in an effort to release himself from the rescuer's grasp in the mistaken belief that he is achieving a safer position.

In the event of a struggle the rescuer should restrain the casualty by means of the restraint techniques taught by the RLSS.

Fourthly, on reaching land assist the conscious casualty to exit from the water. Where the casualty is unconscious they will have to be landed by the rescuer.

There are specific ways, recommended by the RLSS , in which the conscious and unconscious casualty should be landed by the rescuer using whatever help is available.

Application of resuscitation techniques in water

The ability of the expired air techniques to be applied at an early stage in any rescue attempt allows it to be implemented as soon as the rescuer reaches the non - breathing

casualty in the water. The decision making tree for this process is depicted in Figure 12. The purpose of expired air resuscitation, as with all resuscitative techniques, is to provide an adequate supply of oxygen to the lungs of a casualty who is in a state of respiratory arrest. The depletion of oxygen incurred by the fact that the atmospheric air used to resuscitate the casualty first passes through the first -aider 's lungs is s hown in Figure 13.

There are three basic methods of applying expired air resuscitation in a water environment. These are:

(i) Shallow water method

The casualty is in, or has been brought into , shallow water where the rescuer can comfortably stand and support the casualty 's head. In the case of most casualties the legs will sink and cause sufficient hyperextension of the head and neck to lift the tongue off the back of the throat. The free hand seals the mouth and the rescuer exhales into the casualty's lungs via the mouth - to-nose technique.

(ii) Deep !Vater supported method (Figure 14)

This method is used where the water is of such a depth that the rescuer is unable to stand and where the rescuer is too tired, after a long rescue swim, or unable to remove the casualty from the water. The casualty is

towed to the intended means of support (ie, poolside, boat or canal side). The casualty 's head is held in the crook of the rescuer 's arm which is holding the means of support. The other hand seals the casualty's mouth and , again, the casualty's legs will sink and provide s ufficient head extension to provide a clear airway. Where po ss ible assistance in applying resuscitation may be obtained by the placing of a foot on the side of the s upporting su rface - this provides extra [jft when making the exhalation into the casualty 's lungs.

(iii ) Deep water unsupported method (Figure 15)

Great sk ill and stamina are required to apply this form of resuscitation. Once the casualty in deep water ha s been reached the rescuer uses one hand to s upport the casualty 's head and seals the casualty's mouth with the other. Clearance of the airway is again provided by v irtue of the feet sinking The rescuer raises himself in the water with a strong leg kick and exhales into the casualty 's lungs. He then tows the casualty towards the shoreline, inAating the casualty's I ungs at least once every 10 seconds. The general rules for in-water resuscitation are:

(a) the casualty's face must be kept above the waterline, (b) do not twist the casualty 's neck,

Fig.9 Accompanied rescue

Fig. 11 Contact rescue

Fig. 12 Rescue process flow chart

Fig 14 Deep water resuscitation (supported)

Fig 13 Oxygen usage flow chart

Fig.

ATMOSPHERE

Fig.

Drowning (continued)

(c) when applying expired air resuscitation in situations involving water only the mouth-to-nose technique must be used , (d) in the unsupported deep water method commencement of resuscitation with the initial rapid inflations is extremely difficult , therefore the rescuer should start directly with single inflations at a rate applicable to the casualty s age (e) external cardiac compressions are not to be attempted until the casualty has been landed or a firm surface is reached (e.g. , the casualty is taken on board a boat)

Landings and carries

There are a variety of recommended landing and carrying techniques by which the casualty can be brought ashore or landed. Some of these will be familiar to St John members but many will not. Even with those that are known, such as the Fireman ' s Lift, there is the added complication of performing them in the water. One form of landing is shown in Figure 16.

The basic considerations that will determine the -rescuer s actions and the method of landing or carry he selects will be :

(i) the rescuer s own physical limitations

(ii) the rescuer's previous experience,

(iii) the casualty s condition weight, etc, and

(iv) the topography of the accident location.

Before removing the casualty from the

CHAMPIONS

OFTHE CROSS

Part 6

water a check must be carried out for spinal injuries If such injuries are present the spinal co lumn must be immobilised with a Spine Board or Hines Splint as noted in the flow chart (Figure 12).

After Care

Once the casualty has been removed from the water the after car e process should be implemented, as detailed by the flow chart (Figure 17).

A precautionary consideration in the after care of a casualty who has been resuscitated successfully after. immersion in water, and who appears to respond readily to treatment, is the Secondary Drowning Syndrome (refer to reference 16).

This phenomenon has been reported after immersion of casualties in both fresh and sa lt water and can be fatal to children and adults alike. Investigations have shown , however, that you ng c hildren are the group with the highest risk factor.

It is recommended, therefore, that all casualties who have been resuscitated, after immersion in water, should be referred immediately to hospital for continued care and observation, irrespective of their apparent recovery as the deterioration of the respiratory function can occur rapidly due to this phenomenon.

Conclusion

It has been s hown in this article that a high degree of skill and endurance in swimming,

Written and illustrated by Hugh A. R. Edgell, Assistant Chaplain of the Order

WITH THE destruction of the Christian army at Hattin , Saladin was undisputed master of the land. But there were still several important towns and castles to be taken before his victory was complete. Most important of all was the recapture of the Holy City itself - Jerusalem. Before launching his attack on Jerusalem, however, Saladin decided to take control of lesser cities , and thus gain control of the whole land, before massing his troops at Jerusalem. Towns and fortresses fell quickly, either by assault or surrender. Acre, Nablus, Sidon, Beirut, Ascalon, Gaza - all fell to the Muslim forces within the space of a few months. The only major city still in Christian hands was Tyre on the coast. Unable to capture this town quickly, Saladin moved on to his main objective.

On September 20 1187 , the Muslim army arrived in Jerusalem and began the assault. Ten days later, the Christians, realising that they could not hold out much longer, sent a deputation to Saladin for terms of surrender. Saladin listened, and then reminded the Christians of the terrible atrocities committed by them when they first took the city in 1099. He threatened to do the same if the city did not surrender unconditionally. The Christian leaders replied that if that was his

as well as a thorough saving techniques, is potential rescuer of a drowning.

knowledge of life required by the casualty who is

If the first - aider, faced with thi s s ituation , has any doubts at all about his own level of water ski ll , endurance and knowledge he should not enter the water but try to reassure the casualty , attempt a reaching or throwing rescue if practicable, a nd send for help. The recommendation to always look to your own safety' because 'dead heroes cannot save lives is especially valid in any emergency situation involving water.

However, while the first-aider may not be able to enter the water and effect a rescue he can assist in the preparation for the rescue attempt and provide the necessary after care (Figure 17) required by the casualty.

Water safety and rescue training programmes are available to all members of the public, particularly those who use the water, via the Royal Life Saving Society. The RLSS offers a wide choice of training programmes ranging from rescue by non -swimmers to contact rescuin g by competent swimmers.

Your local swimming pool should be able to provide details of the current training programmes available in the area. In the event of difficulties further information can be obtained from: The Royal Life Saving Society, Mountbatten House, Studley, Warwickshire B80 7NN.

THIS is the story of two of the great Military Orders which were part of the everyday scene in Mediaeval Europe and the Middle East. Many towns and villages in Britain also bear witness to their influences on localli/e. The Order of St John was founded to provide carefor pilrrims to the Holy Land and the Poor Knights of Christ (The Templars) to give protection to pilgrims on their dangerous journeys. Both of these Orders were to develop far beyond the visions of their founders. Within a few years. monks and fighting men had become one and the same, wielding immense military and political power in the Holy Land and throughout Europe. Within two centuries one of the Orders was to disappear under a cloud of suspicion and disapproval. The other was to survive to the present day and in the process turn full circle to serve its 'masters the sick'.

Christian occupation. The cross on the Dome of the Rock was removed , and the Al Alsar Mosque cleansed from its occupation by the Templars. Only the nursing work of the Hospitallers was allowed to continue for a few months.

On Friday, October 9 1187 , Saladin attended a service of Thanksgiving iii the Al Alsar Mosque. After only 88 years Jerusalem was once again a Muslim city.

Templars and Hospitallers on night patrol. attitude , they would make a point of destroying all Muslim shrines in the city and killing all their prisoners, before they surrendered. Saladin was forced to make terms. Every man, woman and child in the city would be held to ransom, and unless it was paid , they would be enslaved. Some people managed to raise their own ransom money but in the end the city was forced to ask Saladin to accept a lump sum for the many poor people. A few days later the refugees left the city in three columns - the first led by the Patriarch of Jerusalem, and the other two by Hospitallers and Templars. The Muslims immediately began the task of cleansing the city from all traces of

cross' and join the other princes of Europe in an attempt to recapture the Holy Land. Once again, however, the divisions and quarrels between the western Kingdoms delayed any action. The German Emperor Barbarossa set out in 1190 , but died before he reached the Holy Land. Meanwhile the Christians in Tyre had a piece of good fortune. An expedition led by the King of Jerusalem (a title still held by a Christian prince) besieged the town of Acre. He was unable to take it, but he was able to withstand Saladin's attempts to break the siege, and established a permanent camp outside the city walls.

Back in England, Henry II had died , and finally after many delays in Sicily and Cyprus, Richard I of England (Coeur de Lion) arrived at Acre. On ] uly 12 I 191 Richard and Philip of France attacked and entered the city, and new hopes for the success of the Crusade mounted. A blot on the story, however, was Richard's massacre of Muslim prisoners. Some 2,700 were butchered on his orders

The next major objective was Jerusalem. By January 3 1192, the Christian army was within a few miles of the city. But winter cold, heavy rain and mud, and sickness, soon destroyed any hopes of success. Hospitallers and Templars , who knew the land well, persuaded Richard that the campaign must

be abandoned. After hesitating for a few days , Richard ordered the retreat.

Richard I did not remain in the Holy Land for long. llI - health and trouble s at home caused by the mis-rule of his brother John forced him to abandon his crusade. On October 9 1192 he left Acre for England, only to be taken prisoner by Leopold of Austria as he was travelling across Europe.

Leopold had also been at Acre with Richard and there had been much ill-feeling between them over the command of the army. The breach was brought to a head when the English soldiers threw Leopold's banner into a ditch! It was some years before Richard finally returned to England.

Meanwhile , as the years passed, the Christian Kingdom struggled on. Other Crusades were proclaimed. Knights and soldiers arrived from the west, but met with little success. It was during this time that a new kind of Crusade was attempted - the

FROM VAN TO AMBULANCE IN

2 MONTHS AT

£4,000

Richard, Coeur de Lion Saladin spent the next few months subduing more of the castles that still held out against the Muslims, includin g so me belonging to the Hospitallers and Templars , but his failure to capture Tyre was to prove a costly mistake. The news of the disaster at Hattin and the fall of Jerusalem soon reached western Europe. The Pope and the princes were shocked. No-one had any idea that the Kingdom of Jerusalem was so fragile. The Hospitaller and Templar Priories received urgent ·appeals for re -inforcem'ents and the Archbishop of Tyre toured western Europe seeking help In England, and elsewhere, Hospitallers and Templars did all they could to raise the 'Saladin Tithe' - a tax imposed to pay for a new Crusade. Henry II of England, and his son Richard, vowed to take the

NORTH TYNE Area, Northumbria , recently purchased a Datsun van for £3,600 from a local Nissan dealer. Prior to buying , the Area Commissioner, Bruce Coltman, and his public duty transport officer , Jack Todd, inspected the vehicle, together with Jimmy Litt le , an ambulance member in Area Pool. The object of the inspection was to find out if the vehicle could fulfil the following points:

I. Can a York 4 trolle y stretcher be fitted?

2. Can the vehicle be adapted to carry sitting cases?

3. Is there easy loading and unloading of stretcher and walking cases?

4. Can the vehicle be equipped to the same standard as our conventional vehicles without being cluttered?

5. Will the general maintenance costs of the vehicle be within our budget?

After spending a Saturday afternoon with pen , no te book and tape measure we decided that it would be possible to convert the ve hicle to suit our needs The road test was next, and we were very impressed, it was just like driving a car. The suspension proved to be very good and we decided that it would be

Children s Crusades. In 1212 , a 12 -y ear -o ld French peasant boy name Stephen led one Crusade, while at the s ame time a German boy named Nicholas also tried to take children to the Holy Land. Most of the children died , were killed , or taken prisoners and so ld as slaves, long before they left Europe

In 1218 a Crusader force from Tyre attacked Egypt. Both Hospitallers and Templars took part. Although meeting with initial success , it ended in a Christian surrender. In 1228 Crusaders and Muslims signed a treaty by which Jerusalem and Bethlehem were to come under Christian rule , while the Muslim s were to retain control of their Holy Places. These included the former Al Alsar Mosque the former headquarters of the Templars Naturally the Templars were furious, having hoped to regain their former base and both they and the Hospitallers refused to make peace. But this re s toration of the Kingdom of Jerusalem was not to last fo r very long. In 1244 with a renewal of hostilities, Muslim forces compelled the Christians to surrender the city yet again. The following y ears saw further crusades, battles , skirmishes and attempted treaties but all were inconclu sive Meanwhile , on the northern horizon , a new threat to the Holy Land was becoming apparent.

suitable for ambulance use. We decided to have the vehjcle Area had just scrapped a 10-y ear -old Ford Transit ambulance, so we had most of the internal fittings that would be required.

The Nissan dealer fitted rear windows, a roof vent and a wooden floor. When we took deliv ery of the Urvan we set to work almost immediately. Jack Todd fitted the interior panels and insulation which was completed in a week.

The first weekend we fitted the trolley stretcher anchor, and started to build the seat/ locker cupboard. By the third weekend the vehicle had started to take shape , and when Bruce Coltman made a spot check on the Sunday morning he was most impressed. We removed the blue lights and emergency horns from the ambulance we were scrapping. The vehicle spent two Sundays with an auto-electrician to be wired for emergency horn s and lights. His charge was for parts and only £ I 2 for labour. Probably the most expensive items used were fluorescent marking tape and letteringat a staggering £92! However , the lettering was worth its weight in gold. being pre-spaced and ready to apply. The backing

paper was removed and the transparent tape with the letters attached was applied to the vehicle. The tape was th en rubbed down to ensure the letters were secure and the tape was removed. This gave perfectly spaced lettering.

The most frustrating job was applying the yellow tape on the vehicle's sides. To apply this tape without air bubbles is almost impossible. but thanks to our loca l garage we used their workshop to carry out the task. The vehicle was now completed and ready for inspection by HM Customs and Excise in order to claim exemption from road fund duty.

The happy day was April 14 and the inspection was satisfactory.

I must take this opportunity to thank Bruce Coltman for his support during this conversion. also to say thank you to Mrs Todd for her patience while Jack and I worked noisily in her backyard (and for the man y cups of tea a nd meals).

Anyone requiring information about the conversion or equipment, please write to: St John Hall, Lesbury Avenue, Shiremoor. Newcastle upon Tyne NE27 ONP. Jimmy Litlle

The Muslims contro lle d their Holy Places

PROMISING START

from Benjamin Jane, Ambulance Cadet

On Friday , April 18 I joined the Crownhill, Plymouth Ambulance Cadet Division On the following day, while acting as a casualty at the Devon county competitions , I was introduced to the Chief Commander, Major-General Leuchars. My father, who has been a Brigade member for 28 years, also met him that day.

While I had been in the cadets for only one day, it took my father 28 years to meet the Chief Commander. I think that I was very lucky.

Plymouth Benjamin Jane, 12

THREE CHEERS FOR

from Mrs Christine Thomas, Area Commissioner

During the quiet' duty period , we here in Leeds have been conducting an interesting experiment with the Lunatic posters and leaflets. Whenever we ha ve been on duty in our mobile first aid unit we have displayed a large poster and a selection of leaflets. The result has been most revealing.

People ha ve actually stopped and read the poster through. People have actually taken leaflets and the ones they have taken most of have been those displaying a lunatic on the front!

Last week, in one of our large shopping precincts , we took part in a charity fair, again displaying a variety of leaflets and those that we disposed of first were the lunatics!

We have asked members of the public what they think of these items and most have said that they are eye-catching and have whetted their appetite to know more of our organisation.

So I say, three cheers Saatchi & Saatchi! They are getting the message across in a way that we as an organisation have not been able to with our own publicity material.

Leeds Christine Thomas

from Charles H Harrold, Area Staff Officer

Rex Purchase (Jan Review) appears to take a narrow view of the Lunatic leaflets. Maybe they are not to everyone 's liking, but they certamly produce ft5sults. In 1985, at various locations , I used the leaflets and the public responded.

Stand back , Rex , and take a broad view of it. The leaflets speak the truth and it is high time that the general public are made aware of this. For many years I have been a lone voice in attempting to educate not only the public, but also the media, and any marketing assistance is received with open arms.

Use them , Rex. Take it from me, they work as our ambulance fund bank balance shows.

Norfolk Central Charles H. Harrold

from Mr S. G. Douglas King

Many years ago there was a public outcry - led by MPs - against a BOAC advertising campaign featuring an air stewardess and a headline to the effect 'How would you like to spend the night with me?'

T he message of course referred to flying to New York.

More recently there was an equally loud outcry at an art gallery ' s decision to pay something like £4 ,000 for a sculpture comprising a load of bricks.

In both instances the stories were carried in newspapers not only in the UK but throughout the world - and in prime time TV news bulletins. The result was thousands of column inches and TV publicity which if measured in terms of straight advertising costs would be worth millions!

This Easter saw the story of our own Saatchi & Saatchi 'L unatic ' campaign being carried in the editorial columns of the national press. As a result, many more members of the public are now aware of St John and will be much more likely to stop and read the posters when they see them. The net result will be a much greater degree of awareness of St John and the work it does for the public. Which is precisely what advertising is all about.

Saatchi & Saatchi should be congratulated for devising the campaign; so too should headquarters for having the guts to run But above all, we owe the highest debt of gratitude to all those members who raised their voices in vociferous criticism of it and so turned an ordinary advertising campaign into a national news story which has resulted in considerable free publicity for St John. As a result , I am

138

sure that the public is now both more aware of St John and will be more sympathetic to our aims and objectives.

Hitchin Herts S. G. Doug Las King

I WAS HORRIFIED from Mrs B Smith, Divisional Superintendent

After reading Reader s' Views in the M arch Review, I was horrified to read that Mr Rex Purchase had been made to apologise for his article in the January edition.

Apologise for what, may I ask? Hi s views are certainly mine m y members, and members of other divisions too , I can assure you. And after reading the other letters, I feel that his opinions are nationwide So what he had to apologise for beats me! He was critical. So what? Are the hierarchy above criticism? At divisional level we are jumped on from a height if we dare to do anything slightly amiss, so why should not our opinions be heard through the pages of the R eview? It's the only way we can be heard.

I too think it is about time the powers -that -be ' got their act together In one breath we are told we are completely voluntary and do not charge for our services, but only accept donations Then we get a leaflet through the post saying that organisers should be told to pay £ I per hour per member! Talk about How to win friends and influence people', this suggestion is against all St John principles and would blacken us darker than the uniforms we wear if we acted on it.

As D. Millband said in the March Re view: 'W h y were we not asked (again) to give our opinion about recruiting , etc .' Are we ever asked? It is the Brigade's centenary year in 1987 and London HQ has decided in its wisdom to have a massive money-raising campaign. What is the point of raising money when we are losing members by the dozen each week? It is a recruiting campaign we need. What is the point of having money in the coffers and more equipment , when we have so few members? If ideas are wanted to try to attract new members here is one.

A free public first aid course or maybe a nominal charge of £5 to cover divisional expenses , instead of the £25 we now have to charge, which is off-putting in itself. A nd an option of two to three years before the FA W need to be taken, instead of within 12 months of the 4th edition Essentials course This also applies to nursing members who have the additional Caring for the Sick course to take within 12 months. It is just too much to expect new members to take three exams within a year, when, even though they are keen , they do not want the harrassment of exams so close together. They have other things to think about, you know. The people who make these rules do not have to take any of the exams

As for the Lunatic' poster it is absolutely disgusting. Again I imagine the person who thought it up, does not know one end of a plaster from another let alone how to apply it.

So in the words of Lord Westbury, thank you, Mr Purchase for taking the trouble to write. And to Major -General Leuchars: this was a subject of great interest to us at divisional level and brought forth purposeful discussion, so in our opinion the demand for an apology was definitely uncalled for.

Newark

Lady Westbury. Supt-in-Chief. replies

The centenary and especially the Hyde Park party , which will be a wonderful day , should do more for recruiting than anything else But the divisions must be prepared to accept new members and we desperately need good leader s - where there are enterprising leaders, divisions flourish.

The Lunatic poster ha s worked. The general public are now aware that St John members are volunteers and always will be. But we need money to maintain our ambulances, buy equipment, and look a fter Headquarters throughout the country. That is why we need an appeal. Many lar ge public dutie s are covered and we get nothing or very small donations in return. That was the reason for the 'L unatic " approachshock treatment for the public We are 'Lunat ics' because we give so much of our time free to an organisation we all love and admire. And I am the biggest lunatic of them a ll!

Th e Chief Staff Officer replies:

The Superintendent-in-Chief has dealt with th at poster and I ha ve nothing further to add.

As far as attracting new members is concerned, Mrs Smith suggests a fr ee first ai d course or a course with a nominal charge of £5 to cover expenses. This is an excellent idea. Why don't you do it? Who says that you have to charge £25 for a public first aid course? There has been no directive from this Headquarters. A further suggestion is that successful candidates who join the Brigade could have the course fee refunded.

What you must bear in mind, however is that if people join the Brigade, having undertaken and passed a public first aid course, they can only do duties under supervision until they have passed the Statutory Certificate. Again there is nothing laid down from this Headqua rter s that a person must obtain the Statutory Certificate within 12 months. If it is not possible for them to ake it within the first 12 months, we would s uggest that two to three years is reasonable. You are not quite accurate in your comments that nursing members have to do an additional Caring for the Sick Course within 12 months. They have to do Caring for the Sick within one calendar year following the date of joining. For example, if they join in June 1986 they would have until December 1987 to gain the Caring for the Sick qualification.

I am so rr y to ha ve to cause further embarrassment but your s uggestio n that Headquarters staff in London do not ha ve to take first aid courses is incorrect I can assure yo u that the Commissioner-inChief and all staff officers at this Headquarters are in possession of Statutory First Aid Certificates.

Come on, it can't all be as bad as you s uggest. I enjoy belonging to this wonderful organisation, as thousands of other people do, but just lately the time I do get depressed about St Jo hn is when I read some of the letters in the Sf John R eview.

The Editor comments: The Review (as its name imp li es) shows St John as it is not how some think it is. It gets no pleasure in publishing unpalatable facts or views; it would fail if it did 1101 publish them.

WHY NOT PAY US?

from Mr T Wright. Divisional Officer

On numerous occasions in the n ational press and in the Review we have re ad about the falling numbers of St John personnel, which is giving reason for concern, but what action can or should be taken to alte r this trend? It seems that nobody can come up with any so lution to solve the problem

Over the past few years requests for our services have become more and more in demand by local clubs, schools and organisations as people are getting more leisure time to enjoy themselves, and first aid is a must for a number of these activities.

Whilst 'o n duty' many people will come up for a chat in a moment of calm and sometimes they ask how much do we get personally for being in attendance. On replying , their answer is so mething to the nature You must be joking!' or words to that effect.

It is appreciated that St John Ambulance is a voluntary organisation and funds come from donations for our valued services. We in Crawley are an active Division , with approximately 30 men and 40 women (plus cadets), but sometimes getting duties covered is a bi g

B. Smith (Mrs)

Continued overleaf

Winners of the county nursing cadet competition (what s that guy doing there?): Holy Trinity Combined Divis on's Vanessa Hill (Capt ). Kathryn Nicholas Wendy Evans and Toby Butler.

Hereford

Readers' Views (Cant.)

problem. As an ex -divisional secretary and public duties officer I should know!

May I be so bold as to put forward the following suggestion?

Perhaps members could be 'paid' a nominal amount , say 50/75p per hour duty, paid at the end of the year. The money would come from donations received from organisations who have requested our services throughout the year.

It is a well established fact that after a year of service in the Territorial Army a bounty is paid, so why not to Stjohn as well?

My one concern is to make the covering of these duties a little easier than at present. If anyone has any suggestions we would be only too pleased to hear of them.

Crawley T. Wright

The Chief Staff Officer replies:

If Mr Wright looks at the headed notepaper which he uses he has the answer: 'A Voluntary Organisation ' The suggestion that if we paid an hourly rate we might attract new members would be against the objects of our organisation.

Members are asked to give their time voLuntarily but should be reimbursed for travelling and equipment.

When undertaking duties where the organisers are making a profit it

is important to stress that although we are a voluntary organisation and the cost of providing our services a s far as personnel are concerned is nil we must stress that equipment has to be purchased and organisers of events should make a donation towards this. It is in our interest to di s cuss this and agree a reasonable donation when the initial approach is made.

Duties undertaken for non profit making events , such a s helping handicapped blind and di s abled , etc , would not be included in the previous paragraph.

SJ HISTORY from B. Martin

I am researching into the changes in dress of nursing members and officers 1900-1930 ' and the first uniforms worn by St John Cadet s c.I920s , and the different badges, etc.

I wondered whether any readers could help on the following points

1. Personal information about when they were in the Brigade a t that time

2 Any photographs taken at th e time or copies of old regulations

3. An y pre s s cuttings , pho t o s fr om old R e vie ws, etc , or a ctual specimen s of badges , etc

All will be returned when copied.

4 Scarl! R oad, He x thOlp e, B. Martin Doncaster, S Yorks.

NEWS from SCOTLAND

Some Order of St John Cadets based in Denny , Stirlingshire , were among those presented to HRH The Prince of Wales when he visited an exhibition in Dundee during March. The cadets , who are well known in Scotland for their craft work, had made a castle complete with Knights and Saracens locked in battle as a gift for Prince William and a model engine painted in crimson for Prince Henry Prince Charles, in accepting the gifts expressed his delight at the excellence of the boys workmanship and ind icated that he was sure the children would have much pleasure in playing with the gifts.

The Pr nce of Wales ad m iri n g the cas tl e accompanied by h e Provost of D u ndee Mr D Watson Law CStJ Superv sor o

certificates by Mr J P. Harries , Chief Training Officer for Wale s The nin e cadets were warmly congratulated by Mr Harrie s who expressed his delight that the Division had been able to recruit young members to the Brigade. The audience were ver y impres s ed with the enthu s iasm of the cadet s and it is hoped that more will join the Division

The entertainment wa s pro v ided by the Rhos -y -Gar Drama Group from Ammanford , who gave an excellent pe rformance of the drama 0 Adfy d i Wynfyd (From Adversity to Perfect Jo y) wri t t e n a nd produced by County Staff O ffice r Mr s Brenda Jame s. Mr s J a me s, alon g with t wo nur sin g memb e r s of the Amm a nford Di v ision , Mrs Ann Ree s a nd Mr s G we n Ad a m s, played three character s in the drama In the nrst act Mrs Rees and Mr s Adam s a ppeared in t heir uniforms preparing to go on duty

This was the thi r d ti me th a the drama g roup have supported the P e n y groes Division. In 1984 the proceeds were u s ed to pay for a sonic aid for the loc a l s ur ger y in rec og nition of the immea s urable s upport give n to the Di v is ion b y the local doc t or s over he year s; and in 1985 the proceed s were s hared b y the Di v ision and the local Villa ge Hall where the e vents took place. The d r am a g roup ha s also vis ited other Di vis ion s in the di strict to rai se fund s for th e Bri ga d e. Nic e co-o pe ration here in W a es.

Yo un g m e mbers of Pen yg roe s D iv ision 's n e w c ad et unit proudly show th e ir Ess ential s o f Fir s t Aid ce rtifi c a t es p r es ent ed o hem by Mr J P H arr ies, Chi e Tr a inin g Officer for W a es ( fa ri g ht ).

At Loug h o Di vis ion 's r ece n inspection fo ur cadets (Me any R uss, Rh ian Graham, Alun B arus and Sam antha J effreys) were promoted corporal. ( B ack) AIM N. T homas, Ass s Cty Cade Officer B M organ, D epu y Comm W. Pi t m an, Ass st Com m L B runt, and Loughor's Dlc D Th omas.

Do you know your Manuals (8) - Answers

I A 2. B J. W he n he s br eat hl ess

4. T he Kite Met hod 5. C 6. Fa se

WALES

Young first-aiders

Thirty children from Lakeside Primary School, Cardiff were recently presented with their One Cross Award certificates and badges by the Director of Association for Wales, Dr George Mitchell. The headmaster of the school, Mr Tony Williams (in photo right) is being presented with a St John plaque by Dr Mitchell, as his was the first primary school in Cardiff to undertake the three cross award.

Drama at On March 25 the Penygroes Division organised a fund-raising event to finance the repair and re-decoration of their hall. During the evening members of the newly formed cadet unit were presented with their first aid

140

Lakeside Primary School first - aiders

9 T he u pr ght pos iti on 10. To m n mi se the ri sk of fall ing out o f bed I. C 12. Obeys com m an d s J. Trea t men of fractures of h ands and fingers 14. C

ST JOHN FELLOWSHIP

I AM GLAD to announ ce he fo rmati o n of th e third b r a nch n S ussex: Cr awley Branch, Sussex. Co nta ct M rs D Co a t e s, 30 D e di s ham Cl ose, F urn ace Green , C r a wl ey, We s t Su ssex.

A pril I 1985 - March 31 1986

T he St John Fellowship continu es to pr o sper. On April 19 8 5 , 43 b r anch es had bee n formed in 2 5 S t J o hn c ounti es At Ap r il 1986, ther e a re 53 b ra nch es in 30 count ies. Fiv e bran c he s which were unable to maintain hei int e re s have been omitted. Numerous enquiries have be en re cei ved durin g th e ye ar , including t wo from Canada (Calg a r y a nd Victoria B C .) a nd o ne from South Africa. It was particularly p le asing o reg ister the Bailiwi c k of Guern sey Branch in July , the fifti e th br a nch o f the Fellowship and the first to fo rm in he C hannel I s land s. On May 15 1985 t he se c ond annual general meeting took place in the Prior y C hurch at Clerkenwell in the pre sence o f the Lord Prior. One hundred a nd t hirty -four members attended, includin g Mr s Ruth Parks formerl y m a tro n of t he St John Ophthalmic Hospit a l in Jeru s alem who was warml y

Leaning till it falls

In the past year the famous 'Leaning Tower' of Pisa has added 1.27 millimetres more to its tilt and the officials say that the tower will surely fall unless something is done to arrest the continually-increasing inclination.

'It could take 100 years to fall,' said Giuseppe Toniolo, superintendent of monuments of Pisa city, 'or it could happen much sooner.'

The experts fear that the efforts made by the government are not going to be successful. 'The latest intervention on a grand scale was made in 1934 and it caused the tower to lean even more,' said Sr Toniolo. 'No one knows what will happen if a further attempt at stabilisation is made.'

Amongst the means which have already been considered is a proposal to pump over 90 tons of liquid concrete under the lower side of the tower and a scheme to seal off 15 artesian wells existing in the vicinity to prevent the hydrostatic level falling.

The tower was begun in 1174 to the designs of Pisan architect, Bonnanus in conjunction with a Swiss architect, William of Innsbruck. It was intended to be a campanile (bell tower) but it was actually more than 4.7 metres out of perpendicular and still inclining by the time it had reached a height of 10.7 metres. Its construction was halted until 1350 when it was completed to its present eight stories (179 ft), and the six bells instaIled, by Tommaso Pisano who

THE WORLD ABOUT US by Jack

attracted as many as 7,000 tourists In one day, who climb the nearly 300 steps of a spiral staircase to the summit. We do not wish to get it straightened out,' said Signor Toniolo. 'All we want to do is to see it does not fall down.'

How right you are! Signor Toniolo.

Nature's air cleanser

Scientists are learning that tree s, besides extracting carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and replacing oxygen, can also clean the air of other contaminating agents Every leaf is equipped with hundreds of thousand s of filaments and pores whose function is to act as mechanisms against contamination by absorbing gases through the pore s. Soot and other particles are trapped in the filaments which the next s hower of rain washes out.

hoped, by changing the design of the upper floors and strategically arranging the bellsone of which weighs six tons! - to stabilise the structure and avoid further leaning. At present time the whole tower is 16+ feet out of perpendicular.

The world famous Leaning Tower has

The largest trees , such as elm used to be and the beech , are able to remove annually more than 20 tons of contamination per hectare Trees are much more acceptable in the landscape than chimneys and the co n servationists consider that combining 'tree zo nes ', parks and industrial areas could be the most efficacious means of controlling the quality of urban air.

Chile. (5). 15 Aim munitions to be used for a prophylactic procedure (12). 20. Show indication of drow si ness to give assent. (3). 21. Having more pronounced symptoms with greater loss of sensation? (7· S). 26. Makes beer or tea using British Rail wartime emergency water supply. (S). 27. Having a bodily disorder in mamillae (3). 29. Blood groups with right temperature to terminate pregnancy at early stage. (S) 30. Inflammatory ophthalmic condition. (6). 31. Psychiatrist preferring patients from other countries? (8). 32 Less painful and more readily accomplished. (6) 33. Cleanses elements in ancillary muscles of respiration (8).

Down 1. State in which body and mind are functioning normally. (6). 2. One of the first policemen. (6). 3 Apron - lik e fold of peritoneum. (7). 4. Unwanted sound is at centre of one upset. (S). 6. Almond- flavoured cordial and biscuit maybe at a fair. (7). 7. Suppl'ement a proces s of the caecum. (8). 8. Minor procedure used to relieve pain or sub -ungual haematoma. (8). II. Sexual drive in psychology. (6). 16. Nail. (6) 17. At the present time in Snowdonia. (3). 18. Feel a rib broken with temperature normal. (8). 19. Gets nice di sor der in study of mechanisms of heredity. (8). 22. Give great encouragement to breathe in. (7). 23. Cumbrian mountain with central cafe. (7). 24. Liquid medicinal preparation for external use. (6) 2S. One 's social position. (6). 28 A change in 27 Across before food for a flower. (5).

SOLUTION TO CROSSWORD No.5 (86)

REVIEW CROSSWORD No.6 (86) by W. A. Potter

Across:

I. Articulation between the head of the femur and the acetabulum. (3·5). 5. Beast holding right mammary gland. (6). 9. Sees gain in defective development of a structure (8). 10. Metal fastener from broken plates. (6). 12. Apply a remedy and give pleasure. (5). 13. Judge of the Old Testament. (3). 14. Small British bird from reef in

Across: I. Heart throb; 6. Mas s; 10. Diarist ; II. Tr·ache ·a; 12. Note; 13. Drum; 14. Lynch; 16. Sal ·v·e; 17. Wind·pipe; 22. Battered ; 2S. Galen; 27 Te·res; 30. Bleb; 31 La mb; 33. Radical; 34. Sundial; 3S Hand; 36. Iatrogenic.

Down: I. Hedonist; 2. Adactylia; 3. Trim 4. Hot brow ; 5. Ot·to·man; 7. As·hen; 8. Swa·the; 9. Fall ; IS Left ; 18. Ice; 19 Page; 20. Pulsation 21. Anabolic; 23. Rubella ; 24. Dresser; 26. Starch ; 28. Randon; 29. Sick; 32. Snag.

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS

23p a word (min. £4.60); semi display £23 single column inch (min. £11.50)

incl. VAT. Send to SI John Review, Wood Cottage, High Corner, Butley, Woodbridge. Sr4Jolk IP12 3QF.

NEW CATALOGUE of a udio - visual aids for First Aid (23 colour slide sets), Home Safety and Road Safety FREE from F. C. CURTIS LTD , 6 Mileta s Place L y tham St Annes, Lanc s FY8 I BQ.

ST JOHN REVIEW

Contents

What's

Your

A

Get-together

A

County

Region

Around

Cadet Chat by

p 156

St John Fellowship p.158

Avon peps up those Inspections p.159

SJA Music Makers p.159

Order Investiture p.160

Readers Views p.162

News from Scotland - Wales p.164

Northern Ireland p.165

About Precedence of Medals (5) p.165

News from Divisions/Centres p.166

Why I Joined. p.167

The World About Us by Jack p.168

SIXTH

SEVENTH

THE CRYSTAL Palace Division in South East London is unique in that its headquarters is in the National Sports Centre, which is also a seven day a week duty, and covers an area, including the surrounding park and outdoor concert bowl, of half a square mile.

The division, 90 years old this year, was virtually reborn last year when Supt Derek Eaglestone took over with only five active members. In May, active membership increased by seven on the amalgamation of Beckenham Division with Crystal Palace. We now have 20 active members putting in a total of 800-900 hours duty a month, and as many as 200-300 by members of other divisions.

A DIVISION IS REBORN

And, as the London Police are doing again, they take to motorbikes

Practical first aid experience for the members is considerable, with an average monthly recorded total of 120 casualties. The total for April this year was 176. On average 20% require referal to a doctor or hospital. The true figure of casualties is at

least 30% higher than this , as on many events (ie, karate and judo) we are so busy it is impossible to record all cases. Members are frequently called to deal with the real thing during our weekly training sessions. Cover is provided at the Sports Centre

from 4 pm to 10 pm each weekday and at weekends from as early as 8 am to as late as midnight, also from lOam to 10 pm on weekdays during school holidays Assistance is given by other divisions, especially when ambulances are required

The division is now equipped with seven radios and frequently all sets are in use. To improve our service we recently formed a motorcycle unit of six members, led by Alan Meldrum , and including his wife, Joan, our Nursing Officer. Other members of the unit are Ian Seibt , Jim Foster, Andrew Frame and Philip Ingram. Three are qualified instructors in motorcycling. The unit will cut our re s ponse time to calls by up to half and has the advantage of access to places where it is difficult or impossible to take a motor vehicle. (See Around and About, June, Docs on Bikes story.)

In response to our efforts the Sports Centre has provided us with a new first aid room which is more than four times the size of the old room and includes a rest area with easy chairs and kitchen facilities for members. The Centre's annual donation to o ur funds has been increased from £ 600 to £5, 000 and midday and evening meals are provided, Although this donation ma y seem high , it costs around £600 a month to cover the duty in spite of the fact that the Sports Cen tre pay for all first a id materials we use.

The divi sion's outstanding major objective now is to obtain a new ambulance to replace the 12 -yea r -old vehicle which has been taken out of service, thus leaving this major duty wit hout an on - site ambulance.

D erek Eaglesione Divisional Sup erinten dent

The Lord Prior the Earl Cathcart and Countess Cathcart (seated), on a recent visit to the Air Wing 's HQ at Epping.

OF HONOUR FOR ERIC

THE Great Hall at St John ' s Gate was the scene of the 12th annual get- together of members of the SJA Air Wing on April 25. This year there was a record attendance of about 100 pilots , controllers and friends. It is policy to invite the many representatives of aviation who do so much to assist the Wing and on this occasion the Chief Commander, Major-General P. R Leuchars, welcomed friends from the Civil Aviation Authority, British Airways , the National Air Traffic Services and the Royal Air Force and the United States Air Force who so willingly co -operate in providing landing facilities at times when their airfields would normally be closed.

Mrs Barbara Dawes, of Herefordsh ire, and (right) Mr Edward Norman, of Surrey.

The Chief Commander presented the Sword of Honour to Eric Thurston, OBE ,

Commander.

OStJ, for outstanding service both as a pilot and technical adviser; while the Howard Tray went (for the second time) to Mrs Betty Bowman, the Deputy Senior Flight Controller, who has planned and controlled 186 missions in her fourteen years of service.

Squadron Leader H. G. Pattison, DFC OStJ, the Air Operations Co-ordinator since the Wing's inauguration and who retired recently, was presented with a St John carriage clock in recognition of his service to the Wing.

H E R o E S

BOB MONKHOUSE, who has just been i nves t ed as an Officer of the Order (page 160) has h is own views on the SJ A Lunatic poster. He said There 's been so much controversy over the word unatic on thi s poster. St John Ambulance people have been very much upset by the word. But it 's no more than saying "H ow craz y can you be to give up yo ur time for nothing ; to give your time to help other people. " You have to pa y for yo ur uniform , probabl y your bus fare to get to the duty,' He went on to explain to the

WATCH OU FOR THIS TODAY.

His uniform and First Aid Kit cost around £100. He sometimes pays for them out of his own pocket.

He helps the public with ail, ments ranging from mild headaches 'I to massive heart aHacks.

He's put through a tough course 10 start with.

He then has to pass a refresher course every year.

He and his friends spend 4 million hours a year on their feet in all weathers. How much is he paid to do it! Absolutely nothing. .-

He probably had 10 pay his own bus fare to get here today. Watch out for lunatics like this. One day you may need him.

media that work done by St John is wonderful work. However, he has his own solution to T HA T word. 'We could use a lot of words to s a y " Ho w crazy can you be " In fact not one of these people is a l unatic , so let 's take that out (he crossed through LUNATI C) and put in what they reall y are " Heroes". Let's watch out for thi s HERO today and see whether you woul dn like to join in the work that t his HERO does and all the other HEROES and HEROINES in St John Ambulance.'

Bob Monkhouse is not being funny here by stri king ou t that LUNATIC and replacing it with HERO

(Left) The motorcycle unit: N.O. Joan Meldrum AMs Andrew Frame and Alan Meldrum (leader), Cpl Ian Seibt, AM Philip Ingram and (absent) Jim Foster. (Right) Joan Meldrum, an advanced motorcycle instructor, keeps an eye on training.

Eric Thurston (left) with Sword of Honour and Betty Bowman with Howard Tray, and two special guests - both w th heart transplants:

The Wing s air operations coordinator

Sqn Ld H. G. Pattison DFC OStJ recei ve s a farewell gift on his retiremen from the Chief

I ARRIVED at Kensington Palace at 8.15 am, passing the police on duty and rang the bell at the huge front doors of the private residential quarters of the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester. Though a little early, I was admitted by a footman and taken through many corridors to the large dining room which was to be our classroom for the four-day course. I was in time to be able to advise the footmen on the class layout we required - so a large table was moved, chairs arranged, I was able to set up my OHP, screen, board and viewfoils, and be ready for the arrival of the first 'student' Cathy Stretton, Director London District, was to be the other instructor for the course. Soon after her arrival, we were given a cup of coffee, and the Director-General, Robert Balchin, arrived, as he was going to open the course.

The first of our students to appear was the Duke of Gloucester, the Grand Prior. We were introduced, and he was followed by the other students, and last of all the Duchess of

Gloucester. We followed normal procedureenrolment forms were filled in and 'name plates' were issued, which enabled us to familiarise ourselves with everyone's names very quickly. Three of the students were ladies-in-waiting, and the rest were personal friends of the Duke and Duchess.

After the official welcoming, introductions and opening of the course by Mr Balchin, Mrs Stretton started the first sessionIntroduction to First Aid. This was followed by coffee (in fine bone china cups, unlike those at York Street HQ), and then I started on the subject of resuscitation. By lunchtime, everyone had been lying on the floor and had practised the preliminary procedures of resuscitation, and the demonstrations were completed.

For lunch, the classroom had to be rearranged as the dining room. The footmen did this while we were all invited into the sittingroom for a sherry or some delicious elderflower cordial made by the Duchess. No, she would not part with the recipe,

A F.A. • course In LondonW8

), The Duke , Dr Raj Ghadvi and John Blatch (exam ners)

which she said was her own, and she had never given it to anyone! When the dining room was ready, we returned for lunch.

We were asked to 'help ourselves from the sideboard and on that first day there was cold chicken, potato and green salad, and avocado pear. The dessert, served by the footman, was fresh fruit salad and cream. (We had natural water to drink - beautiful monogrammed china and cutlery.) Cathy and I were invited to sit either side of the Duchess and enjoyed a conversation which I think helped to relax us all.

After lunch we left the dining room and it was quickly rearranged for us as a classroom again. Back to work, with everybody practising resuscitation and the recovery position and the subject was completed.

At the start of the day we were aware of a constrained atmosphere among our students, a feeling perhaps that they were a little wary of the instructors and didn't quite know what they had let themselves in for! (Not uncommon at the start of any FA W course

know.) As the day progressed, we felt that everyone began to relax, and with plenty of practical class participation - by encouraging questions and using the question-andanswer technique for confirmation - we felt the atmosphere lighten, and knew that everyone was beginning to enter into the spirit of the thing, and that we had motivated the desire to learn.

Tea (milk or lemon) was served during the afternoon by the Duchess herself. Tea also tastes better from fine bone china! At the end of the day, feeling satisfied with the day's achievements, we had a quick tidy up - and left for home.

The second day started off well , with several students including the Duke and Duchess arrIVIng in time to practise resuscitation. Of course the Progress Test I had to be done , and everyone achieved excellent results. We continued with teaching shock, heart attacks and bleeding, the control of bleeding being covered thoroughly during the day.

At lunchtime we were able to walk around the gardens. The sun was shining and already there were several blooms to admire, and in a sheltered corner both primroses and snowdrops were flowering. We again enjoyed the elderflower cordial before lunch, sipping while we chatted on the steps which led from the sittingroom to the garden.

Lunch consisted of Quiche Lorraine, green salad and baked potatoes, followed by caramel cream and sliced oranges and cream. On the second day we sat on either side of the Duke, who entertained us with many funny anecdotes and also told us that he was the chairman of ASH. think that was mainly for my benefit!

Probing questions

On Wednesday again most of the students arrived early enough to practise their resuscitation, before doing their second progress test. Again the results were excellent and we were able to carryon to start the subject of unconsciousness. This took most of the morning , as there was great interest in the subject and questions asked were very probing.

Lunchtime again - and on this - the third day we had a wonderful salmon flan and green salad We sat by the Duchess, and I was easily persuaded to have a second helping! For dessert there was blackcurrant mousse and cream, the most delicious sweet I have ever tasted.

Back to work - strains, sprains, dislocations and fractures. The theory completed, we were soon ready to start on the practical. The Duchess had explained at lunchtime that this was of particular interest as they were leaving on Saturday for a skiing holiday.

Before we left the Duchess suggested that it may be a good idea if we started a half-an-hour earlier on the last day. We were only too glad of the extra time, so she announced the earlier starting time to the rest of the stl!ldents. I felt that this was an indication of the enthusiasm which by now

had gripped everyone and I was not at all surprised when on the last morning all the students arrived early, for at least one more practice run on resuscitation.

The others were not, however, as early as the Duke and Duchess's little daughters, Lady Davinia and Lady Rose, who came in very early to see the resusci-baby, and to look around the classroom. They are enchanting little girls.

The miscellaneous subjects of the course were soon covered - with special interest being shown by the Duke and Duchess in heat exhaustion and heat stroke, as they were looking forward to a safari in the summer holidays.

After coffee our favourite session started and Ted Addlington, a member of Casualties Union, came into the classroom with a very badly cut arm - he told us he had fallen and injured himself in the kitchen and there was some glass embedded in the wound. The ladies -in -waiting were called across to deal with this emergency. Ted was looked after very well. They were as we expected ' amazed when, at the end of the treatment 'all was revealed'. Again, with Ted, the examination of the conscious and unconscious casualty was demonstrated.

Awkward fall

On Ted's next visit to the classroom he fell awkwardly and sustained an open fracture of the lower leg. The Duchess helped this time and steadied and supported the leg - while the bleeding was controlled and the students immobilised the fracture,

On to the next part of the session, an exercise involving all the students - diagnosis of breathing, adding pulse, colour and finally ideas of what he may be suffering from.

Then, on to the re-appearance of Ted with hypoglycaemia -a very unco-operative and aggressive casualty. The Duke was called to deal with this emergency. He coped well. Then an epileptic fit; and finally an angina attack.

All the students were involved and it was agreed that this session with Ted was of great benefit and everyone thoroughly enjoyed it, especially the casualty', who 'had his leg pulled' by the Duchess!

It was time for lunch, but before Ted left he was formally introduced to the Duke and Duchess who presented him with a little memento of the occasion.

Even in the dinner hour we were practising resuscitation. I sipped my last glass of elderflower wine, sitting on the floor, with the 'annie', and the Duchess asked for 'one more run through the procedure'.

Exam nerves

Lunch again - either side of the Duke - in a very relaxed atmosphere despite the fact the 'exam nerves' were beginning to be felt.

We had our last lovely lunch - chicken in rice with salad and cold rhubarb with meringue and cream. Delicious.

After lunch, the last progress test started. Then the examiners arrived, Dr Raj Ghadvi and Mr John Blatch , our own examiner s from London District Headquarters whom we knew would expect a very high standard

The exam proceeded very smoothly and when, at the end , I did the collating of results it was no surprise to find that everyone had passed. Not just passed, but done very very well. All but two had 100 % on their resuscitation (and those two had 95 % ). By this time Mr Balchin had returned to close the course and present the certificates. The atmosphere at the end of the day was wonderful. Happy, friendl y, relaxed and of course a great feeling of relief for the students that the examination was over. As always we felt that friendships had been forged, and it was a delight for the instructors to be told that everyone had enjoyed it and learnt so much and that they would like a one-day refresher in a year s time.

Jean Higgs

(Left) The Grand Prior at work on his patient - the Duchess. (Right) In the garden of Kensington Palacethe Duke and Duchess on either side of tAeir instructors, Jean Higgs (left) and Cathy Stretton.

The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester take 4-day First Aid at Work

The cou se is over. (Front left to right) :

The Duchess Cathy Stretton and Jean Higgs (instructors

Region 10 Presidents

MEET IN PRESTON, LANeS

ON April 12, St John Ambulance Lancashire was host to the Regional Presidents' Conference at Preston which was attended by HRH The Princess Margaret, Grand President of the Order. Also there throughout the meeting was Mrs Harold Phillips, Chief President.

The conference was officially opened by the Lancashire County President, Mrs A. J. C. Houghton who welcomed guests from all parts of No. 10 Region. She spoke briefly of the objects of the meeting and then welcomed the first speaker, Mrs Margaret O'Donoghue, chairman to the Council of St Catherine's Hospice, LostoGk Hall, who spoke on 'The Hospice Movement and the Volunteer'. Mrs O Donoghue first briefly outlined the ongms of the Hospice movement, pointing out the ancient links with the Order, and then brought the subject up to date with the work which had taken place in the area to enable the opening of St Catherine's Hospice, only a stone's throw from where the Conference was being held. She dwelt on the need for constant work by volunteers to raise money for the Hospice which evoked several questions from the audience as to the methods used.

The next speaker, Dr Kenneth Leese, Deputy Commissioner of Greater Manchester County, then addressed the 150

County Presidents meet

AT

meeting on 'How to handle heart emergencies '. He described the forthcoming Save a Life' campaign which is to be mounted by the BBC Television later in the year. He spoke briefly of the work which had been done in other countries and the successes and hoped that there would be similar reaction in this country. He reminded presidents of the need to keep abreast of these new happenings and to ensure that areas for which they are responsible have the wherewithal to meet the demands which are likely to be thrust upon them if the campaign is to be a success.

First Aid in schools

The final speaker before lunch was Mr John Walsh, from Merseyside, on the subject of First Aid in Schools. Welcoming him, the County Director of Lancashire, Mr T. Watkinson, said how happy he was to present a teacher to speak on this subject which was currently in the forefront of many minds. Mr Walsh described his own career in SJA, which had led to his appointment as an instructor to teach up to First Aid at Work

Princess Margaret at Region 10 Presidents Conference in Preston talking to 17-year-old Cadet Michelle Web ste r who addressed the conference on the thoughts and ambit ons of a cad et.

from Lancashire. First , Mrs Carole Phillips, County Vice-President (N ursing Cadets), introduced Mis s Michelle Webster , 17 , from Gregson Lane Division who spoke eloquently on the thoughts and ambitions of a young cadet, looking towards the year 2000.

IN

standard. He describe d the work which had gone on in his own and other schools in the Wirral area. Because of the impetu s given to the schemes by Mr Walsh and the support by the various headmasters, loca l St John Centres have now provided three trophies which are awarded annually to the sc hools gaining most first aid certificates in the three categories, junior intermediate and senior. From the results obtained there is no doub t that first aid is a very positive pre se nce at schools in the Wirral area. Mr Walsh also spoke briefly of a scheme to teach First Aid at Work to students in the sixth form of his school.

At this stage, the meeting broke up on the arrival of Princess Margaret , who mingled with the guests prior to lunch , meeting and speaking with many members and showing a warm interest in the work of St John in the Region.

When the meeting re -assembled after lunch, Princess Margaret, with Mr Simon Towneley, the Lord-Lieutenant of Lancashire, joined Mrs Phillips and Mrs Houghton to watch presentations by cadets

Four cadets from the Lancaster and Morecambe Divisions (Darren Barfoot, Alison Wright Caroline Hudson and Natalie Davies) under the direction of Mrs Jean Willacy (Morecambe Division) demonstra ted their skills in casualty make- up , creating some life -like injurie s on each other.

The presentation concluded with a display of Cadet Flag Drill, given by the winning team of cadets from Haslingden Division (J ulie Best, Angela Butterworth Jacqueline Haworth and Michelle Sims) under the direction of their Superintendent Alan Butterworth.

Preconceived ideas

After the presentation s, the final s peaker of the day was Lt-Col John Mills, Director of Public Relations, National Headquarters , He spoke briefly of his own introduction to St John and the many preconceived ideas he , and he was sure thousands li ke him , had of the Brigade. He then described how the work of the Director of Public Relations and all members of St John , from pre sid ent s down to the youngest cadet, must be directed to altering these opinions and replacing them wi th fac ts , He s poke full y about the Lunatic campaign , agreeing that he was aware it had caused some distress but pointing out that it had more than achieved it s aim of gaining much publicity for St John Ambulance. It is hoped to continue the campaign in the co ming months , this t i me substituting the word Hero for 'Lu natic '. He then spoke at so me length about the forthcoming Birthda y

Party' for St John Ambulance Brigade in Hyde Park, London , on June 20 1987.

Prep a ration s for this event are already well in hand and he described some of the m a ny colourful activ ities which are scheduled to take place on that da y. He envisaged a very high attendance by Brigade members and asked presidents to encourage their Div isions to participate fully.

Mrs H. Phillip s, Chief President, summing up the meeting , thanked Princess Margaret for being at the meeting and paid tribute to

the work of the organiser , Mrs Houghton. Mrs Phillips we nt on to review the remarks made by several of the speakers and reminded presidents of the need to ensure that their own divisions were alert to the various public ity campaigns in hand. It is hoped that these campaigns and events in 1987 will lead to a large influx of rec ruits and divisions s hould be mindful o f this and seize the opportunities as they are presented. She concluded by thanking all for their attendance and wished them a safe jou rne y home

Haslingden Cadet Division s team

(Jacqueline Haworth , Angela Butterworth and M iche lle Sims) gave a display of flag drill.

RIGHT FORMULA FOR FORMULA I racing teams arnvmg at Brands Hatch for testing recently were assured the circuit is the safest in Britain if not the world.

The dangers to drivers have been re-emphasised by the fatal accident suffered by Brabham racer Elio de Angelis at the Paul Ricard circuit in France.

Brands Hatch managing director John Webb told the Swanley Times full rescue and medical facilities would be provided with professional help no further than 200 yards from any point on the track.

LOOKING AHEAD

Jul 5 - Brigade Finals Competitions, Fairfield Halls, Croyclon

Jul 9-26 - Royal Tournament, Earls Court

J ul 10- Investiture, St John s Gate

Jul 22 - The Not Forgotten' Association Garden Party Buckingham Palace

Aug 29-31 - Brigade Conference, Skegness

'The marshalling and safety standards in Britain are regarded as the best in the world and at Brands Hatch we like to think we are the best in Britain,' said Mr Webb

'A great deal of the medical and rescue operations are carried out by St John Ambulance, in particular the Farningham Division. We think they are fantastic and I wish the rest of the world could be served by people as good as them.'

For the first time the test will see a helicopter on stand-by at Brands ready to fly serious casualties to hospital.

ESSEX ON TOP

All four winning teams of Region 10's finals are from Essex, and now go forward to the National Finals at Fairfield Halls, Croydon, on July 5.

The teams are: West Mersea Quad Division 's nursing cadets; Southend Combined Cadet Division's ambulance cadets; Frinton-on-Sea Quad Division's ambulance members; and Chelmsford Nursing Division. - A rare event indeed.

Deputy SJA County Director of Devon, Major Derek Pedder, has received a Commendation of Meritorious First Aid

LORD PRIOR CALLS

The Marco ni Co. Ltd) from the Associat ion Branch for as the citation reads:

'For the prompt and effective application oj approved first aid techniques to an elderly lady casualty who was ly ing unconscious in mud at the side oj a road aJter a hit and run road traffic accident. The casualty was suffering Jrom multiple lI1Juries notably impaired breathing, severe haemorrhaging and a partially severed right Joot. The actions taken to clear the airway, treat severe bleeding and immobilise the lower limbs reflect

great credit on Major Pedder and led probably to saving the casualty 's life and certainly to saving her Joot.'

COULD HAVE DANCED ALL.

It was a normal , quiet Saturday morning writes Nursing Officer Karen Moss of Oxon ' s Blackbird Leys Division, on the Blackbird Leys estate nea r Oxford. But then just before 9 am the dulcet tones of Wham! Meat Loaf, Survivor and many other noisy hits suddenly boomed out from he tiny neighbourhood Centre behind the church. There some 20 cadets a nd adults were

BY THE EDITOR

LOURDES

Th e Bri gade team of nursing members led by CNO Rosemary Bailey , in the procession of

Dancing dancing dancing Karen Moss and Steve Edwards at Bla c kb rd Le ys (a xon) Division s dis co marathon (See story

COULD HAVE DANCED ALL )

dancing away with much enthusiasm. Why?

And at 9 am?

Th is was the beginning of a l2 -hour SJA disco marathon to raise funds for the division. The dancing was rath er dignified at t he beginning but soon it was a case of anything goes, with Hokey-cokeys , Agadoos (whatever they are) and the Birdie Song. In other words, everyone was having a great time Dignity had gone out of the window (See photo.)

During the 12 -hour session many people popped in to watch the fun and to have collection boxes rattled under their noses, no doubt wondering why so many so-called s ane people were flinging themselves about on a hot day. As other members finished work, they popped in and joined in - and the atmosphere in that small building almost became electric.

The fun raised £200. Good fun indeed

BOTTLES OF

The Ladies' Guild of the St John Ophthalmic Hospital are holding their annual bazaar in

The Rol f Trophy for the most eHicient div sion in Central Area Hampshire is handed by ASO (cadets) Mr Guy to Mrs Streeter di vi siona l su per ntendent of Winchester Nursing Cadet D vis on. Well done W nchester girls

North u mbr i a Northern Area Commissioner Mat hew Festing receives a £ 1 000 cheque from Mr John Teward manager of Glaxochem Ltd s lo cal factory towards a new ambu ance. Thanks Glaxochem

(Left) AIM George Johnson of SW London s Twickenham and Whitton Division cuts the cake to celebrate 50 years SJA service. George a Serving Brother, joined B rick layers Arms Division (Midd lesex?) in 1936

(Right) The Mayor and Mayoress of Chester present a £31 5 cheque to D S Alan Jo hnson of Dee Cadet Division ( Bishops High School) to buy a resuscitation model. Are there many such cadet divisions within a school or is Dee unique?

MR FUND RAISER

the autumn and desperately need contributions for the Bottle Stall. If you can send some, (any sort except empties!), please deliver them labelled 'Lady Miller, for the Bazaar', to either 1 Grosvenor Crescent or St John's Gate.

TO LOOE?

I hear that help is required to man Looe Division s beach caravan during the summer. So why not go and stay in Looe , Cornwall, for a week and use the Division hall as a base?

Fer details phone Mr Starkey , on Lanreath 20558. Don ' t know his first name I'm afraid Somehow we in England seem ashamed of them

DOC SHOWS HOW

I hear that a SJ A doctor is helping to tell 60 000 people about resuscitation techniques in a campaign in Preston, Lancashire , which is being organised by members of the St John Ambulance Brigade.

Dr Victor Calland, who works in a three-partner practice in the town , is St John assistant surgeon for Lancashire

'We want as many GPs as possible to help in advertising the campaign through leaflets in their surgery waiting rooms and even through some in -surgery teaching ,' said Dr Calland. He said they hoped to reach 60 ,000 people through evening classes , demonstrations and videos.

SJA 's Dr Vic or Calland of Preston (See story DOC SHOWS HOW).

The Preston campaign, which carries on until October, precedes a national one organised by the Royal Society of Medicine with the BBC in a ' Save a Life' campaign.

HANDLING COURSE

The Ergonomics Research Unit of the

Robens In stitute of Industrial and Environmental Health and Safet y at the University of Surrey are holding a two-day residential course entitled ' Efficiency and Safety in Industrial Manual Handling Systems ' at th e University on Sept 30 and Oct I. Topics to be covered include :

- techniques for investigating manual handling problems - methods of impro v ing the work en vir o nment - ergonom ic and phy s iolo gical aspect s o f materials handling work

- the use of aids in the manual handlin g system

- the place of training in manual handling - current and propo sed le gis lation re lating to manual handling

The course has been designed for those in industry , the NHS and loc a l authoritie s who are concerned with aspe c ts of safety training and workpla ce design.

Details of the course from: Mrs C Barlow , Robens In s titute , University of Surrey , Guildford , Surrey GU2 5XH. Tel : (0483) 509213 .

Annual Conference, Butlin's Holiday Centre, Skegness, Aug 29-31

CADETS AT WORK

byJIM

Place four or five cadets in a first aid post or equip a classroom with all that is needed

Then allow 'casualties' to arrive in ones and twos. (There is no reason why the cadets shouldn't be outnumbered at times.) Exercise lasting about 45 to 60 minutes. These are suggested casualties:

Broken lef upper arm.

Bee sting (sma ll chil d).

Nose bleed.

Insulin coma.

Wound to leg (caused by running spikes).

Lo st child (mother arrives after 12 minutes) ·

Open fracture left tibia,

Burns to hand,

Tummy pains ',

Graze on shin (grit embedded),

Fr actured rib s (internal bleeding after 3 minlltes),·

Dislocated finger.

*Times are from casualty arriving at post.

Treatments should be recorded correctly as well

Have you ever thought of ?

When you're asked to go on duty at a local fete why not ask if you can put on a short arena display.

Having an outing with a difference. How about a trip to Wembley to see a schools' hockey or football international?

Susan Frith, 14, of Fleetwood won the

Try this

Get your cadets to stand firmly with one side against a wall with the side of the foot against the wall. Then lift the outside foot and all your cadets should fall over.

Many borough councils prod uce a 'What's On leaflet each month , If you're holding an event inform the Public Relations Department of your Town Hall who may be willing to include it in their What s On Ask a member of the local Indian community if they will come along and show you the correct way to put on a turban .

Have you ever thought of joining in the carol singing at your local hospital?

For the next camp, why not give some thought to hiring a canal barge.

Have you ever thought of ?

Asking your M urns for old sheets when they wear out. These can be cut up into triangles for use in training.

Doing a 'This Is Your Life to one of your

cadets transferring to the Adult Di vis ion , detailing some of the things that happened during his cadet ife. This need only las t 10-15 minutes.

Marking your Division 's birthday (or the 60th anniversary of Cadets in (982) by planting a tree in the local park. Your local Town Hall will want as much notice as possible when asking for permission.

Arranging a trip to go strawberry or blackberry picking

Game - Piggy back relays

After first round start again. But when you blow the whistle, the jockey drops down crawls through the horse 's legs and stands in front to become the horse , and horse s become jockeys, 'Spud' painting

Cut a potato in half. Cut out a design (a St. John cross? ). Dip in a mixture of paint and polycel!.

Town Crier competition

See if you can borrow a handbell and hold a Town Crier competition Marks should be given for ( I) Volume. (2) Clarity. (3) Wording.

Pancakes

First cook some pancakes for eating. Then use frying pans , with paper plates as pancakes, for some pancake races. It 's fun.

Have you ever thought of ?

Having your own Divisional T-srurt (goo d PR).

Holding a Mastermind competition. 1st Round - First Aid and Nursing. 2nd roundGeneral Questions.

Giving a prize in one of yo ur Divisional competitions, Why not give a copy of Seas oj Morning from Supplies Department. It's a good adventure story with a St John background.

Splitting your Division into groups and giving them a project to do, such as building a bird table Then put it into someone's garden or give it to the local OAP 's home. Make sure it s cared for and keep it stocked.

Taking your Senior Cadets horse riding or on a day trip to France.

Asking the local art group to put on a

BRIGHT GIRLS

WELCOME

(Hants)

London SW cadets, Leader Matthew Ba rker and Sgt Stuart Spreadborough, both of Twickenham and Whitton

Ryhope (Northumbria) cadets Kathryn Jane and Gillian Wa lto n attending a burns 'casua lty at the Division s recent exercise which involved 12 scouts in a gas water heater explosion. The girls and boys of

London. He was delighted to welcome us all and hoped it had been fun.

The meeting was closed by Lady Brecknock, who read out the total St John service given by members present: 3,596 years. An average of 27 years each

The

THE THIRD AGM which took place on May 28 at St John Ambulance HQ Birmingham (by kind permission of the Commander, West Midlands) was a very happy occasion. 129 members attended, 100 of whom had travelled to Birmingham from far and wide (Preston, Lymington, Norwich, Hull ) 29 branches were represented.

The proceedings began with prayers by the Brigade Chaplain, West Midlands, the Rev Leslie Brotherton. Our President, Lady Brecknock, then welcomed The Lord Mayor of Birmingham, CUr Denis Martineau and Mrs Martineau, and other guests who included Sir Peter Hudson, SecretaryGeneral, Lady Westbury, Supt-in-Chief, Mrs R. J. Cadbury, County President, West Midlands and our host, Mr John Sunderland, Commander, West Midlands.

Opening the meeting, the Lord Mayor said how impressed he had been by the work of St John. He was proud to learn that the Birmingham branch of the Fellowship was the largest in the country, and he warmly thanked all members for the service they had given over many years.

Introducing the annual report, the chairman, Major-General D. S. Gordon, announced the formation of the first two overseas Branches of the Fellowship in Australia, at Perth and Melbourne - which was received with applause. There are now 56 active branches in the UK, all of whom were making a valuable contribution to St John in their counties. He felt that the quarterly newsletters produced by the National Secretary were providing a useful means of communication within the Fellowship. He hoped that the counties still without Fellowship branches would soon join us. After the annual report and central accounts had been approved, and the chairman and members of the Central Committee had been re-elected unanimously, the chairman invited the Superintendent-inChief to speak on plans for the Brigade centenary in 1987. Lady Westbury hoped that all possible Fellowship members would attend the Great Party in Hyde Park on Saturday, June 20 1987. She described the immense scale of this event at which

158

St John Fellowship

56 Branches in UK, and now two in Australia, AGM reports

from the Secretary

IT GIVES me pleasure to announce the formation of the first two overseas branches of the Fellowship. Both are in Australia, though a long way apart.

Melbourne Branch, Victoria

Chairman Mr E. A. Mason

7 Rochford Street, East Bentleigh, Victoria 3165

Perth Branch, Western Australia

Chairman Major K. W. Bradley District Superintendent (Administrative)

St John Ambulance Brigade, 300 Wellington Street, Perth, W.A. 6000

A new branch has also been formed in Hampshire.

Emsworth Branch, Hants

Contact Mr J. Elliott 59 Ingledene Close, Bedhampton, Havant, Hants P09 IDG 31 Malvern Court, Onslow Square, London S W7 3HY Shelia Puckle National Secretary

everything, entertainment and catering, would be free. Only St John personnel would be admitted in the morning for the main part of the celebrations, but from 2 30 pm the general public would also be admitted. Fellowship members and their families should apply for tickets through their counties.

There was general request for a Fellowship tent in the Park, in which branches might set up a photographic record of the long and varied service of their members. An exhibition of crafts made by members was among suggestions. Branches will be asked for further ideas.

Sir Peter Hudson, Secretary-General, then spoke about his wide-ranging job He is responsible for the administration and staff of the Order , for liaison with the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, the American Order and the Alliance Orders of St John for ceremonial and the organisation of St John's Day , administration of the St John Ophthalmic Hospital in Jerusalem , for production of the Annual Report of the Order and for all Order committees.

Members appreciated his visit to our AGM on a very busy day. Sir Peter returned to London without tea!

Under Any Other Business' a request was made by the chairman, Greater Manchester branch, M r G. A. King, for an identit y card to be carried by Fellowship members when visiting the sick or housebound at home. This proposal was well received and will be considered by the Central Committee.

Mrs J. Woodbridge, Amersham, Bucks branch, expressed her thanks for the well-organised tour of Israel in September 1985 , which she had much enjoyed.

A discussion followed on the 1987 AGM.

Members preferred it to be kept away from the date of the centenary celebrations, and if possible for it to take place on a fixed date each year, say, the last Wednesday in May Mr King, Greater Manchester, kindly repeated the invitation made in 1984, for the AGM to be held in Manchester. All proposals will be referred to the Central Committee

Finally, the chairman paid a warm tribute to the Commander West Midlands, his Headquarters staff, Brigade members and cadets, who had devoted the day to making our AGM the most enjoyable, comfortable and heartwarming yet. Mr Sunderland replied that it was a privilege for Birmingham to hold the first Fellowship AGM outside

Tea was served by the HQ staff and cadets. Cadets also sold Fellowship badges , and, incredibly, prints of photographs taken during the meeting were available at tea for members to order copies.

By 5 pm all members had been (Left A patient with a 'fr actured spine is carefully treated before removal to

transported back to the railway or bus station, tired but very happy The generosity of We st Midlands in giving the Fellow ship this wonderful day (a no cost) will long be remembered.

THREE SIMULATED disaster call-outs replaced the formal annual inspection for Bristol and North Avon area members recently, a departure from tradition introduced by area commissioner Mrs Nora Ford and her staff.

The exercises were aimed at testing the skills of members and ensuring that 36 divisions, in three groups of 12, were not only proficient in their treatment of the patients but could work easily together in an emergency situation with people they did not necessarily know.

Planning committees were set up in the three locations to discuss open air venues, hospital facilities', and make up for the motorway accident which involved a coach load of children, and a car driver and his passenger.

The first exercise on Horfield Common in

The 7th AGM of the Federation of St John Ambulance Bands held at London District HQ on April 12 , was attended by the Deputy C-in-C Gerald Easton, the president, and representatives from 12 SJ A bands.

Roly Gillam chairman, reported that he had been able to visit bands at Wadebridge, Basingstoke, Southwark, Sheppey and Sittingbourne. A wealth of talent and experience exists within our ranks, he said, which should be used to further our aims for improving standards and the standardisation of Brigade bands.

Northern Area - In the absence of Mr Bowner Mr Butcher said that there was nothing to report.

Central Area - Mr Robinson said that he had plenty of band badges in stock.

Southern Area - David Minney reported a quiet year and was pleased that both newly formed SJ A bands were in this area.

The idea of a new rank of assistant bandmaster, with honorary sergeant rank and wearing bandmaster's badge without the crown, with a maximum of two assistants per band, was put to Headquarters and agreed

Avon peps up those inspections

Bristol was a true test of stamina and organisation, for the 150 members experienced snow, sleet and heavy rain in addition to plenty of mud, glorious mud.

The second was at Hengrove Park - the site of Br is tol ' s first airport and a former pre-war training airfield. The final exercise was held at VassaIls Park Fishponds, Bristol.

Disasters do not necessarily happen on

SJA MUSIC MAKERS

The Hyde Park Centenary Celebrations were discussed and the outcome would be made known later.

The Royal Tournament 1986 will see three SJA bands playing together Southwark, Surrey and Southwick.

Officers elected were: chairman , Roly Gillam; vice-chairman, Brenda Knight: treasurer, David Minney; Northern area Peter Butcher ; Central, Ken Robinson; Southern Mark Gillam ; PRO , Dave Rees.

Ken Robinson suggested it was time the J 2p a mile travel allowance for annual inspections was increased. Mr Easton said the matter would be referred to HQ.

Ken Robinson also stated his county would not accept hours at band functions towards the Service Shield. Band members on parade were available for first aid service, so the hours should be counted , it was felt.

warm sunny evenings, so this was an added te st of skills required to cope with spinal fractures, unconsciousness and bleeding in a confined space - and in adverse conditions.

Cadets who had taken casualty make-up courses were enlisted to help make other cadets look as realisticall y injured as possible. Some members emerged as leaders others followed the instructions to the letter and the commissioners and staff officers observing felt their chances of suffering from hypothermia were pretty good.

Although some members sai d they still preferred the more formal approach to inspections , the exercises were considered a great success with the added advantage of helping divisions to communicate and plan together.

Myra Meredith PRO

Mr Easton said band hours should be counted and would issue such instructions. The meeting closed with thanks to Mr Easton for his work for the Federation.

New band

A new SJ A band , NE Area Hampshire , was formed early this year with its first practice night on Januar y 31. A drum and fi fe band with 20 members, adults and cadets they practise once a week with tuition by bandsmen from the Guards Depot, Pirbright. The band was formed by ASO(C) Mrs Anne Leeming and her husband , David Deputy Area Commissioner.

Information please I am sending questionnaires to all bandmasters which I hope they will complete and return to me in due course, thus ensuring a steady flow of material for this column in the Review.

Contact me, David Ree s PRO. at 73 Grosvenor Road , Aldershot, Hants Gil 3DZ, phone 0252330916.

ORDER INVESTITURE

Miss Yvonne Albon, Deputy County Superintendent, Cheshire, with 40 years SJ service which began as a cadet, and who has specialised in leadership training, is invested as a Commander of the Order by the Lord Prior , Ear l Cathcart

Arthur Harwood retired as Divisional Superintendent in 1963 and now Chairman Bournemouth and Christchurch District SJA training committee, with 40 years service, becomes a Commander.

by the Lord Prior,

London, May 15

Commander

Yvonne Jeanne Miss Albon (C heshire)

Richard Henr y Bloor, LLB ( Leics)

John Montague Carter, MBE JP (Nottingham)

Ronald Sydney Edward Cutcliffe, MRCS, LRCP, MRCM (Hereford)

Surg Commander Henr y Mark Darlow, BA MRCS, LRCP (Wilts)

Jean Cynthia, Mrs Da vidson, SRN (Sa op)

Percy English (Herts)

Michael Gascoigne Falcon (Norfolk)

Frederick Arthur Farey (Nort h ants)

Arthur Charles Harwood ( Hants)

Gilbert Clive Hinckley (Derbys)

Adela Jocely n Carus, Mrs Houghton ( L ancas hire)

Michael Lind ley (Berkshire)

William Lloyd (StatTs)

Her Grace The Duchess of Northumberland (Northumbria)

Hugh Olson (Berkshire)

Desmond de Silva QC (London, EC4)

James George Elder Smith (No ttingham)

Morag Nada, The Lady Stafford (Staffs)

Major Thomas Turner (Staffs)

Officer Brother or Sister

Anne Maureen. Mrs Acland (Herts)

Brigadier John Stanhope Badley (Wiltshi r e)

John Harry Edmund Baker, MRCP, FRCS (Cardifl)

Prudence Elizabeth Mrs Balfour (Hampshire)

The Hon Vivian Baring (Kent)

Gilbert John Bent (North ants)

Anthony Frederic Birtles (West Midlands)

Pearl Eliz abet h Mrs Boyle (La ncashire)

Patricia Mrs Campbell (C leve land)

Michael Brian Frederick Cater (S uffolk)

Alan Coleman, of Lowestoft County Staff Officer (AC) Suffolk FAW instr uctor and cadet camp organiser with 27 years service, is invested an Officer of th e Order.

Horrace Darricott, of Chesterfield who is Superintendent of Markham Colliery Ambulance Cadet Division (which has obtained 80 Grand Prior Awards), with 35 years service, become s an Officer

Raymond Victor Coatesworth (Ty ne & Wear)

Alan Lawrence Coleman (SutTolk)

Marcia Mrs Cooney (Dorset)

Surg Captain (D) David Arthur Coppock, MSc , BDS (Ha nt s)

Marian Mrs Cousen (So uth Humberside)

Samuel Pascoe Dare (Devon)

Horace William Darricott (Derbys)

Sir Philip Digb y Pauncefoot Duncombe, Bt, DL (Bucks)

Thomas Wea ve Ferrers -Walker (Worcester)

John Fi fie ld, MRCS , MRCP (Kent)

George Roland Foster (Lincoln)

Vera Pa me la, Mrs Freeman (Suffolk)

Shane, Th e Lady Gisborough (Cleveland)

Major Peter Charles Crichton Gobourn, MBE (G los)

Joyce Barbara Mrs Green (North ants)

Robert Malcolm Griffiths (West Yorkshire)

Gordon Frank Hayward (Kent)

Lieut-Colonel Haldon E. Hole, DL (G reater Manchester)

Norma Naome Mrs Hughe s (West Midlands)

Edna Gillian, Mr s Hussey (Dorset)

Commander Humphrey Robin Hu ssey, SRN (London, WCI)

Cyril Claude Kelloway (Avo n)

Kathleen Emil y, Lady Kerruish (I sle of Man)

Air Marshal Sir Leslie Mavor, KCB, AFC (North Yorks)

Evelyn , Mrs McCain (Tyne & Wear)

Robert Alan Monkhouse (Bedfo rd shire)

Colonel J ose ph Reginald Moore (Manchester)

Peggy Anne, Mrs Nicholson (Wiltshire)

Thomas Henr y Pardo e (Essex)

Carole, Mrs Phillips ( Lancashire)

June Marion, Mrs Pierce (Devon)

June Eil ee n Miss Pollard (Essex)

Surg Captain Raymond Radford MC BS, FFARCS (Hants)

Albert Edward Michael Ralph Derby s)

Hilda May Mrs Riggs Wiltshire)

Joan , Mrs Sainsbury (Esse x)

Molly Marion , Mrs Scammell (Dorset)

Fra nce s Mary Agnes, Mrs Sheffield (Hampshire)

Cha rl es Shiers MRCS LRCP (C hesh ire)

Isaac Bolton Storey (Tyne & Wear)

Colonel The Revd Joseph Neville Thomas (London, SWI)

Er ic Thurston MB, BS MRCGP ( Herts)

Mrs Turver (Cornwall)

Brian Whiteley (C heshire)

Geoffrey Wilson (Lancashire)

(Sussex)

Eugene Mary , Mrs Wood (Hereford)

The Countess of Macclesfield (Oxfordshire)

Associate Officer Brother David Claremount (London, NW6)

LAS AND SJA

from Derek Eaglestone, Divisional Superintendent

I read with interest the article by John Moss, Chief Operations Officer, LAS, (May Review).

We of the Crystal Palace Division, based at the National Sports Centre, have had first hand experience of co-operation between the services on a local basis. This is partly, r believe, as a result of experience gained at the Girl Guides' incident in April last year. An excellent liaison has been established with the LAS, Police and St John, and it has been very obvious that the professional services have made a concerted effort to ensure that St John members are no longer 'those amateurs' as we so often felt in the past.

Many members, particularly from the counties, may feel from reading the article that co-operation only exists at officer level. We have definitely found this not to be so. Often we have cause to call the LAS to Crystal Palace and find crews most friendly and willing for our members to assist them when required.

This change in attitudes and approach IS of benefit to everyone, most important of all to the patients.

London SE6 Derek Eaglestone

CENTENARY IDEA

from Miss Joan Waring, PRO

I have arranged with the various borough and district councils in Cheshire for a special floral display to be sited in parks and gardens during our Centenary Year 1987.

I am sure we would all like to see such floral beds throughout the United Kingdom, as this would be a constant reminder to the public of the service of St John Ambulance to the community.

I have two designs, one circular and the other rectangular, which were prepared by a retired parks superintendent. The designs are to scale on graph paper, showing the plants and shrubs required. The wording is ST JOHN AMBULANCE BRIGADE, 1887-1987, with the eight pointed cross.

I can supply these designs for £5 (including postage), and the money raised will be towards our new county office and training centre at Chester. Write to me, County PRO Miss Joan Waring, 19 Tynedale Avenue, Crewe CW2 7NY, enclosing a cheque for £5 for Order of St John, Cheshire.

Cheshire Joan Waring

GOBBLEDEGOOK?

from Ray Pennock, Transport Officer

I feel that though Association General Manager Sean Glenny is correct in his reply (Readers' Views, April Review, Entry to the Brigade), he is missing the point that a vast majority of new members join through attending a public first aid course. Then we have to inform them that they will need to take a FA W course, which involves them taking four days off work and at what cost? And who pays? And then on top of that a further white cross course.

r know of a local division that has just gained seven new enthusiastic members from a twelve -week public first aid course, but the superintendent has not told them of the further courses they must take for fear of losing them.

How can we sell ourselves to the public, improve our image and gain new members when we are drowning beneath this sea of gobbledegook? Come on folks, let's get our act together.

Weybridge Ray Pennock

Chief Staff Officer replies:

See my reply to letter r was Horrified (Jun e Review)

MORE DEMOCRACY NEEDED

from Chris Batten, Ambulance Member

The worrying and Gontinual loss of members and the image of St John have attracted considerable coverage in recent Reviews. Clearly somethi ng must be done or else St John will simply cease to exist within the next few years if recent trends continue.

Might I suggest that one simple improvement would be greater consultation and involvement of ordinary members. It really is amazing just how little the views of ambulance and nursing members

162

are sought about issues which have a direct bearing on them No doubt officers will claim that they know what is going on and they represent the views of members. Possibly some can, but when were you last asked for your opinion on a direct issue such as the new uniforms new first aid examination requirements, etc? I appreciate that no system would ensure everyone s views being considered but why not have elected representatives of ambulance and nursing members allocated to area, district or county staff, to put forward at first hand members' views, comments and concerns?

When I suggested greater democracy to my previous division, the divisional officer told me: 'I don't want your union attitudes in my division'. Doesn't this say a lot about the state we find ourselves in today? Surely a division is its members? It certainly doesn ' t belong to the officer, as implied. Needless to say, I for one transferred from that division.

It is not just the clearing of deadwood that is causing the reduction in membership, as some would have us believe. Many of those with much needed get- up -and -go have got- up -and -gone - often through sheer frustration. Can we afford to lose such people?

So next time you hear ordinary members airing their views don t just label them troublemakers, but listen and consider why they are taking the trouble to comment. Perhaps it is because they care and want to improve the standard of St John Ambulance Who knows , a more democratic St John might attract and keep more members of the type we desperately need.

London SE Chris Batten

RSPCA MEDALS

from Mr W. Joint

I have read with interest the articles About Medals. Could the author tell me if medals awarded by the RSPCA are official, and if so when and how are they worn?

Devon W. Joint

JHW writes:

Medals awarded by certain societies only are recognised and may be worn at the same time as official medals. These are:

Medal of the Royal National Life-Boat Institution

St John of Jerusalem Life-Saving Medal

Stanhope Gold Medal of the Royal Humane Society

Royal Humane Society Silver Medal

Royal Humane Society Bronze Medal

Medals of the Society for the Protection of Life from Fire

Lloyds' Medal for saving Life at Sea

Other medals, such as those of the RSPCA mentioned by Mr J oint are not recognised in the same way and are not worn at the same time.

TOO OLD AT 507

from Mr R. H. L. Davey, Divisional Superintendent

Having seen published in Brigade Orders that an age limit of 49 was being applied to members wishing to apply for duty at Canet in the South of France, 1 asked our County Office why. The answer appears

to be that the organisers at St John HQ feel that 49 is past it! Is this a way of doing away w ith our Dad s Army image - retire at 50 ?

Perhaps HQ would consider that 50 is too old to carry out a normal week's work and then spend all weekend out in the cold and wet covering events like point -to - points and scrambles!

My wife and 1 have been to Canet twice since we reached our half centuries, the second time with my DIO, also 50 plus. It was a wonderful change and great experience, dealing with over 600 cases during the fortnight each year. After arriving back in Cornwall on the Wednesday of the third week, I even managed to go back to work for the rest of the week. Should HQ have arranged a medical to see if we were still fit - or alive.

Come on, St John administrators , some of your best and most avai lable people are 50 plus, and lunatic enough to volunteer in the first place.

Finally one member who applied to go to France this year is sixty plus, as fit as a fiddle, works shifts 4.30 am - 12.30 and 12.30 -9 pm as a security guard has been all over the world in the Navy and would leave many twenty-year-olds standing.

But he's too old at 50!

Launceston

The Chief Staff Officer writes :

R. H. L. Da vey

The Commissioner-in - Chief notes Mr Davey s comments and has some sympathy with him. It is very difficult for Headquarters to decide whether or not people are suitable to carry out certain duties. It was felt that this duty in France which involves a very long journey by road and the demands on our members who undertake public duty there are considerable , as Mr and Mrs Davey know , and it was considered that it would be better suited to younger members.

We fully accept the comments made by the writer and, when this duty is circulated next year, there will be no upper age limit imposed. We would of course need to know from the County Commissioner that the person is considered suitable to undertake this type of duty.

On a personal note , I have some sympathy with Mr Davey as I am a 54 -year-old Chief Staff Officer and not quite past it yet!

BOOKS

The Diabetes Reference Book by Peter Sonksen, Charles Fox and Sue Judd. Forewords by Dr Arnold Bloom and Sir Harry Secombe. Harper and Row Ltd. £4·95.

A truly excellent book and I would have thought a must for all people who suffer from diabetes melitus or anyone who has care of a diabetic sufferer.

It s right up to date and cannot recommend it too highly particularly to all teenage and young diabetics who will be the adults and parents of tomorrow with all the problems and responsibilities that brings and also having to cope with their diabetes.

It is clear and easily understood and I would have thought a must for reading by all diabetics.

The 36 Hour Day: Caring at Home for Confused Elderly People by Nancy L. Mace and Peter V. Rarins, MD. Age Concern. £5·95.

At last a common sense book written on the increasing problem of dementia in the aged. 1 say at last even though the original publication was in 1981 by Dr P. V Rabins and Miss N. L. Mace of the John Hopkins Medical School USA, but the text has been edited for the UK by Dr B. A. Castleton with the help of Christopher Cloke and Evelyn McEwen of Age Concern

It is a helpful book not only for doctors, nurses, health visitors and social workers, but of even greater help to everyone who has care of the elderly mentally infirm and the book also stresses that these people are ill and need care and nursing and explains how best to look after them.

1 found the text a bit long but I noticed one omission in the listed causes which was myxoedema. This I would have thought was import ant as it is reversible. It is caused by under functioning of the thyroid gland and can be present as confusion in an elderly person. However, this is not such a common condition as is Alzheimer's disease.

T.J.C. W.

The Chief Commander after present ng the Methera l Cup to Launceston Nur si

A UNIQUE gathering in the history of the Order in Scotland took place during the morning of Wednesday May 21 when His Grace The Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, and his suite, visited the Chancery at 21 St John Street, Edinburgh. The Lord High Commissioner is HM The Queen's representative at the General Assembly and while in office is accorded all the privileges and rights of the Sovereign, including receipt of the keys of the Capital City of Edinburgh, and residence in the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

As it happens the Lord High Commissioner to the 1986 General Assembly is the Rt Hon The Viscount of Arbuthnott who is,

NEWS from SCOTLAND

(Left) His Grace speaking w th the Moderator of the General Assembly and Miss Agnes Dougall, deputy to the Pr ory Secretary. (Right) Her Grace with the Chancellor, Dr W. A P. Jack. of course, also the Prior of the Order in Scotland As part of the many outside engagements His Grace is expected to undertake during the week-long sitting of the General Assembly, the Viscount of Arbuthnott chose to include the Priory and the Order as one place on his list that he wished his several guests to see and to learn more about.

By a happy coincidence one of His Grace s guests was the new Moderator of the General Assembly, the Rt Rev Professor Robert Craig, and his lady, so Priory was also honoured by a visit from the minister who, for a year, moderates (or chairs) the deliberations of the Church ' s supreme court. Professor Craig, before retiring last year

WALES

"Young first-aiders

TWENTY-ONE children from Albany Road Primary School, Cardiff, have been presented with SJA One Cross Award certificates and achievement badges by the Director SJ A in Wales, Dr George Mitchell.

(Photo above.)

The pupils were the first in the school to undertake a unique first aid course, which was launched last September and received the backing of Education Secretary, Sir Keith Joseph.

The scheme - the first of its kind in Europe - consists of four types of courses pitched at varying levels and covering groups of children aged nine and upwards.

SJ A Training Officer for Wales, Keith Dunn, who has been responsible for the Project for Wales, said; 'We are delighted that so many children are now learning first aid in schools in Wales. We at St John are convinced that learning first aid is as important as learning to swim'.

from full -time service in the Church , was minister for five years in the Scots Kirk in Jerusalem and as such is fully aware of the great work done in the St John Ophthalmic Hospital in Jerusalem. He is also a personal friend of the Rev W Gardiner Scott, who is a Chaplain to the Order in Jerusalem. Their Graces and their guests were warmly welcomed to the Chancery by the Chancellor Dr William A. P Jack , to which His Grace made a felicitous reply; then , in the beautiful Chapter House, they ming le d with the Executive Officers and other representatives of Chapter who answered their many questions , while all enjoyed sherry and shortbread.

NORTHERN IRELAND

THERE was investiture and presentation of certificates by the Knight Commander M. W. Dennison at Hillsborough Castle on Wednesday May 2l. Officer (Brother) Capt J A. D. Broadhurst, TD , and The McKerrell of Hillhouse.

Serving Sister Mrs E. S. Cotton.

For the first time in Northern Ireland a member of the Brigade has completed 50 years efficient service and to mark the occasion the Knight Commander presented Area Staff Officer Mr R R Harpur , Londonderry Area, with a Commandery of Ards plaque.

He then presented the 45 years' Efficient Service Certificate to Miss M. E. Garrett, who retired at the end of 1985 as District Staff Officer Cadets (N).

Grand Prior's Certificate was presented to: Linda Ruddock (Bangor NC), Rae Elder (Fo rth River A / NC), Janice Nicholl (Limavady NC) , Denise O 'Hara (Limavady NC).

1 000 hours certificate were presented to: Tara McClelland (Ballymena NC), Mandy Jamison (Bangor NC) Diane Marshall (Cliftonville A / NC).

WHILE it may be difficult to define clearly the areas of achievement which a particular award serves to recognise, the status of each order, decoration or medal is, however laid down. This precedence is tabulated precisely in a list issued by the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood, the royal office which is responsible for the administration of most British orders. The list is useful to us in two principal ways Firstly , it shows clearly the sequence in which orders, decorations , medals and their ribbons shall be worn and, secondly, it serves as a general guide to the layman as to the degree of honour awarded.

I wonder, for example, how many of our members in the Order of St John realise that the Serving Brother/S ister stands in precedence senior to the George Medal the Military Medal (MM) or the British Empire Medal; yet a Commander of the Order of St John ranks after a Member of the Order of the British Empire? Clearly a simple direct comparison is not a practical yardstick with which to gauge various individuals' achievements, nor is it intended to be; some decorations being for bravery, others for service, still others as a courtesy. There are awards which are limited to a certain group; others by quota to a limited membership; still others have a broader candidature over widely varying fields of endeavour.

The general sequence is: Victoria Cross } George Cross Orders Decorations before all other honours

Commandery Chapter at H ills borou gh Castle.

The Knight Commander Mr M. W Dennison presents the Commandery p aque to ASO R. R Harpur , of Londonderry Area the irst member in N. Ireland to complete 50 years' eff icien service Left is Mr T. A Smallwoods Londonderry Area Commissione r.

ABOUT PRECEDENCE OF MEDALS (5)

Medals

Foreign orders decorations and medals.

Within the sequence of orders, a senior grade of an order takes precedence over a junior grade. For example say there are two Orders , A and B, where A is the senior. Then a Knight of B would take precedence over a Commander of A (even though A is the senior order). The exception to this is the Order of St John , where all its grades take their respective places in one position of status among other orders and medals. This position is after the Royal Red Cross (2n d Class) and before the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM); or for the older hands more precisely after the Kaiser-i-Hind Medal and before the Union of South Africa Queen 's medal for Bravery in Gold (both the latter awards are obsolescent).

Medals as a group are themselves roughly sub -divided into the following sequence:

Medals for bravery and distinguished conduct; War medals (this term includes medals for all combat campaigns; not just for the major wars); Polar medals ; Medals for royal commemorations ; Efficiency and long service decorations and medals

Dwelling a little on the subject of war medals ( campaign medals , they are some -

times called in error) it may be helpful to sa y that they are worn in the order of date of participation in the relevant campaigns. It can be appreciated therefore that a General Service Medal which has been available for several campaigns over a large number of years may well be found worn correctly in one position by an earlier campaigner and in an entirely different po sition b y another. When the same General Ser v ice Medal has been earned several times by one person for different campaigns the medal is worn in its earliest position earned and clasps are added to the ribbon for the subsequent awards.

In the case of the two major wars, as a result of w hich several medals were iss ued for each , a precise order of wear is laid down together with certain Ii mitations on which medals mayor may not be worn together. This had the effect of limiting these war medals to three for the 1914- 18 and s even for the 1939-45 war for anyone per so n. When a medal was disallowed by the stipulations the participant's campaign service was instead recognised by an appropriate clasp on one of the other campaign medal s that were granted.

In the next article I shall describe various customs and rules w hich govern the correct manner of wearing decorations and medals J.H.w.

(Left) Catherine Jones , 13 practising her first aid sk ills on fellow pupil Louise Garland i s the 1,000th pupil in Gwent schools to pass the SJA three cross course since the project was launched ast September. One cross

News from Divisions/Centres

April 24.

'Pip' Smith, ambulance member, Newark Division. Third generation of hi s family in Brigade. Division's treasurer 1976-83 , Died May 30.

Why we joined ...

ESSEX SJA COUPLE TELL ALL

Mini skirts and all that REMEMBER mods and rockers the swingmg Sixties, minI skirts and all that? Well, that was me. Eighteen years of age and with my first job, Cathy McGowan haircut and white Mary Quant mini dress, I went to the local Vespa Club dance. A nice clean-cut young man asked me to dance. Afterwards he asked to see me again, Any night except Tuesday, he said. I carried on seeing him. He had a red 180cc Vespa with tartan backrest and chrome bubbles A real Mod! Remember them?

Well, we both sported ex-US army parkas with fox furs round the hoods. continued seeing him - any night except Tuesdays. What happens on Tuesday, I then asked him. Oh, help at Writtle Cadet Division St John Ambulance and afterwards stay for the adult meeting. It s good fun. What ' s all this about? I asked. Come and see for yourself,' he said. You can guess the rest. I went along with my boyfriend's persuasion. took the first aid course, then the nursing course. How about joining? they said So I joined the Division. We went on public duties together , usually arriving on the scooter , with our uniform under the parkas.

I am sure you can guess the rest. Eighteen years and two children later we are still in St John. He is now Area Staff Officer, Essex Western Area, and I have taken over his old job as superintendent of Maldon Combined Division. So my reason for joining all those years ago was really the influence of my new boyfriend. And the reasons for his joining Well, that's another story , Su sa n Wall s

Stay here, said the Supt WHY DID join? I used to go to the local YMCA in Chelmsford. Remember those days when the YMCA was males only. And NO drink.

The big attraction at my local branch was the snooker tables. There were also dances, courses and other social events arranged there. One of the courses was first aid, given by a local division, Crompton - Parkinson Ambulance Division , sadly no longer in existence. If you re really interested in first aid, said the superintendent, we're starting a full course next week. Come along. 8 pm at the White Hut next to the Congregational Church in Baddow Road. So along I went, completed the course and passed the exam. went back a few weeks later to collect my certificate. Sign here, said the superintendent. I did. Congratulations , said the superintendent, you ' ve just joined the Brigade. Come along each Tuesday evening to Crompton-Parkinson works for training nights. So that was it.

A nice cleanc ut young man asked meta dance

(Photo:

After a few months I was given a uniform.

Remember leather buckle belts, white stripes down the trousers and leather water bottles?

Well, there I was in all my splendour ready

Favourite duties were at the local Odeon I always went with an older more experienced member. There were never any casualties. So what happened the first night I was on my own ? I had my first casualty a lady with a nosebleed in the ladies toilet. Well , after that experience I

Surgery for Down's Syndrome

Dr Reuben Feuerstein, a psychologist of Israel , recommends plastic surgery as a means of achieving a reduction in the noticeable difference in appearance between the children who are victims of Down 's Syndrome (mongolism) and other children.

From 1977 two German surgeons specialists in plastic surgery, 'have carried out " surgical interventions " in the hospital St Markus, in Frankfurt, on more than 250 children between the ages of 3 and 14 years who suffer from Down s Syndrome' declares The New York Times.

During one operation lasting an hour and a half, 'the surgeons were able to reduce the size of the projecting tongue of a boy, make ears less projecting lift the pendulous lower lip and change the eye-lids without leaving any visible scar'. The operation cannot give the children a completely normal appearance, but 'it offers the children the opportunity to be regarded as ordinary persons , and as a consequence it is hoped they will accept , and be accorded, a higher grade in the social scene', said Dr Feuerstein.

Giant Squid

A fishing boat which was fishing 128 kilometres from the coast off Christchurch , New Zealand netted a squid which weighed 2.5 tons, according to the Star Weekender, of Auckland. It measured 8+ metres (28 ft) in length , its tentacles were 3.8 metres (I2 ft) and the sucker-vents at their ends were as big

THE WORLD ABOUT US by Jack .

as a dinner plate

Its eyes measured a little more than half a metre (18 ins) across.

They threw the squid back into the sea. Fisherman's tale?

They have lost the 'ping'

Despite the complicated equipment, the Swedish Royal Navy was frustrated in its hunting of a 's py submarine which had been discovered in Horsfjarden Bay , the mo st important Swedish military base.

The reason given by the authorities is that the strong music of the discos has prejudiced the hearing of many youngsters'. So says Commander Sven Carlsson , the principal navy spokesman on the subject. He explained that because of hearing damage , the sonar operators probably can no longer here the 'ping' or other sharp short sounds of the sonar equipment. In fact , the commander admits it is becoming increasingl y difficult to find young recruits who have hearing sufficiently acute for them to be able to train as operators of sonar equipment.

Effects of malnutrition

Every day 40,000 children die of malnutrition in Africa, Asia and Latin America, and this number does not include the deaths

REVIEW CROSSWORD No.7 (86) byW. A. Potter

Across:

1. Inorganic substance, many of which are essential to health. (7). 5. Indication of disease complained of by the patient. (7). 9. Treatment aimed to prevent allergic illness. (15) 10. Visible indication of the

caused by starvation, according to a document published by the United Nations International Children's Eme rgency Fund.

The report states that the deaths are attributed mainly to dehydration and the infections which cause diarrhoea (which causes dehydration). It says that when the mothers are confronted by the se ills the y often reduce the amount of food , solid or liquid , which they give to the ailing children and so, without realising it , the y contribute to their deh ydration . According to UNICEF the lack of clean water, the rarity of the habit (so common in the developed countries) of frequent handwashing, the lack of hygiene in personal habits and in handling foodstuffs all conspire to make it quite common for the children of Third World countries to experience between 6 and 16 attacks of diarrhoea annually.

Universe-al details

Our terrestrial globe weighs 6,487,000,000, 000 ,000 ,000 ,000 tons and the atmosphere presses upon it with 4,900,000,000,000,000 tons. Its s urface area is 196 500 ,000 square miles, three-quarters of which is sea.

Did I hear someone dispute that?

contents. (5). 11. Catch sight of secret agent from east. (4). 12. Network may be a trap. (4). 14 Pigmented area surrounding a nipple (6). 16. Stiffened by a carbohydrate. (8). 18. Ill -wi ll requiring haematological treatment? (3·5). 20. In vigorous good health but collapsed finally. (6). 23. Pigmented middle coat of the eyeball. (4). 25. Graven image. (4).26 A sma ll operation takes a long time in a musical performance. (5). 28. Statement of ethics of medical practice. (11·4). 29. Large muscle of shoulder abducting the arm (7). 30. Sound heard when air passages are partially obstructed. (7).

Down:

1. Part of brain where injury may be instantly fatal. (7). 2. Epistaxis. (9). 3. Learn wrongly of the kidneys. (5). 4. Hang around indolently and suspiciously. (6). 5. Small item of useful and interesting information (7). 6. Food upsetting male. (4). 7. Bo vine stomach prepared as food is rubbish. (5). 8. Masticated with evident enjoyment. (7). 13. Riot for three performers. (4). 15 Use a quiescent period to soothe by deception. (4) 16. The sort of pastry giving unhappine ss (3). 17. She was prone to have pre-patellar bursitis (9). 18 Became red in the face due to embarrassment. (7). 19. Demanded a regular array. (7). 21. The care arranged for an instructor. (7). 22. Gas present in the intestines. (6).24. Send away compulsorily. (5). 26. Happen to come to mind. (5). 27. Twice swindle an old bird (4).

SOLUTION TO CROSSWORD No.6 (86)

Across: 1. Hipjoint; 5. B·r·east 9. Agenesis ; 10. Staple ; 12. Treat ; 13. Eli; 14. F·in·ch; 15. Immunisation; 20 Nod 21. Feeling worse; 26. Br ews; 27. Ill; 29. Abo·r·t; 30. Iritis; 31. Alienist; 32. Easier; 33. Scalenes.

Down: 1. Health; 2. Peeler; 3. Omen t um; 4. No·is·e; 6. Ratafia; 7. Appendix; 8. Trephine; II. Libido; 16. Unguis; 17. Now; 18. Afebrile; 19 Genetics; 22. Inspire; 23. S·cafe·ll; 24. Lotion; 25. Status; 28. Lil·ac.

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YOUR NATIONWIDE RAFFLE

ST JOHN REVIEW

Contents

Our Presidents p.172

Ca nISh ockyouint o ? p.173

How Southend found Members p.174

Ar o

About W ear ng Medals (6) p. 187

News fr o m Scotland - Wale s p. 188

Books - National First Aid Competitions p. 189

A Division makes (the difficult part) a decision p. 190

Cadets from Ireland visit Wirral p. 191

News from Divisi ons/ Centres p. 192

BIRTHDAY HONOURS

ALL OUR READERS will wish to join in congratulating the following members of the St John family who on the occasion of Her Majesty's Official Birthday were honoured in recognition of their outstanding services to the Order of St John and its Foundation:

CBE Lady Crawshay JP DL MA, former Deputy Chief Commissioner, Priory for Wales.

OBE Mrs L. C. Best, lately Staff Officer to Superintendent-in-Chief.

MBE Mr L. W. Ashman, County Director and Deputy Commissioner , Kent.

Mr A. T. Joseph, Commissioner and Vice-Chairman of Council, St Kitts/ Nevis.

CBE Elizabeth Mary Boyd, Lady Crawshay, for her services to Welsh Local Government reorganisation and the legal system for many years. Lady Crawshay was the first woman to be appointed a Deputy Lieutenant for Gwent in 1976 and was our Deputy Chief Commissioner in the Priory for Wales from 1979-1984.

OBE

Mrs Christine Best joined St John Ambulance in Somerset as a nursing member in 1941. Her work for St John very soon led to her promotion to officer in 1943, and she steadily progressed to County Superintendent in 1970. Christine moved to the London Area in 1972 and was invited to join National Headquarters in London where she assumed a variety of difficult and arduous tasks connected with welfare and administration. Her intimate knowledge of St John in the field and her dedication have been and will remain an inspir ation to all who have served with her.

MBE

Mr Leslie Ashman joined St John Ambulance in 1938 and rose steadily through the ranks to become Deputy Commissioner in Kent in 1970. In 1982 he accepted the additional appointment of County Director with responsibility for reorganising training under the new regulations -a daunting task carried out with enthusiasm and success. He also works in all manner of ways for the sick and elderly and is honorary treasurer of the Hythe British Legion and a trustee of several charitable funds.

Mr M. G. Keake, Commissioner and Secretary of Council, Papua New Guinea.

BEM Mr J. Bigrigg, Former Divisional Superintendent, Egremont Ambulance Division, Cumbria.

Mrs G. Nixon, Area Staff Officer, Sheffield Area, South & West Yorkshire

Mrs H. M. Evans, Divisional Officer, Pontnewynydd Division, Gwent.

Mr A. T. Joseph for his services as Commissioner and Vice-Chairman of Council in St Kitts and Nevis.

Mr M. G. Keake for his services as Commissioner and Secretary of Council in Papua New Guinea.

BEM

Mr Jonathan Bigrigg, Divisional Superintendent of Egremont Division in Cumbria, joined St John Ambulance in 1958, became Divisional Officer in 1965 and Divisional Superintendent in 1979. He was made a Serving Brother for his services to the community in 1978 and continued to serve until his retirement at 70 years of age, when he joined the Reserve and still continues to serve both the division and the community.

Mrs Gweny Nixon joined St John Ambulance in 1940 and became a Cadet Officer in 1946, a Nursing Officer in 1959 and an Area Staff Officer in 1976. In addition to her work as a first-aider and a nursing officer she gives a lot of time to administration as Sheffield Corps treasurer, at instructing, fund-raising and Area, County and Regional competitions.

Mrs Hilda Mary Evans, Divisional Officer of Pontnewynydd Division, Gwent, for her services over the last 30 years to St John Ambulance and working at the county hospital more than 1,000 hours per year. She is also involved with Christian Aid and is vice-president of the Garndiffaith Gleemen Choir and the Pontypool Choral Society.

SOVEREIGN'S AWARD

THE ST JOHN Ambulance Sovereign's Award was initiated on September 16 1985 when the Commissioner -in-Chief wrote to all counties authorising applications from candidates. The C -in -C said: 'I should like to take the opportunity to emphasise that it is not anticipated that numerous awards will be made. The rare value of the award can only be maintained by our insisting upon the highest standards of achievement by the candidates in their projects.'

Applications

One hundred and seven applications were received from 30 Counties / Districts. Of these , six were withdrawn, 80 were rejected by the selection panel and 21 candidates have been authorised to tryout their proposed projects.

As a concession during this first year lat e applications were accepted until February 28 1986 Normally, under Rule 10 , applications for that year will not be taken after December 31.

On receipt from counties all applications were scrutinised by staff at Headquarters in order first to filter out the candidates ' names ages and county. Projects, then identified only by a code number , were laid before each of the three senior officers of the Sovereign's Award selection panel for individual scrutiny. The proposals were thus examined without the panel knowing the source of the projects. The majority view of the panel then led either to acceptance , request to revise or clarify a project , or rejection. Any revised or clarified projects were subsequently re-examined (as though made by new applicants) for acceptance or otherwise.

Pattern of Enterprises

While there were some excellent projects put forward some, understandably, were nonstarters, being very routine in nature or outside the prescribed aims of the award scheme. Some were not original in concept; others put forward projects, however admirable , which were outside the work of the Order of St John.

The aim of the Sovereign 's Award scheme is:

to encourage young members of the Brigade to greater efforts of personal achievement and community sense in the work of St. John.' (Rule I)

Some have mistakenly viewed this as being a kind of super Grand Prior's proficiency scheme (i.e ., Do the tasks and you get the badge); this is not the case. The idea is to give the youth element of the Brigade, senior cadets and younger adult members, their rein; for them to produce new ideas and novel effort. So often those more senior in rank or age tend to rule the roost.

INITIAL GENERAL REPORT

This may be all right as far as it goes, but the young person with a practical, new idea should be given the chance to demonstrate its value; this aspect has been particularly commented upon by HRH The Princes s Anne. The Sovereign 's Award scheme sets out to offer such opportunity Success here will in turn help develop the candidate's initiatives and broaden experience with a view to the future. The scheme is intended for individual enterprise, not for any team effo rt by two or more persons. Conversely , a young person who has not for the moment a startling new idea is not , perhaps , for the Sovereign's Award scheme ; each to his own!

Design

The two projects required give scope for both a completely new concept to be tried on the one hand and for an energetic effort to be made on the other.

Specialised projects. The first project , of research, seeks investigation into new fields. But historical research is no good unless some new aspect is to be examined. On the other hand, the second project should be one of unusual activity in one of our main fields of operation: first aid , nursing , care in the community, or fund-raising. Research is thus not appropriate to this section Any funds raised must be channelled to a specific St John account.

Long-term effort. Then, in order to curb the crash programme expert ' and give a chance to the 'plodder', certain requirements of constancy are built into the rules: a minimum of five years' unbroken service, certain achievements as a cadet or adult member, and routine qualifications in first aid and caring for the sick.

Timing

In dealing with the very significant 16-to- 25 years age group, it is also important not to ask them to undertake a commitment which would interfere with their own priority calling. Some may be already working hard at educational or vocational qualifying examinations; others may be seeking jobs. The Sovereign 's Award, while setting high standards, must not be burdensome or get in the way, otherwise it could become se lf-defeating For this reason a candidate's effort is spread over a three -ye ar period

Exceptionally, in this first year, those who will reach their 25th birthday before the end of the three-year cycle have been allowed to take part. This arrangement will not be permitted in future; to do so would place the younger element at a disadvantage.

Next cycle

As soon as the first three-year round starts (on July 1 1986) arrangements will be put in

hand for the second cycle (1987 - 1990) and so on.

Notes for future guidance

During the first round for the Sovereign's Award, everybody concerned has had to so me extent to feel their way through the rules. Until all become more familiar with the nature of the scheme, it has been necessary to make commonsense interpretations where clarifications were required. A few misunderstandings and heartaches have naturally arisen as a result of teething troubles here and there. For example, a decision was taken to exclude at once the more obvious unlikely and faci le projects, rather than let the unfortunate entries exhaust themselves in futile effort before being turned down three years' later. Some were naturally disappointed by this. But remember , all the time the intention has been to set the high standard

Nevv

Commissionerin-Chief

M r J. A. Sutherland writes:

It is understandably a great privilege to be appointed Commissioner-in-Chief of th e Brigade but it is, nevertheless, a task that cannot be undertaken without the goodwill and help of all members because at the end of the da y none of us must forget we are vo lunteers.

In the coming years I will do my utmost to serve you to the be st of m y ability and I hope that together we shall see the Brigade prosper. I look forward to meeting man y of you in the coming year.

called for by the Commissioner-in-Chief in his letter introducing the award scheme. Where the rules have proved to be unclear they will be reworded; where clarification is necessary this has been carefully noted so that explanations can be made. Some of these are as follows:

Application forms SA I. Applications must be made on original Forms SAl not on photocopies. Some applications are being made out by several hands at Parts 1 to 3. This must be done by the candidate personally. (The applicants may well find their handiwork before a very important person!)

Neatness. For the same reason applications must be very neat, clean and tidy; no crossings out or scribbles., They should be made out well ; as carefully, indeed as would be done when applying for a job!

Age range. Candidates must be within the age range (I 6th to 25th birthdays) during the period of the scheme.

No joint projects. Joint projects are not intended in the Award scheme. Individuals' original ideas and efforts are required.

Historical projects. In the first project, historical or statistical statements are of no value unless some new element is involved, such as new or as yet undocumented data.

Second projects. The second project must

be active in one of the four fields indicated. Further research is not appropriate to this section.

Fund-raising. Moneys to be raised must be for a specific St John fund, to be named at the outset. A target figure will help to illustrate to the selection panel the anticipated effort. For the same reason , there must be described a sp ecific project by means of which the money is expected to be raised.

Recommendations. Forwarding officers must carefully scrutini se the forms for content, detail and general suitability of projects before agreeing to forward the application Correct, objective scrutiny of each application is the duty of each officer who is asked to sign a sponsorship comment or recommendation. It can only help the candidate if those officers closest at Division

and County attend to the appropriateness of detail. There is no obligation to recommend acceptance of the candidature; the options are printed on the form for choice to be expressed, for or against. Untidy incomplete or unsuitable items should not be passed to a higher level. Competitive, high standards must be enforced from the outset, in order to eliminate unnecessary disappointment and above all, wasted effort.

Grant loan. Candidates who wish to take ad vantage of the returnable grant loan of £50 to initiate their fund-raising project must take it up before commencement. After July 1 (the start date) it is no longer available to them.

Final award. Candidates should be clearly given to understand from the beginning that being authorised to proceed does not automatically presage the granting of the award Each finished project will be examined for excellence by the Award Examining Panel before any recommendation is made to the Commissioner-inChief.

Date due. Applications to take part must be at Brigade Headquarters each year before the December 31. Late applications cannot be accepted. Likewise final reports and projects must be at Brigade Headquarters before June 30 of the last year.

FOR MOST large-scale St John duties there is usually a fair amount of advanced warning and hence time for planning. Preparations are made in considerable detail for the first aid cover and logistical support of those on the duty. However, this is not always the case. On August 20 1985 West Belfast A / N Division was called on without any notice whatsoever to help provide ambulance cover in the Greater Belfast area, because ambulancemen in Belfast and the surrounding area had gone on an indefinite, all-out strike. Their colleagues in the Western Health Board had been on strike since August 16 1985.

A SJA crew was quickly contacted and within half an hour was on stand-by. The first call came at 10.45 am (less than 45

A West Belfast Division s ambu ance on an emergency call during the strike

minutes after the call-out) -a woman with severe abdominal pain. The crew responded and soon had her in the care of the accident/ emergency department of the Royal Victoria Hospital. Little did that crew of the division envisage that this was to be the first of 235 calls in a two-week marathon dispute.

The division does not have a headquarters or garaging facilities of its own due to two arson attacks. As a result , the ambulance was based at D / S James Petticrew's house as an interim measure However, this soon became a permanent arrangement as no alternative base could be acquired. So for

ASJA

Division in Belfast

Ten days in the

two weeks his house became control room ambulance depot, canteen sleeping quarters and rest area for at least one crew at all times and very often a second.

Calls were passed to the ambulance by telephone during the first day but an ambulance frequency radio was obtained during the second day, and this was to prove to be one of the greatest benefits to our efforts to cover calls. Calls came via Eastern Health Board ambulance control.

D / S James Petticrew s house is quite close to Belfast ' s two major hospitals and to most of the major thoroughfares, so the crews were familiar with a wide area of the city and carrying out inter - hospital tran s fers. On two occasions the division ' s ambulances were used to transport a reserve cardiac team to calls. On the second , no nurse was available to assist the doctor so the attendant had to help assemble his equipment. This was a role completely new to the crew but they quickl y learnt the procedure On two other occasion s crews transported medical squads to the scene of obstetric emergency calls, one 15 miles outside Belfast On several other occasions ambulances met helicopters coming in from rural hospitals with patients for the Royal intensive care units. One was a young girl whose grandmother and two brothers had been killed the previous night in

AT THE biennial Regional Presidents' conference held in Harrogate during May, Mrs E. M. Ingham, president of South and West Yorkshire, announced her retirement after 30 years with St John.

Subjects covered at the conference were Leadership, by Mr John Butterfield; history of the Order, particularly with regard to its hospitals, and the Association branch, by Dr

Some of our presidents at Harrogate Chief President is 3rd from left.

W. H. R. Waters; the Brigade, by Dr J. R. Shortland, Commissioner S & W Yorks; and Administration, by Mr G. C. East, County Secretary.

In the afternoon the Rev Dr Frank Thewlis entertained conference with some amusing stories on the subject of corporate action and individual decision.

The Chief President, Mrs H. Phillips,

wound up the conference with an impassioned appeal to drive forward towards the centenary celebrations in June 1987. Forward thinking and planning, and above all up-to-date ideas were essential for the organisation. And in this presidents were needed to support the Association and Brigade in every possjble way.

R.S.

every day life of just one division

a collision with a bus near Enniskillen. She was being transferred to the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children intensive care unit in order to receive the specialist aid of the unit. Unfortunately she only survived for a further day despite everyone's efforts.

Of the 235 calls answered during the period , 130 were emergency calls, the rest urgent hospital admissions or transfers. Emergency calls covered a vast spectrum of differing cases from heart attacks to assault and road traffic accidents. Admissions were usually elderly vIctims of strokes or associated heart conditions. However , emer g ency calls tend to remain more vivid in the mind and here are a few of the many attended to:

The fight at a wedding reception in which s ix guests were injured.

The baby de[jvered just inside the doors of the hospitaL

The intoxicated gent who climbing on to the house roof to fix hjs TV aerial felL

The collapse call in Ballynahlnch , a town some 18 miles from Belfast and a further I I miles to the nearest hosp tal.

The vicious punishment beatings handed out to two youths earl y one Saturday morning. One had both legs and arms broken , and several deep wounds inflicted by nails embedded in sticks

I can't stand Willy wet-leg can't stand him at any price. He's resigned, and when you hit him he lets you hit him twice.'

D. H. Lawrence

A TRADITIONAL opeiling for an article

A quotation. So traditional indeed that the inference or substance can be lost. Read it again. Willy wet -leg = St John Ambulance. Can you read between the lines? Of the St John Review?

St John Ambulance is Dying!

am aware, and therefore this piece is directed at the 'converted ', that only a minority of members read or even know of the existence of this magazine. Consequently I write to you all personally, plainly unequivocally , no platitudes and no ego trip.

The public need first aid Unfortuntely they do not know it. It has been there for years. It exists and they don't even notice it. They criticise St John (and the British Red Cross Society) We are a joke.

So If voluntary aid societies didn't exist to 'cover' events, what would happen? I'll tell you. In the twinkle of an eye there would be a multiplicity of local groups offering first aid for orgailisers Price - negotiable but advanced first aid/ambulance men/£20,000

The successful resuscitation of a man whose heart stopped after collapsing in a crowded bar.

Our ambulances stood up surprisingly well despite the constant running. The only major problem developed on the first Saturday of the strike when one ambulance cracked the cylinder head of its engine. However no delay was caused by the breakdown; the division simply used its third vehicle until the other was repaired a mere five hours. Apart from this the ambulances performed well.

The two vehicles used are both equipped to local NHS standard.

As you can imagine , the crews didn t work set hours , although it was preferable that drivers stayed on only around 8 to 10 hours

Often it was impossible to stand dri v ers down because of the work load. As several members were unemployed at the time, they could devote more time to the dut y than those working Other members were university students on holiday Two officers of another division a s sisted when needed.

Many lessons were learned but problems were also uncovered For in s tance, the necessity of carrying map s in the ambulance in order to find calls , especiall y at night The increased need for training in road accident procedure and behaviour in the domestic

Can I Shock you . ? Into ....

ambulances with special equipment/ cardiac monitors / intravenous therapy endotracheal intu bation/ MAST pants/ helicopters computers Where would the membership of these groups arise? Obviously some would be ex-first-aiders , but others would be energetic jeunes cadres visualising an opportuility to have a hobby which encompassed new skills and serving the community. Is it the possibility of being paid that produces the envisaged enthusiasm?

Realistic expenses so that they weren't actually out of pocket might help , but commonsense says No There is no shortage of vigour for charitable work , viz Ethiopia Geldof or Botham.

The simple answer is that WE are not grabbing, turned-on people. US. WE WHO READ THIS , STICK-IN-THE-MUD LOAD OF OLD COMMANDERS , COMMISSIONERS, EPAULETTE-FLASHlNG CHARLIE-ROMEO-ALPHA

situations, work which does not normally fall within the scope of the St John. Other problems were quickly sorted out such as using plastic pillow covers to cut laundr y bills, and carrying increased quantities of dressings plus the purchase of three sets of frac straps. The big le s sons occurred in the handing over of patients at hospital , radio procedure and approach to call s. The benefits of an ambulance aid course w hich several members had attended and passed an examination, were fully realised. During the dispute , praise for caring and understanding attitude towards the patients was commended by patients, relatives doctor s and hospital staff alike. Sever a l touching letters of thanks were received. Praise also came for our promptnes s o n emergency calls , and the high s tandard o f care administered , although on three occasions our efforts were unsuccessful. However at all time s the crew s were proud to uphold the long standing traditions of St John and the West Belfast D vi sion (whose work was praised in the Re vie w in the earl y civil d isturbance s of the 1970 s) The cre ws were proud that the y could adhere to our motto: Pro fide , Pro Utili tate Hominum. This is the account of only our division (West Belfast A / N) during t he period Au g 20-Sept 3 1985. It does not and s hould not detract from the equally v aluable work being done b y other St John di vision s throughou t Northern Ireland , or the work carried out b y the Red Cross the Knigh t s of Malta, Order of Lazarus and others.

A/M A drian P etticrew West Belfast A /N Division

which is completel y unintelligible to normal people.

US = YOU get out there and sell first aid! Modern. Advancing. Important. Good fun with its own bujlt-in social club called St John And if you are a nurse or a nursing member this applies to y ou too ! Go back to the beginning and read the quotation. Christian it may be turn the other cheek don t hit back but the r e must be a better way to die !

Once upon a time there was a cit y called Seattle (USA) where 450 ,000 citizens we r e trained in CPR and half of all cardiac arrests received iilitial resuscitation b y la y firstaiders (British Medical Journal , November 16 1985) · and yet YOU cannot recruit one person?

· OR does a new member intelligent, probing and questioning threaten you or your position?

Don't let us die

Please do NOT write to the letters page and relate the details of your seventy -five years of involvement with St John etc etc , etc , have heard it all before · I don t like the uniform either.

Andy H, OStJ,

OUR INTENTION was not only to give the public an insight into the work of St John in South end but also to demonstrate basic life-saving techniques.

Work began in December 1985 when it was decided to plan the event at South end Central Library, which is near the centre of town. However, the display area was only available for one day. A thought-provoking title was required so we selected 'Save a Life', which was considered very appropriate in light of the forthcoming national campaign.

The display was to be divided into various boards, each person having a responsibility for one or more of them. Each board was about five feet high , with plenty of space for display. Indeed, at first we wondered what exactly to put on them! In addition to the boards, we displayed a computer, videos, slides and a number of demonstrations.

The display began with an introductory board, which gave a summary of the many facets of St John (not easy). Outlined were the basic roles of the Order, Brigade and Association, highlighting membership numbers and the work that members are involved in. For those with a historical bent, we provided leaflets of the museum and illustrated it with the postcards that are available from Supplies Department. We also displayed the St John Review. We felt it appropriate to display the 'lunatic' leaflet and we asked for public response, but none was forthcoming.

Chance to practise

A demonstration of resuscitation and an opportunity to practise such techniques were provided. We enlisted the assistance of our Honorary Member, Mr D. Shepherd (former RAMC lay instructor). All resusci models were available, including Resusci-Anne, ResusGi-Baby and Anatomic-Anne. For the sake of clarity, we omitted the electronic signal boxes. The display was backed by various coloured posters, depicting various forms of resuscitation. Of particular interest was material obtained from the British Heart Foundation. This included an excellent A4 coloured poster on CPR and a small pocket aide-memo ire on resuscitation techniques. This material is available from the British Heart Foundation (102 Gloucester Place , 174

PUBLICISING YOUR DIVISIONS

How Southend found members

London W 1H 4DH). We understand that a donation towards postal charges is appreciated. Most people were pleased to 'have a go' and felt that they had learnt a skill that was of use to them.

To test our visitors' knowledge a basic computer program was written for the BBC micro B. It adopted a simple multiple choice (guess?) format of six questions relating to simple emergency first aid. According to the response offered, the computer produced various comments. This proved a popular item. Our County Commissioner , Mr Charles Sparrow QC, tried his hand and we are pleased to report a clear round!

Course outlines

An insight into the work of the Association included a sample of Association manuals. We felt that we should explain what the most popular courses entail, so we gave outline for Public First Aid and Caring for the Sick rather than just saying 'we run first aid courses'. A sample certificate was also shown.

We screened a number of VHS videos, including the Three Course Award (St John Supplies) and a number of emergency aid videos available from an independent supplier. I understand that the British Heart Foundation has produced a video relating to resuscitation. Unfortunately, we were too late to utilise its use. As well as the videos, a carousel projected slides relating to procedure adopted at road traffic accidents, which was obtained from Graves Audio Visual Library. We would suggest a copy of Graves' catalogue is worth obtaining.

A large board was dedicated to cadet activities. It explained all aspects of cadet life: the weekly meeting, first aid and preliminary nursing classes, proficiency subjects, the uniform (badges mounted on card), certificates and annual presentations. Considerable emphasis was given to our junior cadets, including their craft work. Each of these aspects was illustrated by photographs and short text. Teaching material was displayed under a perspex cover, since it included a real skeleton and an anatomic torso (ESA educational plastics/St John Supplies). Our local cadet newsletter St John Airways was also shown. A smaller board depicted our competition team at last

year's National Competitions. This included a number of photographs and an explanation of the set.

In trying to convey the types of public duty that members undertake, we felt that photographs are far more effective than text. We are fortunate in that, in addition to our collection of photographs , we have a sequence of pictures taken by Thames Television some years ago in conjunction with their Freetime programme which show an incident in which a young casualty sustained a lacerated wound to the plantar surface of her foot. The casualty was transported to the nearby first aid post where the wound was cleaned, dressed and the appropriate disposal instituted.

Throughout the day demonstrations of bedmaking, casualty simulation and emergency techniques were given

An insight into SJA transport included photographs of vehicles, their equipment and facilities for patient transport. BOC Minuteman and Pneupac resuscitators were demonstrated, as well as the Laerdal suction and Entonox analgesic. We also had an account of an incident involving the extrication of patients from a vehicle (obtained from a local breaker ' s yard)

A vehicle available

To help publicity, one of our vehicles was parked a short distance along the road, to help motivate people to visit us.

Our final display board gave a list of members of our divisions, including our divisional superintendent in her 'Dracula attire. We considered this board to be one of the most important, so there was a good selection of handouts and someone at hand to make a note of names and addresses of those requiring more information. In fact, fourteen people expressed an interest in joining us, and many more gained some basic knowledge of resuscitation. So we considered the day well worth while.

We would welcome comments from readers and would also be glad to exchange ideas Please write to me, A. Catto, St John Ambulance HQ, 74 Queens Road, Southend -on-Sea, Essex SS 1 1PZ.

A. Catto, D/O

TELL THE

Man the information desk - here, Mrs Ami Pang

Stanford explains mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. (Above right )

Comforting words for patient (President Ernie Lockhart from Di S Mrs Thelma Kingsbury

County Commissioner Charles Sparrow (left) coping with those computer prob le ms There 's onl y one way to learn (right) practise-practisepractise

Cadet Col in Marshall (left) tak es a we ll deserved res t, While (below ) bright bedside manners - Carol Emberson and Marilyn Scott - caring fo pat ent Mrs Dolly Saywel l.

HIPPY CENTRE

SJA Hampshire's Western Area members were called out during June to man a District Council medical reception unit for the eviction of the hippy 'peace convoy' from the New Forest.

Members, who were alerted at 21.45 on Sunday June 8, found themselves in the New Forest early Monday morning setting up a blanketed area for use as the reception post.

The post was manned for 12 hours by the Area Nursing Officer, Public Duties Officer and ambulance and nursing members, who dealt with a wide variety of conditions , including the good use of soap and water for some Arrangements had been made to call doctors from a nearby Health Centre when they were required.

LOOKING AHEAD

Aug 29-31 - Brigade Conference, Skegness Sept 28 - No 7 Region Presidents' Conference, Exeter Sept 30 - 1100 Launch of Save-a-Life Campaign

MORE LIAISON

At recent meetings of County Directors and, separately of Special Centres the advantages of close liaison between County and Special Centre first aid officials were discussed and there was a unanimous agreement on the benefits to be gained from this.

Special Centres are requested to invite their first aid officials in counties to introduce themselves to the relevant SJA county headquarters so that mutually advantageous relationships can be built.

S. H. Glenny, Association General Manager UP SPIRITS!

I hear D/Supt Julian Chow , of Stockport and Cheadle Quad Division, had quite a surprise at the division's AGM when President Alan Hale suddenly called for Sgt Mick Downs , of Clacton (Essex ) Div sion , completed a sportaid 14-mile Clacton to Walton

and

and

WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE WORLD OF ST JOHN

BY THE EDITOR

divisions (quiet ones) available for support on public duties It ha s worked extremely well and now what were 'q uiet' divisions are attracting new members - becau se they're getti ng bu sy So it look s as though some new ' quiet' di visions will need to be started in the Lee d s Area shortly.

Back to th e caravan rally. Many Brigade and Association members from all over the country were among the ralliers and called on Wetherby members to say 'H i'. Everyone had a great time and the duty at aluminium city went lik e clockwork.

ANDREW'S

ORDEAL

Jean and Marshall Mossop , parents of Cadet Karen Mossop, the Millom Cumbria, schoolg i rl tragically killed in a road accident last year, leave c hurch with Lady Westbury, Supt -i n- Chief, after presentation of a memorial trophy to Millom Cadet Div isio n. Karen s c lassmates collected he money for the trophy. (Photo Barrow News) attention and presented him with an engraved spirit decanter - to mark his recent Serving Brother appointment.

BUSY WETHERBY A caravan rally (2,980 vans and 10 ,000 people) at Harewood House, Yorkshire , May 22 to 28, proved quite a handful of a duty for SJ A Wetherby.

The Division used two caravans , a 12-footer for four local doctors as an examining room and a six -footer for first aid gear, and an ambulance, There was a 20 x

20' tent as the first aid post. Four members were on duty 24-hours a day with two more for the ambulance during the day One SRN was in the cara va n or at the post. 274 people required attention , 74 see ing the doctor , and 10 had to be taken to ho s pital.

During the same period Wetherby Quad Division also covered Wetherby R aces (26th), Wetherby Show (27th) Bardsey Gala (26th), plus a lot more events soo n afterwards

How did Wetherby cope? Leeds Area, in which Wetherby is , always has three North Tyne

t m llion used stamps in t wo months for Wallsend Rotary's appeal for guide dogs for the blind Here Cadet Sgt Yvonne Brennan , the county's cadet of the year, hands over the stamps o Rotary Chairm a n John Brown

Ambulance cadet Andrew Sellers was ho rr ified as bullies chased his six-year-old brother Matthew off a 50 ft coal tip. Matthew fell and sustained a head wound by t h e time 13-yea r-o ld And rew rea ch ed him, writes Myra Meredith, Avon PRO.

The boys ' ordeal was not over as every ad ult Andrew asked for help ignored him He picked up his young brother and carried h im a mile to help. On the way he was ignored by more ad ul ts.

Andrew, a cadet w ith Avon's Norton Radstock Division , asked a woman to help only to be told 'go and get a man '. Three othe r adults just turned away. But he managed to sto p the bleeding before carrying his brot her to the sports centre where staff

The Rhoades family of Eastbourne have completed the hat rick ! Caroline, now nursing at a local hospital and a one-star officer with Lewes Division, received her Grand Prior award in 1982. Now brothers Philip and David Lane have received their GP awards. All three are ex-Willingdon (Eastbourne) Combined Cadet Division.

BROTHERS' ORDEAL

Cadet Andrew Sellers 13, of Avon, and his 6-year-old brother Matthew whom he got to a doctor

S ORDEAL.

London (Western) Kingsbury Combined Division celebrated its 40th anniversary in March. (L to R) Former DI S who join ed the Division in 1949 Anthony Sa yer; Divis ional Nurs ng Officer Mrs Anne Shaw Officer-inCharge since 1985 Mrs Veronica Grosvenor; and one of the first members to join the Division in 1946, Jim Weston from Gosport

two years of fund-raising (£12,000) and much

The Chief eGmmander on a recent visit to Cheshire presented 15 years service medal to Dr D. E. Robertson, Div Surg, Frodsham Combined Div, and 45 years certificate to Mr R. A. Fielding, County Comm issioner.

helped before contacting the parents and sending the boys to hospital.

The doctor who stitched the wound said Andrew's prompt treatment helped his brother's recovery considerably.

The boys' parents, Ann and Colin Sellers, were full of praise for the training their son received in the division and endorsed the need for everyone to have a knowledge of first aid. - They also expressed concern at the adults who 'passed by on the other side'.

CIVIL DEFENCE

County/District headquarters have been advised of forthcoming vacancies at the Civil Defence College at Easingwold, North Yorkshire, as follows:

Course 87/1: Jan 5-9 '87 (General Course). Aim: To fit officers to assist in the development and execution of civil defence plans. (I vacancy for a Staff Officer.)

Course 87/2: Jan 12-16 '87 (National Health Service Officers' Course). Aim: To help prepare officers to discharge their responsibilities for the planning and operation of the wartime health service. (1 vacancy for a surgeon.)

Course 87/11: Mar 16-20 '87 (General Course). (1 vacancy for a Staff Officer.)

North Devon members, particularly from Ilfracombe, who help with SJA Devon's holiday for the disabled (this 65 were there) at an Ilfracombe hotel.

CHESHIRE

Nominations are to be made as soon as possible through the usual channels. Allocation of places on these courses will be made by Brigade HQ from lists submitted by County/District HQs.

TOURNIQUETS

Three applications for the award of Meritorious First Aid Certificates received recently have included the application of tourniquets as treatment for serious bleeding. It is emphasised that the use of tourniquets is no longer an approved first aid technique because of grave risk of permanent damage to muscles or nerve supply.

S. H. Glenny, Association General Manager

AMBULANCE REVIEW

A review of SJA Hampshire's ambulances, held at Flowerdown, Winchester on June 6, saw 22 vehicles, with drivers and attendants, drawn up in lines facing the dais. More than half the county's SJ A ambulances were there, while the remainder were on duties and SJ work.

The Commissioner, Mr R. G. Ehlen, and the Deputy Commissioner, Mrs G. M. Duke, accompanied by the County President, Mrs C. Fagan, carried out the inspection. The five area commissioners inspected equipment in the vehicles.

Portsmouth Centre s Dr Collette Pickstock presents farewell gifts to retiring Centre Secretary Don and Mrs Gautry.

After the parade when the ambulance s were making their way home one veh.icle from Lymington (Area Comm D Symes SRN) came across a car accident in which two people were hurt

The ambulance review was organised by county transport officer CSO A J. Ferris.

ASSOCIATION BOOKS

THE combined effects of inflation and increases in production costs necessitate the following price increases from Sept I 1986 .

First Aid Manual from £2.95 to £3.50 Caring for the Sick from £2.95 to £3.50 FA. W. Course Book from £3.50 to £3.85

Mr Henry Butler (centre) now vice-president of Lancs Heysham Division, who joined Morecambe Division in 1924, serving SJA for 57 years is presented with his Officer of the Order insignia by Deputy County Commissioner Lionel Harris, as he was not fit enough to travel to London for the investiture.

The discount structure remains unchanged.

The cost of packages of fifty of each book will also be increased on the same date. 50 manuals and 50 books which now cost £212.50 will cost £229.

S. H. Glenny, General Manager

SADDLEWORTH COMP

Saddleworth SJA (Lancs) open first aid competitions, on September 27, are open to male, female, mixed adult and cadet teams, and everyone is welcome.

Entry forms are available from Mr B. Murphy, J 2 Princess Close, Mossley, Ashton under Lyne, Lancs.

COMMUNITY INTEREST

At the instigation of the Area President, Major -General Dick Lloyd, the New Forest (Hants) Divisions put on displays at the local hospital during February.

Each Division, adult and cadet, was asked to display one aspect of the work of St John with Lymington being asked to cover community nursing. Lymington has been a nursing division since J 902 and a combined division for the last seven years. The total

MOBILITY

Mrs Margaret McDonald and Mrs Violet Hooley retiring from Cheshire's Poynton Nursing Division, receive farewell gifts from Divisional President, Mrs L. A. Statton

TOUGH GUYS

byJIM

Have you ever thought of?

TAKING and putting together a set of slides to show when you give talks to women's and youth clubs in your area? Of course, where possible it should feature your own members, but photos of other members shouldn't be ruled out.

You should have more slides than you intend showing so that you change your talk to suit the group you're speaking to. Your aim should be to reflect all the events you take part in, as well as the Brigade in general. It might be an idea to start with a couple of photos of the history of the Order. These can be taken from books or you could visit St John's Gate to take a photo of the arch.

Here are some ideas for the slides to come in the section showing the work of your Division: Cadets on duty at

or horse event - the local sports ground

AND GALS

for 20 years - now five are presented, to (left) Daren Benfield and the girls (right) Soraya Wills, Debby Jones, Caroline Ramsay and Jill Burdfield. (Crawley Observer).

- County inspection. - St John's Day parade. Badge subjects - nursing - childcare - camping - cycling and map reading. Other photos - Drill squad

- Fund-raising (sponsored walk) - Visiting Fire Station.

Of course there should be a couple of photos showing cadets doing first aid. Possibly one of these should be an R T A?

In one of the photos you should try to show the adult division as well. This can be fitted into the duties section, showing their ambulance if they have one. Also a good idea would be to show young adults

PUSH ... PUSH ...

Garstang Cadets starting a 15-mile bed push from Blackpool. Together with a hand from the adults, the push produced £ 1,000 towards the Division's new mobile unit.

(ex-cadets) helping either on a duty or in training

Of course these slides would vary from division to division, showing the different events your cadets undertake.

You could use this project in other ways, for instance by making a training set of slides. At present, London's Chadwell Heath Ambulance Cadet Division is working on a slide set on road traffic accidents. To this they hope to add a taped soundtrack. It's hoped to have this ready for the Division s open night.

Another theme could be stretcher work, under and over obstacles.

But to return to giving talks to women's clubs. I always finish with 10 minutes of doing slings, which always seems to go down well.

Another questionnaire

Ask your cadets to fill in the answers to the following:

WHY DON'T YOU?

Try fund-raising

Have you ever wished that you could win thousands of pounds and be able to solve all your Division s financial problems at a stroke? Divisions which own their own headquarters those that run and maintain buses and vans, and those with a burden of

E

H -Hampers

Families pay a monthly levy towards a special Christmas hamper. Investment of the levies can yield rewards for the Division.

- Indoor cycle marathon

Set up pedal cycles in frames of a pioneering pole construction so that they can be ridden as exercise bikes, with the driving wheel off the ground. Connect a mileometer to the spinning wheel and be sponsored per mile. A thousand miles can be reached using about four bikes, riding continually in shifts all day.

J - Jumble sales

Need I say more?

K - Key fobs and trinkets

Look in the back of magazines for suppliers in your area.

L - Leisure centre

Hire the use of a leisure centre for an afternoon of games and challenges for your families.

M - Mile of pennies

People are invited to lay coins side by side to try to make a line as long as possible.

N - Newspaper collection

Good organisation and commitment to the job can make this profitable It really depends on

the paper from you.

OWN RECORD BROKEN

OXFORD: Girls take over

On May 25 , Oxford City Cadet Division held what they hope will become an annual event, a Service of Worship incorporating the cadet enrolment ceremony. The service, in St Michael at the North Gate in Oxford, was led by the Rev. N. MacDonald Ramm and eight cadets were enrolled by the County Commander, Dr T. J. Ryan. Oxford City Cadets has increased its numbers, due to several recruitment drives by the Divisional Officer in charge of cadets - Alan Cousins, and his assistant D/O Mrs Lucy Coveney. The cadets' full programme for the year

o - Organise a discount catalogue scheme Good planning and reliability in meeting orders promptly is required to make these schemes work. For details of suppliers see the advertisements in this magazine.

P - Public concerts

Concerts and shows can be designed to make you money as well as providing a wealth of opportunities for your members.

Q - Quizzes and competitions

Charge a small entry fee and have attractive prizes. (continued next month)

includes subjects such as making soft furnishings, electrical safety in the home , lectures from the ambulance service, pop quizzes as well as first aid nursing training. This and vigorous fund-raising has brought Oxford City Cadets from obscurity and moulded them in to a team of very able young adults. They recently confirmed this by winning the area swimming cup and also the sports trophy. But one statistical upset is that the Division has only one ambulance cadet to twenty or more nursing cadets. Why this is so is uncertain.

Neil Blair

Contributions

Contributions and entries to competitions in this column should be sent to Jim, 3 Brandreth Road, London E6 4QB. If you have any ideas about games training activities or events that your cadets have taken part in and enjoyed, please write because I am always in need of material to include in the column. Cadet Chat badges are sent to all those who contribute to the column.

CHAMPIONS OF THE CROSS

Written and illustrated by Hugh A. R. Edgell, Assistant Chaplain of the Order

Part 7

The 13th century

FOR SOME time the Mongol tribes of central Asia had been pursuing a policy of expansion. Some of them moved eastwards against distant China, while others set their sights on the Middle East and Europe. Their leader was the famous Ghengis Khan, but it was his descendants who were to bring the greatest threat to the Holy Land. At first the Christians welcomed the Mongols as likely allies in their fight with Islam , but they soon realised that the Mongol threat was to themselves as much as to the Muslim Empire.

In September 1259 , the Mongol armies poured into the north of Syria, and in January 1260 they captured the Muslim city of Aleppo. By April of the same year they had taken Damascus and their troops were

moving south towards Gaza , intending to invade Egypt itself. The Muslim Sultan Qutuz quickly rallied his army and marched northwards to stem the invasion. The Christian princes were asked to provide safe-conduct through their territories for the Muslim army , and after some hesitation and disagreement , permission was granted. On September 3 1260, the Mongol and Muslim forces met at Ain Jalud, not far from Nazareth in Galilee. The result was a resounding victory for the Muslims. The immediate Mongol invasion was over, although for some years the threat was to remain.

The hesitation shown by the Christians in allowing Muslim troops to pass through their lands was soon to be justified. Realising the military power they now possessed, the Muslims determined to destroy all enemies of their Faith, and in particular the struggling Christian kingdom in the coastal cities.

For the next ten years, under Sultan Baibars (perhaps the greatest Muslim leader since Saladin), the Christians were subjected to a systematic attack. Hospitallers and Templars suffered severely in the losses of some of their finest castles. In April 1265, the Hospitallers lost Arsuf, and in July 1266, the Templar castle of Safed was taken. In May 1268, the Christian city of Antioch fell to the Muslims. In February 1271 The Templars lost Safeta, and in April the famous Krac des Chevaliers of the Hospitallers also fell. The Christian kingdom was

THIS is the story of two of the great Military Orders which were part of the f!l!eryday scene in Mediaeval Europe and the Middle East. Many towns and villages in Britain also bear witness to their influences on local life. The Order of St John was founded to provide carefor pilgrims to the Holy Land and the Poor Knights of Christ (The Templars) to give protection to pilgrims on their dangerousjourneys. Both of these Orders were to develop far beyond the visions of their founders. Within a few years, monks and fighting men had become one and the same, wielding immense military and political power in the Holy Land and throughout Europe. Within two centuries one of the Orders was to disappear under a cloud of suspicion and disapproval. The other was to survive to the present day and in the process turnfull circle to serve its 'masters the sick'.

slowly being destroyed, city by city , town by town, castle by castle.

The final years

By this time, the Princes of Europe were fast losing interest in the failing kingdom in the Holy Land. Even the Pope was unable to arouse any real enthusiasm for continuing the 'crusades'. Prince Edward of England (later Edward I) arrived in Acre in May 1271, but although he was engaged in several minor skirmishes and attempted truces, he finally left for England in September 1272, having narrowly escaped assassination at the hands of the Muslims. When he arrived home , he found himself King.

Meanwhile Sultan Baibars continued his campaigns, and by the time he died in 1277 he had reduced the Christian hold on the Holy Land to a mere handful of coastal towns - Acre, Tyre, and Tripoli being the main Christian strongholds, plus one or two inland castles.

In spite of the crumbling kingdom around them, the Christian princes and nobles still engaged in intrigues and counter-plots among themselves, usually over the matters of the rights of various noble families. Hospitallers and Templars were inevitably caught up in these events, and found themselves supporting opposite views. In 1278 , civil war broke out in Tripoli and Christians were engaged in fighting each other in the streets. All this only served to encourage the Muslims to continue their destruction of the Christian towns and castles.

In April 1289 , the full force of Muslim armies was turned against Tripoli. In spite of warnings from the spies of the Templar Grand Master, which were ignored the town was quite unprepared for the massive assault that followed. It was quickl y taken by the Muslims. The fall of Tripoli was a severe shock to the people of Acre further south, the last great Christian stronghold and sea-port. The people of Acre had long believed that the enemy would not molest the coastal towns which were important trading and financial centres for both Muslims and Christians. But Sultan Qalawan was determined to destroy this last Christian hold on the Holy Land.

Acre quickly sought re-i nforcements. In August 1290, some Italian troops arrived. A riot broke out, and a large proportion of the Muslim population was massacred This was more than Qalawan could tolerate. Before he could take action, however , he died. It was left to his son Al Ashraf to deliver the final blow.

The fall of Acre

The city of Acre lay on the north side of the Bay of Acre. Its massive double walls had

been strengthened over the years by famous Crusaders and pilgrims, while inside the city in the south-west corner , stood the mighty Temple ', headquarters of the Templars. Within the walls also were the Hospital and Hostel of St John. Preparations for the expected siege went ahead quickly. Different groups of knights were allocated to specified sections of the walls and towers. The Templars and Hospitallers were stat ioned on the northern wall and responsible for a section some 1,000 yards long. Among the Hospitallers was William de Henley, the Prior of England.

The Sultan, Al Ashraf, began the siege on April 6 1291, with a continuous bombardment of the walls while a constant rain of Templars and

arrows was poured on the heads of the defenders. Mining operations were also carried out beneath the towers. On April 15 a party of Templars crept out of the city under cover of darkness. Unable to see clearly , they stumbled over the tents' guy-ropes in the enem y camp and raised the alarm. Some were captured and many killed as they struggled back to the city. A few nights later the Hospitallers attempted a similar raid but it was equally disastrous. By May 17 the Muslim engineers had successfully undermined many of the towers and walls, and were attacking their inner defences The next day the Sultan launched the main assault. Within a few hours his troops were pouring through the gaps and into the city. Fierce street fighting followed. William de Beaujeu , Grand Master of the Templars was fatally wounded. and John de Villiers Grand Master of the Hospitallers , was also severely wounded, although saved by his men. By night-fall the cit y was in Muslim hands. except for the Temple by the sea For ten days the Templars held out, but at last the walls of the Temple were undermined. The whole building collapsed, burying both defenders and attackers in the ruins. The Sultan completed the destruction of the city. Churches , houses, walls and towers were razed to the ground. Within a few decades only crumbling ruins marked the site of the last great Christian stronghold in the Holy Land. The Muslim victory was complete.

This book can be obtained price £2 a copy plus 34p postage from St John Ambulance HQ, 59 Kil/g Str eet, Norwich NRllPH.

Organising a Pennine Way Walk

MORE WORK THAN I REALISEO

FOR ME it all started in the autumn of 1983 when Reg Judson, our Divisional Superintendent, 306 Sutton Division, SW London , told me we had a new member with an artificial leg who wanted to do a sponsored walk of the Pennine Way. As one of my jobs as vice-president at the time was raising money for a new ambulance, I was of course immediately interested, although if I had realised just how much work the suggestion would involve I might have been less enthusiastic.

Shortly afterwards I met the member Eric Adams, and his wife, Lynne , and we arranged to meet again early in 1984 to discuss the walk more fully. I learned that he would be walking with crutches and not on his artificial leg. At our first meeting I found Eric to have a bit of a chip on his shoulder about authority in any shape or form, but was clearly a chap with a lot of determination and self confidence which was shared by his wife.

r knew no more than that the official distance of the Pennine Way was 251 miles, but after poring over maps and reading up on it I learned that it was 251 miles of just about the most gruelling walking conditions in the country, with some gradients that I would have said were closer to mountain climbing than walking, and under foot it varied from loose shale and rock to slippery limestone and peat bog six to eight feet deep!

At the first meeting Eric said he would need a year to get himself in training, and that June was the best time to make the attempt, with the longest days and hopefully weather conditions would be best. We settled on June 1985, which at that time seemed a long way off.

During the next few months we met from time to time to discuss plans. Both Eric and Lynne were experienced walkers and Eric had Glimbed Snowdon without difficulty, but this was of course a much greater test of endurance. From the outset he said he would need back-up and I had rashly said this would not be too difficult to arrange. One of the problems was that he also suffers from curvature of the spine and could not therefore carry his own pack. For this reason and for the sake of safety in the event of an accident, it was essential that there should be other walkers with them at all times, and since they needed to limit the equipment they carried in order to make better time, they needed baggage transported up the line as they progressed.

Quite early we discussed the merits of involving another larger organisation other than our own local St John Division , which would attract more publicity and hopefully increase the sponsorship. We felt that while we needed a national charity we wanted one that would appreciate the relatively small sum involved, and where it would not become a tiny drop in the bucket. Eric is a leather worker with a firm that makes artificial limbs and through his firm he had got to know the British Limbless Ex-Service Men's Association (BLESMA) and this seemed to be just the right sort of charity we

Regional Presidents' Conference

Region 7 - A von , Gloucestershire, Somerset Wiltshire Cornwall and Devon (Regional President: Admiral Sir R. Brockman Devon) Sept 28

Region 6 Berk s hire , Buckinghamshire Hampshire, Dorset, Isle of Wight and Oxfordshire Region al President : Lady Macclesfield) Oct 25

Region 9 - West Midlands Staffordshire, Shropshire, Warwickshire and Hereford & Worcester (Regional Presi dent Mrs Smith Ryland) Nov I were looking for. It turned out to be almost the perfect choice. A letter of enquiry from me elicited a reply from their Assistant General Secretary, Ray Holland, who it turned out had himself walked the Pennine Way, starting off with a party of about 24, of which only eight finished. From that moment on Ray took a keen interest and produced a great deal of useful information, including two complete Ordnance Survey sheets which he acquired through connections with the Forces and which proved invaluable on national publicity work.

By November 1984 I was busy writing letters to all of the St John Divisions, Rotary Clubs and Round Tables within striking distance of the Pennine Way, seeking their assistance. We very quickly added to this list the Mountain Rescue Organisation and the Ramblers Association, and gradually also included National Park Wardens and Rangers and some Rotaract Clubs via local Rotary Clubs. In all, I wrote to something over 200 organisations. One of the problems I had not appreciated initially was that while there are plenty of towns near the southern end of the Pennine Way, further north there are less towns of a size sufficient to support either a Rotary Club or Round Table, let alone a St John Division.

TONY COMBER

However , over the ensuing months it gradually all came together and I was filling in most of the spaces on the charts on my office wall. The object was to provide someone to move the baggage each day up the line from one overnight stop to the next, which required a minimum of four experienced walkers a day and a contact man who would relay any hitches or changes of plan to all concerned, and arrange transport home for the team. Eventually, after some 500 letters and numerou s phone calls we fi lled in the remaining blank s on the charts , thanks mainly to some tremendous co -operation from Rotary , Round Table and St John, who also offered much overnight accommodation for Eric and Lynne.

As the walk started the day after Carshalton Carnival, I could not unfortunately be there to see them off, but our Staff Sergeant Glanville drove them to Derbyshire. During the next three weeks I was expecting a phone call telling me of some panic or problem, but unbelievably the whole thing went without a hitch. That is not quite true, as I under stan d there we re one or two minor problems which were dealt with by the people on the spot. I heard about them afterwards.

Every second or third day I spoke by phone to Eric or Lynne or one of the contact men , and learned that they were keeping to the itinary to the minute , and reached most destinations before the scheduled time. On June 28 I drove to Scotland for their arrival next day. I had a minor panic when the appointed time of their arrival came and the TV cameras were all ready , waiting. I set off by car along the last two miles of the route to try to find them, but they were nowhere to be seen. But less than an hour later , they arrived to the skirl of pipes from a pipe major provided by one of the BLESMA branches, and the cameras got their story. I was also proud that, about an hour later, they were followed by our own Eric Rawlings, who had walked most of the last week with them , but that day had the misfortune to fall in a peat bog, which caused the delay.

The next day I drove them all home to a surprise party laid on by the division. From an organising point of view , of course, it was not quite the end of the story, as we still had to get the maximum possible sponsorship.

To date I have written over L,OOO letters on that aspect alone. Over £4,500 was raised by Eric and Lynne, which was shared by the Division and BLESMA. Tony Comber

FROM: Leonard A. Bond, Divisional Superintendent, Maidstone Ambulance Cadet Division

Place: Hales (Grindsbrook Clough), Pennine Way, Edale High Peak District, D erbys hire.

Date: May 28 1986.

Elevation: 586 to 610 metres.

Weather: Showery, very cloudy.

Patient: Mr X, of Lincoln.

Injury:

? fracture lower tibia/fibula at ankle joint; ? very severe sprain; ? torn A rchilles tendon.

Symptoms:

Exhaustion due to time lag - injury occurred 11.30 am, found by us at 1.30 pm. Patient crawled approximately i-mile over rough country.

Severe pain at ankle joint; Second degree shock; Swelling severe; Unable to movejoint; Unable to bear weight; Some degree of dehydra tion.

Patient not carrying any equipment (neither map, compass, food or water); no we t weather clothing, only an anorak minus hood.

Report

While on holiday at Edale in the Peak District Derbyshire, with my son Mark (ex-cadet), his fiancee and my wife Doreen (nursing member), the following occurred: On the morning of May 28 1986, after hearing the weather forecast, we decided to walk/hike part of the Pennine Way. We departed at approximately lOam and followed the route outlined, using map and compass , and enjoyed taking many photographs. At Edale Rocks, we cooked and ate a small lunch We set off again for the Woolpacks (this can only be described as very wild, rocky country, also very peaty and boggy). From the Woolpacks we went to Crowden Tower and onto Crowden Clough Falls. We then rejoined the Pennine Way at Fords above the Fat Hales at Grindsbrook Clough. The elevation here was 610 metres

RESCUE!

on the Pennine Way

above sea-level, dropping down to 400 metres, a ve ry steep climb either way up or down.

We began to negotiate the descent very carefully and slowly as the path goes over shale and loose rock, stopping every 50 feet or so to rest. As we continued , below us we saw a man sliding and hopping from rock to rock, with the aid of a young boy _ We were at approximately 500 metres when we caught up with him. It was obvious that he was tired and in a lot of pain.

I immediately sat him on a rock to rest and asked him what had happened X stated that he and his son were above the Fox Hale on the moor when he had jumped into a gully, about four feet deep , and landed very badly causing injury to his right leg and ankle. He was in a lot of pain and unable to walk. The injury occurred at 11.30 am and we found him at 1.30 pm. He also stated he had crawled and hopped over the moor and had slid on his backside down the Fox Hales for the past two hours , with the aid of his young son, who was also very tired. The only equipment he had was a walking stick.

I then examined the ankle joint by removing his ankle height boots very carefully, which he was glad to get off as the weight of the boot was causing pain. The ankle was very swollen, tender and with very little or no movement and in severe pain . Diagnosis: Fracture tibia/ fibula at ankle; or severe sprain; or torn Achilles tendon

With the aid of my first aid kit I was able to apply a gamgee cottonwool pad , soaked in cold water, as a compress , with a firm crepe bandage. The boot and sock were replaced for further support, but not as tight as before. X stated he now felt mucb more comfortable and less distressed He did not have food or drink, as I explained an anaesthetic might be required to set the joint.

My main priority now was to get him off

the rocks to a more suitable path , and to get a stretcher up to him as we were still about 2-4- miles from home and in wild country.

With the aid of my son Mark using the 'human crutch ' method we managed to help X over the rocks to a suitable path, a distance of 100 metres or more , and very steep. It took approximately t hour with rest stops.

Once on the path we sent two people off to the Mountain Rescue Station at Edale for help, having assured myself they knew exactly where they were going. They took the map for guidance.

Having been left with X Mark and I decided , with X's approval, to use his walking stick as a seat and chair-carry him along the path in short bursts , resting in between. We made slow progress and the strain on our backs was beginning to tell as the distance we carried him became shorter. At approximately 3.30 pm we met two men whom I asked to assist. Using our groundsheet, we carried X as in a blanket and made much better progress. At about 4 .30 pm we saw the Mountain Rescue Team coming towards us (what a relief). I was very tired and aching , as was Mark.

On arrival, the Rescue Team complete with stretcher, was amazed that we had got the patient to within just over a mile of safety. They praised our efforts and could see I was tired and told me to rest after I had given them a full report.

A blow -up splint was applied to X's foot and leg. The stretcher was assembled and I assisted in liftjng X on to it and strapped him in. He was now very comfortable and safe. The team was one man short to carry the stretcher , so Mark and I volunteered to take it in turns to assist with the carry_

Before we departed, an ambulance was radioed for by a member of the team to meet us at Edale.

The last mile or so went ve ry s moothly , and much more quickly. We arrived at Edale, dare I say it feeling somewhat proud and elated at having averted what could have been a trage dy and disaster for X if we had not found him. It was 5.30 pm six hours' since the accident.

ST PAUL'S AND from Mrs Jean Covington

Having just been to the Mansion House and St Paul's for the St John 's Day service, I must say thank you to the organisers, you did a wonderful job. The service was as always wonderful.

I wish this service were covered by press and TV. The public would then see St John in all its glory, besides helping recruitment to divisions.

Watford

ABOUT OFFICIAL MEDALS (2)

from J. H. W. Jean Covington

I should like to make a correction to my reply to Mr Freeman's letter (Review, May '86, page 114).

I am advised that he was correct in saying that the Defence Medal was also awarded to those who, having won a decoration for bravery or distinguished service, did not qualify for any other campaign medal in the War. This has also been the practice for other campaigns.

In my article (May Review)

The first two awarded the medal in silver were both miners, Elijah Hallam and Frederick Vickers. The first in bronze was awarded to Henri- Trousselot, mariner, Dover

EXCEPT in uniformed organisations, It IS entirely up to the individual holder whether he wears his medals or not. If, however, he or she does wish to do so, then there are conventions and customs for our guidance. The correct wearing of orders, decorations and medals often causes concern for people are usually anxious that they should be worn in an appropriate manner , becoming to the dignity of the decorations and on su itable occasions. Again, depending upon whether the event is informal, formal or fully ceremonial there are differing rules about wearing decorations; this mainly affects the number of decorations to be worn.

Sponsor's responsibility

The person or sponsoring body organising a function or event does not himself decide whether medals are to be worn. But obviously the sponsor is in the best position to know what degree of formality or ceremonial, if any, is to take place and who will be attending, be it a private dinner party, or a garden fete, or a Brigade parade. These factors dictate the form of dress for the occasion and whether decorations are called for or are inappropriate. It is the responsibility of the sponsor to advise those attending whether orders, decorations or medals should be worn. This is u sually notified at the time of issuing the invitation.

BURY CORPS

Contrary to a very commonly held belief, one must not wear another person's awards. For example, there is a widespread notion that medals won by fathers may be worn by sons, or even wives; but there is notrung to support such an idea. Medals of deceased persons are given to their nearest relative (as the person legall y entitled to receive property under the terms of the will of the deceased); but this in no way implies that they may be worn.

A basic rule is that orders, decorations and medals are not worn on outer protective garments such as greatcoats, raincoats, anoraks, overalls and the like. On certain special occasions, such as a Remembrance Day service, medals (only) may be worn on an overcoat.

Approved sequence

As mentioned earlier, all insignia are worn in the approved sequence. Most medals are worn on the left chest and, as one looks at them, they must be in descending order from left to right (in the same direction as one reads these lines). The few medals awarded by societies for saving life are, as an exception to the rule, worn on the right chest in descending seniority, this time to the left , as viewed.

When not actually wearing the full medals, strips of the appropriate ribbons are worn in the same sequence as already described and , where necessary, in descending rows. Ribbons so worn alone should be II mm in depth, sewn onto the jacket (or on ribbon brooches when worn on a washable garment such as a dress). Ribbons should normally be in rows of four· only, and never more than five. Ribbons vary in width and those of

ABOUT WEARING MEDALS (6)

orders, in particular, vary according to the grade or class within the order. However , when wearing ribbons alone, the correct width of ribbon to wear is that appropriate to the lowest class of the order This is irrespective of whether membership of the holder is of higher grade; in other words the ribbon is sufficient only to show membership of the order concerned.

Full medals

When full medals are worn, they should be mounted on a special medal brooch and should be suspended from their ribbons so that all the medals are evenly lined up in one straight line at their lowest points (see Fig I) The length of the shortest ribbon must be no more that 32 mm (see Fig 2). So often one sees a medal suspended from a long ribbon of about 7 to 10 cms, particularly with a solitary medal; this is unfortunately qu it e incorrect.

Ribbons may , however, be made longer if it is necessary to accommodate additional bars or clasps. Medals can be mounted in any number , the senior ones overlapping the following ones as necessary (see Fig 3).

In any case , a row of medals should not protrude beyond the fold of the lapel on the one hand or the sleeve head seam on the other (approximately 12 medals is the maximum possible). It is not the British custom to wear more than one row of full medals. Those with more medals usually arrange to mount their most senior ones or include their most treasured awards, or might perhaps leave off some foreign medals they may hold.

A person who is granted an award may immediately wear the appropriate ribbon (and with evening wear, the appropriate miniature). If required to wear full size medals on some occasion before the new award has actually been recei ved, that person wears a full length of the new ribbon in the position appropriate to the new medal (see Fig 4).

Court style

Another way in which medals may be mounted , at the discretion of the holder, is termed 'court style'. In this display the medals appear to hang as before, but in front of a further background of their own ribbons (see Fig 5). The medals are mounted. tacked firmly on to a brooch frame (which itself cannot be · seen) They are thus protected from rattling together or against a pocket button; this saves the medals from chipping each other and irreparably ruining the surfaces. The method is quite in order for a single medal or for a set of several and is strongly recommended for the practical reason described as much as to enhance the display of the medals.

In the next article I shall be saying some more about the manner of wearing decorations and medals, J. H. W

ru

about wearing decorations and medals are

Jack Hewitt

Corps in the Gallipoli Parade Bury led by C/ S Mrs Hyde, putting her best foot forward.

NEWS from SCOTLAND

AS MANY NOW know, the Order Committee in Central Scotland runs a Holiday Home for the blind and disabled in the delightful Perthshire village of Strathyre - the 'Bonnie Strathyre' of the lovely Scots ballad - and part of the well-loved Trossachs area of Scotland. The Home, named after Sir Andrew Murray , a former Chancellor of the Priory of Scotland and Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh, is built on land donated by Miss Mary Bruce, OStJ, one of several generous benefactors of the Order and Priory. It was recently extended by the building on of an additional fiat. At the recent annual dinner of the Central Area, held immediately after its AGM, three Batricars were handed over to the management committee of the holiday home for the use of those enjoying a welcome holiday break there. These cars were donated respectively by the NB

to R) MrG. Crerar of NB Hotels, Mrs Isa Walker , Scottish Trotting Patrons and MrA. Russell KStJ and his son. (Photo: B Miller Falkirk).

Scottish Trotting Patrons , and Russell of Denny Ltd , a firm of civil engineering contractors in the area whose managing director is Mr A. Russell the Area Order chairman. Also donated at the same time was a cheque for £500 from Mr E. Moffat of Bonnybridge to help defray the cost of building a garage for the vehicles. The arrival of the cars caused quite a stir

(Left) Haverfordwest cadets Joanne Shepherd and Alison Davies , both with 200 Service Sh ield s have now gained their Grand Prior s Badge

WALES

(Right) Four new community first-aiders received their certificates from train ng officer for Wales, Ke th Dunn at a special presentat on at Malpas Divis io n, Newport Gwent (Photo: S Wales Argus)

at the dinner at which the principal speaker was Colonel Shepherd , of Erskine Hospital for the War Blinded , who spoke warmly in appreciation of the fact that so many of hi s patients have enjoyed a holiday in the Home over many years. The cars were driven by three representatives of the Denny cadets who expertly demonstrated the manoeuverability and versatility of the vehicles.

BOOKS

Cave Rescue and Sport Diving Emergencies

This small booklet of only 16 pages would be of value to all St John Divisions working and supporting in caving areas and also for maritime divisions, Though written mainly for doctors in the basic organisation, it is written very clearly and simply and would be easily understood and followed by lay members of our organisation. There is also a few short paragraphs on the use of rescue dogs of The Search and Rescue Dog Association. This monograph can be recommended BASICS Monograph on Immediate Care

No: 3. Rescue from Remote Places ; Cave Rescue and Sport Diving Emergencies, Ed Dr B, Robertson Price £ J, BASICS The Administrator 31 cLower Brook Street Ipswich , Suffolk IP4 I AQ.

An Autumn Life: How a Surgeon faced his fatal illness by Ethel Helman. Faber paperback £2.95

This moving account of the life and death of a surgeon with an international reputation in the management and surgery of cancer would be of u se to all involved in the management of terminal illne ss.

The book could be read as a well written account of a lo ve affair - t he love of the wife

National First Aid Competitions

Industry

TOY MAKERS

A VON The newly appointed deputy commissioner for Avon SJA Mrs Shelagh Farre ll, inspects t he soft toys mad e by Peter Osgood and Michael Clarke of Shirehampton Cadet Div is ion in Bristol as one of their proficiency subjects ( Photo Myra Meredith).

for her husband who she supported during his life and death, and of the surgeon 's love affair for his dedicated work for patients suffering as he , ultimately , did.

The major lesson for us in the caring professions is the lessons he learnt as he watched clini cally and almost unemotionally the progress of his own illness, As he says on a tape he left if I had m y life again would learn to listen to my patients ' Towards the end of his life he was able to speak about the management of terminal illnes s from his own experience and of the phases which the dying might ha ve to face How few can

(Below) Newtown Division s superintendent Bill Williams (right) receives the 50

icate on behalf of the Division from Peter Harries Chief Staff Officer for Wales , 130 Powys members attended the Division s Thanksgiving Service at Newtown Church.

National Dock Labour Board

Ministry of Defence

The

ambulance

HEMEL HEMPSTEAD Ambulance and Nursing Division has a small but enthusiastic membership of 16 members , half of whom are ex-cadets, and cover an average of 3,000 duty hours a year.

Hemel Hempstead is one of the new towns with a population close on 100,000, giving rise to a variety of duties such as carnivals, fairs, cinema, road cycle racing, international sporting events, dry ski championships, fun runs, etc. The town is bordered on all sides by open countryside which brings in other duties such as horse shows and steam rallies.

The Division also provides transport on a regular basis for the disabled to attend monthly meetings of the Multiple Sclerosis and Arthritis Care Clubs in the area, and for BUPA patients and 'private' runs when required.

Assistance is also given to neighbouring divisions at peak duty periods and for large duties whenever possible.

It was with a view to this wide range of commitments, which is increasing each year, that in September 1984 a general meeting of the Division was held to discuss the merits of purchasing an additional ambulance to supplement the 8-year-old vehicle owned by the Division from new, The unanimous result of the meeting was that fund-raising should start immediately by means of a press release, followed by letters of appeal to local companies, organisations and trusts , with the aim of purchasing a new, purpose-built vehicle within a time limit of two years and so prevent fund-raising dragging on indefinitely. Some 250 letters of appeal were sent out during the next six months and draft specifications and prices obtained from various ambulance makers. At the end ofthe six months it was obvious that the two-year limit was not needed, as the letters and fund -raising projects of the cadet division had brought in some £9,500, with a further £6,500 promised by the Dacorum Bottle Bank Fund. In view of this success, a visit to Wadham Stringer (Coachbuilders) Ltd was arranged for the fund-raising committee.

The committee was given a very warm

A Division makes

difficult part) a decision

welcome by Graham Miller, of Wadham Stringer, and we were taken on a very comprehensive tour of the coach/ambulance building operation and vehicles were seen at every stage of construction, from basic chassis to complete vehicle, and a test drive was arranged in an ambulance similar to the one required by the Division. As a result of this visit, a specification and an estimate were prepared.

With approval of the Division, Area and County Staff and the arrival of the £6,500 from the Bottle Bank Fund, the ambulance was ordered in May 1985 only eight months after the original meeting.

It was time to wait for the ambulance to be built, but not an idle wait. Stores had to be ordered to equip the ambulance, flag day and house-to-house collections were arranged and, of course, it was the peak season for duties. It was during this time that the Hemel Hempstead Lions Club offered to buy us £600 worth of radio equipment for the ambulance

After what seemed to be an age, a second visit was made to Wadham Stringer in October 1985 to see the ambulance in its last stages of construction and to discuss any final amendments to the specification. In our

case, this was only to fit extra equipment obtained during recent months. The high spot of the project was delivery day in mid-November when three members made their third trip to Wadham Stringer.

The Dedication Service was held at the Division s Headquarters in February and was attended by representatives from County and Area Staff local divisions, the Lion's Club, local industries and many friends and ex -members of the Division. Also at the Dedication Service the County Commissioner Roland Duffett, presented Mr Robert Pooley with his warrant as President of the Hemel Hempstead Ambulance and Nursing Division, Mrs Ann Marie Barling with her warrant as President of the Hemel Hempstead Cadet Division, and Mr W. John with an Honorary Member's certificate in recognition of 38 years in the Brigade membership, 33 of them at the Hemel Hempstead Division, Projects now under way are to partially convert our old ambulance to a small mobile dressing station but still maintain its ambulance capability, and raise extra money for the purchase of additional resuscitation equipment and Entonox. Brian Edmends, D/S

Cadets from Ireland visit Wirral

AFTER a visit in 1985 of an 8-member SJA team to Ireland for the Order of Malta Cadet Corp's International Year of Youth celebrations in Co. West Meath, in March 1986 an 8-strong Order of Malta contingent visited SJA Wirral.

The group of cadets led by Lt Noeleen Cleary, arrived by ferry at Liverpool to be taken to the homes of their cadet host families.

Their three day stay in the Wirral area included trips to Southport , Ellesmere Port Boat Museum, a tour of the city of Liverpool , and a day in historic Chester. There was the annual cadet disco on the ferry , the Royal Iris; a reception/ party at the home of Marjorie and John McKay, to whom the visitors presented Waterford Crystal and Connemara marble trophies; and, on the final day, a visit (in uniform) to the Wirral Mayor s Parlour and then on to the SJA headquarters for an official farewell before departing for the ferry back home.

Everyone in the Wirral Area made a great effort to make the visit a great success.

The dedication (L to R) DIO I. Beeston and DIS W. Bees ton (cadet division); Area Comm D. Fenton, CIComm R. Duffett, the Mayor, DIS B. Edmends , and the vicar of St Mary 's, Hemel Hempstead

new tailor-made

arrives, and (right) some of Hemel Hempstead s members who made it seem so easy.

Newstrom Divisions/Centres

NORFOLK: Having a great time at Ashill (Thetford) Quad Division - a proper family division. Everyone is delighted because they came first in the annual area inspection and the juniors' section was chose n for a pilot scheme of - hush , hush - the Badgers are coming (Photo: Lynn News).

AVON: 45 years service is recognised for Harold Michlemore (right ), of Brist ol's Fishponds Division, when he received his certificate and bar from Assist Commissioner Stuart Hadler , watched by DIS Don Ring. (Photo: Myra Mered ith).

AVO N: Licensee of the Sandringham Public House in Bristol, Ronald Sadd, presents £ 100 in cash raised at a medieval banquet to Major John Greener, SJA Commander. (Photo: Myra Meredith).

course of treatment provided by most of an army unit. (7) 22. A taller mutation is away from the mid-line. (7). 25. Cyst of mucous gland from artist with ulna dislocation. (6). 27. Sense showing social discernment. (S). 30. Middle-aged dissolute person of French derivation. (4). 31. Pure disruption in an American state. (4).33. Maze of ethmoid and temporal bones. (9). 34. Intoxicated by lubricant ? (S). 35. Everted and rotated (6). 36. Blueness of skin due to oxygen deficiency in blood. (8)

Down:

1. Generalised oedema characteristic of left ventricular failure. (6). 2. Surgery concerned with introduction of prostheses. (S· 4). 3. Excretory and temperature-regulating organ. (4). 4. Compel adherence to rules given by free NCO. (7) 6. Girl or local dignitary (S). 7 Leather part of whip. (S). 8. Perspiring in wing seat. (8). 9. Hidden gunman. (6). I S. British drug manufacturer is here in France. (3). 16. Just for the light -complexioned. (4). 19. Chromosomal factor concerned with hereditary characteristics. (4). 20. Part of lower ends of tibia and fibula. (9). 21. Blood cell taking part in clotting process. (8). 23. Consume in breathing. (3). 24. Box for speech making. (6). 2S. As an approximation it is how the patient sho uld not be handled (7). 26. We object to financial provision in part of the stomach. (6). 28. Not intoxicated and of subdued tone. (S). 29. Strange and mysterious. (S). 32. Preserve a callosity. (4).

SOLUTION TO CROSSWORD No.7 (86)

REVIEW CROSSWORD No.8 (86) byW. A. Potter Across: I. Mineral; S. Symptom; 9. Desensitisation; 10 Label; II. E spy; 12. Mesh; 14. Areola; 16. Starched; 18 Bad blood; 20 Ro·bust; 23. Uvea; 2S. Idol; 26. Op·era; 28. Hippocratic oath; 29. Deltoid; 30. Stridor.

Across: I. Sad rites becoming a major accident. (8). 5. Forger's fracture of lower end of radius. (6). 10 African animal is satisfactory with a Greek letter. (5). II It is curious that this elbow structure is not part of the skeleton. (5·4). 12. Stop the flow at the front of the ship. (4). 13. Intravenous infusion. (4). 14. Just a side of the body (S). 17 A carpal bone to dislike intensely around the forenoon. (6). 18. Prescribed

Down: 1. Medulla; 2. Nosebleed; 3. Renal; 4. Loiter; 5. Snippet; 6. Meal; 7. Tripe; 8. Munched; 13. Trio; IS. Lull; 16. Sad; 17 Housemaid; 18. Blushed; 19. Ordered; 21. Teacher; 22. Flatus; 24. Expel; 26. Occur; 27. Do·do.

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ST JOHN REVIEW

THE JOURNAL OF ST JOHN

Volume 59 No.9

Contents

St John Fellowship p 193

PROs meet in London p.194 September 1986

Action picture of the Year competition p.195

Primary Health Care Service p.196

Brigade Finals p.198

Around and About by the Editor p.200

Schools Project really on the move, by Anne Macleod p.204

Recruit - and then hold 'em! by D. W. Weir-Hughes p.206

Order Investiture, July 1 0 p.208

About Wearing Medals (7) p.209

Readers'Views p.210

SJA Music Makers p.210

Ambulance Rally p.211

News from Scotland - Wales - N. Ireland p.212

News from Divisions/Centres p.214

Cornwall p.216

I AM PLEASED to announce the formation of the second branch in Humberside:

South Humberside Branch

Contact Mrs Olive Jennings, 303, Queensway, Scunthorpe, S. Humberside

I have much enjoyed two visits to branches this summer. On July 11 I attended a joint meeting of the East Sussex and Littlehampton branches, which was held at the lovely farm of the chairman of East Sussex Branch, Mrs M. Glessing. 'Meeting' is too formal a word for the large gathering of over 30 old friends who sat down to a strawberry tea followed by a stroll round the farm, with its idyllic swimming pool, garden and lots of horses. Mr T. Jeffrey, formerly County Nursing Officer, proved to be adept at caring for lambs.

Then on July 19 I was invited to a lunch held at St John Headquarters, Addlestone, Surrey, by the Runnymede Branch. Here again, I met a happy group of more than 20 members. We had an excellent cold lunch, during which I told them of plans for the Brigade Centenary in 1987. We agreed that Surrey needs more branches. There is nothing at present for former St John members in Farnham, Guilciford, Redhill What about it?

31 Malvern Court, Onslow Square London SW7 3HY

Sheila Puckle National Secretary

OUR apologies to the new Commissioner-in-Chief, Mr A. J. Sunderland, for the incorrect spelling of his name in our August issue. COVER---------------Refugee camp, Eastern Sudan. A drought refugee helps his sick friend to a

and re-ded

(Right) The Badgers, a new section of the Brigade for 6 to 10 year o ds to be launched in 19B7, were

PROs meet in London

COUNTY PROs met at national headquarters, I Grosvenor Crescent , on Friday July 18, in the presence of the Chief Commander, Chief President , Commissioner-in-Chief and other headquarters officers.

John Mills, Director of Public Relations, provided a full and interesting day , opening the meeting by explaining the main purpose of the meeting: the 'Save a Life Campaign ', Centenary, and Publicity, followed by an open forum session. The delegates were reshuffled in order to sit in groups according to regional television areas. The importance of working together to achieve maximum use of the facilities available from the media was stressed.

John Sunderland, Comrnissioner-inChief, spoke of the need to 'get the act together' and changing the image of St John to a more youthful, lively One. He stressed the need to strive for excellence, to be action-orientated.

John Mills spoke about the recently formed 'In Touch' Committee, a representative group of PROs who meet to discuss the publicity requirements. The media Think Tank', an advisory group of media professionals, had their first meeting and many useful ideas were suggested.

CENTENARY

The need for a clear plan of operation was emphasised. The aim of centenary publicity was very little changed from the overall aim; to make the public aware of how St John operates and the need for support.

Centenary co-ordinators

Lady Westbury asked PROs to ensure that the pro formas sent to Centenary Co -ordinators were returned by September 14, in order that a record can be kept of the events scheduled in each county.

The Great Party

Lady Westbury also spoke about arrangements for the 'Great Party', and the possibility of an agreement being made with BR for travel concessions.

Cumbria have already arranged their own

SAVE

A LIFE

CAMPAIGN CENTENARY PUBLICITY

bookings, at a cost of £47 per head including coach travel and accommodation.

Appeal launch, Dec 2St Bartholomew's Hospital Television coverage will be important, and it was stressed that regional TV stations should not be approached by several PROs but that there should be a co-ordinated attempt to get coverage and that one person should be responsible for establishing contacts.

The Badgers

Jennie Eaves spoke about the new Badgers junior section of the Brigade to be set up in 1987 (photo above). The Badgers cater for 6-10 year olds and will meet in 's ets', which could be attached to divisions or run independently. The Badgers would take part in a wide variety of activities, aided by the Badger 's Guide to Absolutely Everything', their handbook.

It is hoped that 100 badgers, one for each year of St John Ambulance, will be available at the centenary launch to create a media 'splash' that will generate national publicity and be a focus for regional media coverage. Maximum use should be made of all media, local free newspapers, regional weeklies, daily papers, radio, and television.

St John Awareness Week

St John Awareness Week will take place either during the week directly before or after the Great Party, Saturday June 20 1987, and should be a good opportunity to publicise St John. (There is to be a St John Awareness Fortnight June 13-28 1987.)

Fund -raising

Centenary Appeal Director Bruce Rhodes' appeal will affect the counties; a seminar has been organised on September I 5 to co -ordinate the efforts of headquarters and the counties. Avon will give a presentation based on experiences gained from their appeal launched at the beginning of the year. It is hoped that PROs will attend this meeting.

ACTION

Ansafones

A discount has been obtained on bulk orders of ansafones so that it would be possible to leave messages at St John offices at any time.

SAVE A LIFE CAMPAIGN

Presentation by Matthew Pudney Associates on the 'Save a Life Campaign'.

PUBLICITY

The Museum

Julia Toffolo, assistant curator of the Museum at St John 's Gate , gave some details about the material available on loan to help with the mounting of centenary exhibitions, displays , events. The museum will co-ordinate counties' efforts.

Posters

It was stressed that the controversial 'lunatic' poster can be used to generate publicity even if it is not in u se in the county ; th is itself amounts to a news story. Use of the poster was encouraged, as it is very effective in provoking interest.

'Caring for You'

The leaflet will be revised and rep ri nted for use as a source of general information.

Photographs

PROs were asked to send any good photographs, perferably colour of members in action to the PR department for inclusion in a selection to be made available to all counties for publicity purposes.

Primary Health Care

Dr Corry spoke about the Primary Health Care appeal , explaining that aid were currently in operation, partially or totally funded by St John in places such as Cape Town, Bengal and Zambia. He stressed that the project would not impinge on traditional fundraising, but should enhance it.

OPEN FORUM

Gloucestershire - asked to be kept better informed about happenings in Association.

John Mills replied that it was important for PROs to remember that it was their responsibility to publicise all parts of the organisation, including the Air-wing, Aeromedical service and the Hospital. In other words - that we are PROsfor The Order of St John.

YOUR CHANCE TO WIN

THIS IS YOUR chance to win a £50 prize by submitting the best action photograph showing St John Ambulance and its member s. A second prize of £25 and a third prize of £ 15 will be awarded in the two classes.

There is a need throughout St John for a library of strik ing , action pictures which show u s carrying out the duties for which we were trained - rendering first aid, nursing and other tasks undertaken by our members of all ages.

Derbyshire - wanted information on the Hospital.

John Mil!s replied that information on the Hospital was contained in the Annual Report , sent to al! PROs. He emphasised how important it was to ha ve statistics that can provide the answers to many queries from members of the public.

Somerset - asked to be informed of the schools and firms involved in the Schools' Project.

Anne MacLeod replied thal there was a donor list, exchanged with other organisations, that made giving this information difficult.

Sussex - asked if the Association could make more use of the Review, and whether more information on the Primary Health Care Project could be made available.

Information on Primary Health Care was to be sent to the PROs.

Northumbria - inquired about public service announcements.

John Mil!s replied that these programmes were made by individual IBA stations, and that there was usually a long waiting list.

Wiltshire - suggested the use of hoarding posters , such as the 'heart attack Tim Fellows, Sussex, was asked to send an example of this poster.

Leicestershire - requested a list of publicity materials available and information about forthcoming inve stit ures PROs were fa be sent the publicity forms applicable to people in their counties.

S & W Yorkshire - suggested that a 'working pack' should be made available for new PROs.

An outdated PRO handbook was in existe nc e, but the revising of this would be carried out.

John Mills replied that it had been agreed by HQ Board to have a training weekend for PROs, with instruction provided on how to set about seeking publicity, with particular emphasis on the broadcasting media. The provisional datesfor this were November 21-23.

Mrs Robin Wegner , Bedfordshire , suggested that a poster competition should be organised , and offered to run it. It was suggested that the competition should be run through the Review and in consultation with Jennie Eaves. (This will now be run by Jennie Eaves.)

The date of the next PRO conference was fixed - Thursday, October 30.

Colour prints and transparencies should be submitted to John Mills, Director of Public Relations , 1 Grosvenor Crescent, London SW 1X 7EF by December 1 1986. Entries will be divided into two categories: juniors to 15 year olds and 16 year olds and over. Please enclose your name , address, age (if under 16) and the name of your division. Winning entries will be published in the St John R eview.

picture of the year

(Left) The new C- in - C, John Sunderland, with cadets on the steps of St Paul's Cathedral after the annual service of commemorat on

cation.

introduced at the Brigade annual conference by Jennie Eaves, Staff Officer Cadets.

Breast feeding protects against infection. (Below)

Immunisation costs only

£2 a child. Irs a small price to pay for a life.

StJohn Health Care

MA HAVE seen the brochure (included with this copy of the Revzew) WhICh was recently sent out to raise funds for the new Primary Health Care Service being developed by St John. For most of us St John first aid - usually the actions taken to deal with an injury or sudden by using the facilities or materials immediately available. However, m many developing countries prevention and health education are possibly more urgently needed than first aid.

United Kingdom we take clean water from a tap and flush for granted, ye.t. this is not the case in many developing countnes. As the fund-rrusmg brochure states more than 4 million children died last year from diarrhoea but:

'How do you stop your children getting diarrhoea if water is scarce or there are too few latrines or there is no effective refuse removal system?'

' What do you do if you have too little money to feed your family properly, your husband is unemployed and there is no work and baby is on the way? And aU you know about family planning IS that your mother taught you to tie a cord around your waist. '

You may have grown up to expect two or three of your children to d:e before they are five years old - usually from dehydration caused by diarrhoea. Nobody has taught you that breast milk is the best food for a dehydrated baby - or failing breast milk lots of small drinks of a simple mixture of sugar, salt and water. *

In many countries there is so much unnecessar y sickness and sufferin g and wa.sted money on medical care, because people have not been tau ght the baSICS of health care and first aid. Cuts become infected and with little or no sanitation the likelihood of infection is.far greater. Burns the most common accident in the home , turn septic because they are properly treated and the hot humid conditions make everything worse. What is needed is basic health education to teach people how to care for themselves and their family This is where St John can help, for we have a team of people trained in first aid who are well known and accepted in their communities.

peopl.e will listen to somebody they know and respect from therr own commumty, whereas an outsider's advice will be treated with suspicion. For example, family planning by a foreign nurse will be suspect, but If Mrs M. from next door starts to have her children when she wants them , and not one every 12 months , then the message is unambiguous and more acceptable.

Family planning is just one of the subjects that St John community health workers will be taught and which they in turn will pass on to their communities

Objectives of St John PHC projects

Naturally the aims and objectives of the St John projects will vary from country to country, but broadly the projects are organised as follows:

*Rehydration Solution

To one litre of water add two level tablespoons of sugar or honey and half a teaspoon of salt. If available, add half a cup of orange juice or coconut water to the drink. the dehydrated person sips of this drink every five mmutes, day and night, until he begins to urinate normally. An adult needs three or more litres per day and a small child needs at least one litre per day. Keep glVlng the rehydration drink in small sips, even if the person vomits. Flat Coca- cola works just as well but of course this is either unavailable or far too expensive for most people in developing countries.

Primary Service

(I) A public health nurse with suitable leadership qualities is employed by St John and she seek s some 20 to 40 volunteers , chosen from and if possible by the comm unity to be trained as community health auxiliaries. Where suitable the community is encouraged to consider the selection of St John members , for they are already trained in first aid and have shown their community spirit by acting as first - aiders.

(2) Each community health auxiliary is re s ponsible for visiting 60 to 80 homes once every two months close to where she lives. With an average household size of seven people this means responsibility for 500-600 people per auxiliary. Problem or at risk homes are visited more frequentl y.

Each auxiliary is allocated an additional block of 500 people in which to promote oral rehydration , child spacing, and the prevention and treatment of sickness and di sea se

Thus one trained nurse with the help of a trained supervisor can co -ordinate the work of some 40 volunteer unpaid health workers, each look ing after about 1000 people. Thus some 40 000 people are provided with a basic form of health coverage at a cost of under 30 pence per person per annum.

Goals

- To promote Health Education

- To detect families at risk ', particularly with undernourished children under five and t o take steps to assist.

- To disseminate information for the early passive detection and prevention of diseases

- To assist with immunisation.

- To assist with mother and child care centres and to promote attendance at antenatal clinics and Under 5's clinics

- To train one person in every home in oral rehydration and either first aid , home nursing or basic health care

- To encourage and support self help projects in the community such as child minding, youth development programmes vegetable cultivation and community care of the sick, handicapped and aged.

- To promote co-ordination and liaison with state bodies and local authorities in an effort to solve local health problems.

Why St John?

St John is ideally placed to develop PHC in the Third World. Many of our members live in the cities of developing countries, where rapid population growth and unemployment have created slums and atrocious living

conditions. St John volunteers are respected member s of their commu nities , many of whom have served as first aid volunteers for man y y ears. With additional training in PHC and with competent leadership and support these volunteers could teach their communities how to care for their own health and thereby prevent so much unnecessary suffering both among adults and more particularly children.

India and South Africa

At present the two largest St John PHC projects are in West Bengal and Cape Town. These projects have been running for some years entirely funded by each country. The splendid work being done in West Bengal was described by General Leuchars in the June 1986 Re vie w In Cape Town the PHC service has grown s teadily since 1978 and there are now four full time qualified sisters and approximately 80 uni formed volunteers called auxiliaries During the recent unrest , particularl y in the Crossroads squatter camp St John nurses and auxiliaries treated hundreds of injuries , sometimes at risk to their own lives They have won the un stinted respect and thanks of both community leaders and health authorities for organising food , shelter , clothing and medical care for some 4000 refugees from Crossroads for more than three months A fuller account will appear in the Revie w but there is no doubt that the suffering and loss of life would have been far greater if the St John PHC programme , with its trained volunteers, had not been able to help

New Projects

In Zambia a new St John PHC project has started and projects are in the planning stage for Zimbabwe Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda and Jamaica. Projects in Barbados and Guyana are due to start, funds for the latter having been raised from an American source. In each instance St John is starting on a small scale, usually with only one or two paid staff. This keeps costs down to the level where they can be funded partly by St John and partly by other agencies such as

the Overseas Development Agency , nongovernment organisations such as Oxfam, which is helping in Zambia, and of course the recipient country. No project is started until adequate funding has been raised If I tell y ou about St John in Zambia you will realise how difficult it is for t hem to raise their own funds. The photo (this page) shows a group of St John members in Lusaka. The cadet leader wearing the beret is 25 year old Gabrie l M w ale. Last year Gabrie trained some 50 cadets who passed the Essentials of First Aid. Unfortunatel y the cadets were so poor that not one of them could afford their first aid badge which costs £ I. Gabriel himself earns 30 pence per day and the cost of living is high - for example a simple pair of shoes costs at least £8. AU too often Brigade members can only do duties within walking distance of their homes because there is no money for bus fares. The members are doing their best to provide a first aid service under difficult circumstances but clearly they need more help. Gabriel Mwale and his fellow members of St John are keen to de velop their PHC project , for they recognise that by teaching basic health and child care in their own heighbourhood the y will be able to serve their communities more effecti vel y than ever before.

Traditionall y St John does not send fund -rai sing appeals to its own members who do so much for St John However , you may feel that helping St John in the Third World is a different case , for their needs are so great and their resources so small - except the greatest resource of all - their volunteer spirit and their willingness to help their fellow men.

If you would like to help please send your donations (cheques or postal orders) to:

ST JOHN PRIMARY HEALTH CARE APPEAL 1 GROSVENOR

St John members in Lusaka Zambia. Cadet Leader Gabrie Mwale is in third row wearing a beret

(Sussex)

Shrewsbury (Shropshire)

Southend (Essex)

(London)

Bognor Regis (Sussex)

Horden (Durham)

Coalville (Leicestershire)

Haslingden (Lancashire)

Holy Trinity (Hereford & Worcester)

Lisnagelvin (No r thern Ireland)

Newton Abbot (Devon)

Hull Kingston (Humberside)

Romford (London)

st Mersea (Essex)

(Dorset)

Aberpergwm (Wales)

GARDENS GALORE

SJ AN. Yorks has had a successful garden opening programme for some years, but this year ten gardens, from large to very small, were open on the same afternoon (J uly 6) in the village of Aldborough, near Boroughbridge, for an all-inclusive ticket. At the first garden visitors were issued with a SJ flag day identity sticker and a map of the open gardens in the village. They could then just stroll from garden to garden, and back again if they wished, at leisure. Tea was laid on in the village hall by the Women's Institute, who split the proceeds.

An idea here for towns and areas as well as village divisions? Many people go out for a 'spin' on summer Sunday afternoons looking for something to do, and a lovely garden - or should we say 10 gardens - and a home-made tea advertised on the nearest main road should be a sure way of tapping 'outside'money.

My mouth's watering already.

LOOKING AHEAD

Sep 30 - 11.00 Launch of Save-a-Life Campaign, Royal Society of Medicine, London

Sep 30 - British Gas FA Competitions, Newcastle VAT

Brigade orders (not everyone sees them) of July 1986 says:

As a result of representation made to HM Customs and Excise after the 1986 Budget, relief from Value Added Tax has now been extended to medical gases and hire charges on medical gases. Relief is granted under the Value Added Tax (Handicapped Persons and Charities Order) 1986 which amends the relief given to Group 16 of Schedule 5 of the Value Added Tax Act 1983. Relief may be claimed by the submission of a Declaration described in detail in Brigade General Circular 2/83 (May 1983 Brigade Orders).

BOC has been advised that relief can now be claimed but it is the responsibility of Divisions to ensure that their own supplies are zero rated. Relief can be backdated to April 1 1986 and any subsequent charges which have since incurred. VAT should be reclaimed retrospectively from oxygen suppliers.

WHAT'S GOING ON YOURS

IN THE WORLD OF ST JOHN

will be accompanied by her mother, who is president Bristol South nursing cadets (Photo: George Gallop).

HOME BREW

I hear that Blyth (Northumbria) Nursing Division celebrated its 75th birthday in June with a party at which the local ambulance members supplied the home-made brew and the nursing members the food (they sent me a scrumptious-looking menu) for the buffet. Everyone obviously had a good time (the photograph they sent me showed this but unfortunately it wasn't good enough to print - too much of that brew, Mr photographer?), but there were no reports of anyone having to be carried home. But then, perhaps that was rightly left out of the story, ,

Best wishes to our nursing girl s of Blyth Wish we ' d been with you ,

1987 CAMP SITE

SJA Devon 's Cadet Camp 1987 will be at Westward Ho! , North Devon from Saturday July 25 to Saturday , August 1.

The standing can vas with all caterin g facilities for 150 to 200 people could be made available to any county , area or division which might be interested in running a follow -up camp from midday Saturday , August 1, onward for one or two weeks.

N Devon s Bideford Rotary Club made Citizen of the Year awards to two SJA members over the last seven years In 1981 to then D Supt Ja ck Brown (now retired) for work with the handicapped and in 1985 , to Bideford Division's sergeant , Miss Elaine Cooper for voluntary work locally

BY THE EDITOR

The very popular site is within walking distance of Westward Ho!, with its long sandy foreshore and good bathing and amenities.

Further details from County Staff Officer Camping, Mr Norman Broom, 32 Mounts Close, Honiton , E Devon Honiton 3822. HAGGIS HURL

Isle of Wight PRO Mr C. R. Davis writes (and the poem):

Many strange tales have been told of the Highlander ' s sporran , but the honest truth is that it originated in the small village of Auchnac\oy , on the banks of the River Dronach Sunderland Scotland - to give his person protection against the pound -and-ahalf of hot haggis hurled across the river by his swarthy wife for his lunch. The haggis , being hot and slippery was rather difficult to catch by hand so he would raise the front of his kilt to catch it and a small leather apron was worn to protect him.

Believ e it or not , this was the origin of the sporran and from this grew the ancient and unique sport of Haggis Hurling,

A passing minstrel taking his ease sitting on a nearby dyke noticed with interest that when one of the Highlanders not wearing one of these pads received a rather painful blow to the abdomen , he would clasp his left hand to the painful area , dance from toe to toe , and s hriek out , at the same time raising hi s ri g ht arm a s a sign of cha s tisement to his wife

The minstrel picked up his pipes and played a tune in keeping with these movements and noted the actions and from this grew the most popular of all Highland dances.

On Sunday July 27 1986 , amid the splendid grounds of WhiteclifT Bay Holiday Park , on the Isle of Wight , a traditional replay of his ancient and unique sport was organised by the SJA County Staff of the Isle of Wight. The mayors of both South Wight and Medina Councils gathered with holiday - makers and residents of the island,

At the Order in Cornwall 's annual service at the castle church on St Michael s Mount on June 29 awards were presented by Viscount Falmouth , KStJ (centre) Lord Lieutenant and President of Council: Commander William Vincent; Officer, Ruth Baiss Serving Brother Austin Sanders, Asadullah Ansari, Frank Henwood , Dennis Ayling Dennis Bickle; Serving Sister, Muriel Herbert

After reading an article in the Review about primary health care Shirehampton (Avon) ambulance member Roger Owen and nursing officer Faith Cook are driving (90 days) to Tanzan i a to set up a primary health unit. Here they receive a first aid kit from Mrs Nora Ford, Ar e a Comm and fluorescent jackets from DI S John Patten (Photo : Myra Mered th).

SJA provided fi st aid co v er when he B B C recorded the Antique Roadshow (to be screened early 1987 ) at Ba rnstaple N. Devon. Presenter Hugh Scully says thanks o DI S Mrs B S acey and ASO Mrs J Gorin (Photo : Tony Freeman , Barnstaple ).

COSY

Bridlington Nursing Cadets receive a £285 cheque from the Cosy Corner Social C ub which is based at the town s The Coa c hman Hotel. Hull's Inner Wheel also presented an overhead projector and a resuscitation model to SJA Humberside

Gloucestershire s county review inspecting officer was the Chief Scout (left) Major- Gen M. J H. Walsh, with Mrs Walsh with (right) the Commander, Major Nick Warry and Mrs Warry,

Commissioner, Cheshire, Mr R. A. Fie ding, presents Frodsham Combined Division's team, (left to right) Lesle y Mattinson, DIO Glenys Hurst, Ruth King ey and Val Powell with the winner s trophy at the county competitions, not only to watch but to take part, and to listen amid the skirl of the pipes to the Commander St John, Isle of Wight, bless the Haggis in t rue traditional style, with a dram handed to the many hurlers taking part in this sponsored Haggis Hurl in aid of the Centenary Fund.

TO A HAGGIS Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face, Great Chieftain of the pudding race!

Aboon them a' ye tak your place, Painch, tripe or thairm: Weel are ye worthy 0' a grace As lang 's my arm.

The groaning trencher there ye fill,

Your hurdies like a distant hill,

Your pin wad help to mend a mill in time 0 need,

While thro your pores the dewes disti l Like amber bead,

His knife sees rustic labour dight, An' cut you up wi ready slight.

Trenching your gushing entrails bright, Like onie ditch; And then, 0 what a glorious sight, Warm - reekin rich!

LI KE FATH ER

Wimborne, Dorset, St John members were shocked by the sudden death during July of the superintendent of Stapehill Cadet Division 62- year-old Bob Besant. (See obituary on page 214), ' Bob was at the annual inspection on Tuesday , said one member , 'and then we heard he had died on Saturday.'

Mr Besant was found by his son Jeremy, 35, who shared his house in Bournemouth. We now hear that Jeremy , a former SJA member, has decided to rejoin the Wimborne Division.

WEDDING

GRT MANCHESTER: The Chief Commander (right), Major-Gen Pet er Leuchars, at Radcliffe Division's HQ with DIS Mrs Mabel Willis (left) and Corps Supt Mrs Florence Hyde right ), and members, (Below) Retirement of Oldham Eorps Supt Maurice Fenton and Mrs Hilda Fenton , N E Area Admin Officer.

Avon's elegant Deputy Cty Comm, Mrs Marina Dolman, receives farewell gifts on her retirement from Area Pres Lesli e Gardiner and Area Comm Mrs Nora Ford, (Photo: George Gallop).

Photo: Blackpool Gazette ).

Horsham

IlJhis

simple scheme could save a

SJA's Three

Cross Award scheme

Schools project really on the move child's life •••"

Fullest back-up now needed

by ANNE J. MACLEOD Schools Project Officer Association

The Grand Priory of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem

THERE ARE now many success stories in the counties for SJA's schools' THREE CROSS AWARD SCHEME due to the hard work and dedication of individuals who have taken a special interest in this schools project, and have seen the tremendous benefits that can be gained by both the Association and Brigade through using St John Ambulance to promote emergency aid in schools.

Our national publicity has meant that many schools have purchased the Three Cross Award video from the Supplies Department and county directors have been kept informed of the addresses of those schools who have done so. Ideally, each school which has a video should be contacted personally by a member of St John Ambulance in the county to offer guidance. In this way we have an ideal opportunity to eventually promote not only The Three Cross Award Scheme but also the Cadets and FA W courses. This has already happened in some counties.

Now that schools and education authorities are showing an increasing interest in this schools project it is up to us in St John Ambulance to make sure that they receive the proper back-up. When a school has completed the Three Cross Award we must 204

make sure that there is plenty of local press coverage, with maybe a local Education Officer and a St John Ambulance official at the presentation. Most schools appreciate this type of publicity and St John Ambulance will be recognised as the instigator of this progressive project which will benefit not only the young but the whole community.

A few months ago many firms were sent a letter asking them to sponsor a school to start the Three Cross A ward and the response has been very encouraging. To date, 160 schools have been sponsored

Another bit of good news is that The Federation of Master Builders is donating £2000 to supply the package to 45 sc hool s in England and Wales. (Progress on this wi ll appear in Review.) Counties that require further leaRets to give to prospective sponsors, please contact me.

Every member of St John Ambulance should have the opportunity to see the video of the Three Crass A ward. [f funds are not available to purchase a copy, borrow one from your County Headquarters.

With the 'Save a Life' campaign starting in October, teachers will be even more aware of the need to be doing their bit' about emergency aid in their schools and we are the ones who have the answer!

I would very much appreciate any photographs /press cuttings on schools involved in The Three Cross Award in your areas, so that I can put together an information package.

Secretary-General's Report

St John Ophthalmic Hospital in Jerusalem

The American Society of The Order

Ladies' Guild

Musical Society

Library and Museum

St John Ambulance

The Association

SecretaryGeneral's Report

1985 has seen a considerable number of new ventures and achievements , such as the F rst A d in Schools Programme , the con t inuance and further development of the Outreach Programme based on the St John Oph t halmic Hospital in Jerusa em the apPOintment of a project officer to oversee the S ight Pro ect in Oman , he awa r d of t h e Britannia Troph y to t he St John A i r W i ng and , although a major donor has not yet produced the expected g r an t to the Hospita l, an adequate flow o f funds to support the Order s cha ri table activ it ies A year herefore of progress and consolidation

The work of t he Hosp ta continues to ex pand The r e have been many visitors t h s year everyone o f w hom was impressed and moved by all t hey s a w the r e , from the h igh standards of hygiene and technology to the expressions on the face s of Arab patients r eflecting the love and dedication with which they are cared

St John Ambulance has again been In the forefront of those teaching f i rst aid , pa r t i cular ly i n i ndustry and the work place wh i le members have become i nvolved or supported t he professional ambulance serv ce at r ots , football match d sturbances 'and major events while dealing on their own w ith such events as the London and other Marathons , New Year s Eve in Trafalgar Square and a myriad of varied pub l iC du ti es

Earl er on in the year we accepted an o ff er from Saatchi and Saatchi to act as our PR advisers and results from this liaison are now beginning t o show. There were several charity performances during the year and also a reception held at the Balt i c Ex change where the Order s message was put over to C ty representat ives In June a banquet was held at Osterley Park and at the end of the year two recordings were made in the Grand Priory Church of ' Masterm nd ' There were various events which are described in other reports , as well as the Order Festivals held in different parts of th e country These together with many outstand ng loca l occas ons run by Count ies and great efforts to widen ou r donor basewhich has increased from 2 ,000 names to 20 ,000 over the past three years wh i le i ndustria and commerc ial

donors ha v e ncreased from 200 to 1 300 in th e sa m e p er o d - a ll he ped to k e ep Th e Ord er, t s two Fo u n d ations a nd th eir ac ti vit ie s well n the public e ye.

At Eas ter HRH the G rand P r or and HRH Th e Du ches s o G lo u cester f ew to Ne w Zea lan d where th ey took a promi ne nt part i n the fo u r days of c e lebrati o n s and ceremo ni es held in Christchurch , commemo rati n g t h e c e ntenar y o f St J ohn in t h at country. T he G ove rnor - G e n eral a n d P rior of th e Pr ior y n New Zea land, S ir Dav i d Beatt ie, wa s p rese n t thro u ghout as wa s h is s uc c essor, then t h e Priory Chapla n , t he Mo s t Rever e nd S ir Paul Ree ves A m o ng the ceremonies was a chu r ch s erv ice of Remembrance and Rede dica t ion , an n vestiture, a Review and a whol e day of interna t iona First Aid comp e t t o ns; but perhaps the most re mar ka b le fe a t was the serving o f an e xcel le nt dinner, hot and w th a cho ice for eac h course , to over 800 de legates in a n enormous marquee, al prod u ced f rom m o bile kitchens in t h e m iddle of a play i ng field! HRH The G r and P rior also visited Scotland ear li e r in the year, presided over the G r and Pri or's T ro phy C ompetitio n at

The Or de r Service at St Paul s Cathedral.

Buxton and came to the Es q u res' S ervice of Caro l s in Gra n d Pri o r y Ch u rch. T owa r ds th e e n d o f th e y ea r HRH Informal ly i nves ed at Ke n si n gt on P alace t h e Mos t Reverend S i r Paul Reeves as Prior of the Priory in Ne w Zeala n d a n d attended a luncheon in the Lord P rior's ho n our in D ecember. We are grateful y i n debted to other members of the Royal Fam il y who, as members of the Or der graciou sl y co nt n ued th eir in t e r est and support of The Order of S t J o hn in ma n y ways and in many p l aces.

The Lord Prior has had a busy year attending many functions in this country as diverse as opening a new D ivisional Headquarters at Weybridge, being present at the Annual General Meeting of the St John Fe l lowship at St John s Gate, hos t ing the Lord Prior s Reception and overseeing the celebrations on St John s Day, attending the St John Festival in Scotland, the first annual service at Great Br ice tt in Suffo l k where once lived the donor of the land on which the Grand Priory was built in Clerk enwell, the Mass and Dip lomatic Reception given by the SMOM on the anniversary of the relief of the siege of

M a ta, t h e O rder S e r vice at Norwic h , t he a nn ua m eeting of t h e Al i ance

O r d e r s in R o m e an d co ndu ct i ng

Inv es t tu res i n t he Gr an d Pri o r y Ch u r c h a n d in h e C ath ed r a l C h urc h o f St Jo h n the Di vine in New York

Th e L a d ies G u ild he d three meetn gs du r in g the year under the presidency of H RH P r i ncess A ce an d t h e chairma n s h ip of Lady Caccia d u ri n g wh ch var ous success f ul e v e nt s w ere p l a nn ed, a nd l ater organ sed an d h el d , to ra se money in a i d of t h e St Jo hn O pht h almiC Hospit a One nteresting deve l opment duri ng the yea r was t h at, while the composition of the L adies Guild remai n ed the same , the Musical Society was estab ished in its own right by the G r and P riory Council, giving t a l arge measure of independence whi l e properly remaining respons i ble to Grand P riory Council , which now guarantees a min i mum annual sum of £5 000 to the L adies Guild

As a result of the persistent efforts of the Friends of the St John Oph t halmiC H ospital several la r ge bequests have been made during t he year includin g £10,000 from S aud i Arabia and a most generous £140 , 000 from King Hussein to endow two beds in the names of Her Majesty Queen Noor and Princess Iman. In addition various events were held or suppo r ted in this country by the Friends of the St John Ophthalmic Hospital thus enabling them to claim yet another industrious and successful year.

The Library and Museum staff had an excellent, busy year and their report is included on a later page

This year the Alliance Meeting was held in Rome It was the last meeting presided over by H RH Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands who has now handed over the Pr eside n cy of the Al li ance Orders to H RH The Duke of G l oucester, our Grand Prior. Subjects of mutual interest were, as usual, discussed toget h er with the support which the A l l iance O rders could give to the S J ohn O phtha mic Hospital; the opportunity of meeting senior members of t he Sovereign Military Order of M alta was take n with the resu lt t h at cordia l and enhanced re at o n s h ips have been de ve oped. L at er in he year t h e S ecretaryGe n e r a l , B aro n Akerheil m p edged a che qu e of 20,000 Swiss francs to the H o spitall e r at the an n ua H ospital

C om m it tee Mee t ing at S t Jo h n 's Ga t e a n d t h is w a s in a d d tion t o a do n a t i on o 8, 0 0 0 D e ut ch marks w h ich h a d al rea d y b ee n r e c eive d from the B a ll ey- Brand en bu rg.

M e m be rs of th e O r d er n Norf o k

wer e o ur h o st s for t h e S e r vi ce o f

Re d e dic a on in th e c a th e d ra ch ur c h of th e H o ly and U n d vid e d T ri nity in

No rw c h. All t h e v is t o rs we re lou d n t h e ir pr aise f o r t he warmt h o f t he w e lcom e w h ic h greeted th e m a nd f or

Our Grand Pr ior, H R H

the dignity and beauty of the service in this lovely cathedral. After a forceful address by the Rt Rev the L ord Bishop of Peterborough calling on us to be strong and of good courage, to launch out into the deep , to serve those in need and to do all we could to promote the Christian faith and peace in the service of mankind , we le ft inspired and full of gratitude to those members from Norfolk and to those of the ceremonial staff who contributed so much and so well to an exceptionally good day.

Sadly , a decision had to be made by Chapter-General at their meeting in December about the future of the Norwegian Society which had not liv ed up to expectations. A recommendat ion was passed to HRH The Grand Prior, which he has subsequently endorsed, that the recognit i on hitherto given by the Venerable Order of St John to the Norwegian Society should now be fully and publicly withdrawn Our confreres in the Alliance Orders and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta have been informed as have those n our Priories overseas and in the American Soc ety. Those involved in the Norwegian S ociety have been told and the news has been pas sed to the Royal Palace and t h e Foreign Office in Oslo as well as to our own Ambassador there.

D uring the year the S t John House Club at 50 Eaton Place, SW1 has been almost comp l etely renovated; there was a small ceremony in May to mark the opening of t h e Scottish Room and a s li g h t ly larger one in October , at whic h L a d y Mountbatten wa s pre s ent, to mark t he reopen i ng of the Mountbatten Roo m and to thank all t h e peop le who had worked on the res t o r at on during the year The C ub n ow has seven double rooms with a bathroom or shower , together with

five s ngle rooms all of which have private bath or shower or im mediate access to one. All have colour televis i on and coffee or t ea-making fac i lities. It s a very good place to stay

In November the Public Affairs Department was strengthened by the appointment of a Director of Informat ion. It s hoped that now we really can br i ng our name much more before the publ ic , increasing awareness of what the Order of St John is and what through its two Foundations it does for the poor and suffer ing.

I must end this report on a note of exhortation and gratitude Ex hortation, because behind all our endeavours - and successes - to keep abreast of the growing demand for our services throughout the world a deep concern over both f i nancia and recruiting problems persist. We must do everything we can to widen our circle of friends and supporters and to raise the money we need to keep pace with incr eased costs while at the same time encouraging young people to join us in our work. Gratitude, because our efforts have been sustained this year , as they have i n the past , by a host of volunteers and benefactors whose work and generosity may be unsung bu t without which the Order and its Foundations would rapidly cease to exist Our indebtedness to them s mmeasurab le for it is they alone who prov i de the means whereby we can continue to help those in distress.

The Duke of Gloucester practising first aid on two Nursing Members at the Grand Pr io r s Trophy Competition

StJohn Ophthalmic Hospital In Jerusalem

Work Load

During 1985 total attendances increased by 4.5% and the number of operations increased by 9% a clear indication that the Hospital's services are still in great demand. Attendances numbered 44,484 and 4,936 operations were carried out.

Surgical Staff

During the year three surgeons were welcomed; from Canada Dr Michael Boyd who replaced Dr Harold Climenhaga, from Australia Dr Ross Littlewood who replaced Dr Peter Novakovic, and from the UK Dr Ismail Jalili who replaced Dr Marwan Zeidan.

The trainee ophthalmologists Dr Walid Khanfar from Jenin and Dr Charlie Kanawati from Bethlehem will remain attached to the Hospital during 1985/86. Dr Samir Abdel Hadi who finished his period of training in 1985 is now attending a Course at Glasgow University thanks to a British Council Scholarship which will enable him eventually to complete his training as required for a High Diploma.

Nursing Staff

In April 1985 two UK Sisters took up posts, Miss Carmel King and Miss Jacqueline Rendell. Miss Dorothy Finlay from New Zealand joined the staff in the same month, Miss Myrna Hanson from Canada in September and Miss Elizabeth Firth from the RMRAF Nursing Service in November. During the year Miss Hyam Kaibni joined the Sisters' staff to take charge of the Health Education commitment of Outreach with the important task of training primary health workers in the villages of the West Bank

Ancillary Medical Staff

A scheme whereby orthoptists join the Hospital for a three month period began in June 1985; Miss Ann Walsh from Glasgow was succeeded by Miss Sheila Baker from Sussex and their

services have proved most valuable in the management of children in the out-patient department. Miss Janet Pomroy the daughter of one of the employees of the British Bank in Middle East in London, left us after a period of two years in charge of the contact lens department.

Out-patient Department

The Sharplan laser, given to the Hospital by the Scottish Priory is now in full working order and has proved a valuable addition to the services offered especially to patients with diabetes.

Nursing School

A practical Nursing Course began in April and it is intended that this course should be extended to a period of 18 months in order to ensure that our pupils are able to sit an examination for the Jordan Diploma which will be of value to them throughout the Middle East in gaining employment.

A Postgraduate Nursing Course also began in November for a period of six months enabling Sisters who have been trained at Bethlehem University to specialise in ophthalmology. The cost of this project has been underwritten by Welfare Association, Geneva.

Further Education for Nurses

An in-service training scheme is now in action wherein lectures are given by Doctors or Sisters twice a month so that the modern techniques are kept well enforced.

The Hospital has joined a group from other hospitals in Jerusalem, Gaza and the West Bank to organise seminars four times a year. St John

Ophthalmic Hospital will give a one day Seminar in April 1986.

During 1985 students in training have attended the Hospital from the Ibn Sina School of Nursing, Caritas Hospital and Bethlehem University. Furthermore 10 registered nurses from African countries attended the Hospital as part of a Course on postgraduate tra ning.

Administration

The success of solar heating was well established in 1985 by a pilot study as an economy measure to reduce the amount of oil purchased in the year and so it is intended to extend this method of heating to the Nurses' Home and laundry. The extension is made possible by the generosity of the All ance Orders.

Outreach

The Outreach Services have continued to grow over the year and there has been great activity thanks to the help of Overseas Development Agency in researching the cause of vernal conjunctivitis which is such a blight to children of school age who live on the West Bank. A research programme has been under the care of Dr Lee Chumbley in Jerusalem with the help of Dr Mala from the University of London and Dr Daniel McCloskey from the Department of Haematology at the London Hospital.

Professional visits have been made by Mr Eric Arnott FRCS , who spent a week at the Hospital demonstrating the recent techniques in extracapsular extraction and the insertion of

Children are particularly prone to eye disease; special attention is given to make them feel at home in hospital.

intraocular lenses. In November Mr Richard Welham FRCS, of Moorfields Eye Hospital with his anaesthetist visited the Hospital and demonstrated the most recent techniques in lacrimal surgery. Dr Barry Smith was most helpful to our full-time anaesthetist Dr Abu Ata advising him about hypotensive anaesthesia

Dr Mala from the Institute of Ophthalmology has made a number of visits during the year and has proved of great help to the staff in organising the research work on vernal catarrh.

Fund Raising

A Committee of the Friends of St John Ophthalmic Hospital was formed in February with the help of Mr Peter

Garland. The Committee included the Matron and the wife of the Warden and two functions were organised over the year. In June a successful Dinner Dance was held at the Intercontinental Hotel and at Christmas, a Coffee Morning and Christmas draw were most successful at the Palace Hotel. From these two functions some $10,000 were raised and much i nterest was stimulated concerning the Hospital in Jerusalem

Finances

The finances of the Hospital still cause some anxiety The costs of the Hospital now run to £1,300,000 per annum and due to generous gifts from allover the world , particularly from the United Kingdom, USA, Jordan and other Arab States , the Hospital has been able to continue its work and no patient ha s ever been turned away.

One of the 5,000 operations carried out annually.

Commoner and more significant operations

Tarsectomy

Chalazion

Cystectomy D-C-R

Strabismus

Evisceration

Enucleation

Pterygium

Corneal Tattooing

Corneal Graft

Optical Iridectomy

Iris Prolapse

Discission

Glaucoma

Retinal Detachment

Cataract

E/C Lens Extraction

IIC Lens Extraction

The American Society

On 3 November 1985, The American Society of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem held its 25th Annual Investiture. The Lord Prior, Sir Maurice Dorman, presided and the Secretary-General ,

Sir Peter Hudson, and the then Vice-Ch ancellor, Major-General The Earl Cathcart, were in attendance Twenty-two current members were promoted and thirty-four new members were admitted.

At the Annual Meeting, which always follows the Investiture , the Treasurer of the American Society was able to report to the Membership that since 1973 , £1,142,378 had been granted to the upkeep of the Children's Ward of the Hospital of Jerusalem, and during this same period, Research Grants had been given in the amount of £63,600. The estimated cost of providing for an American ophthalmic surgeon, the

Eye Bank , and certain special needs ,

£369 ,000 , wh ich together w ith the other small special gifts , brought the total amount of the Grants to £1,575,000 ($2 ,350,000).

As part of the Report and , as the Gift for 1985 , the Treasurer was able to hand the Lord Prior a cheque fo r £177 ,550 ($265 ,000).

The American Society s composed of United States Citizens , and British Subjects resident in the United States , who have been admitted to the Most Venerable Order. Its concern is exclusively for the Hospital in Jerusalem and the Eye Bank.

The Ladles Guild

With its income enhanced by a variety of events and occasions, including those of the Musical Society , which its members have undertaken , the Guild has been of considerable assistance to the Hospital this year. In addition to annual grants of some £4,000 to the Matron to be spent on items to improve the lot of the Doctors , Sisters, Nurses and patients and which could otherwise not be provided by the Order, the endowment established to

fund a bed has reached a total of about £35 ,000. Of the £10 ,000 pledged by the Musical SOCiety to the Ladies Guild for 1985 a proportion may be put into the fund so that the total may stand at very near to half that required for a bed. The sum now needed to endow a bed in perpetu ity is estimated at £85 ,000

The Guilds in New Zealand , Canada and Australia have also been active

and the Hospital's debt of gratitude to them for their interest and help is profound. In part they help to pay for Doctors and Sisters at the Hospital; currently Doctors from Canada and Australia and Sisters from New Zealand and Canada are serving at the Hospital and a Sister from Australia finished her tour there halfway through 1985.

Our Hospital celebrated its silver jubilee during 1985 -a happy occasion - but inevitably some of the furniture and fittings are in need of replacement. From her annual grant

Matron has been able to buy such things as a new oven for the Sisters, a new vacuum cleaner for the Doctors' flats, a washing machine for her own bungalow and make a start to the provision of matching curtains and counterpanes together with fitted shelves for the Nurses' quarters. The Christmas party for blind children which had also been funded by the Matron up to this year will, in future, be run by the Jerusalem group of the Friends of the St John Ophthalmic Hospital thus releasing more funds to be at Matron's disposal The Ladies Guild also underwrites the capital

The Musical Society

We enter our sixth year, with newly established independence, still under the guidance of our Chairman, Sir Kenneth Cork, our newly appointed Advisory Board, and a new Committee. We are fortunate indeed, to have the continued and steadfast support of our Sponsors, The National Westminster Bank, without whom we would never have ventured into this world of music.

To our great pleasure, The Priory of Scotland formed their own Order of St John Musical Society, with HRH The Duke of Gloucester attending their

first Concert at Stirling University, given by Dame Janet Baker (a Patron since 1980) sponsored by British Petroleum. We sincerely hope that other Priories will follow this example.

During February, Mrs MacDougall (Member of The Ladies Guild) , with Sir Geraint Evans (a Patron since 1980 when he attended our first concert at Guildhall) organised a concert in St David 's Hall , Cardiff , with Marie McLaughlin, Della Jones, Dennis O ' Neill and Phillip Joll, with Sir Charles Mackerras conducting, in the gracious presence of HRH Princess of Wales, which was a great success.

In London, we were delighted to be given , by Mr Richard Branson of Virgin Films, the premiere of Carmen at the Lumiere Cinema, with Placido Domingo Julia Migenes-Johnson and Ruggero Raimondi and Lorin Maazel , Conductor , attended by HRH The Duchess of Gloucester, an evening which greatly added to our coffers and St John Ambulance, London District. This was sponsored by the

Festival. Several lectures on the history of the Order and St John Ambulance were given at venues other than the Gate and the staff

Library and Museum

St John's Gate and the Grand Priory Church had over 10,000 visitors during the year: a thousand additional visitors came as a result of our policy of keeping the buildings open every day for a fortnight during the Clerkenwell Festival in July, which proved to be very popular among local workers and residents, many of whom had not before found the opportunity to visit us and hear about the Order and its work. The staff conducted some 250 guided tours throughout the year. A small exhibition was held at the Kensington Antiques Fair in October in aid of the Ophthalmic Hospital, and an exhibition about Clerkenwell was mounted in the Gate during the local

outlay necessary for the stall which Matron operates at the Hospital thus enabling a small profit to be made on the sale of gifts and souvenirs to visitors.

Finally, it would not be right to end this report without a word of praise and gratitude to HRH Princess Alice for her continued support, concern for the Hospital and regular attendance at Ladies Guild meetings. Our President sets us a marvellous example and gives tremendous encouragement to all our members.

National Westminster Bank, represented by Mr and Mrs J E Bond.

The City of London Festival , in July, included a lunchtime recital of Early Music at Grand Priory Church , with The Consort of Musicke , directed by Anthony Rooley. With our 12th century Crypt we are encouraging Early Music on a regular basis. In December we were honoured by the attendance of our Grand Prior HRH

The Duke of Gloucester to the second Festival of Carols at Grand Priory Church with The Guards Chapel Choir under the direction of Andrew Pearmain, Director of Music. It was organised by the Ceremonial Esqu i res of The Order of St John and under the Chairmanship of Major John Browne , M P and in conjunction with The Order of St John Musical Society. An excellent reception followed this joyous annual occasion.

May we thank everyone, not only for their marvellous generosity and assistance, but also for their kindness and encouragement at all times.

contributed to the continuing success of the St John Historical Society , which met regularly throughout the year, hearing lectures on The Church

of the Holy Sepulchre , Sir Vincent Kennett-Barrington Crusader Sculpture and Portra its of the Kn ghts of St John , and visiting the Museum at Coningsby Hospital , Herefordshlre which comes under he St John Counc for Hereford , and presenting it with additional display panels The Society also visited Court in Leicestershire , O r der sites in Scotland, and the Temple Church i n London

A most i mportan t acquisition was made: The Patent Letter of Philip and Mary re-establish i ng the of England in 1557 which lists the property being restored to the Order throughout England. This was donated , with an endowment for Its display and conservation , by Sir Shlu Kin- Tang We also acquired AntoniO La freri's map of Malta, dated 1565 , the year of the Great Siege, showing the retreat of the Turks from the island which fills an important gap in our map collection.

George Beech ing, of Wallasey , Merseyside , gave to the Museum , on loan , the Albert Medal in gold an award given for acts of extreme heroism in attempting to save life , which was awarded to his son, George, in 1942. The Young George Beeching gave up his fe in attempting to save the sick-berth patients when his ship , the Ibis , was sunk during enemy act i on off the coast of North Africa.

Experts from the Royal Armouries of HM Tower of London , with an

American colleague, catalogued in depth the collection of Rhod an armour presented to the Museum in 1961 by Sir George Wilkinson. Th S collection is now seen to have Items of particu ar i nterest and our armour disp ay will be adjusted accordingly.

Our early 18th century silver bleeding bowl was lent to the Victoria and Albert Museum during November as part of a regular th.ere of items bought with the grant-in-aid fund. The Malta V ews exhibition , mounted by Stella Dyer , travelled to the Collins Gallery at the University of Strathclyde and attracted a great deal of inte rest.

Stella took a new set of display panels to Bubikon of Switzerland, and rearranged the permanent display on the Most Venerable Order there.

The Librarian continued to travel with a BBC rad o team and visited Turkey , including Bodrum , and Italy including the Palazzo Malt a in in the preparation of a series of radiO programmes on the Crusades to be broadcast in the autumn of 1986

St John s Gate was the venue for two med a events ; filming for B iggles - The Movie and two editions of Mastermind recorded in the church , which will attract attention to the buildings and the work of the Order

Our thanks to all those who have contributed to the Library and Museum, whether by voluntary service or by thei r generous donations to the Museum and Library, contributing to the record of the work of the Order and its foundations , and its h story and traditions.

StJohn Ambulance

Introduction by The Chief Commander and Commissioner-I n-C hief, Major-General

P. R. Leuchars CBE

We are only too well aware of how the public take the activities of St John Ambulance throughout the country for granted. One of the most important developments during 1985 has been the realisation of the importance of our Publ ic Relations and Advertising covering the whole of our work Our aim must be to make everyone aware of our many and varied roles and all that i s involved, thereby encouraging recru iting and persuading the public to support us financially. We are grateful to Saatch i and Saatch for a the advice and help that they have given us We now have a new appointment in the Headquarters D rector of Information ; almost eve;y County has a PR Officer t s planned to have one in each DIVISion in due course I am glad to be able to report as well that , thanks to a generous donation by the Brit ish Petroleum pic , we are able to make a film about the work of S t John Ambulance Th s film should be ready for Centenary Year and will be suitable for show ng either on TeleVIs i on or in local cinemas as well as being reproduced onto video tape for use in D ivisions and Centres of the Association Its main ob j ect being to persuade the public to join St JO hn Ambulance. We must be taken notice of the best PR we have is our - tirelessly performing in the publ i c s eye and for over 3 mill ion hours a year With further studies under way , and everyone s cooperation and enthus iasm, we will increase our Recruiting and fulfil the needs of the communities to an even greater extent.

A most welcome introduction has been the First A d Project for Schools , a package consisting of Video and Instructional Manual, deSigned to be included in any school curriculum am del i ghted to say that it has already been accepted in a large number of schools.

Mrs. Joan Logan, Sister of George Beeching who was awarded the Albert Medal in Gold.

The top membrane of the patent letter of Philip and Mary 1557.

The figures for 1985 show that the St John Ambulance Association is maintaining a strong position in providing courses for the public , even though we have over 500 compet it ors in the training business.

We have introduced a training package for school teachers and also a Three Cross Award Scheme for school children. The teacher s project is well establ i shed and 25,000 copies of the book Emergency Aid in Schools' have been sold The Three Cross Award Scheme is gaining momentum and we are actively marketing it in many schools , having recently appointed a National Schools Project Officer

A study of marketing and management methods within the Association has been put into motion by the Director-General and we are developing a scheme to increase membership of the Association. This year also we have introduced new procedures to increase the effectiveness of First Aid instructors.

EXAMINATION RESULtS

Type of Class

Public First Aid

First Aid (now discontinued)

First Aid at Work

First Aid in Mines

First Aid (Mountain Activities)

Essentials of First Aid

Occupational First Aid

Emergency Aid I (F' A'd) nstructors Irst Nursing

Caring for the Sick Level 1

Caring for the Sick Level 2

Caring for the Sick Level 3

Hvgienic Food Handling

Child Welfare

Preliminary Child Care

Total First Certificates

Re-examination Certificates

Overall Totals

THE BRIGADE

Once again , in spite of the numbers in the Brigade decreas ng, the annual number of hours of Public Duties and Welfare undertaken have remained remarkably high at 3 6 mill on hours

The Air Wing has had a year to be proud of having been awarded the Britannia Trophy for their work in 1984; and in 1985 completing 100 Missions, a target which they had been striving to achieve for the last two years. A detailed study to enhance the status of Juniors has been carried out. It has been proposed that a special section known as Badgers be introduced with the age for entry lowered to six years. The final form that this will take is subject to Trials taking place in a number of Counties.

Finally, we were honoured and delighted to have had a visit to 1 Grosvenor Crescent on 18 November by The Grand Prior, His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester , accompanied by Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Gloucester. The visit started with lunch in St John House and during the course of the afternoon both of them visited all the Branches in the Headquarters and managed to speak to all those present. It was an afternoon very much appreciated by all of us.

The Moyra Browne Trust was set up last year and the first award goes to a nursing member, Mrs Jean Lowe from Cleveland. This award allows a nursing member to attend the Medical Conference with all expenses paid and give them a chance to experience debates and lectures given by the Medical section of the organisation.

The Royal Navy and more recently the Royal Air Force have kindly allowed our members over 18 years of age to train for two weeks at their hospitals at Stonehouse, Plymouth and Ely, Cambridgeshire living in the mess at £20.00 per week. The members will

prefer not to take long courses and regular examinations

Some of the Brigade Auxiliary Membership does eventua l ly convert to full Brigade Membership.

To clarify the present situation and to encourage Care i n the Community within Brigade Divisions, one year pilot schemes have now commenced w i th eight areas participating If successful, the whole scheme will be ntroduced n 1987 as a new project to mark our Centenary

Care in the Community activities have a great appeal to our cadets and younger members their willingness to partake is often spontaneous and imaginative as is exemplified in the entries presented by the d i visions for the Sir Keith Joseph Welfare Cup Competition.

This type of work is appealing to retired members of the Brigade , to members who are unemployed, some of our Pr eside nts and those with only a few hours to spare and an xious to be of service. Much hidden talent has been discovered.

Sovereign's Award Project

The rules and plans for the new Sovere i gn ' s Award were finalised and approved for initial attempts to start in July 1986 Young Adult Members and Cadets between the ages of 16 and 25 years may, through a three year period , attempt to complete two major initiatives of research and service in First Aid , Nursing or Care in the Community or raise funds. To be considered for the Award they also have to have achieved certain higher standards in other specified qualifications and length of service.

Cadets

Contact with other Youth Organisations

St John Ambulance Cadets are observer members of the National Council for Voluntary Youth Service (NCVYS) and the Central Council for Ph ysical Recreat on (C CPR) and links with most youth organisations

Cadet Quiz

The Cadet Quiz was for the first time a national competition in 1985 and was won by a team of four Cadets under the age of 16 from Bedgrove Comb ined Div ision, Buck inghamshire. The quiz was held during the Brigade Finals Compet itions at Croydon and judged by senior medical personnel.

Junior Craft Competition

The task for 1985 was for each Junior to make a model of their Divisional Superintendent. S xty-nine entries were received; the winner being Jane Shroeder from S t affordsh ir e.

International Year of Youth

As St John Ambulance S contribution to the year of youth , the two winning Cadet teams from the Br igade Fi na ls Competitions were sponsored to attend an International Camp held in Adelaide , Australia. This was held to celebrate 100 years of St John in South Australia and 150 years of the S tate of South Austral ia.

gain experience in all departments from casualty to the operating theatre. Two members , Mark Selleck and El izabeth Mann from Devon have already been on a course and wrote glowing reports of the valuable and enjoyable experience they gained

The Superintendent-in-Chief has received a large amount of enquiries from interested members and hopes many more will apply.

Now that First Aid at Work is behind us I hope, and am supported by Chief Nursing Officer, Miss Rosemary Bailey, that ' Caring for the Sick will now become very much a part of the Divisional programme

Community Welfare Activities performed by the St John Ambulance Brigade , and all those associated with the Brigade Divisions, continue to increase.

As always the help rendered is relative to the division's local needs. Because of the increasing demand for voluntary help with Care in the Community, divisions are recruiting auxiliary members. During the past year auxiliary membership has increased dramatically.

There are many people willing to assist with Community Care, who i nitially do not wish to wear un form , but are quite keen to join our auxiliaries and wear the badge They will accept specific training for the r particular choice of care activity - they

Visits during the year to counties, areas and divisions continue to convince us that ever increasi ng opportunities for involvement in Care in the Commun ity are being met, and indeed present a challenge and great future for the Brigade

Brigade Training

Sail Training

St John Ambulance Cadets and young Adults took part in seven cruises with the Sail Training Association. A total of 26 sailed in either the STS Sir Winston Churchill (six boys) and the STS Malcolm Miller (t hree boys and 17 girls)

Nursing

The Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme

St John Ambulance as an operating Authority continues to take part in the Duke of Edinburgh s Scheme To date over 700 people between the ages of 14 and 25 years are taking part and over the past five years over 150 awards have been gained.

The Proficiency Scheme

Young members from Avon on

County Leadership Course.

Outward Bound Courses

Two-week long courses were held for 48 St John Ambulance Cadets at Eskdale, Cumbria and Rhowniar , Gwynedd (attended by 22 boys and 26 gir s, mixed). Ten Adults also attended two-week courses at Aberdovey, Eskda le, Lock Ei and Ullswater

Camping Warrant

Thirty-five Camping Warrants and three Quartermastering Certificates were issued during the year.

The Prof iciency Scheme exists for Cadets and ex-Cadets (who have been promoted to join Adult Divisions) up to the age of 21 years to study subjects outside First Aid and Nursing in order to widen their interests and abilities There are some 90 subjects from which to choose (from Mountaineering to Needlework).

On obtaining passes in 12 subjects personnel were awarded the Grand Prior Badge and Certificate in 1985 (158 to Adult personne and 529 to Cadets)

The Pro ficiency Scheme is currently under rev ision.

At the camp the first ever Commonwealth Cadet Compet ition was held with teams from Australia, Canada , Fiji, Malaysia , Papua New Guinea and United Kingdom taking part. The competition was won by the team from Ringmer Susse x our other team from Newton Abbot , Devon came fourth.

St John Fellowship

The St John Fellowship continues to prosper. By 31 December 1985, 56 branches had been registered , an i ncrease of 19 during the year. Among further enqu ries received from the Commonwealth was the fourth from Canada this time from Vancouver Island.

The second Annual General Meeting took place in the Prior y Church on 15 May , 1985 in the presence of the Lord Prior One hundred and thirtyfour members attended , including Mrs Ruth Parks , formerly Matron of the St John Ophthalmic Hospital in Jerusalem who was warmly welcomed.

Members were delighted when Marjorie, Countess of Brec knock agreed to become Pres ident of the Fel lowship. She has already met many old friends

In September , Mr George Woodh i ll led a party of members and frie nds on a Tour of the Holy Land including a visit to the St John Ophthalm ic Hospital, which was much enjoyed Branches have reported a wide range of activities, both in suppo rt of St John and for their own entertainment. Almost all were involved in Fu nd -Raising , thro ugh raffles, stalls at bazaars and the annual House to House and Flag Day collections Many

9

Agony during the London Marathon. One of the 2,000 treated by

a

Cadet helping a blood donor session in the Isle of Man

catered at St John events; Halifax Branch fed 200 Brigade members at the Area Competitions. while St John Guild. Western Area Hants provided the tea when Princess Anne visited the annual Holiday Camp for Young Disabled run by the County Superintendent, Hants A number of joint meetings of Branches have been arranged this year -a new idea which has produced happy reunions - and most Branches held parties at Christmas with visits and gifts to housebOlJnd members. Members in Northern Area , London District, were especially pleased to be invited to a €hristmas lunch and Entertainment given by the Cadets of 207 Bowes Park Combined Division for pensioners in the area.

ST JOHN AMBULANCE AIR WING

The year 1985 will go down in the history of the Air Wing and the Brigade as one in which we achieved our highest honour. At a glittering gathering of members of the Royal Aero Club held in the Great Banqueting Hall in Whitehall, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, accompanied by His Royal Highness Prince Philip, presented the Britannia Trophy to St John Ambulance Air Wing - this Trophy , first presented in 1913, is normally awarded annlJally to the British Aviator or aviation accomplishment which , in the opinion of the Royal Aero Club is worthy of the most meritorious performance in the air during the preceding year, if such has taken place to merit it s award; several years have been without award.

The citation for 1984 reads : 'St John Ambulance Air Wing. For outstanding service to humanity in transporting by air over 700 heart and liver transplants and accompanying medical staff by 165 voluntary private pilots, since its inauguration in 1972.'

The fortunate recipients of the Trophy were Sqn Ldr H G. Pattison DFC OStJ. the Air Operations Coordinator, Mr W. Bailey OStJ , a senior pilot and Mr Patrick G. Bowen OStJ DPA, the Senior Flight controller. This olJtstanding recognition is a credit to everyone involved in the work of the Air Wing

Over the past few years improved surgical experience and procedures, new drugs and much research, have extended the storage life of donor kidneys to a point where they can be held until a scheduled air service or other transport can carry them with the resulting saving of costs How10

ever, both the liver and heart transplant programmes have rapidly expanded to the extent that the majority of requests now received from the United Kingdom Transplant Centre , are for the rapid transportation of specialised teams of Surgeons who fly to the donor to retrieve the organ/s before returning for the transplant operation. Kidneys can now be stored for up to 24 hours but the time available for the more specialised operations remains four to six hours for a liver four hours for a heart and even less for the latest heart/lung transplants. The development of close contacts with Transplant Centres throughout Western Europe has resulted in the Air Wing being required to fly missions throughout Europe r--equiring faster long range aircraft. These factors convinced the DHSS and the Civil Aviation Authority that all flights requiring the carriage of passengers, i.e. surgical teams and patients for urgent transplant, must be carried out in accordance with the Air Navigation Order and subsequent regulations. The ultimate safety of the highly specialised surgeons and staff and the whole question of insurance made it essential that, desp it e the almost faultless record of the Air Wing over 14 years of voluntary service , St John must comply with the high standards set for commercial operators After negotiations between the Chief Officers of St John Ambulance Brigade , the Civil Aviation Authority , the DHSS and existing members of the Air Wing, the Air Wing has undertaken to use only commercially licensed pilots with full current certification , flying aircraft maintained to the Public Service category from 1 October 1985.

The Air Wing will continue to call

notice to far away places through often appalling weather conditions; without them the Air Wing could not have existed. They have flown 2815 hours covering 357925 nautical miles (equivalent to fourteen times round the world) since our inauguration in 1972. During 1985 , one pilot, Mr Frank Quick SBStJ, has persona lly flown 29 missions in addition to taking an extremely energetic share in the Control Room organisation and administration, whilst Captain Eric Thurston OBE OStJ has been of invaluable assistance in our long negotiations with the Civil Aviation Authority

Our appreciation must be extended to The National Air Traffic Services , The United Kingdom Transplant Centre, The Ministry of DefenceRoyal Air Force and Royal Navy , Un i ted States Third Air Force , Civil Aviation Authority and the British Airports Authority and the many others whose help we could not do without.

doctor in Corfu , a Learjet air ambulance was despatched with a doctor and two male nurses aboard. The patient had dived into the sea and struck his head, but managed to crawl out unaided and was assisted into a taxi by his friends. He was taken to the local clinic , where , by sheer chance, one of the doctors had trained at Stoke Mandeville and was probably the only doctor within 500 miles who could perform the five-hour operation to put the patient's head in callipers to prevent any movement. From X-rays it was apparent that both the second and third vertebrae in the neck had virtually exploded into several pieces upon impact, and yet the spinal column had not been damaged. In short, the patient was far worse than we had been led to expect, and it was only his muscular build that had supported his head whilst reaching the clinic and prevented partial or total paralysis.

decision to transport him despite his condition, and to the skill and dedication displayed by our medical team whilst the patient was under their care.

Our thanks must go once again to all those volunteers who quietly give of their time and skills to make Aeromedical Services possible.

upon all our former pilots in requests where unaccompanied organs (kidneys and livers) are to be moved It must be recognised that without the dedication and support given by our pilots and controllers over almost fifteen years , the whole transplant service in the British Isles would have been greatly restricted. It is hoped sincerely that the support of all volunteers will be maintained under the new procedures now imposed and that our work will continue on an even greater scale in the years ahead.

Our achievements during the difficult year of 1985 have been quite extraordinary in that the 1984 record total of 91 missions was surpassed early in December and with only minutes remaining in the old year, the 100th mission of the year was completed on 31 December 1985.

The team of fourteen Flight Controllers who maintain a constant availability either at the Control Centre (2416 hours in 1985) or in their houses has changed slightly with the loss of Mrs D. Fleming after ten years service, and Ron Crawford who has returned to his native Scotland Two new Controllers have been trained and are now operational, Mr C. M. Joy (Jimmy) a former Commander of the Civil Aviation Authority Flying Unit, and Mr M McConnell a former RAF pilot, while our youngest new member, Alan Cook, although in his early twenties, has commenced training; this introduces the third generation of the Bowman family who have given stalwart service since 1972. Alan's grandmother, Mrs Betty Bowman , has now controlled over 150 separate flights.

Our pilots under the guidance of Sqn Ldr H. G. Pattison have given their maximum effort, flying at short

STJOHN AEROMEDICAL SERVICES

The total number of operations arranged in 1985 was 670, compared with 761 in 1984. This short-fall fully reflects the dearth of the Tour Holiday bookings during the first six months of 1985. Work during the second half of the year ran parallel to the same period in 1984, but the turnover did not recover from this very quiet start to the season.

During the year, our Attendants have travelled as far afield as Brazil, Los Angeles , Tokyo , Pusan and Manila to assist travellers needing their services, but the majority of our work stems from the holiday areas of Europe.

In July we received a call from a large tour operator , one of whose clients had suffered a broken neck in Corfu. After consulting with the Greek

A decision had to be made whether or not to move the patient. He had exhausted what could be done for him in Corfu, and would have to be moved for further treatment despite h is condition, so our crew elected to repatriate him to the UK. He was transported in a Hines Splint and on a vacuum mattress, via Stan stead Airport , where he was met by a St John ambulance and police car escort for the five mph road journey to the National Orthopaedic Hospital at Stanmore The Hospital were left with the awkward decision whether or not to operate and risk damage to the spinal column.

We rang to check on this patient some two and a half months later, and by chance chose the day he had left the hospital wearing a cervical collar to support his head and neck. The bones in his neck had been manipulated into pos iti on where they had fused together naturally , so no surgical intervention had been necessary.

This young man is extremely lucky to be alive, let alone to have recovered in the manner that he has done Part of that luck ' is due to a courageous

Weymouth Division at a Banger Meeting!

MEDICAL

Dr R. J Donaldson OBE and the Medical Conference Programme Committee presented the SJA Medical Conference in April at Nottingham Un vers ity. The Programme included St John in the Community ', St John As I See It' which contained some penetrating comments from the Surgeon-in-Chief , the County Nursing Officer Cleveland , the DirectorGeneral and a faSCinating aud i ov sual presentation purporting to be by Lieutenant Colonel I. A M. MurrayBund OBE St John Abroad ' on the Sunday morning included 'New Standards for Aeromedical Evacuation by Group Captain C A. B McLaren RAF , The Problems of Mainta i n in g Standards at St John Ophthalmic Hospital a team presentation introduced by Sir Stephen Miller , The Hospitaller and finally an outstanding dissertation by Sir John Paul , the Director of SJA Overseas Relations.

STEWARD

First Aid courses for medical students were organised at St Thomas s Hospita l Medical School , St Bartholomew s Medical School and at S t Mary's Hospital Medical School , where Sir Douglas Black presented 105 students with First Aid Certificates. On behalf of the Medical Board , London District ran a first a i d course for medical students at the Royal Free Hospital Medical School in November and it is hoped the certficates will be presented by the Duke of Westminster.

H.R.H. The Princess Anne, Mrs. Mark Phillips during her visit to the annual Camp tor Young Disabled run by St John Ambulance.

Luton v Mil/wall match when hooliganism broke out and St John Ambulance had to move into action quickly

Overseas

Regional Seminar

The fourth overseas regional seminar was held in Hong Kong during March , the f i rst having been held in 1978 Twenty-four representatives from 10 far eastern countries attended ncluding the Solomon Islands where St John Ambulance was established in 1980. London HQ were represented by the Chief Commander , the Chief Pres dent, the Director-General and the Director and Secretary of Overseas Relations.

As hitherto the seminar provided an ideal forum for discuss ng common problems and for fostering goodwill and co-operation between the countries partic i pating In particular emphasis was placed on this occasion on the development of primary health care projects in under-developed areas and , for this purpose, a delegation from the South African Priory was specially invited to give a presentation on the amb it ious and highly successful ' Cape Flats pro ect designed to provide health care in a depr ved suburb of Cape Town

Once aga n we are much indebted to the Commonwealth Foundation for the financ al assistance given t owards the cost of the seminar

Training Mission - Tanzania

In October / November two Brigade officers, one f rom Shropshire and one from Somerset , spent two weeks in Dar-es-Salaam training first-aid instructors. Forty-five candidates attended and 80 % completed the course successfully of whom eight did sufficiently well to train instructors themselves SJA in Tanzania is predominantly based on the railways but the course included representation from the docks, fire service , hospitals and industry.

Overseas Visits

Visits during the year included the Chief Commander to Malaysia and New Zealand; the Chief President to Sri Lanka and Bermuda, the Director Overseas Relations to Singapore following the Hong Kong Seminar and the Deputy Commissioner-in-Chief to South Africa In addition , the Secretary-General visited South Africa , Austral a, New Zealand and Zimbabwe in the course of the year.

Stock Aid

As the outcome of an offer by Messrs Smith & Nephew to donate ' expired 12

shelf life ' but serviceable supplies such as dressings , first aid kits and various items of equipment have or are being sent to Jamaica, India and Bermuda The consignment of s i milar supplies to other countries is now planned

Overseas Aid

In add tion to financing the training mission to Tanzania and providing equipment, grants were made to Malta; to the Priory o f Wales for their i nternational convention attended by 12 overseas countries; to the Solomon Islands for a first-aid training ' workshop ', and for sh ip p ng supplies to Jamaica under the Stock-Aid scheme

Regional Aid Programme

Follow in g the nit iative taken at the Toronto Overseas Conference in 198 3, reg ional aid prog ram mes des gned to i nvolve the four overseas Priories n assist ng the poorer SJA organisations n their geographical area have now been established The Canad an / Ca ri bbean States twinning scheme has got of f to a good start; South A rica is in contact with Bophutha t swana and Malawi; New Zealand has rendered further assistance to Fij i; South Australia organ ised an international Cadet Camp at the end of the year ; The Commandery in Western Australia plans to hold a reg onal seminar towards the end of 1986 whilst an International St John Ambulance gathering is planned as part of Australia 's bi-centenar y celeb r ations in 1988.

Primary Health Care

An offer from Dr T M Corry (Rece iver-General in t he South Afr ican Priory and responsible for the 'Cape Flats project) to join the Overseas Relations branch with specific responsibility for the development of primary health care projects in the ' third world' , w orking through the St John Ambulance organ i sations in being, was accepted early in the year. Dr Corry started work at HQ in August.

Whilst it is too early to predict the success of this development , by the end of the year Dr Corry had v isited several countries in central Africa and the Caribbean and , in consultation with the local St John Centres , the governments concerned and certain non-government organisations, he had prepared primary health care schemes for Zambia, Jamaica , Barbados and Guyana. Progress had also been made in examining the feasibility of introducing similar schemes in other countries

The success of this programme will turn largely on Dr Corry s ability to

find the funds to finance it; the present indications are that there is a very reasonable hope that the Ambulance should shortly be able to make a valuable contribution in this most important field

Priories and Commanderies

The Priory of Scotland

Dur ng 1985 a feature of the O r der in Scotland has been a great upsurge in i nterest lead i ng to the formation of Sub-Committees n several of the areas served by Branches Each of these sub-Branches has a Convener and a Committee linked to the Comm ittee of the Branch Area Associat ion This arrangement means that ma ny members do not have to make long car journeys in winter weather to attend meetings which might last only one or two hours. Th s development i s to be encouraged

Further , the Associations continue to show devotio n to duty and working with great enthusiasm under ded icate d leaders and Committees

Aberd ee n have embarked on a f u r t her major extension to the Nurs in g Home thus contributing even more to the welfare of the area.

Ce n tral Region Association taking i n most of Central Scotland have completed a t h rd e x tension to the Holiday Home at Strathyre for the blind and disabled A supply of electric chairs fo r those attending the Home has been donated by various sponsors. At the Central Region Garden Fete held each year in June by the Local Authority for many voluntary bod es working in the area Central Region St John Association was privileged to be nominated as the main benef iciary of the Fete A Newsletter is issued regularly and has been well received by Members. This is happening in other areas with our Associations and is commended as a good method of widening our c rcle of voluntary workers.

Dumfries and Galloway has been especially active in transporting patients to the St John Day Hospital at Dalrymple Hospital, Stranraer Disabled swimmers have also been transported by wheelchair ambulance to the Newton Stewart Swimming Pool each week and this has been much appreciated The Association has been able t o payoff the outstanding loan on the wheelchair ambulance,

the purc has e price of £15,000 having been raised in two and a half years

Dumb a r tonshire Association with its four area Committees h ad a year of s u ccessfu l vo lunt ary work continuing to support a brain-damaged child a nd also providing a taxi service to Vale of Leven Hospital and ot h er Hospitals on a v o lunt ary basis. P ro ject s fo r the year were s ucc essfully carried out incl uding in addition to the above The Arrochar Mountain Rescue Team , Dumbarton Schoo l for the Deaf and the sponsorship of a blind child in India

Glasgow and South West Association now has over one thousand members making it our largest Association in numbers. The Residential Home at Langside is fully occupied with a substantial waiting list. A decision has been taken to further extend the facilities of the Home by building extra bedrooms and improving other accommodation.

The Annual Fest ival held in Glasgow Cathedral and Glasgow City Chambers on 25 June was a memorable occasion both for the Ceremony itself and for the many friendships renewed and new ones made.

Our endeavour will be to continue the work of helping those who are in

need in many d fferent ways and to broaden our efforts and influence throughout Scotland in the service of mankind.

Priory for Wales

The Annual Festival of the Priory took p ace at the Par sh Church of St John the Baptist, Cardiff , on 13 July at which the Guest of Honour was the President , British Association, Sovereign Military Order of Malta , Sir Peter Hope KCMG TO , together with other Sovereign Military Order of Malta representatives.

Priory Chapter visited Powys on 19 October, where a Rededication Service and Investiture took place at the Parish Church of St Mary of the Salvation , Welsh pool , in the presence of HRH The Duchess of Gloucester , Commandant - in - Chief St John Ambulance Brigade in Wales

Continued efforts have been made in the last year to increase members , both in the Association and the Brigade , by public ity pamphlets , TV appearances , and talks whenever possible.

St John Ambulance has now become much more i nvolved in the welfare field, especially i n visiting

elderly people living alone , the handicapped, giv ng relief to individuals looking after a housebound relative , arrang ng instructions for such relatives to carry out Simple Home Nursing and arranging to supply commodes, wheelchairs and other aids.

There has been considerable special sed activity in the field of Mountain Rescue, especially in North Wales and also in the Marine Section 's off-shore activities

St John Ambulance have been considering ways of improving all first aid facilities in sports grounds , with particular regard to the recommendations of the Popplewell Report.

The Associat on has had a busy and successful year. We have completed 1029 courses for St John Ambulance Certificates , 300 more than in 1984. First A i d at Work continues to grow and we conducted 336 courses with 2920 passes and 106 failures. In the Appointed Persons courses we awarded 940 certif i cates

The project for teach ng First Aid n Schools was launched on 2 September 1985 by The Prior and Mr John Stradling- Thomas , former Minister of State for Wales Since that date we have trained 717 pupils throughout

Pupils of St Joseph s High School, in Newport, Gwent, carrying out mouth to mouth resuscitation on Resusci Junior at the Newport Leisure Centre.

Wales, and the courses are incorporated n the curriculum.

For the Brigade, 1985 was a great success. The highlight of the year was the unique achievement of the Glynneath Nursing Team in winning the International First Aid at Christchruch, New Zealand This was the crowning success to the achievements they have made over the last decade which, among other honours, included winning premier trophies at the Royal National Eisteddfod of Wales, the Grand Prior's Trophy Competition and the National Brigade Finals which they won o n three successive occasions There IS no doubt that they are the mos t praiseworthy team Wales has ever p r oduced.

Th e Cefn Mawr Division won the Sir Edwin King Shield which is presented to the Cadet Division in the UK which p erform s the highest nun:ber of hou r s of service to the community

1985 saw the introduction of the Lord Aberdare Si lv er Jubilee Award which was made to encou r age efficiency and enterprise in the Divisions of the Brigade in Wales. The capital sum forming the basis for the Award is the residue of a collection made to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of the appointment of Lord Aberdare as Prior for Wales. On the first occasion the Award was gained by the Cefn Mawr Division, adding to its many other successes

As part of the Brigade in Wales celebration for International Youth Year , the Chief Commissioner for Wales invited young Brigade members aged 16 to 25 from Commonwealth and overseas countries to Wales to see for themselves how the Brigade operated here and also to foster a spirit of fellowship between Brigade members allover the world. More than 30 people from overseas made the often long journey to stay for the fi rst week ina hostel in St Athan; the second week as guests in the homes of the Brigade members

Sixteen young people , two from each county in Wales, accompanied the party throughout their stay. The leaders for the week were Divisional Officer Paul Ford and Divisional Nursing Officer Julie Williams.

The visit began with a call at Priory Headquarters, Cardiff where the party was received by the Chancellor, Mr D. J McDougall, and the Chief Commissioner, Dr D B. Price, along with the Deputy Chief Commissioner Dr. D. W Williamson and the Brigade Secretary for Wales , Mr C J. Parry. The party was then entertained by the Lord Mayor of Cardiff, Captain N. LloydEdwards , who is a member of Chapter, Council and Finance Comm itt ees for the Priory in Wales.

The highlight of the visit was a Rededication service and General Assembly of the Priory for Wales.

The party went to a Welsh medieval banquet at Cardiff Castle by the Prior, Lord Aberdare, S i r Peter and Lady Hope, and 50 other St John guests. The evening was a great success, and included communal songs from most of the countries represented

On the last day of their vis t, the party returned to St Athan to be greeted by the Assistant Chief Commissioner (Nursing), Mrs H G LewIs, and a grand party to end the day at the home of the Chancellor and Mrs McDougall.

The Priory for South Africa

During 1985 a start was made on each of the four major new products of First Aid for Industry , Community Health Education , Care of the Aged and the establishment of a Rehabilitation Cent re/ Worksh ip for blind black people.

First Aid Training for Industry

This project was approached with enthusiasm and varying degrees of success by all Centres which qualified as Private Training Centres in terms of the Manpower Training Act , the provisions of which enable employers to claim a substantial tax rebate for expenses incurred i n meeting first aid training costs.

The number of people trained increased from 4,400 in 1984 to 5 ,600 i n 1985 Centre surpluses from this source provided financial support for the other three char table services to the community'.

Community Health Education

Here the pioneer Centre, Cape Town, has continued to set the pace This wide spectrum programme , embracing Health Education , Community Development, First Aid Training, Home Nursing, Hygiene and Nutr i tion , fulfills a widefelt need in the existing socio-economic conditions in the urban areas but suitable projects are not easy to implement and require careful ground work and planning to determine attitudes and needs. This difficulty is compounded by the sometimes volatile atmosphere of our townships in which unrest , particularly in some Cape Town Coloured and Black suburbs has, unfortunately, retarded the steady progress which was being made and in which the Durban Centre had begun to make some progress in the Umlazi African township complex Despite the unsettled atmosphere, St John vehicles and personnel continued their work without hindrance or molestation and no damage was sustained by St John property or installations -a tribute t o the high regard in which the Order IS held.

Recognition of this Priory s pioneering work in this field was accorded us by the invitation extened to Dr T M Corry our former Receiver-General to make a presentation on the Cape Flats Community Health Project at the Far East Seminar n Hong Kong

Care of the Aged

This project attracted the attention of an increasing number of Centres, notably Cape Town , Port Elizabeth and East London during the year The type of work required is within the competence of most Centres and assistance is generally forthcoming from Government and Municipal Community Development Departments, churchs and other s m il arly interested voluntary agencies.

In some urban Centres public transport is not the highest standard and a most useful service has been provided to elderly people by free transport from their places of residence to hospitals , community centres and shopping areas on regular pre-arranged time schedules

The Establishment of a Rehabilitation Centre for Blind Black People Johannesburg will commemorate its Centenary in 1986. One of its major p ro jects will be t o contribute towards the cost of a Rehabilitation Cen tre to cost betwee n R3 and R4 million St John will collaborate with the SA National Council for the Blind in its establishment

The Centre , the first of its kind in South Africa, will be sited in the Dube Township in Soweto The St John Ophthalmic Foundation is to make a major contribution towards the provIsion of a training w ng of the establishment which will bear our name.

St John Mobile Eye Unit

This continues to be the ongoing success story of our Ophthalm ic Foundat on The Unit , now in its tenth year of operation , has carried out 101 tours , pe r formed 3 ,624 operations and screened 116,664 patients

The Unit operates in the rural areas of the Cape Province , Transvaal and Natal and bringS ophthalmic services to thousands of people who would otherwise be deprived of this vital medical facility and rendered liable to the crippling handicap of blindness or impairment of vision

The work of this Un t i n the remote rural areas of this large country has done much to enhance the reputation of St John

Static clinics , well-patronised in African peri-urban areas, have been pioneered by the Durban Centre greatly relieving the workload on the vast urban King Edward VII Hospital complex i n dealing with thousands of relatively minor ophthalmic cases.

Activities in Neighbouring Territories

Contact was mainta ined with the St John Council wh ich w e he lped to establish in Swaziland and with the unit of Bophuthatswana which is also one of our 'ba bies '

A two weeks' course of lectures was given in the Venda Homeland by the Chief Commissioner, Mr P. H. Louw , a nd hi s wife , the Priory Superintendent-in-Chief (Nursing). It is hoped th at this tour, undertaken at the request of the govern men t of that territory, might stimulate interest in the format i on of some sort of formal St John organisation i n that country.

New Zealand - Priory Centenary

The Priory Secretary represented the Priory for South Africa at t h e Secretaries ' C onfe re nce and Centenary celebrations of the Pri ory in New Zealand. Congratulat ons to New Zealand on your first centenary and may your P riory and its work go from strength to strength and continue in the best traditions of St John

Priory in New Zealand

The highlight of the year was the celebration of our centenary. T he main celebrations were held in Chr stchurch in the South Island over the Easter period where it all began We were honoured to have the Grand Prior , HRH The Duke of Gloucester and HRH The Duchess attend these celebrations Other overseas visitors inc lu ded the Secretary-General, the Chief Commander and Priory Secretaries from Canada , Australia , Scotland and South Africa

The celebrations included a gala dinner , international first aid competitions, a commemorative service at the Church where the first meeting was held in 1885 and an Investit ure Service at which HRH the Du ke of Gloucester officiated

A History of St John in New Zealand has been produced to mark our Centenary ; also a special issue of three St John stamps has been is sued by the New Zealand Post Office

Lat er in Wellin gton the first ever meeting of Priory Secretaries was held n S t John House , Wellington It is hoped this may become a regular event.

In 1985 the Hon Sir David Beattie GCMG GCVO KStJ ac , completed his term of office as Governor-General and we welcomed His Excellency the Most Reverend Sir Paul Reeves GCMG KStJ as our new Prior. Before his appointment as GovernorGeneral, Sir Paul had been our Priory Chaplain.

Cadets

In August the O rder embarked on a new venture launching the inaugural

Prior 's Awa rd for Leadership. This was a week-long leadership course for 26 young leaders from all areas of New Zealand. This pilot course was r un as an Internat iona Youth Year project and supported by the Pri or The course was a resounding success The positive impact the Order made on some of New Zeala nd 's top young lead ers has been immeasurable. It is hoped we will be ab le to continue this annually.

Cadet membe rship increased by 5 .5 % in 1984 , a significant increase in times when membership of voluntary organisations such as ours tends to decrease. It i s a base we hope to bUild on.

Public Education Programmes

We are acutely aware of the impact first aid and emergency care training has on the community Schemes have been initiated in industry where there are now over 25 salaried St John Instructors committed to Safety Orentated First Aid , in the tourist industry where specially designed courses are availab le for some of the risk areas such as white water rafting, in sport and recreation where injuries are reaching epidemic proport onsin fact anywhere where St John can identify a need.

Our comm itm ent to C ivil Defence means that we assist (with the Red Cross) in teaching first aid , that we provide ambulance transport auxiliary ambulances and trained first aiders in a disaster.

We are grateful for the assistance we rece ive from the Accident Compensation Corporation This year a grant of NZ$130,000 was towards our industrial first aid training programmes

Ambulance Transport

In New Zealand, St John operates approximate ly 70% of the ambulance services under contract to Hospital Boards We employ 290 sala ried officers serving mainly in the metropol tan areas with some 700 volunteers operating in the rural areas

A major study of the administration and structure of the total ambulance serv ice i n New Zealand is currently being und ertaken In addition a revis ion of the administration and training of ambulance officers salaried and voluntary , is in hand

Re-organisation

Late in 1985 we rece ived advice from the Secretar y -Gen eral that our amended Priory Rules which allow for elected members to Chapter and Council had been approved by the Grand Pr ior.

Priory of Canada

Planning to meet the changes of today and tomorr o w has been the benchmark for St John Ambulance in Canada during 1985.

Computerisation of all financial forecasting and reporting procedures was completed at National Headquarters with most Provincial Councils quickly joining the system Brigade record computerisation on a nat onal scale also went a few steps forward this year. Next year , Orde r records and Association training certificates and statistics will also be computerised to ensure the best poss ble service for our members and the general public

Particularly exciting this year wa s the acce ler ated development of the new modular first aid courses with supporting aud o-visuals. The modular approach allows student groups to design their own first aid instruction according to individual group needs After completing four compulsory life-saving modules (units of instruction) , a student group then selects the modules that deal with the i njuries most prevalent in their working and or leisure environment from a series of electives. The Emergenc y First Aid (one-day) course has a l ready been p lot-tested and was enthusiastcally received by both students and i nstructors. Test i ng and evaluat ion of the Standard Fir st Aid (two-day) course is currently underway

The completely new 150-minute audio-visuals support both courses Acc i dent Prevent ion and Safet y Associations from indu strial , government and non-profit sectors were asked to assist in providing realist i c scenarios and actual s tes for the staging of various i njuries. The ir assistance has proved invaluable The new audio-visuals, now near ng completion , promise to be the most accurate , true-to-life first aid training films ever produced n Canada , if not the world

St John Ambulance health care courses are also being revised to th e modular format to ensure that they too answer the needs of diverse groups The four Canad ian health care courses have enjoyed remarkable popularity in 1985 with another 30 % increase in the number of course graduates over the previous year. The credit for this dramat ic progress must go to Ontar io Council s enthusiastic efforts to market the Child Care in the Home' and ' What Every Babysitter Should Know' cour s es as well as to continued national participation in the Health Care for S eniors programme.

A new 72-hour Occupational First Aid course designed for Industr i al First Aid Attendants was also developed i n 1985 and will be pilottested in 1986. This course also has a

At the Centennial Review of the Brigade H.R.H. The Duke of Gloucester meets Mr L. Hynes, District Commissioner, Otago With the Duke are His Excellency the Prior the Han Sir David Beattie and on his right the Chief Commissioner Mr D. Urquhart-Hay and District Commissioner, Canterbury, West Coast Mr. K. Smith

modular format and certain modules will be suitable for Brigade members who need advanced training.

Headquarters have been redesigned to conform to the new standards and all the Provincial Councils have been asked to follow suit.

buted over 2,000,000 hours of voluntary service and treated over 200,000 cases of injury or illness. Approximately 98,000 of these cases were considered serious or critical.

1985 will be remembered for two very special events. First, it marked the revival of the original Linen Guild formed over 40 years ago. The new Ophthalmic Hospital Guild, through the sale of novelty items and the staging of special events , raised sufficient funds to send a second Canadian nurse, Miss Myrna Hanson, to the Ophthalmic Hospital in Jerusalem. A second memorable occasion occurred during our National Investitures when Mr Rene Jalbert of Quebec City became the first Canadian in over 30 years to receive the St John Lifesaving Medal in gold. On 8 May, 1984, Mr Jalbert, Sergeant-atArms at the Quebec National Assembly, succeeded in subduing a man who had burst into the Assembly Room and had killed three people and wounded 13 more

It appears that a hefty workload awaits St John Ambulance in Canada in 1986. However, solid foundations have been built during 1985 and we feel we have made our future easier through the best use of our present.

The modular course design was initiated, primarily, to meet the needs of our customers. This emphasis on marketing has permeated the efforts of St John in Canada. For instance, because of ttye high costs of promotional programmes, several companies were asked to sponsor projects and in return their name was displayed on the item. Often, the company also participated n the item's distribution. Through this avenue of promotion, St John has provided some very worthwhile public services to a significant number of Canadians These special projects have included 25,000 first aid for choking posters paid for and distributed to restaurants by a national restaurant equipment wholesaler; 320,000 drivers' emergency cards paid for and distributed to policyholders by an insurance company; and 100,000 health promotion booklets paid for and distributed to the elderly by a chain of pharmacies. These joint ventures have been highly beneficial in public relations terms, not only for the sponsoring company, but for St John as well.

Again in the promotional field, a Corporate Identity Manual was produced early in 1985 to unify our image and make the St John Ambulance name more easily recognisable thoughout the country. The manual stipulates guidelines for those who produce printed material bearing the St John Ambulance name and/or logo. Publicity materials, course materials, etc, produced at National

With a view to the future of St John and to commemorate the International Year of Youth, special activities were undertaken by Brigade Cadets and Crusaders in 1985. A Northwest Territories team of five cadets and three cadet leaders participated in the New Zealand International Cadet Festival in Christchurch. Another cadet team from New Brunswick and one from Federal District were received by the Priory of Wales and four cadets and their leader attended the Australian Cadet Gamp

Thanks to a grant from the Youth Secretariat of the Federal Government, the first National Cadet Seminar was held in Ottawa in early August It succeeded in bringing together Cadet representatives from almost every province in Canada to discuss matter strictly related to cadets and their role in the Brigade in Canada. Mr James Aubrey, CStJ, Chief Cadet Officer in Canada, chaired the many dicussions. Mr Leo Budd, Chief Officer for Cadets (UK), also actively participated to lend his knowledge and support.

Overall, 1985 was another very good year for St John Ambulance in Canada. The Association experienced another period of growth with almost 400,000 Canadians trained in first aid, health care and cardio-pulmonary resuscitation. Brigade strength diminished a little in 1985 to 14 ,400 members in 607 divisions. Nevertheless, Brigade members again contri-

Priory Regulations are now being developed to implement these changes

First Aid certificate numbers have increased substantially and St John has maintained its position as the most advanced and effective First Aid training organisation i n Australia. A South Australian Parliamentary enquiry into the running of Ambulance Services by St John has resulted in legislation confirming the role of St John in Ambulance transport in South Australia, and in Queensland legislation that restricted the role of St John has been removed and an expanded role acknowledged under the appropriate State Act.

Substant ial funding by Medibank Private, the Government-owned medical insurance agency, has enabled audio visual aids for First Aid classes and a new film on resuscitation to be developed

A National Marketing section of the Priory has been approved which will develop and co-ordinate the marketing of St John and St John products to the public.

Both the Western Australian Turf Club and the Western Australian Trotting Association have generously conducted Commandery Race and Trotting functions during the year.

The Commandery was honoured in that a Western Australian doctor Dr Ross Littlewood , was se ected to be the Priory Representative as a surgeon to the St John Ophthalmic Hospital

There have been changes in the officers of the Ladies Auxiliary which has continued its valued support of Commandery. Life memberships were conferred upon Mrs Norma Wright and Mrs Sheila Aikman i n recognition of long and valued service.

The Association has again had a rewarding year For the year ending June 1985 the Association had taught 19,753 students in F i rst Aid throughout Western Austral i a. The standard of training has improved because of the specialised training of lecturers and assistant lecturers , so that there is now a strong nucleus of qualified persons

The Priory in Australia

The Centenary of the Order in South Australia was celebrated in good style in 1985 Several new Centres were opened and the Priory also held its Annual Meetings in Adelaide The Annual Priory Church Service was nationally televised and this was another aspect of the increasing emphasis on a higher public profile by St John.

The report of the Structure Review Committee on the future directions and reorganisation of the Priory was presented to Priory Chapter and was overwhelmingly accepted in principle Principle areas of change included the development of a single public name for the whole organisation; the upgrading of voluntary leadership and the implementation of a retiring age for all Executive and Management Committee members within the organisation at both Federal and State levels; a rationalisation of administrative functions at both Federal and State levels; a greater emphasis on the managerial role of Councils and a greater participation of Councils at the national level; an emphasis on the development of new charitable roles; development of more effective and efficient methods of communication within the organisation; the more effective use of salaried staff to promote business efficiency and more effective support of volunteers in their work for St John; a greater emphasis on marketing; and a higher public profile.

The Priory has once again funded an Ophthalmic Surgeon in Jerusalem through the Fellowship run jOintly with the Royal Australian College of Ophtha mologists We are particularly pleased that the Australian Fellows at the Hospital have continued to be of a high standard

Brigade numbers continue to be a problem , in common with other countries, while the Cadet movement is flourishing it is difficult to maintain the transition of Cadets into Adult Div sions

We would like to note the success of the Centenary Celebrations in New Zealand and the exchange of information and views of the Priories in the meeting held at that time was most worthwhile.

The Secretary-General , Sir Peter Hudson , visited a number of Australian States on his way to the New Zealand Centenary celebrations. This was a most successful trip which has greatly improved communication and understanding.

The Commandery in Western Australia

1985 , a year of beneficial consideration , featured a most successful raffle which added $A 13,000 to the Sir Wallace Kyle Education Fund. The trustees hope 1986 will see the first recipients from this fund offered advanced first aid training The success was owed, in no small way, to the Commandery Treasurer, the late Mr Reginald Hogg KStJ JP, and a committee spearheaded by Mr Brian Young OStJ

It was pleasing also to welcome a large contingent from the Sovereign Military Order , including the President, Chancellor and Chief of Protocol of the Irish Assoc i ation

On 31 August the Kn ight Commander, Lieutenant and Commander represented the Commandery at a special Mass in Belfast organised by the Sovereign Military Order to mark the Victory Day in Malta in 1565

The Commandery is pleased to record donations tota l i ng £3 , 200 to suppor t t he St John Ophthalmic Hospital in Jerusalem , and also some modest support for St John House Club in London

The Association has mainta i ned its level of First Aid Courses ; refresher courses now account for a significant and increasing number of these During 1985 over 5 ,000 Certificates were awarded , and 26 new St John Ambulance Instructors (F rst Aid) rece ved the r cert f cates Th i s br i ngs the tota of qualified Instructors available to 50

There has been increased liaison between the Association and Brigade with one aim being the identification and training of Brigade Trainers.

During 1985 The Associat on Ambulance Service has carried 52,822 patients over a total distance of 1,375,000 kilometres in the metropolitan area, and 15 , 837 patients over a distance of 839 , 121 kilometres in the country areas The St John Ambulance Brigade in Western Australia celebrated its 80th Anniversary this year and this was marked by a feature publ cation in The West Australian newspaper in September

A team competed in the International Competitions in Christchurch New Zealand as part of the country 's St John's Centenary, and did well. The Commandery was also represented at the Priory Competitions in Adelaide and did remarkably well to run second to South Australia in both the Team and Individual events.

We were honoured by the visit of the Secretary-General of the Order of St John, Sir Peter Hudson KCB CBE FBIM DL

Commandery of

Ards

The past year has been one of steady consolidation in the Commandery. The annual Commandery Service was held in St Anne s Cathedral , Belfast on 16 June and was well attended , including a large number of visitors and friends led by the Lord Lieutenant for Belfast Sir Robin Kinahan.

St John is now f rmly establ shed as the foremost Fi rst Aid teaching agency in the Province Approaches are being made to spec f c large employers , with a v ew to establishing Special Cen t res where app r opr i ate

During the year two stalwarts of the Br gade , each w th 45 years serv i ce , retired - Miss Betty Boyce ( Distr i ct Superintendent) , and M iss Ethel Garrett ( Distr ct Staff Officer Cadets (N)) Both have given outstand i ng service to the Order.

To mark the International Youth Year , t he Br gade organ sed a Rev i ew of Cadets at the Cra igavon Water Sports Centre on 18 May The Ch i ef Commander - Major-Genera l P R. Leuchars CBE, inspected a parade of 750 Cadets , and this was followed by a March Past and a wide ranging programme of activities.

A successful recruit i ng programme was i n tiated during the year from which it is hoped to form six new Divisions In Augus t/ September emergency cover was provided by volunteer crews dur i ng a widespread ambulance strike ; our ambulances covered over 11 000 miles in dealing with 540 accidents , 35 heart attacks , 17 attempted suicides , and 28 cases of emergency childbirth

In the biennial Sir Otto Lund Competition between Northern Ireland District and the St John Ambulance Brigade in the Republic of Ireland , the trophy was retained by a team from the North

The StJohn & Red Cross Joint Committee

In co-operation with the State welfare services and many other charitable bodies , more help in money , material and services is available than ever before. In earlier days, the first resort in times of need was to family, friends and neighbours , the last resort to the workhouse, with very little charity in between While we welcome these profound changes and take pleasure

in our contribut on , the help and support that family friends and neighbours give freely to each other remains very substantial and very important in preserving the character i stics of a car ng community. The elderly especially need to be w ith the i r family or close to home as long as possible We try to make this possible by the g ra nt-aid of nursing care at home or by contri butions towards the fees of local nursing homes.

Mais House at Bexhill-on-Sea and Ernest Burdon House at Bournemouth provide for the care of those people who can no longer be supported by their families. During the past 10 years we have striven towards what is good rather than what is simply acceptable and following the construction of the new nursing wing at Mais House, these buildings, which are home for those who live there are maintained at the highest possible standards

In our other traditional roles comprising the welfare of servicemen

and their families i n hosp tal , the provision of a hospital library service and help given to the nursing profession we have continued to meet the needs of those s ck in hosp ital and assist those with permanent disabil ities. We have continued our close assoc ation with the Paraplegic Settlements and we have again awarded substantial scholarship grants to nurses through the Nat i onal Florence Nightingale Memorial Trust.

The hard work of the past year and the cont nuing i mprovement in our financial posit io n have ensured the means w th which to respond to the challenges of 1986 , but they would be of no avai w thout the many tra ned and dedicated people whom The Order of St John and The British Red Cross Society are able to enlist and who bring to all these activities their spec ia l skills , compassion and understanding. We express our grateful thanks to all those who , throughout the country , work to maintain the spirit and achieve the objects of the Joint Committee

The Headquarters of the Order of St John and its Foundations

STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 1985

Hospital indefinitely and it is proper to regard these years when they do so as prov i ding an opportunity for us to try to create an endowment fund which may ult mately take over the financing I am therefore pleased to be able again to report that the Hospital Cap tal Fund has grown substantially. It now exceeds £1.5 million Taken together inve stment ncome and the patients contributions met some 31 per cent of the Jerusalem runn ng costs in 1983, 35 per cent in 1984 and 42 per cent in 1985. Real progress is being made and we have a strong case for pressing our fr i ends to continue to meet the narrowing gap until we are able to close it

Associat ion and Overseas Money has been spent , too , on St John House Club. It is hoped that the Club w ll be able to move to a self-financing situation now that the alterations and improvements have been completed.

The Ophthalmic Hospital is never free from financ i al worries. The continual ghting i n the Middle East and the recent fall in the price of oil have taken their toll of the resources which might have been allocated to the Hospital Sadly the substantial funds that have come forward have been less than our needs As have said before, we cannot hope to rely upon our Middle Eastern fr i ends being both able and willing to carry the burden of the

While it naturally warms the heart of a Receiver-General to see surpluses arising , the large surpluses of the Ambulance Headquarters in 1983 and 1984 had indicated some scope f or undertaking additional work , over and above the cost of mount ing the forthcom i ng Centenary events. Despite a considerable reduction in donation i ncome , it has been possible to spend more money both on the

Financ al policy for any Char ity is always a matter of steer ing a middle course. If one i s too enthusiastic over spend ng money for the purposes for which it has been raised , the margins become too narrow and sudden cutbacks are necessary. On the other han d , too caut ous an approach not only deprives the inte nded beneficiaries of t he help which t had been hoped to provide ; equally seriously possible donors may feel reluctant to give money to bu il d up bank balances It is my impression that the state of our affairs in 1985 ne ith er nduces complacency nor threatens early panic measures.

Receiver-General

The opening of Mais House.

Everyone whose day-to-day responsibilities include ensuring the well-being of young people dreads the day when, instead of the usual grazes and bruises, a real-life emergency arises.

Could you cope? Do you have sufficient confidence in your abilities to save a child's life?

St John Ambulance produces a special educational kit-teacher's handbook, video and books for students over ten years - as part of its Three Cross Award scheme. It is designed to give teachers and pupils alike the basic grounding in the essentials of First Aid.

Next time somebody screams, 'Now What?' make sure you and your pupils know.

For further details contact your local St John Ambulance HQ (in your telephone directory) or the Schools Project Officer, St Johns Ambulance, I Grovesnor Cresent, London SW I X 7EF Tel: 01-235 5231

St. John Ambulance

Practical:

Recruitand then hold 'em!

Harlow Ale Division thinks it has found many of the answers

by D. W. WEI R-HUGH ES, D/Supt

only hope similar stickers are to be produced for next year's centenary celebrations.

Following the talk and presentation the children are asked to return the application forms, after they have had an opportunity to talk the matter over with their parents, to the headteacher. The schools usually then send the forms on to me 'en masse'. Letters and name badges are sent to the recruits prior to the course.

A typewriter and some secretarial help are two obvious requirements for this method of recruitment, as it entails a considerable amount of letter writing. However, we now use a selection of typed letters on Brigade letter headings which are photocopied as required, with just the date, name, address and signature added before despatch.

WHEN WE STARTED the Ambulance Cadet Division in Harlow in 1982 we were in the fortunate position of being able to 'start from scratch', as there had been no ambulance cadets in the town for quite some time. Although a nursing cadet division and an adult combined division already existed in Harlow, there was obviously still a lot of untapped potential in a town with a population of over 80,000 people.

Most of our initial recruits were from 'word-of-mouth' sources, but it was obvious from the start that once these were trained a more organised and systematic approach would have to be employed if we were to be successful in recruiting boys to join St John. Boys have always been more difficult to recruit than girls - but I was determined that the experience of other divisions and their difficulty in recruiting ambulance cadets was not going to be the case in Harlow.

After the initial recruits were enrolled we decided that all subsequent recruits would not Join individually, but would commence training as members of a group or set. The reasons for this were: (a) Administratively, it is easier with a group; (b) It means that no recruit is left for months as a probationer before commencing first aid training, as an E.F.A. course would always be scheduled to start 6 to 8 weeks after commencement of a group; (c) There wouid be a feeling of camaraderie among the group members - as

206

Just some of the Division's 46 happy Cadets at an enrolment ceremony.

they are all new recruits and therefore 'in the same boat'; (d) The prospect of joining a small group, all of approximately the same age, should be less daunting than being put into a division of older and more experienced cadets; (e) It is easier for officers, members and instructors to get to know the recruits if they are in a specific group and vice versa, and assessment of the recruit's progress is also facilitated.

All of these factors should lead to a lower drop out rate among new recruits - which is what was certainly proved with us.

I have always felt that a new recruit's initial impression of a division influences his decision to carryon and become a member or to lose interest and leave after a couple of weeks. I am sure those that leave do so because of our attitude and the way we fail to orientate him to his new role within the organisation. In many divisions very little orientation is even given to recruits and no structured programme is provided during their first few weeks. We did not want this to happen in Harlow and so all new recruits now not only start in groups but the first five weeks of their training is an introductory course.

We usually have one or two groups of recruits each year and the introductory course starts on their first night. The dates of the courses are planned nine to twelve months in advance, along with our divisional

trallllllg programme (a photocopy of which is sent to all members). Potential recruits who apply to join are sent an application form, cadet recruitment leaflets and a letter explaining the introductory course system. Providing their application is satisfactory, about four weeks before the date of commencement a further letter is sent, with a map showing how to get to the headquarters and a name badge for the first night, so that we can refer to the recruit by name as soon as he arrives.

During the months before a course is due to start, articles are placed in local papers and school recruitment talks are arranged. Ideally, the person who goes on schools recruitment should be at the HQ to welcome the recruits on the first night.

It is essential for all cadet divisions to have good relations with the schools in their area.

It is also important for the officer-in-charge to know the names of the head teachers, the catchment areas of the schools and the age group that each school caters for. All the schools I have visited have been most helpful. Many teachers are keen on voluntary work and will encourage pupils to join an organisation such as St John. The smaller the group you talk to, the better. One or two classes seems to be about the best number. At one school I spoke to 700 children at assembly. We did not get a single recruit.

I used to take the 16 mm film about St John to the schools, but at the No. 4 Regional Cadet Conference in Cambridge in 1984 I saw the superb West Midlands cadet video. I got a copy of it, and it has proved to be the answer to my prayers! I am convinced that this video has helped considerably with our recruitment. All schools in this area now have YHS video machines.

Our talks at schools usually include a short explanation, the video, answering questions, handing out application forms, letters to parents, leaflets - and of course the stickers! Kids adore stickers! I am still handing out red 1922 to 1982 Cadet sticker. Alas, my supplies are almost exhausted. I

On the first evening of the introductory course, all cadets, members and officers are in full uniform to greet the newcomers. The officer who did the most recent series of recruitment talks will preferably be there and all the new recruits are welcomed individually. We try to make each recruit feel important and of course a SMILE and a handshake goes a long way to making them feel at home.

As soon as all the recruits are assembled, we gather them into a separate area of the HQ, away from the other cadets who should by now be getting on with their training. And once seated, they are handed a leaflet (photocopy), which has written in bold letters across the front page: WELCOME!

Explaining

The rest of the leaflet gives general information about the course. On the second page is a letter to the recruit explaining that they will probably feel a little out of place for the first few weeks, but they will soon fit in.

The individual's name is written by hand on the letter, which looks so much better than simply Dear Recruit', (very impersonal).

The course then commences and an outline of the syllabus may be as follows:

Week One:

Welcome and J ntroduction.

Explanation of general and overall training programme.

St John Ambulance, as an organisation.

St John Ambulance in Harlow.

Practical

- Use of a telephone in an emergency.

- An introduction to drill.

Week Two:

Cadet proficiency certificate system.

Rank structure within the Division Cadet uniform and badges.

Practical

- Application of a triangular bandage (St John sling).

- Drill and how to salute an officer.

Week Three:

The Special Service Shield.

A typical year of events within Harlow Divisions.

Theory of artificial respiration.

- Application of a rolle r bandage.

- Drill continued.

Week Four:

A five-minute history of the Order of St John.

Practical- mouth to mouth resuscitation.

Some basic divisional rules and regulations.

Explanation of Essentials of First Aid course.

Practical- drill.

Week Five:

Evaluating the course.

Short test and individual talk with Divisional Superintendent.

Measuringfor uniform

Practical- drill.

The course is ve r y flexible and is adapted to meet the needs of that particular group of recruits The recruits always enjoy the first aid aspects most - although naturally these cannot and s hould not be covered in great detail as the EF A course will start soon after this course is completed. They also enjoy the drill. I look upon drill as an essential part of training for all members and cadets - simply because it teaches discipline. However, it is useful from a practical point of view too as when all the cadets are on parade it is far easier for officers to inspect uniforms and make announcements. For this reason cadets and recruits have at least ten minutes drill per meeting , and when they have a uniform they are expected to wear it at all meetings , unless otherwise instructed. Cadets are given marks each week for uniform , drill and beha vio ur , and when these marks are

correlated annually prizes are given to the best cadets and recruits.

Discuss progress

To mark the end of the introductory course each recruit is presented with a Divisional ce rt ificate and his probationary cadet armband. About every six months the Divisional staff meet to discuss progress of cadets and new recruits. A sho rt progress report is written for each cadet and once they ha ve been photocopied they are sent to the parents. We have received nothing but praise since we started this system, as parents are keen to know what their son really does do when he goes off to St John every Thursday and for countless weekends. When the Divisional staff meet we also discuss where we have fallen short of our responsibilities in training the cadet s and which specific aspects of training could be improved.

The Harlow Ambulance Cadet Division opened its doors in November 1982 and. although in some ways we still have a long way to go, we must be doing something right - as our strength is 42 Cadets and 4 NCOs. Not bad, eh?

Copies of the recruitment letters , the introductory course syllabus and the WELCOME leaflet mentioned in th is article can be obtained from Mr D. W. Weir -Hughe s, 1, Bury Road , Old Harlow , Essex, CM 17 OED but please enclose a cheque, payable to Harlow Ambulance Cadet Di visio n. for £ I .50 to cover photocopying and postage.

Donald

ORDER INVESTITURE

by the Lord Prior, London, July 10

Commander

Derek Gardner Bee, FCA (Lanes)

William Lewis Curd (London W3)

Air Vice -Marshall Frederick Charles Hurrell,

OBE QHP, MB, BS , MRCS, LRCP , MFOR, DAvMed (London)

Donald Joseph Kelly, MBE, MSRG (Staffs)

Claire Grace, Mrs Lambley (Derbys)

Charles Lane (Dorset)

Marie, Lady Loder (Sussex)

Surgeon Rear -Admiral Godfrey James MiltonThompson, QHP FRCP (Cornwall)

John Mower Alexander Paterson , JP , MA, DL (Bucks)

Harold Leslie Sparrow MA, MRCS, LRCP, JP (London W5)

George Tony French (Gloucestershire)

George Albert Fisk (Kent)

Denis Herbert Gallant (Cambs)

Janet Kathleen, Mrs Gardner (Kent)

Arthur Garforth (Cumbria)

Horace Frank Gargrave (Essex)

Roy Glenville (Humberside)

Frank William Haine (London SE 18)

Ellen Florence Mrs Hamilton -Slade (Kent)

Arthur Hardisty (Leicester)

Molly Isabella, Mrs Hind (Essex)

Joesphine Anne, Mrs Hoggard (Beds)

John Bradley Horne (Essex)

Peter Michael Humphrey (West Yorks)

Ernest Vaughan Huntley (Bath)

Brian Thomas Hurton, CEng, MInstE , LRSC, FInstP

Susan Alice, Miss Jeavons (Worcs)

Stephen John Jeffery JP (Cornwall)

Joy Delphine, Mrs Jelfs (Devon)

John Cecil Jollands (Lincs)

Florence Marjorie, Mrs Jones (Avon)

Peter Ernest Kirkham (Bucks)

Kathleen Mary, Mrs Luker (Leics)

John Machen, MB, BS, MRCS, LRCP DObst RROG (Herts)

Edward Macklin (Co Durham)

Freda Eileen, Miss Martin (Leics)

Michael John Mason (Leics)

Norma Bernice, Mrs Martland (Essex)

Harry Mather (Middx)

Eileen, Mrs Matheson, SRN , SCM (Essex)

Patricia, Mrs McConnell (Surrey)

Elsie Maud Mrs McDonald (Middx)

Thomas Patrick McKeefry (Leics)

Peter James Miller (London , SW II)

Pamela Elizabeth, Mrs Munt (Devon)

Mary Catherine, Miss Murray (Lanes)

Bruce Mattrass (Worcs)

Judith Mary , Mrs Newman (K ent)

Peter Reginald Newton (Avo n)

Christine, Mrs Nuttall (Cheshire)

Denis Wilfred Oakley (London, SW2)

Bridget Mary , Mrs O ' Brien (Hants)

Leslie Bryan Owens (C he sh ire)

Leonie May , Miss Parish (Ess ex )

Dorothy Scott, Mrs Pattison (Co Durham )

Doris Lilian, Mrs Porter (London, E4)

Nesta Lilian , Mrs Rooks (Devon)

Marjorie, Mrs Sayles (Cumbria)

Keith Leonard Schnaar (London, SE 12)

Helen Johne , Mrs Simpson (Herefordshire)

Margaret , Mrs Smith (South Humberside)

Maurice Timothy Stradling (Dorset)

Sylvia, Mrs Tavener (Sussex)

Neil Anthony Taylor, JP (Lincs)

Clifford Henry Alfred Tozer (Devon)

Irene, Mrs VanderSchans (Essex)

Gilbert Thackeray Vincent (C o Durham)

Marjorie Anne , Miss Williams (Cumbria)

Sandra Ann , Mjss Wood , SRN RCNT (West Midlands)

Edward Sefton Woolley, SRN (Lanes)

Ruth Ella, Mrs Wren ( Herts)

Eleanor Letitia, Mrs Wright (Cheshire )

Associate Serving Brother

Stanley Blow (K ent)

Delowar Husain Chowdhury , MB , BS (Lanes)

Mrs

Lambley

Officer (Brother or Sister)

Group Captain Anthony John Chetwynd Balfour MA, MB, BChir, FRCPath, DCP, DTM&H (Bucks)

Gordon Harry Cliffe, BEM (Cheshire)

Derek Colley (Tyne & Wear)

Dennis Cooper, JP (South Yorks)

Henry George Cordi ng (London SE 16)

Christopher Patrick Forbes (London W8)

Margaret Isobell, Mrs Higgins (Notts)

Colonel Margaret Jean McDermott RRC (Leics)

Surgeon Captain Donald James McKay MFOM. MRCGP, RN (Isle of Wight)

James Rae (Co Durham)

George David Riley (Cheshire)

Squadron Leader Freda Marjorie Rimini, BEM (Bucks)

Vincent Stuart Smith (Bucks)

Eva Marion, Mrs Stancomb (Somerset)

Dennis Cooper, Sheffield

Ronald William Stone, QPM (Essex)

Major-General Michael John Hatley Walsh CB, DSO (Wi lts)

Sheila Rose, Mrs Whitehead (Herts)

Allan Askwith (Durham)

Serving Brother or Sister

Yvonne, Mrs Altoft (Humberside)

Kenneth Edwin Ayers (Berk s)

Leslie Coningsby Bartrum (Beds)

Pamela Ann, Mrs Bartram (Beds)

Sydney Samuel Bayman, BEM, ISM (Cheshire)

Wanda, Mrs Bennett (Devon)

Harold Douglas Bodley, MC, FRICS (Essex)

Joseph Broadbent (Co Durham)

Mary, Mrs Buck, SRN (Bristol)

Iris, Mrs Bundle (London, N20)

Valerie Lane Mrs Cooper (Devon)

Joan, Miss Copeman (London NW 10)

Matilda Jane , Mrs Corlett (Beds)

Mrs Mary Buck SRN, SuperinteneJent of Bristol's

Ivor George Watson Dalgleish (Worcs)

Kenneth Duncalf (Cheshire)

Derek Norman Earl (Devon)

Christine Ro sann, Miss Ellis, SRN, SCM, HV (Kent)

Janice Gwendoline Marrie, Miss Evans (London Nl I)

WHILE SOME medals are being suspended in the manner of an ordinary medal, others are suspended from a loop of ribbon around the neck. These are usually the 3rd Class, and higher of orders. Such neck decorations are worn suspended in front of the tie, just up to the knot. The ribbon, always in miniature width, then passes around the neck under the collar and tie.

Ladies receive their decorations from a BOW of the ribbon Not all medals are so awarded to lad es , only actual decorations and commemorative medals (s uch as Coronation or Jubilee Medals). The bow is worn in a position below any other medals which are being worn in the ordinary manner. (See illus.)

However , with a uniform jacket of military cut women wear their medals in the same manner as men (including their neck decor ations).

Knights and Dames

Knights and Dames (2nd Class of orders), in addition to a neck decoration , have a ST AR of their order and this is worn on the left side, below any other decorations and medals. Firstly, Knights and Dames Grand Cross (or Bailiffs) (I st Class) in addition to a star have a wide sash or BROAD RIBAND , as it is called, of the order This is worn over one shoulder and diagonally, front and back , over the body with a larger badge this time suspended not from the neck but from the riband at the hip.

It is perhaps of interest that only the two premier orders, the Garter and the Thistle (and previously also St Patrick), are worn over the left shoulder, those of all other British orders are worn over the right sho ulder. Holders of the I st Class of an order (except of St John) also have an elaborate precious metal chain, known as the COLLAR. This is worn hanging evenly back and front and over both shoulders on certain high days known as Collar Days. If the collar is worn, then the broad riband of that order is not worn as well.

ABOUT WEARING MEDALS (7)

Examp le of adies insignia (day).

either unrestricted or restricted wear. The latter usually indicates that the insignia may be received but that thereafter should only be worn on certain occasions, say at official functions at which the foreign head of state or his representative is present or in the foreign country itself. The precise terms of the restriction are laid down in the letter of authorisation from the

our style).

Foreign decorations

With evening dress small half-size versions of decorations and medals are worn. These are mounted in the usual fashion on a small brooch (and this may also be in 'court style).

Some of the more distinguished orders are never worn in miniature but , on appropriate ceremonial occasions , are worn together with miniatures. Miniatures are not normally worn with day dress

There must naturall y be some regulation on the acceptance of foreign honours and awards by British nationals, thus avoiding any difficult diplomatic situations or embarrassments while still recognising appropriate acknowledgements of appreciation for services rendered to friends and allies. Before any foreign honour or medal is received, permission must be obtained from the Crown. This is usually sought through our ambassador in the country concerned. If permission to accept is given, the Sovereign will authorise the honour to be received for

Mrs Christine Best OBE

Mrs Best, awarded the OBE in the Birthday Honours (Aug Review) joined S John n Cornwall not Somerset, as stated.

British holders of foreign decorations wear them after all British and Commonwealth orders , decorations and medals The foreign ribbons are worn in the order of date of receipt. Should there be any doubt, the foreign ribbon being worn should be of a size approximating to the equivalent grade of a British order.

Finally, a curious anecdote recalls that there used to be a sergeant-major in colonial days in the West African Frontier Force who won the Distinguished Conduct medal in the 1939-45 War. In the 1914-18 War, however , he had been an Imperial German colonial subject from Togoland. At that time he had won the Order of the Iron Cross in the service of the Kaiser! One wonders whether he was allowed to wear both decorations ?

In the next article I shall say something about Commonwealth and foreign awards.

W.

COMPETITION TEAMS

from Jane Signorelli and Miss J. Godfrey, Nursing Members

Having recently participated in the Area first aid competition, it has been brought to our attention that we must change the format of our ambulance team. When we entered the competition our team consisted of two females two males and a male reserve.

Having progressed to the next round (county), we think it is diabolical that we should now change our team so that it is of predominantly male members (excluding the reserve).

Today there should be equal opportunities for all in every aspect of work and leisure. But his does not seem to apply to St John Ambulance.

Between us we have been members of St John for sixteen years, during which we have seen many male members, juniors cadets and adults, join and leave. The nursing side of St John is gradually decreasing and ambulance duties are becoming more commonplace for them.

The team which won the the Area round of our competition consisted of one female , three males and one male reserve. Surely, if our team, even with equal numbers of both sexes (not including the reserve), was good enough to get through to the next round of the comp€tition, why should we be forced to change because of an unfair and out-of-date rule?

1985 was the official year of equal opportunities. Does this mean that equal opportunities ceased from midnight, December 31 1985?

Weybridge Jane Signore'W and J. Godfrey

CANET CAMP

from Miss Nina Paul. Nursing Member

would like to thank those who made this duty possible , also Nursing Members Mrs Mary Treacy of 89/22 London Transport Corps Division, and Miss Sue Watson, of Luton No. I Nursing Divisionwho were at Canet with me. We had fun, some laughs , and also some hard work, and it was an experience not to be missed.

The place is absolutely beautiful with temperatures of 85 to 90 degrees in the shade, and sometimes as high as 100 later in the day. Ten minutes from the camp is the beach and the Mediterranean.

The travel company which took us out and home again provided fully equipped tents , and we catered for ourselves. Once in camp we got ready for what we thought would be an 'easy' fortnight. But we soon had our first casualty , and in fact recorded more than 1,2 00 over the two weeks. The only thing we didn 't get was a birth or a death.

There were as many adult cases as children. Sun burn and some very nasty cases of dehydration were the most popular complaints. Our biggest problem was replacing first aid materials

We called a doctor only twice and only two patients were taken to hospital. A very enjoyable duty indeed.

London Transport Corps Nina Paul OH THAT BADGE!

from Mrs J N Hardwick, Divisional Superintendent

It was encouraging to see seventeen cadets who had transferred to a combined division in the picture 'Fami ly Completed', page 105, May

Re view, but please , please, why don t people make sure that cadets a re wearing correct badges ? The girls in the photo are wearing badge B04100 on the right breast of their dr ess. Naughty.

1. N. Hardwick

Bel'!/leet Essex

WANTED

from MrT. A Millington, Divisional Superintendent

Over the past few years I have collected St John memorabilia: old uniforms badges, buttons, books, photographs, etc, and I would be very grateful to receive any items that members or divisions no longer require.

Badges , especially county emblems, are of great interest and ] should like to obtain as many as pos sib le of county emblems that are not available through the Supplies Dept, or ones that are no lon ger worn. should be very pleased to hear from anyone who has suc h items available.

72 Kettering Drive, Eaton Park Bucknall , Stoke-an-Trent ST2 9LX

SJA Music Makers

Massed marching band becomes a reality

A DREAM of some members since the Band Federation was formed was realised on Saturday, July 12, when a massed band of SJ A Central Southern Area marched proudly into the arena of the Royal Tournament at Earls Court to a resounding ovation. In a few short years the Federation had produced bands for concerts , parades, displays - and now a massed

much

and

But we had done it. The Southwark Corps of Drums (under David Minney), the Surrey Corps of Drums (under Tim Ogden) and the Sussex Knights from Southwick (under Mark and Heather Gillam) were thrown into this experiment

with only four months notice. To weld together three bands of different styles and abilities is not easy, but a challenge which our chairman Roly Gillam took on by desi gning t he display around a selection of musical arrangements from the Southwark library Four weeks of design saw the display and music coming together within the strict limits imposed by duration, arena dimensions and restricted rehearsal time.

The audience would probably find it difficult to believe that the bands had been together for only four rehearsal s, one of which was an initial mu sic run through and small sca le routine walk through in a drill hall in Blackheath.

The 9+ minute performance cost some £ I 00 a minute to put on, and involved trips of over 100 miles for one and sometimes two of the bands for a rehearsal. The rehearsals themselves were marathon affairs, from 10.30 am until 4.30 pm, with only short breaks for refreshme nt , and plus up to 3 hours travelling. Two were held on the drill sq uare of Caterham Barracks (by kind permission of the Commanding Officer) and the other at The Southwick Football Club (by kind permission of the Committee). The latter was a full dress rehearsal for Squadron Leader Hugh Witherow of HQ to assess our performance. Unfortunately it was one of the hottest days of the year and three of our members passed out. But they soon recovered.

Congratulations and thanks to all band members and the many supporters who

Ambulance R II

Fifty vehicles and a Y more than 1000 SJA members

JOINTLY ORGANISED for the first tim'e by SJA Mid-Berkshire and the British Ambu ance Preservation Society, the Ambulance Rally at Windsor Safari Park on June 28 was the biggest and the be st to date with over 50 vehicles and more than a thousand SJA members attending. T his year, the third such rally, the vehicles were divided into classes vo luntar y, professional, preserved, military and commercial.

In the voluntary class St John Ambulance was well represented with vehic les from Weybridge, including their 1973 Mercedes 0302/ 13R 40 -feet long mobile first aid unit, Aldeburgh, Lichfield, Hampshire, Bristol, Berkshire, Aldershot, Highbridge and Burnham in Somerset, London, Fleet and Crookham, Leyton and Leytonstone, Lee Moor (near Plymouth), Cheltenham, Eastbourne, Cranleigh. The British Red Cross were most welcome with ambulances from Slough, Staines, Chobham and Guildford.

The professional class was very well represented this year with vehicles from the Cambridgeshire, Dorset, West Midlands, East Sussex, Berkshire and Wiltshire county ambulance services.

Among preserved vehicles were the 1935 Talbot and 1949 Daimler ambulances from the London Ambulance Service, Wiltshire Ambulance Service's 1959 Austin Princess,

provided refreshments and helped so much on the day. It was also nice to see at least one officer from counties concerned at rehearsals. And thanks to bandmasters and instructors - whose efforts produced such a resounding s uccess.

23 Grosvenor Road D. Rees, PRO Aldershot, Hants Band Federation GUl13DZ

Royston Corps of Drums

Band secretary R. Jakubiak writes : We have read with interest of the activities of fellow SJ A bandsmen and thou ght our own corps of drums of Royston Division Herts, might

be of interest. We have survived some very difficult times but are now on the up and up, thank goodness. Time, wear and tear had taken a heavy toll of our instruments and equipment and a big face-lift was needed.

A band committee was formed and after what seemed endless months of fund-raising we achieved financial success beyond our wildest dreams. I am pleased to report that our transformation is now almost complete and in our travels we have received many favourable comments and write-ups (For me the star of Royston Carnival was the St John Ambulance Band. They were superb. M. L. Cooper, Selby).

(Photos

a 1967 Bedford from the Hereford and Worcestershire Ambulance Service, and Mr Simpson's 1930 Morris Commercial. a regular attender and the oldest vehicle at the rally

The military class was once again represented by Mrs Blake's 1942 Dodge Field Ambulance, and the USAF Greenham Common with their 1983 USA Custom de luxe 30. There was only one commercial entry - N. Hanlon's 1985 Freight Rover Hi-Line.

This year there was an illustrated brochure on sale The rally took its customary route through Windsor, passing the Mayor at the Guildhall , who later presented plaques to all entrants, accompanied by Major Gordon Tozer, Commander SJ A Berkshire.

In two marquees were the St John Ambulance Supplies Department Red Cross

Sales, BAPS sales stall with their model amb ul ance display. Arthur Mace's ambulance display and the ClifT Pettifer collection. At next year's Ambulance Rally, to be held again at Windsor Safari Park on September 12 , and classified as an official SJA centenary year event. we hope to have over 100 veh icle s on display. Will yo u be bringing your ambulance ? Entry forms are available from Major G. J. Flint-Shipman, Rally Organiser. 48 Seymour Walk, London SW 10.

SJA Royston Corps of Drums in the town s carnival parade.

Just part of the front row (above) of the ambulances on parade at Windsor Safari Park

NEWS from SCOTLAND

THE ANNUAL Festival of St John took place on Tuesday June 24 within the very lovely Church of the Holy Trinity, St Andrews, followed by lunch and the General Assembly in the main hall of the Town Hall complex across the street. This was the very first time that the festival has been held in that corner of the ancient Kingdom of Fife.

Everyone was agreed that the choice of venue was excellent, including many of the local people who enjoyed the spectacle of the procession led by the Cross Bearer, whilst the traffic was stopped, walking from the Town Hall up the middle of the street and into the church through its Great West Door. Sadly, the weather at the start could have been kinder, but it introduced many who had never experienced it before to what is known as the East Coast Haar, a misty drizzle which sadly is rather wetting. Happily, by the end of the proceedings the Haar had given way to warmer sunnier weather.

The Festival this year was a rather special occasion because immediately after the Communion Service the Prior of Scotland, the Rt Hon The Viscount of Arbuthnott installed Dr Duncan Shaw, KStJ, to the office of Chancellor of the Priory of Scotland in succession to Dr William A. P. Jack, who was retiring after six years of distinguished

WALES

SJA's first aid teaching is sweeping through schools in Wales and reports are pouring in (too many to publish) of groups of pupils receiving their one, two and three cross award certificates after courses from teacher instructors.

The procession of the

Sergeant Jayne Cathrin Hughes, of Ruthin Division.

(Continued on next page)

and dedicated service as Chancellor in Scotland. Dr Shaw, who has worked assiduously to build up the library in Chancery, will combine the office of Chancellor with that of Librarian until the end of the present triennium in June 1987

Following the installation of the new Chancellor the Prior invested a total of 79 postulants with their insignia. As always there was a large congregation, over 500 members , friends and guests. The guests this year included the Lord Lieutenant of Fife , Sir John Gilmour and Lady Gilmour, Sir Hamish and Lady Forbes and Mr John

Cowan, Secretary to the Order , representing Chapter General , the Minister of the Church of the Holy Trinity, the Rev Charles Armour and Mrs Armour, the Moderator of the Presbytery, the Rev George Edington and Mrs Edington, Mr Wyllie Cunningham , Director General of the St Andrews Ambulance Association, Lt Col W. Kerr, General Secretary , British Red Cross Society in Scotland the Chief Constable of Fife and Mrs Moodie , as we ll as several distinguished friends and colleagues of Dr Shaw.

The award is made annually to the best all round cadet in Clwyd for work in the local community, attendance and Brigade achievement.

Cathrin also had the distinction of gaining her Grand Prior's Badge during 1985 which was presented to her by HRH the Duchess of Gloucester, Commandant-in-Chief of the Brigade in Wales , at an investiture in Welshpoollast October.

Pembroke shire

Pembroke Dock Division has been presented with a fully equipped

by the Texaco Refining Co. (See

OVERSEAS

NORTHERN

IRELAND

Clwyd

SJA in Clwyd recently awarded the Brymbo Shield for outstanding work by a cadet in the county to Cadet

Annual Festival of St John proceeding from the Town Hall, 5t Andrew, to the Church of the Holy Trinity.

Tasker - Milward School is the first Dyfed comprehensive school to receive one two and three cross awards. (Photo: Norman Owen). (Left

CHAMPIONS

OF THE CROSS

Part 8

News from

Divisions/Centres

OBITUARY

Robert Besant, 62, Superintendent, Stapehill Cadet Division Dorset. 30 years service.

Arthur Grainger, 72, joined DudJey Division in 1932 Superintendent in 1959 Area staff in 1961, Reserve 1964. Serving Brother.

AVON: Four cadets from Horfield N/ C division, Bristol, received the divisional awards. They are (top left) Wendy Watt, for greatest effort; Julie Burns , cadet of the year; (bottom left) Judith Heath best junior; and Sally Carpenter, smartest cadet. ( Photo: Myra Meredith).

Geoffrey James Greener, 59, County Staff Officer Training, S & W Yorkshire Joined SJA in 1954. Died June 28 1986. Edmund (Ted) Hobby, CSO Lewes, Sussex. Serving Brother. Harold Loveless, Ambulance Member , Lewes, Sussex. Serving Brother.

Dr George Walker, 82, former County Commissioner, Cambridgeshire. Commander of the Order. Died June 23 1986. Col. Stanislaw Wyskota-Zakrwzewski (ZAK), guide and mentor to the SJA parties in Rome during Holy Year 1975 Died Grimsby January 8 1986.

Their last ook at the Holy Land. battles and intrigues of their brethren in the precarious Kingdom in the Holy Land.

Both Templars and Hospitallers dreamed of the day when they would return to the Holy Land in triumph. But it would never be anything more than a dream.

One military order Acre fell to the Muslims on 27th May 1291, but for the two or three weeks before that refugees had been leaving the city by sea bound for the island of Cyprus. The Military Orders both had possessions in the island, and it was to these that the knights who were wounded, Chaplains and other members made their ways. There they began to take stock of their position. As they looked back at the land that had been their inspiration for nearly two hundred years, they must have wondered how they could adapt to the change in their circum s tances. Weakened both in manpower and morale the future looked bleak indeed. Apart from a few small raids on the enemy coast their military operations ceased.

proposed merger. Jacques de Molay, the Templar Grand Master, objected because he could not agree with the strategy for the suggested Crusade, and he also considered that it had been the rivalry between the two Orders that had been the main reason for their striving for glory in battle! Further, he said, that a combined Order would be too powerful. Perhaps he already knew that the Orders were becoming increasingly unpopular?

Under the Grand Master Fulk deYillaret, the Hospitallers had continued with their medical interests by building a hospital in Cyprus almost as soon as they arrived there. Other plans were also in the Grand Master 's mind , for he was determined that the Order should survive. To keep the Pope 's favour was essential. As subsequent history was to show, it was a wise decision.

former brethren. Accusations we re made that in the Admi ss ion Ceremony candidates were made to den y Christ, and spit on the crucifix ; charges of immorali ty were also brought forward to add to the case. At first the Pope, Clement Y, did nothing, but Philip continued to press the charges. n August 1307 , the Pope ordered an enquiry. The Templars in France realised their danger, but before they could lea ve the country. Philip acted. He ordered the immediate arrest of all member s of the Order. Only thirteen escaped. The remainder were thrown into prison, and then compelled under torture to admit to the charges. Only three knights refused to admit to anything.

(Left) KENT Dr Prou t, County Surgeon with recent award winners of Whitstable Division

SURREY : County Commissioner, Stuart Latham presents reti rement gifts to Caterham Div ision's Ann Lock who since joining the Division in 1950 has done housands of aeromedical hours, and Fred Marsh also with thousands of voluntary hours at Caterham, retires next year.

Written and illustrated by Hugh A. R. Edgell, Assistant Chaplain of the Order THIS is the story of two of the great Military Orders which were part of the everyday scene in Mediaeval Europe and the Middle East. Many towns and villages in Britain also bear witness to their influences on local life. The Order of Sr John was founded to provide carefor pilgrims to the Holy Land and the Poor Knights of Christ (The Templars) to give protection to pilgrims on their dangerous journeys. Both of these Orders were to develop far beyond the visions of their founders. Within a few years, monks and fighting men had become one and the same, wielding immense military and political power in the Holy Land and throughout Europe. Within two centuries one of the Orders was to disappear under a cloud of suspicion and disapproval. The other was to survive to the present day and in the process turn full circle to serve its 'masters the sick '.

Throughout their history, the two Military Orders had been rivals. Although the Hospitallers were the first to have official recognition for their work among pilgrims in the Hostel, it was the Templars who were the pioneers in the military field, protecting the pilgrim routes. The Hospitallers later followed suit. Wealth and possessions were showered upon them both by their supporters. The Hospitallers usually supported the monarchy, while the Templars favoured a strong barony. Eventually both Orders gained immense political power, while their military contributions both in men and castles became invaluable in any operation against the enemy.

214

Unfortunately the rivalry between them often led to their following different interests, and on some occasions even led to fighting between themselves. So powerful did they become that they became a law to themselves, refusing to follow any policy or project of which they did not approve. A problem that faced both of them was the continual arrival of eager 'crusaders' from the west. These new arrivals came with the sole intention of defeating Islam by force of arms, and were quite unable to understand the friendly attitude that they found between the Orders and the enemy. The Orders, however, realised only too well that the little Christian State depended for survival on the

goodwill of the Muslims rather than the strength of its forces. Diplomacy was often more effective than the sword. Relations between Muslims and the Orders were based on a mutual respect, and in times of peace friend and foe often travelled together, as well as maintaining their common trading and financial interests.

By the time that Acre fell, interest in crusading was declining rapidly in western Europe. People and Princes resented the constant demands on their finances, and even the estates of the Orders in Europe wer e becoming more and more unwilling to meet the demands made on them. Their interests were in their homelands rather than in th e

In 1306, the Pope attempted to raise a new Crusade, and he hoped that the Military Orders would be the rallying points , under the leadership of a Christian King. At the same time, however he appreciated that neither Order was strong enough by itself to undertake the task. Summoning the Grand Master of the Templars he proposed that the two Order s should merge. The Hospitallers were also consulted, but decided to reserve their judgement. On the other hand , they did offer constructive suggestions on the proposed Crusade. The Templars , however reacted immediately They would have nothing to do with either the Crusade or the

For reasons still not certain, Philip the Fair, King of France, developed a dislike for the Military Orders, and the Templars in particular. Perhaps he was fearful of their po litical ambitions, while in common with many Princes of the period, he was constantly short of money The Templar s and Hospitallers were a tempting source of wealth if ways could be found to appropriate it. The Orders also possessed many privileges, including exemption from the King s Court of Justice , the rig ht to appoint their own clergy and build their own churches. In fact both Orders were very much a law to themselves as we have seen. Their banking activities also made them unpopular. To add the final touch, it had been Philip who had hoped to lead the new Crusade, and he had been a keen su pporter of the Pope 's plan to merge the Orders - the plan so rudely dismissed by the Templars in 1306. But unpopularity was not enough to destroy them. Something more definite was required.

Unfortunately fOT the Templars there were several renegade knights who were quite prepared to make charges against their

Many T e mplars were tortured.

On 22nd November, the Pope ordered all Christian Princes to arrest any Templars in their lands. A Commission was appointed to examine the whole question of the Order 's affairs. Philip added to' their bad image by publishing their confessions. The Knights vigo rou sly defended their Order on the grounds that the evidence had been given by renegades who could not be relied upon. and that in any case torture had been employed to extract confessions. and these were therefore unreliable. The y were informed that anyone who withdrew his confession would be regarded as a lapsed heretic. and burned.

Across:

3. Condition in which a high life cannot be tolerated. (10), 8. Using the airways. (6). 9. State of profound insensibility. (4). 10. Severe epidemic with a high death rate. (10). 11. Observe an episcopal unit. (3) . 13. Several underwater workers. (6). 14. Dental procedure for removal of

tartar. (7). 15 Unusually-shaped hose is for the foot, nevertheless. (4), 17. A tetanus prophylactic has almost 100 in a high room , (5). 20. Function unit of body giving weird groan. (5) 22. How myopic person is sighted. (4). 24. Large artery has C.LD. rota re-arranged. (7). 25. Stimulate. (6) 28. Fractured arm in a pile -driver. (3). 29. Feigns deafness due to a woven pinna. (5-5) 30. Swollen , inftammed gland in groin or axilla. (4). 31. Physical education addendum in gastric enzyme. (6) 32. Regain health after illness in vocal scene. (10).

Down:

1. Adviser on psychiatric problems of foreigners? (8). 2. Short in stature. (6). 3. Apparently unaffected by the passage of years (7). 4. Discharging a low viscosity secretion. (5). 5. A step taken to introduce device to regularise heart beat. (4). 6. Snake lesion producing big talk. (8). 7. All with green disorder in a foreign protein causing illness. (8) 12. Saintly attribute making one light -headed? (4). 14. Structure one may lead to assist. (4). 16. Prophylactic preparations from blood (4). 17. Acid preventing scurvy. (8). 18. Month rib produces enzyme necessary for clotting of blood. (8) 19. Small malignant growth to Roman statesman and writer. (4). 21. Debility then in Asia. (8). 23. Change facial appearance by cosmetic surgery. (7). 26. Use chlorine and a pharmacist to produce surgical instruments. (6) 27. Quantity of food as swallowed. (5). 29. Calm and apyrexial. (4).

SOLUTION TO CROSSWORD No.8 (86)

Across: 1. Disaster; 5. Smith's; 10. Ok·a·pi; 11. Funny bone ; 12. Stem; 13. Drip; 14. Right; 17. H·am·ate; 18. Regimen; 22. Lateral; 25. Ra·nula; 27. Taste; 30. Roue; 31. Peru; 33. Labyrinth; 34. Oiled; 35. Turned; 36. Cyanosis.

Down: 1. Dropsy; 2. Spare-part; 3. Skin; 4. Enforce; 6. May·or; 7. Thong; 8. Sweating; 9. Sniper; 15. ICI; 16. Fair; 19 Gene; 20. Malleolus; 21. Platelet; 23. Eat; 24. Larynx; 25. Roughly; 26. Fund·us; 28. Sober; 29. Eerie; 32. Corn.

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REVIEW CROSSWORD No.9 (86) by W. A. Potter

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RAFFLE

ST JOHN REVIEW

St

BR ANCHES ha ve re p o rte

entertammg activ iti es rece nt ly. O n July 22 , Westgate (Kent) Branch held a R oyal Wedding Party. Wi th the Mayor and Mayo r ess of Margate among some 100 guests , they invited a local bride and b r idegroom to cut a 3-tier wedding cake The event, which was a tremendo u s success , was featured in the local paper. I am s ure the r oyal co up le w ou ld h a ve enjoyed it.

Two m em bers fr o m Harrow and District Branch (London ), Miss Dorothy Lee and Miss Violet Hen d erson , took part in the St John flag d a y co ll ection in Bond Street , wruch was a ver y special occas ion as the Bond Street Ass o ciation is donating the p r oceeds of their tercentenary celeb r ations to SJ A London District. The pair were joined b y Miss Doroth y Clisby , formerl y of Chelsea Nursing Di vision , who is well known in Kensington as a n outs ta n ding c o lle c to r.

T h e St Jo h n G u d , W e st Hants , have also been fund-raising wit h a successful coffee morning in aid of holi d a y s for the h and icappe d I woul d like to make an appeal for someone to s tart a branch of the Fellowsrup in Central London. There mus t be man y former members in t h e area who wo uld like to jo in a Fello wsrup branch and I ha ve alread y had an offer of accommodation at a St John Hea d quarters Would anyone interest ed please get in to uc h with me.

31 Malvern Court, Onslo w Squar e London S W7 3HY

SEPTEMBER R EVIEW

Save a Life

IT IS BELIEVED that widespread knowledg e in the community of the major principles of E mergenc y Aid would produce a substantial reduction in the number of sudden deaths from respiratory obstruction and cardiac arrest. Experience in the United States has demon strated that no high degree of expertise is necessary for success to be achieved.

Emergenc y Aid was introduced into regular practice in the United States 25 years ago A Gallup Poll conducted in 1983 re vealed that approximately 40 million Amer cans (20 % of the entire adult population) had received formal training in resuscitation There has also been intensive training in resuscitation in parts of Norwa y, Sweden Holland and in about 15 to 29

START OF NATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO TRAIN TENS OF THOUSANDS IN EMERGENCY AID

least 26 lives have been saved as a result , 16 solely due to intervention by a member of the general public. Th e Wakefield Life Support Training Scheme has taught 5,000 people the basic principles of Emergency Aid in its first year. The scheme estimates that for eve r y 1,000 citi zens trained , one life saved per year can be expected.

A major campaign is therefore to be launched in the Uni ed Kingdom in the autumn. Its objectives are:

1. To raise the general level of public awareness of how to sustain life in an emergency.

2. To persuade many tens of thousands of people to undertake practical training in Emergency Aid. centres in the United Kingdom , the The campaign will centre around a series prototy pe in the United Kingdom being held o f six lO-minute BBC television programmes in Brighton. This w as originall y funded by to be broadcast on Sundays at weekly the British H eart Foundation and called intervals a t peak viewing times. The first ' Hear t Guard The campaign has instructed programme will be at 6.20 pm on Sunday some 25 ,000 citizens, and in only 6 years at October 12 on BBC I. It is expected that the

TALKING POINT 1--------

There

are only four minutes! by Dr NORMAN PAROS

T H IS ISSUE of the Revie w coincides with the launch of the Save-a-Life campaign initiated by the Royal Society of Medicine. The BBC is presenting si x short TV programmes on resuscitation which will be repeated in 1987. The voluntary aid organisations are to be indispensabl y in vol ved in the follow-up national campaign which aims , in two hour session s, to teach 70 ,000 members of the public the basic principles of expired air resuscitation and external cardiac compression.

First aid is primarily concerned with these procedures to save life '; yet despite all the training , repetition and revision first aid is still often performed inadequately and sometimes inexpertl y

This was observed at the recent SJA National Finals competitions when among the twel ve most expert teams in England and Wales some failed even in the first principle of airway control - the A.B.C. (airway , breathing , circulation).

This issue also contains an excellent review of a report on the Seattle (Washington State USA) achievement in training members of the public in emergenc y cardio -pulmonar y resuscitation. O ver a period of fourteen years , ending in 1985, 450 ,000 people attended courses Because of this amazing response over half the cases of cardiac arrest occurring in Seattle and the neighbouring area benefited from CPR

series will be repeated at least once on BBC 2 in 1987. Each programme depicts a different incident involving a life-s aving technique The aim of the programmes is to demonstrate how Emergency Aid can save life and to encourage members of the public to participate in a two- hour Emergency Aid training ses sion

At the conclusion of each programme , members of the pubUc will be invited to send a stamped addressed envelope to the BBC Broadcasting Support Services , who will forward to them a pamphlet about the campaign and deta ls of whom to contact about attending a training session and in some cases also details of training sessions in their county. The reply will state if specific places have to be booked on a particular session , or if members of the public may just turn up at a particular session , regardless o f the numbers All those who attend a trainin g session will receive a free booklet and a signed card (the size of a credit card) signifying their attendance.

Princess Anne opens Hants HQ

T H E N E W St John Count y and Winche ster Divi s o n a l he adquarter s go t the Ro y al seal of approval on July 21 when Prince ss Anne paid a fl y ing visit to Winche ster in her role a s Comm a ndant -in -Chief St John Ambulance and Nursing C a de t s. She was g reeted by the Basing

Bri t ain ' s Save- a-Life campaign is aimed at the same target , the first aid of cardiac arrest , although the same procedures apply of cour se to drowning and asph yxia. The campaign ha s to o vercome a lethargy , almost an apath y by the British public to first aid , of lea ving it to others (the lunactics ?) and of ' walking on the other side

Many will have read of the mother whose daughter had seen a demonstration of CPR and told her about it and so the mother was able to save the life of a child. (Review June 1986 , p 128 ). Also the Review (July 1986 , p. 154) reports that an Area Surgeon in Lancashire on his own initiative aims to train 60,000 members o f the public in Preston by using leaflets distributed by general practitioners and libraries, followed by suitable courses.

The paradox is that inexpert CPR is better than no CPR , a fact which has been proven many times.

So it is up to us in St John and similar organisations to improve our techniques, to practise and to practise again. And to pass on our expertise to the 70 ,000 who will, hopefully be enthused sufficiently to pass on their knowledge to a much wider spectrum of the public No one should die from cardiac arrest who could be saved. Four minutes is all the time there is.

218 initiated by t hose trained personnel. This training programme has been copied world wide.

The patron of the campaign is Sir John Walton, President of the Ro y al Society o f Medicine. The chairman of the campaign co-ordinating committee is Dr P A. B. Raffle OBE, and there are 13 member s The campaign director is Mr s Penn y Webb who has an office at the Royal Society o f Medicine ( Wimpole Street London WIM 8AE 0982).

The campaign will rely primaril y on St John Ambulance and the British Red Cross Society but also on the Police Ambulance , Fire Services , etc , to run the training sessions. It is the campaign comm itte e' s intention tha t each count y should have a co-ordinat ing officer who would be re s pons ible for the co -ordination of the campaign in a county , particularly regarding training sessions.

In spite of the referral system mentioned above, it is expected that many members of the public, having seen either a TV programme or local PR notice, will approach St John Ambulance - either County HQ or a Division - direct without replying to the BBC Support Services. It is important that counties are aware of this and are ready to deal with this situation should it arise.

There is no doubt that there is tremendous scope for excellent publicity through St John Ambulance's participation in the campaign provided that the publicity is carefully co-ordinated by all involved.

The following is the curriculum for a Single Session Course in Resuscitation and Emergency Aid published by the campaign co-ordinating committee.

Curriculum for a single session course

A 'class' will normally last 2 to 2+ hours, the exact time depending upon local arrange(continued overleaf)

ments, local needs and the availability of instructors. Execution of CPR training in a single session demands the use of adult resuscitation training manikins - a ratio of six students per instructor/manikin (maximum ten) is optimal. Variations in the course organisation (e.g., attention to road accidents, heart disease prevention, alteration of student/instructor ratios) are permitted provided that the minimum content is covered as follows:

1. Introduction to the course

The brain's need for oxygen is discussed with brain damage occurring after a few minutes oxygen lack. The need is demonstrated for a clear Airway, adequate and intact s;;,irculation. Resuscitation is defined as the reversal of deficiencies in these areas. A wide variety of emergencies may present with the same fundamental problems and similar principles used which are Gommon to them all.

2. Priorities

The first priority is safety - to self and victim. The rescuer must exclude or eliminate danger (e.g., road accidents, electricity, fire or gas, etc). Then a careful approach to the casualty should establish unconsciousness by shaking gently and speaking loudly. Avoid further damage to other injuries, e.g., neck and back, by unnecessary movement.

Someone is sent to get help - knowledge of the 999 system is important.

3. The Airway

The causes of airway obstruction are discussed - in particular the role of the tongue in unconsciousness and airway obstruction due to foreign body (food, blood or vomit). The airway is opened by tilting the head back and supporting the jaw/chin. The choking emergency is dealt with by finger sweeps and back blows.

The recovery position is described and practised.

4. The Breathing

The student is taught to look listen and feel for breathing; the causes of absent breathing , including (particularly) drowning and gassing, are described. The techniques of expired air resuscitation by the mouth -tomouth/mouth-to-nose methods are practised. The student is taught to give four initial breaths to inflate the lungs; if still no response to check the circulation A casualty who is not breathing but who still has a good pulse rate is treated by mouth -to -mouth ventilation at 15 breaths per minute.

5. The Circulation

The components of the circulation - the pump (heart) and pipes (blood vessels) are described. The nature, causes and recognition of a heart attack are decribed. Bleeding from arteries and veins is described. The student is taught to feel for the carotid pulse and the importance of recognising an absent pulse is stressed. When the heart has stopped (cardiac arrest) there will be no

220

pulse and no breathing. Both breathing and circulation are supported by mouth-tomouth ventilation and external chest compressions (cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR). The student must demonstrate proficiency at single handed CPR (15 compressions at 80 per minute followed by two breaths). The pulse is checked after one and each third minute. The chest thump is not taught.

At the discretion of the instructors, two-man rescue may be demonstrated (5: 1 at 60 per minute) , but time usually precludes student practice at two-man resuscitation It is important to note that chest compression will not be taught to children. The rules for bleeding are discussedlaying the casualty down , raising the affected limb and applying direct pressure over the wound by pad or grasping. The shocked patient must be insulated from a cold environment and not given anything by mouth - the position for protection from cold should be demonstrated with a blanket under the casualty.

6. Children

The essential difference in resuscitation between children and adults is the respiratory nature of the emergency. Some causes of asphyxia in children and their management are discussed (choking, suffocation, inhalation , etc). Expired air resuscitation by the mouth-to-mouth and nose method may be demonstrated (especially if a baby /ch ild manikin is available). Chest compressions are not taught in children.

Techniques according to: 3rd impression of 4th edition of First Aid Manual CSt John Red Cross and St Andrew s)

The following correspondence relevant to

SJA Music Makers (Sept Review) said:

Massed marching band becomes a reality'

HERE IS THE BAND

St John Ambulance involvement in the campaign has been sent from National Headquarte·rs , 1 Grosvenor Crescent:

I. To County Commanders and copied to County Directors and Commissioners:

Chief Commander's letter of November 12 1985

Chief Secretary's letter of February 21 1986

Chief Secretary 's letter of April 2 1986

Chief Secretary's letter of June 5 1986 covering the co-ordinating committee's guidance paper

2. To County PROs and copied to County Commanders County Directors and Commissioners:

Director of Public Relations ' letter of August 1 1986.

CITIZEN CPR: An American Evaluation

John Hammond, Secretary to the SJA Medical Board, reviews an article published in the British Medical Journal by Associate Professors Richard O. Cummins and Mickey S. Eisenberg of the Department of Medicine, University of Washington, S eaale.

ALTHOUGH more than thirty countries were represented at the Fourth World Congress on Emergency and Disaster Medicine held recently in Brighton , few have adopted community training schemes for cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR). In discussion at the conference, questions were raised expressing concern about programmes of this sort. Does CPR really save lives? Does harm occur when over enthusiastic citizens administer CPR to people who are not in complete cardiac arrest? Does it matter that the skill of CPR declines in time?

In the experience of Professors Cummins and Eisenberg, community CPR training schemes are the essential foundation for improving survival from cardiac arrest that occur out of hospital. By 1985 over 450,000

people had been trained in 'c itizen ' CPR in Seattle and adjoining King County, and ordinary people had initiated CPR for half of all cardiac arrests in the area. Cummins and Eisenberg have recorded detailed information on over 3,000 people who had a cardiac arrest in King County, all having had CPR provided by people in the community, by emergency medical personnel, or both.

Does harm occur when over enthusiastic citizens administer CPR to people who are not in complete cardiac arrest? Or , to put it another way, are Seattle and King County the best places to have a heart attack, but the worst places to have a faint! Cummins and Eisenberg are aware of one occasion only in which CPR was wrongly performed - on a person who had fainted during a basketball game. No harm occurred. In nine years no reports of appreciable injury have been brought to their attention. It is significant that to their knowledge no legal action has been started for harm resulting from unnecessary resuscitation, despite the United

on July 12to a resounding ovation.

States' legal profession maintaining what cou ld be termed an energetic surveilla nce system.

Community training schemes have not been ardently supported in some places because of fear that CPR performed by minimally skilled people may cause harm. But should a potentially life-saving technique ever be withheld from a clinically dead person because of fear of causing harm? There are indeed stories of people who, having been resuscitated, died from injuries received as the result of the CPR, but the fact is that such cases are rare and post mortem examination has failed to determine who caused the damage - the citizen who started CPR or the emergency or medical personnel who arrived soon afterwards. Are such events frequent enough to justify not holding community training schemes?

Cummins and Eise nber g have no evidence that damage from citizen CPR caused or contributed to death. A detailed study of 400 surv ivors of cardiac arrest failed to detect any specific adverse consequence to having received CPR In their experience, casualties in cardiac arrest who have CPR started early by people in the community have a 50% improvement in survival compared with casualties who receive delayed resuscitation, having had to wait until the emergency services reached them. The known advantage of early CPR far outweigh any possible adverse effect.

Start CPR early

Does it matter that the skill of CPR declines in time? Recent work by Kay and Mancini questions whether a person's failure to retain the skill at classroom standard affects significantly either their performance during actual resuscitation of a casualty or the survival of the casualty The evidence of the study of Cummins and Eisenberg and

others, suggests that the quality of CPR is of secondary importance to its early start

The need to start resuscitation early is a lesson that has been learnt from both clirucal and field evidence. Cummins and Eisenberg stress that in areas where the emergency services cannot reach a casualty within four minutes, the community needs to adopt a CPR training scheme in an attempt to save people in cardiac arrest. Evaluation of a programme developed to guide emergency telephone cal ler s through the basic steps of CPR has indicated people learn enough resuscitation in an average time of four minutes to make an appreciable contribution to survival with few, if any, adverse consequences. A similar scheme for CPR instruction by telephone is being developed by Dr Peter Baskett in Bristol and by Dr Neville Hart in Rotterda m CPR, ho wever, does no more than slow the process of dying. Advanced life s upport from well-trained ambulance personnel must arrive quickly after the start of citizen CPR if its effect is not to be lost. Doctor Douglas Chamberlain in his work with the Brighton ambulance service and Professor J. F. Pantridge with the Belfast ambulance doctors, confirm the importance of the rapid arrival of advanced life s upport care.

Does the chance of survival increase if instead of encouraging bystander CPR you upgrade the skills of the emergency personnel, for example by letting them operate a defibrillator? The results of studies in both America and Britain show the same disappointing lack of appreciable improvement in survival rates. If financial considerations force a choice between community training schemes and improving ambulance services , Cummins and Eisenberg think that citizen CPR training should come first. Not only are such programmes less expensive but as Doctor Douglas Chamberlain and his colleagues at Brighton have pointed out, they have other benefits. Firstly, they increase

public awareness of the signs and symptoms or' heart attack, decreasing the time from onset of symptoms to the casualty's arrival at hospital; leading to a better chance of survival. Secondly, studies suggest people trained in CPR call 999 quicker than untrained people.

Thirdly, community CPR has led to increased resuscitation of the victims of obstructed airways, drownings and other forms of asphyxiation. Training in mouth-tomouth ventilation has been compulsory in schools in Norway since 1961. By 1976 over 1,000 casualties had been resuscitated by mouth-to-mouth ventilation, of whom 15% were drowning victims. The death of a healthy baby, a child or an adult by drowning or obstructed airway is always a tragedy, but doubly so when they might have been saved by someone trained in CPR

Questions remain

Questions remain about community CPR. Even the extensive experience of Cummins and Eisenberg has not completely answered any of them. Both appropriate and inappropriate CPR has been harmful on occasion, but - in the light of the well documented benefits of early CPR - at an acceptably low rate. Even though peopl e quickly forget many of the details of their training, citizen initiated resuscitation continues to help to save life providing it is started within minutes of the collapse, and is followed closely by advanced caJ:diac care.

Professors Cummins and Eisenberg conclude their article by encouraging and congratulating those who train large numbers of ordinary people in CPR. Their efforts will help communities take the first step towards improved survival.

SJA Central Southern Area's band (compris in g Southwark Corps of Drums. Surrey Corps of Drums and the Sussex Kn ghts of Southw ick) marching i nto the arena of the Royal Tournamen t at Earls Court

'AMBULANCE, please! I'm calling from 0603 216234 There's been an accident Outside the Foodhall Supermarket in Old Catton, Norwich

A boy's fallen off his bicycle He's unconscious, but I can see no obvious signs ofi,yury Yes, that's right, on the road outside '

Not a real incident but a candidate making a 999 call, practising the skills he has learned for the St John Ambulance Thre€ Cross Award in emergency aid. For two months now, twenty Ghildren aged between ten and twelve years have been working for half-an-hour a we€k , at White Woman Lane Middle School, Norwich where I teach , reGeiving instruction in what to do in an emergency for their One Cross Award, while others have been learning resuscitation for the Two Cross Award.

The syl1abus of the Cross Awards is deceptively simple: know what to do if someone meets with an accident. The video tape lays it all out graphically with the help of two well-known television personalities to whom the children can easily relate: Keith Chegwin and Lesley Ash. The instructions are clear and precise, using dramatised incidents to put the point across, but of course in r€al life nothing is straightforward. Hence the time spent every week discussing and acting out what we would do in real emergency situations.

The One Cross Award tape takes us through the procedures needed to save life and prevent further injury in a simulated accid€nt, wh€re a man has been knocked from his bicyde by a driver who did not stop. It teaches the basic procedures of assessing the situation, making the casualty

£2,000 to help

SJA's Schools

The Federation of Master Bui ders president Mr Charles Fisk. presents the cheque to Robert Balchin DirectorGeneral SJA.

WE ARE PROUD and pleased to have received a very generous donation of £2,000 from The Federation of Mast€r Buildgrs on August 21 at National Headquarters.

Mr Robert Balchin, Director-General, received the cheque from Mr Charles Fisk, FMB National President , who said in his reply: 'T his cheque from my federation s national council is a "pumpprim€r" for our regions and branches. It will cover the cost of the St John training package for 45 schools in England and Wales. All our regions will be involved , and we hope ultimately to sponsor basic first-aid training to children in hundreds of schools , once our local branches become involved. My federation receives many appeals from charities in the course of a year but we felt the St John Ambulance 'Three Cross Award' scheme particularly worth encouraging

Horrific

Mr Bill Hilton, FMB National Director who was also at the presentation ceremony, said: 'The current aCGident statistics for the industry ar€ horrifiG and it is difficult to reach a speedy and efficient solution. In our BA TJIC Rule Book we provide for the employment and payment of first-aiders. But employers find it difficult to obtain skilled people. This co-operation with St John

Project

Ambulance should at least help in the future '.

The 45 Emergency Aid in Schools packages will be presented to the various FMB regions at their annual conference this autumn. Each region will present their chosen schools with the packagesit is planned that they will organise local publicity for these presentations. In answer to 'St John Ambulance is Dying - see page 173 August Reviewwe who are involved with the Schools Proj€ct know how very much alive St John Ambulance is, and with a little foresight and patience we can recruit even more youngsters.

Information

The Review is now receiving from SJA members information and photographs of schools which have completed their Three Cross Award scheme. This news is of great interest to everyone concerned with the Schools Project, and it is hoped that each month th€ Review will publish many more schools' 'success stories'. If you do not have the time to forward the information to the editor of the Review, please do not hesitate to forward the details to me at Grosvenor Crescent and I will forward them on your behalf.

A nne J. Macleod, Schools Project Officer

(and the Emergency Aider) safe, fetching help, and giving emergency aid, in this case placing the unconscious casualty in the recovery position.

Once we had watched the tape, we discussed the situations in which it might be useful to know about Emergency Aid. Of course, young minds always like to think about life and death dramas but it was soon obvious that they also appreciated that knowing what to do can be vitally important even in what appear to be minor accidents.

Checking

Discussion was followed by demonstration and practice of checking for pulse and breathing, checking the levels of consciousness , opening the airway and moving the casualty into the recovery position It did not take long for the chi ldren to spot that moving the patient into the recovery position went against what the y had previously been told, i.e., do not mov e the casualty. They were thus introd uced to one of the major problems of emergency aid that you cannot follow the book blindly , but must use common sense and judgement to establish priorities when treating a casualty. Work for the Two Cross Award followed a similar pattern: observation, discussion, activity, followed by more discussion. The Two Cross Award requires the candidate to know what to do if someone has stopped breathing and his heart has stopped beating , if, for example , he has been involved in a drowning accident. As in all emergency aid skills, learning by doing is important. The school had to borrow a resuscitation dumm y from the local St John Ambulance division for the children to practise on. Luckily , Sprowston Division was able to lend us one. As before, the children were quick to learn , but small mouths sometimes found it difficult to make a proper seal on the dummy. Thi s caused much amusement, and the mor e successful ones were greeted with: So now we know who has a big mouth!'

Problems

Obviously, there are problems to be faced when introducing a subject like emergency aid to children who are young in age and experience of life. Unfortunately, common sense cannot be taught, but hopefully through discussion, practice, and thinking about problems, sound judgements can be made When deciding what to teach it is necessary to consider how much the children can be asked to cope with. We are them to face the unpleasant facts of injury and possjble death, and some of the

procedures they may need to follow will be distasteful. They need to realise that a little unpleasantness is better that seeing someone die whom they know they could have helped. While children should be encouraged to understand the reasons behind what they are doing , allowance has to be made for the fact that their background knowledge is limited. Procedures need to be carefully explained and thoroughly understood before they are applied to a practical situation. Therefore a generous amount of time needs to be set aside for practice and discussion.

Why teach it?

Why teach emergency aid in school when the curriculum is already stretched to its limits and when there appear to be so many difficulties ? Apart from a concern on the part of St John Ambulance to reach a wide section of the population at an early age, there are other less obvious reasons for teaching the subject in schools. It fosters a general atmosphere of goodwill in a world where there appears to be so little caring and helps to develop thoughtfulness towards others. Learrung to cope with difficult situations bring s a degree of maturity , and children who have been given some grounding in emergency aid are also less likely to panic when faced with a potentially dangerous situation and are therefore less likely to make matters worse by responding inappropriately. Given the difficulties we have already spoken about, the practical skills are well within the capacity of a reasonably intelligent person , and can even give the less able a chance to feel they are doing something really worth while.

First time

It is the first time this school has undertaken such a project. Indeed, I believe we are the first school in central Norfolk to teach the awards. Our association with St John Ambulance came about after I had suggested that we might make the local division our Christmas Charity. As a thank you, we were given a copy of the Three Cross Award video, and I decided to give it a try What's more, Sprowston Combined Adult Division gained a new member!

The experience of teaching Emergency Aid in school has been a rewarding one, and will certainly be repeated next year. Sadly , not all lessons are awaited with the eager anticipation afforded to first aid sessions! In the meantime, I am busy collecting triangular and roller bandages in preparation for teaching the Three Cross Award in the coming academic year

(Right) Cal ing an ambu lan ce. (Below) Getting casualty into the recovery position.

(Right) I s she breathing?

(Be lo w ) Checking the radial pulse. (Right) Checking the Know ng

ON THE BOX

I hear that two members of Ruislip Norwood Division (Paul Dew and Clive Wilson) appear as extras, in uniform in the ITV serial Paradise Postponed (hope the title has no bearing on their or our future), which should be screened in Britain this autumn.

They worked two days on the set for the 'Worsfield Show scenes, when the film makers used the showground and marquee which the previous weekend had housed the Hillingdon Show. As well as being

Watch

WHAT'S GOING ON IN

THE WORLD OF ST JOHN

BY

THE EDITOR

edition of Regulations of the Order may not all be aware of a slight change introduced concerning the width of undress ribbon to be used (i.e. when ribbons alone are worn on uniform).

On page 72, the Royal Charters, Statutes and Regulations of the Order (1985 Ed), para 4(vii) to Appendix III states: , When worn on uniform without Insignia the size of the riband shall be 11in x ft in .'

This change was in order to simplify and to standardise with the British custom of using one width of ribbon to signify, when wearing ribbons alone, membership of an order irrespective of grade held in an order. This particular rule in no way affects the other regulations dealing with the various widths of ribbon used to suspend insignia. These sizes continue to vary according to the grade held.

TRIAGE

at parascending at a fiver

go, and the prize in the dice throwing competition was a new car. Plans are now going ahead for next year's event - to raise funds, of course. You gotta pay your way.

FOOD HANDLING

The demand for Hygienic Food Handling courses has declined ; only 30 Association certificates have been issued this year. It is

therefore not cost effective to rewrite the handbook for the co urse Hy gienic Food Handling.

From September I 1986 the course (code CSFH) was withdrawn and page 27 of Class Regulations should be removed and destroyed and the index so amended. Courses already ar ranged should be conducted.

ORDER RIBBON

Members of the Order of St John who have not had the opportunity to study t he latest

During June SJA North Yorkshire joined their British Red Cross colleagues in a major exercise to give exper ience in triage and setting up first aid posts at a major emergency. This was a sequel to last year's exercise which concentrated on rescue and recovery of casualties

Held at Catterick Garrison under the direction of the county emergency officer, Wing - Commander Duncan Harvey, four first aid posts, two for each voluntary service , and each manned by 15 members,

RUN FOR YOUR WIFE

SCHOOL

(Left) The daughter of D/ S Brian Walker, of South Staffs Chasetown Division , lends a supporting hand

(Right) Members

were subjected to a stream of 180 casualties, with injuries ranging from broken necks to shock.

The SJA posts were organised and led by D I S Sue Ferguson (Acomb) and D I S Bob White (Richmond) in the morning, and by Deputy Area Comms Henry Fowler (Coastal) and Nora Oughtet (Coastal) in the afternoon.

So successful have the exercises been that it is proposed to hold similar training annually. (Photo above.)

DONINGTON WEEKEND

This letter appeared in The Marshalling Post, the magazine of the Midland region of the British Motor Racing Marshals Club. A letter aimed at Nigel Cubitt (City Area Training Officer, Leicester) and his Merry Gang.

Dear All,

It is not all of us who have experienced the efficiency of the

started to run. Off went the casualty to the Medical Centre and, a few minutes later, after packing all the odds and ends away, I shot off for the same place. By the time I had reached the Medical HQ the doctor had almost finished stitching up my accidentprone infant.

With two anxious parents and one stitched-up lad, the kindness and professionalism shown to us was overwhelming and a darn sight better than some hospitals I have known, So from a tired out flag marshal and his family, our very sincere thanks,

Yours sincerely G V. Cook

Address changes, etc

The Review distribution lists, complete with amendments , are returned to our distributor on the 5th of each month for the following month s issue. Any changes of addresses, quantities, etc , received after the 5th cannot be made till the issue/allowing the next month

meetings, I would, therefore, like to give my grateful thanks to the St John personnel and the medical staff at Dorrington. While I was flagging at Post F my four-year-old son had managed to gash open his neck. Fortunately, the last practice session had just finished and I was walking back to the car for lunch when I saw my wife climbing into an ambulance; by then I had Liverpool ASO (Cadets) Wilf Spencer (centre) looks very pleased to be retiring after 51 years with SJA. But then maybe it's the gifts he received (that brought that smile) from the County Commiss oner, Col R. H. Jones , and Area Staff from Area Comm B J. Manley (left). Still a lovely smile.

byJIM

CADETS enjoy singing but they enjoy it more if t hey play their own instruments at the same time.

Shakers

A variety of containers, washing-up liquid bottles, coffee or cocoa tins and so on, will make suitable containers once emptied and cleaned out. Fill them with gravel, dried peas or rice, then seal the container, paint it with bright colours and allow to dry. A variety of containers with different contents will make a good effect.

Drums

Large catering tins kept after camp or clean , empty paint tins are ideal for drums. Cover the tin with parchment paper , pol yt hene or rubber inner tubing and be sure that the covering is tightly fastened over the top of the drum. You will find that it is best to use the palm of the hand to beat the rhythm.

Wash board

If you can acquire one for the Division's music group - great! Secondhand shops or perhaps even grannie's old cupboard might

just produce one. It can be played by the cadet scrubbing the board in time to the beat. But he should use some protection for his fingers and thimbles are probably the best answer.

Comb and paper

Cover a plastic comb with greaseproof paper, and then blow across the face of the comb.

Tappers

Cut lengths of bamboo cane into 12 inch pieces Give each cadet two lengths of bamboo. To play they are knocked together in time to th e beat.

Budding musicians

There may be some cadets in the Division who have a musical talent and can play an instrument. They should, if possible be encouraged to help the Division's singing by playing along. These cadets might even be willing to playa solo or perform a duet with a similarly talented friend.

Circus night

The clowns - Tell jokes, wear a paper fac e-mask and, if the hall and superintendent can cope, have slapstick fun with paper plates and crazy foam.

Performing horses - The Division are the horses and one cadet is the trainer. Together the cadet leaders can work out a short routine If the Division is large in number then it would be best to have two performances

Bareback rider - One or two cadets perform balancing tricks on a firm box or bench to represent the ' horseback '.

Ringmaster - One cadet introduces the acts and makes a speech of welcome to the audience at the beginning and a speech of thanks at the end of the performance.

Pantomime horse - Two cadets are covered with a blanket while another leads the 'horse'

Miss SJ, Londonderry

(Photos:

Programme ideas - juniors

The early darkness and dismal weather of autumn increases the risk of road accidents. Every year children are killed close to home. Talk about the dangers of today 's traffic , for it is probably the most dangerous situation that young children will encounter.

Contact your local RoSP A or local authority Road Safety Officer and invite him to visit you.

Reflective armbands - Materials: 12 ins x 9 ins strips of black bin liner plastic. Rolls or strips of reflective or fluorescent tape from cycle shops, Staples or dressmaking tape such as Velcro.

Fold the pol ythe ne to form a st rip 12 ins x 3 ins. Make a circle that fits snugly around the upper sleeve when the cadet is wearing his coat and staple securely. Velcro can be stapled in position to give an adjustable fastening.

Measure cut and apply a strip of fluorescent tape to encircle the arm in the centre of the black armband. Make a second armband. Stick any left over fluorescent tape to the underside of shoes between the heels and so le s.

Shine tor c hes from one end of a darkened hall to see how walking figures are illuminated

Modelling clay

Mix fib sa lt , lib plain flour, I tbs vegetable oil and co lour either by adding food colouring or dye before adding sufficient water to make a pliable dough. Store the clay dough in an air -tight container.

Song

on chats with it and then encourages the horse to perform a dance

The lion tamer - (T his can be similar to the performing horses.) One cadet is the lion tamer and the others are the lions. The lion tamer should have a length of rope or string as his whip and the lions might need a few boxes or stools to use when they perform their tricks The lion tamer and the 'lions' should work out a routine together.

Parade - At the end of the performance all the artistes (the Division) have a balloon and parade around the circus ring for the grand finale and the traditional closing words from the ringmaster.

Traffic light poem Red , amber and green

The traffic lig ht s are seen Red glows at the top It means you must stop. Green glows down below, I t means you can go. The amber light glows in between, Saying, wait for red or green.

The order of the traffic light s are red, red and amber green, amber back to red.

Cut egg boxes down the middle and give eac h Junior a strip of three indentations to represent the traffic lights.

Obtain modelling clay in three suitab le colours and give each boyan egg-sized piece of each colour. When the poem is repeated, the Juniors put the correct colour clay into the correct hole. Cover the traffic lights with clear plastic so that they can take them home as reminders.

Children of Junior age regard fireworks as beautiful, exciting even fascinating things. They are innocent of the extreme dangers. Talk to them and read the Firewo rk Code. Take every precaution if your Division is having a firework party or is joining in a gro up activity in Novembe r.

Fishes in the sea

Cadets form a large circle and all chalk a small circle round their feet. They are given the name of a fish in groups of four. One cadet is chosen as the fisherman. He wa lks round the room calling out the names of vario u s fish. The cadets with that name then leave their circles to follow him copying every movement he makes. On the call 'the sea is very rough today all the fish leave their circles to follow the fisherman. When

's hark s' is called everyone dashes fo r a chalk circle, The cadet without a circle becomes th e next fisherman.

Sea voyage

Each team of six chooses a captain and a pilot. The rest of the team become icebergs and sit cross-legged and scattered about the room The captains are blindfolded at one end of the room while the pilots stand at the other end calling out directions. These can be compas s points or just simple right or left instructions . Which ship arrives at its destination safely?

Trade winds

Equipment: one rectangular sheet of paper per cadet. Every cadet makes a paper boat. The Division is then divided into two teams , each team taking it in turns to race the ir boats into harbour (cadets on hands and knees blow their own boat to the far si de of the hall ), Hold a final race between the winners of each team.

Team and division activities

Find out about someone who had done their best in the past and act out or mime their sto r y (for example Grace Darling).

Hold a model boat regatta on a local pond. Visit a port or harbour. Make a working model of a lighthouse. Find out about the international code of signals for shipping.

Camp fire yell

Shiver my timbers the ship is sinking Shiver my timbers we'll all be drowned Shiver my timbers we'll go to the bottom Shiver my timbers we'll never be found.

Contributions

Contributions and entries to competitions in this column should be sent to Jim, 3 Brandreth Road , London E6 4QB. If you have any ideas about games , training activities or events that your cadets have taken part in and enjoyed , please write because I am always in need of material to include in the column. Cadet Chat badges are sent to all those who contribute to the column,

Music

Strabane s Cheryl McGranaghan (left) who was chosen as Miss St John of Londonderry Area and De borah Gallagher, who won the cup for hyg iene at the Londonderry Area competitions.

AVON: Bristol Kingswood Alc Division (left) cadet s and officers who raised E 180 for divisional funds with a 10- mile sponsored walk, which was followed by an hour of exercises, an hour of drill, and then a one-mile stretcher carry Tough in Kingswood, eh?

(Above) Bristol Bishopston Division's best junior (left), Clive Grant, 11 ; and best cadet , Andrew Sutton 16, who was in the team which won the national finals in 1983 and 1986

Myra Meredith)

IN TOWN. (Above) Hereford s Holy Trinity Combined Cadet t eam, with D S Mrs E M. Wood and Ted Rogers (who presented the trophies) at the Brigade Finals where they finished 5th and congratulate Bognor Regis on their win. (Right) At St Paul 's Cathedral on St John 's Day - 34 cadets from North Devon divisions - Barnstaple, Braunton Ilfracombe and South Molton. Everyone had a great time

THE ST JOHN Ambulance and Rescue Service in Guernsey is the only professional ambulance service in the British Isles still to bear the white cross of St John, and this year it is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

It is run separately from the voluntary side of the Brigade on the island, being the official ambulance service manned by full-time paid professionals, but it still forms part of the overall St John organisation on the island.

It is the equivalent of the UK county services, but in many ways cannot be compared because of the unique nature of its operation. An ambulanceman in Guernsey may perform several routine patient removals in a day and a handful of emergency calls, but may later find himself in a wet-suit rescuing a casualty from offshore rocks, or treating multiple sclerosis sufferers with hyperbaric oxygen, or even hanging above dangerous cliffs on the end a helicopter winchwire.

The service was started as the result of a road accident in which Reg Blanchford was seriously injured. During the years recovering from his injuries, he realised that he might have suffered less if there had been a more efficient ambulance service than the part-time state-run ambulance, so he joined St John and started campaigning to buy an ambulance. When the vehicle arrived in 1936, he set up a rival ambulance service to that run by the island's government.

In three short years he proved that his service was more efficient, and in 1939, just months before the German occupation of the Channel Islands, the St John service was made the official island ambulance service.

Occupation

The occupation proved to be a particularly difficult time. Hardships such as petrol rationing, food shortages and lack of equipment, and nervous German sentries, combined to put pressure on the service. However, no call was allowed to go unanswered , and as soon as the island was liberated Reg Blanchford set about making his service the best in the world.

He started by installing two-way radios, and Guernsey became the first ambulance service in the British Isles to be so equipped. From then on he developed a wide range of rescue services. On an island, with other nearby inhabited islands and major shipping lanes close by, he saw the need for his men to reach casualties quickly by sea, and with no coastguard ot armed forces bases, the Ambulance and Rescue Service developed to fill any gaps in rescue provisions.

Thus in 1952 the world's first marine ambulance launch Flying Christine was launched, now succeeded by Flying Christine II with her search and rescue capabilities The service pioneered the use of inflatable rubber boats for inshore rescue work - before these were adopted by the RNLI - and established a subaqua diving team, all operated by ambulancemen.

As the service became more professional and highly -trained, it became impossible for

230

volunteer members to maintain the same standard of training and experience, and the service effectively separated from the voluntary division which had given it birth

The staff adopted grey St John uniforms to distinguish themselves from the voluntary black uniforms, but many retain their membership of voluntary divisions, having different ranks in the full-time service and the voluntary side, and voluntary members are still able to observe the work of the service to gain experience.

The television programme Tomorrow's World featured the service as the first in the world to install the electronic vehicle locator system, and later also featured the world's first mobile radar unit, commissioned and operated by the Ambulance and Rescue Service, which was used experimentally to test radar transponding at sea in conjunction with the Guernsey lifeboat and the marine ambulance and the UK Home Office. Breeches -buoy apparatus was operated by the service, and comprehensive lifting and hydraulic cutting gear was added to the equipment used, together even with breathing apparatus.

All the equipment and services are operated by fully-qualified, paid St John ambulancemen, who in addition to ambulance and rescue work help the service to be self-sufficient by specialising in maintenance fields. With no neighbouring counties to call on for assistance, the service cannot afford to have systems nonoperational while engineers are called or spare parts sought from England, so the ambulance headquarters has its own vehicle servicing garage, electronic repair workshop, even a purpose-built paint spraying body shop and carpentry shop, and these again are operated by ambulance staff, some of whom are qualified engineers, electricians and so on.

50Vears Rescue

Each man is first and foremost a qualified ambulanceman, trained initially at a UK training school, and then by the service s own five qualified ambulance instructors. He is expected to act as driver or attendant on ambulances , ambulance estate cars, sitting case vehicles or the rescue Land Rover at any time during his shift. He is also trained as a control operator, and performs out-patient treatment in the service's two first-aid theatres - these are open 24 hours a day to the public, free of charge, and are attended by over 3,000 patients a year. When he is fully conversant with the ambulance side of the organisation , he is then able to train with one or more of the rescue teams

Experiment

At present this could be on the two inshore rescue boats operated by the service, the marine ambulance launch, the cliffrescue team, or with the comprehensive array of short and long-range emergency lighting equipment. There is also a fullyequipped recompression centre - the first one in civilian hands in the British Isleswhich is being used in the experimental hyperbaric oxygen treatment of multiple sclerosis sufferers as well as being on hand for divers with decompression sickness. This is not the limit of services offered to the public by the St John Ambulance and Rescue Service in Guernsey, however, for

of Island Service

with some female and administrative staff to complete the complement, it also runs a large centre housing thousands of rehabilitation aids for hire or sale to the public, it arranges emergency flights for patients and doctors at any time to any destination, and supplies its own staff members as escorts if necessary. It provides a radio paging facility for its own staff and some of the island's doctors and nurses, offers an emergency oxygen supply se rvice and organises the island s blood donor scheme.

Supported by an annual grant from the island s government but technically independent of state-management, the St John Ambulance and Rescue Service in Guernsey has developed into a unique operation, which receives admiring visitors from all over the world. It cannot be easily compared with the UK ambulance services, nor with coastguard or paramedic services, for it has no restricting mandate except to help the public in distress.

Unique

Perhaps this is what makes the service unique. It is theoretically independent of state-control, unlike the NHS operated UK services, and as part of the St John organisation it has felt free to provide any service which will improve patient care within its fund -raising ability. It enjoys great public support, perhaps because it has developed in response to the needs of the

public rather than to the dictates of distant bureaucrats. [n addition it ha s staff who are adaptable to any service required of them. They are versatile and hard-worked but they are dedicated to the same aims as the service itself. At a recent reception to

Neil Tucker

Res c ue - by helicopter, launch and by fingernails.

Neil R. Tucker Public Relations Officer

Comments on

competition practice of taking the pulse and trying to hoodwink the judges by counting the pulse out loud or advising what the pulse should be for the injury being treated. At all times please take and give the correct pulse.

First aid

BRIGADE FINALS this year was once again the result of many months of hard work and preparation for the 48 teams and competitors as well as the judges who participated at this year's Finals at Fairfield Halls, Croydon, on July 5.

As in previous years there were four main Brigade competitions. The Dewar Shield (Ambulance), The Perrott Shield (Nursing), The White-Knox (Ambulance Cadets) and The Dunbar-Nasmith (Nursing Cadets) trophies. There were therefore four team tests and 16 individual first aid and nursing tests, plus the now weU established Cadet Quiz, being run simultaneously.

As with any large event 'nerves', in this case competition nerves, were evident, but with good cheer, and due to their training, competitors soon overcame them and gave us an excellent display of first aid and nursing skills in front of a very large and often critical audience.

Tests

This year's tests covered a wide range of first aid problems of which a few are listed here. The ambulance team test consisted of two casualties, the first had a fractured right tibia and fibula and facial injuries, the second had head injuries and was unconscious. The individual tests involved a person shot in the eye with a .22 air pellet, a myocardial infarction, a knife wound to the abdomen, and a casualty choking on chewing gum who also had a nose bleed and a fractured right clavicle. The White-Knox team test consisted of two casualties, one with a fractured cervical spine, the other with a fractured left ankle. The individual tests covered unconsciousness as a result of glue-sniffing, fractured clavicle, lacerations to the palmar arch of right hand and choking. The first aid team test for the nursing team was set in a mobile unit at a festival and three casualties required to be treated. Their injuries consisted of a minor wound to the left index finger, a wound of the foot with embedded glass and a young man suffering from a drug overdose. The nursing cadets had two patients in their test, one with a fractured right tibia, the other a man who had been electrocuted and had stopped breathing.

Comments

Due to the time constraints the judges were in most cases unable to pass on any advice 232

won the Perrott Shield, at the team test.

to the competitors at the end of each test. However, the following comments were noted and I hope they will prove constructive and provide some ideas for training over the coming months.

The approach 'Stand back, I am a firstaider' was very often said aggressively, and surely was out of place when said to somebody asking the first-aider for assistance. Bystanders were in the main dealt with in a confident and competent manner by most competitors, however, 'bullying ' tactics were used and some of our competitors were unduly fierce and provoked the bystanders. This attitude did nothing to reassure the casualty.

The ability to acquire an accurate history and formulate a diagnosis was often rushed and many assumptions were being made. First-aiders, having dealt with the priorities, need to be more competent in their assessments in order to reach a correct diagnosis, which should precede any treatment.

Examination of casualties should be more than a cursory glance. Remember to look, feel, listen and smell. In other words use all your senses. Where possible compare one side of the body with the other. Never remove clothing unnecessarily and always replace it if possible. When talking to a patient it is far better to face them and so avoid missing blindness or deafness. In any case, it gives the patient confidence and reassurance.

It is evident that teams were not consolidating their findings with the team leader and as a result examinations were being duplicated and time wasted.

Resuscitation was generally carried out in a satisfactory manner. The two most frequent errors noted when carrying out resuscitation were the checking of the carotid pulse after every cycle. It is recommended that the heartbeat should be checked after the first minute and then every three minutes or twelve cycles. Competitors were, in some cases, taking too long for the breaths between the chest compressions.

In dealing with a choking victim, competitors did not always act with the urgency or skill demanded by the situation. Many did not follow the advice given in the First Aid Manual.

Many problems were noted with the

Brigade Finals

who reached 1986 Brigade Finals. Preparatory work is already well under way for the Centenary Brigade Finals in 1987. Will your team be there?

The treatment given was in most cases very good, only a few comments were passed in this area, two of which are worth mentioning here, Fractures: when carrying out treatment please use adequate soft padding and be careful and gentle if applying traction. If the casualty is on his back and has a bleeding nose you must prevent inhalation of blood and control the bleeding.

In one particular individual test the casualty was left on his back and others commonly failed to maintain continuous pressure for any length of time.

Always take care of your equipment and use it properly. On many occasions this year sterile dressings were used when it was not necessary, and then when a dressing was required the teams found they had all been used. The application of bandages and dressings was disappointing and should have been better at this level. Competitors were often in a mad rush to open and apply them and should have slowed down and applied them with more care. After all, it was not a race.

When telephoning or sending a message via a bystander it was often the case that the messages were too long and in some instances far too complicated. When sending messages make sure the instructions are clear and understood.

In conclusion, congratulations to those

A PUBLIC DUTY

The Royal Wedding

'w ALES has been invited to send one Brigade Doctor, one trained Nurse and six members of the St John Ambulance to attend to the Royal Wedding. Would you be available for duty?' So ran the exciting request sent to me. Of course I would be available, even if I were to be posted in the ladies behind Buckingham Palace!

Our orders for the day duly arrived. The contingent from Wales was to report to London District HQ at 6.15 a.m. on Wednesday, July 23 wearing No.1 uniform, i.e., grey dress, hat and carrying raincoat (correctly folded!). St John are sticklers for utter perfection in appearance. An inspection of personnel would be carried out.

We took the opportunity to travel to London the day before to get the atmosphere of eve of wedding excitement. Crowds were already lining the rol!te. Campers comfort -

communication skills and to practise questioning patients to order to determine needs, both physical and psychological.

Brian L. Porter, Staff Officer to Surgeon-in-Chief

Nursing

THE FOUR individual tests for the Perrott Shield took the form of caring for a patient confined to bed with an injured back; a woman recently home from hospital having difficulty in coping with her new colostomy; a man suffering from multiple sclerosis whose urinary drainage had become detached, causing his pyjamas and sheets to be wet; and a man with arthritis who was unable to wash his feet, but this patient's real problem was concern for his sister with whom he lived and who was due home from hospital that day. To add to his - and the competitors' problems - he had been unable to let the dog out into the garden and there was a puddle on the floor.

Each of the four judges observed some competitors of a high standard, but overall the standard was disappointing. Most competitors developed a friendly approach to the patient but some tended to talk too much and not listen to the information the patient or helper was trying to give them. Had they done so they could have assessed the patient's needs and planned the care more effectively and in less time. The judge of Test 4 commented on the need to develop ably ensconced , with sleeping bags , deck chairs and thermos flasks. Every variety of hair decoration and face painting in red , white and blue was in evidence. The crowds were good natured and excited ; and the police, who look more and more like school boys, were so pleasant and helpful to everyone.

The wedding morning dawned bright and fresh with a light breeze. Hopefully, macs would remain folded! We were issued with identity cards which were to be worn all the time and then we were dispatched to Little Sanctuary just off Westminster and very near to the Abbey.

We learnt that there were roughly 25 SJA positions along the route, each with a mobile unit and an ambulance, with staff of up to 25 , including a doctor and a nurse.

A mobile unit can vary from a large ambulance, with added facilities for teamaking and full first -aid equipment, to a super 'Rapide' type bus with about £20,000 worth of equipment. All ambulance equipment is standardised with the London Ambulance Service, so that stretchers and trollies fit either vehicles. The large mobile unit is divided into colour coded partitions for privacy, and equipped to deal with every eventuality from a bruised thumb to major

All of these tests had a 'helper' and the judges commented that the use made of this person varied tremendously. The woman with the colostomy had a mentally handicapped niece living with her and competitors found this a difficult situation, The helper in Test '4 was to telephone the hospital for information, but too often the competitor brushed aside the helper or blocked the conversation between them and the patient.

In two of these tests some competitors were at a loss to know how to deal with the equipment, such as application of a colostomy bag and connection of urinary drainage tubing to a bag.

All judges commented on the caring attitude of the competitors and felt that the occasional rough handling of the patient was due to pressure to finish the test or competition nerves. One final comment on the adult competitors was the concern of the judges over the lack of handwashing when the facilities were available and the amount of jewellery being worn with uniform and when carrying out nursing procedures.

Cadet

The individual nursing tests for the DunbarN asmith Cup consisted of helping a patient to dress and then to remake the bed; making the bed of an ill patient; giving medicines to a woman with arthritis and preparing a tray of tea and toast for her; and finally making observations on a woman who had had a chest infection , including taking and charting the temperature pulse and respiratory rates.

The initial assessment of the situation was fairly well done but some competitors tended cardiac arrest. Our SJA Mumbles caravan would have fitted into its boot!

Another important unit for the day manned by St John personnel was the Designated Vehicle. This is staffed by a specialist cardiologist and or anaesthetist, a trained nurse and members , plus two drivers and was at the ready for any member of the Royal Household. It had a police escort and a car from the Royal Protection Squad. This, hopefully, is the most boring post of all royal duties , but the vehicle must be on the spot to go into immediate action at instant notice Thankfully , their services were not required on this occasion.

Coming from such a new and tiny division of Mumbles , I was most impressed by the tremendous planning and organisation of such an operation right down to the supply of breakfasts and air-flight type meals delivered to all units. Thanks SJ A London!

Our unit officer -in -charge issued us with detailed instructions on procedure and protocol, particularly when dealing with military personnel and the press. All enquiries were to be referred to him. He then directed stretcher parties to various parts of his allocated area.

In the unit we waited for our first casualty -a lad who turned out to have wind, having

not to listen to the answers the patient gave and therefore were unable to plan the care required. A good relationship was established with the patient in Tests 2 and 3 but in Test 1 the judge commented that the approach was rushed ' and in Test 4 that the competitors tended to stand behind the patient and give the 'competition patter instead of getting on the same level as the patient and giving them a chance to reply to the questions asked.

On the whole competitors demonstrated good manual dexterity except in Test 3 This woman did not use teabags or shced bread and very few competitors knew what to do with the tea leaves or how to cut a slice to fit into the toaster. This was a very simple practical test which cadets were unable to carry out and teaching, with the opportunity to practise, needs to be given on how to set a tray for a patient and perform very common daily tasks.

In two of the tests a helper was availab le.

On the whole they were given clear instructions and used appropriately. The competitors in Test 2 had an added problem of a six-weeks-old baby crying in her cot, but most took this in their stride and asked the grandmother to see to her while the y got on with the preparation for the bedmaking. The judges felt that most of the competitors had put considerable effort into their test but the usual lament was heard all too often , pretending at handwashing or ignoring it all together.

In conclusion, the key areas of practice for both adults and cadets for next year should be communication skills and real but simple situations such as attention to handwashing and the preparation of meal trays.

Helen Gribble, Depu ty Chief N ursing Officer

been up all night exc ited no breakfast and inadequate clothing. This seemed to be a recurrent problem. There were the inevitable cuts and bruises , and requests for Whe r e's the toilet , please? There were ver y few accessible toilets - a fact that concerned usand could be improved next time. There were however a few cases with a difference. A young Australian received a powerful shock from static electricity ; a young lady was bitten by a police horse ; and a Royal Marine collapsed complete with bassoon If a member o f the ser v ices needed reviving , he was treated and then sent to the army medical unit accompanied by his weapons and head-dress and in this casehis bassoon Under no circumstances was he allowed back on duty.

After we came off duty our work was not over. While making our wa y to the station we dealt with an epileptic fit a fractured jaw and a diabetic collapse!

I was very proud to be a member of the St John Ambulance that day and would like to thank West Glamorgan for their financial support and also London District for making us so very welcome. Certainly a day to remember.

Mary Greave s 233

KNEELING AT THE FEET OF

from Mrs J. Moreby, Divisional Officer

I have sung the praises of our division many times, but the other week at a local air show, watching them kneeling at the feet of dozens of visitors, tending to damaged and blistered feet on a very hot daybrought a lump to my throat.

Many of them would not profess to being Christians, but it reminded me of Jesus washing the feet of the disciples, a truly Christian act. May I thank them, through the Review, for all the hours of duties they put in without complaint.

Bourton -on -the - Water Joy Moreby

LET'S TWIN DIVISIONS

from Mr D. Millband,

Divisional Superintendent

The present efforts being made by Headquarters to encourage an interest in the Brigade and to promote reGruitment is to be applauded, regardless of whether we agree or disagree with the particular methods which have been selected. Both my Division and I were opposed to the Lunatic leaflet but if it has worked for others then it has been worth the effort.

However, believe that the problems which are Gurrently being faced by the Brigade are not simply ones which can be resolved by focusing outside attention on to the Brigade. believe that we need to focus our attention upon ourselves and look for ways of drawing our ranks much closer together.

Weare at present a widely scattered family, the principal members of which are doing their best to run the show from London via their links in the various Counties and Areas. The general concensus would appear to be that this system is not working as it should and the fault does not lie entirely or even mainly with the heads of the family The fault lies with the family members themselves, the Divisions.

For whatever the reasons, too many Divisions have become introverted and treat approaGhes from other Divisions, Areas and Counties with suspicion. I travel the country in the course of my work and have spoken to members of the Brigade in many parts. The above message comes through quite strongly and the further one proceeds beyond the South Midlands in a northerly direction, the worse this attitude appears to be. One main bone of contention appears to be that everything of a major nature is organised in the Home Counties which, realistically, leaves northern areas out in the cold. Regretfully, the 'Us' and 'Them' syndrome in the political arena now seems to have crept into the family of St John.

There is little purpose in debating the rights and wrongs of this situation. The fact remains that it does exist and something should be done to solve the

I would like to suggest that Divisions throughout the country begin to look at the family of St John from a much wider point of view. We all have a great deal in Gommon We share the same pleasures, frustrations, reGruiting problems, financial problems and, hopefully, the same overall satisfaction of being a part of the great organisation. St John members in Dorset are no different from Brigade members in Blackpool or Carlisle.

Easier said than done? I don't think so. I would like to see a linking of Divisions in various parts of the country on the basis of an exchange of correspondence and possibly even exchange visits, if this were practical. Let a ·Division in rural Cornwall link itself with a Division in Lancashire, a Division from within the City of London link with another in Newcastle or Wales.

Such a scheme would encourage us to see how our fellow members work in different situations. It would foster goodwill between people from the various areas, it would dQubtless lead to the sharing of new ideas. Both adult and cadet members could derive a great deal from such a scheme and, if successful enough, would forge the scattered Divisions of the country into a much closer, tighter and co-operative unit.

I believe so positively in the merits of this scheme that I am prepared to co-ordinate initial eXGhanges. Any Division interested in pursuing this idea should write directly to me, giving details of their Division and any preference they may have for the type of Division or the geographical location of any Division they might be interested in corresponding with. A S.A.E. would be useful.

The scheme may be a non-starter. I wrote to one Division in Dorset suggesting such an exchange and did not even receive the courtesy of an acknowledgement. What was I saying about introverted attitudes? However, I believe that the idea is worthy of further consideration and hope that there will be some positive response.

Court House, Park Hill Road, Doug Mil/band Garstang, Preston PR3 lEL.

The Com missioner-in-Chief writes: was interested to read of Mr Millband's suggestion for Divisions twinning with those from another County. At a recent meeting at this Headquarters made the same suggestion and I would be interested to know what other readers feel.

NO PAY - THANKS from Brenda M. Law, Nursing Member

When I received the June Review I turned, as always to the letters page, where I was dismayed to read Mr T. White's suggestion that members be paid. Such a suggestion would be bad enough if it came from an ordinary member, but coming from an officer it left me somewhat alarmed.

As Divisional Secretary I am aware, as Mr Wright , of the difficulties involved in obtaining adequate coverage for duties (even out here in the sticks) but payment is not the answer, and where would the money come from anyway? We are all hard up

For once (and for the first time), I agree with the Chief Staff Officer - we are volunteers (I didn't join to get rich) and organisers of events must be made aware of our status and the cost of providing ambulances and equipment, and they must agree to a suitable donation to cover these costs. But pay the members? Never. Cambridge Brenda M Law

COMMUNICATIONS

from Nicholas Negus

One of the first things that happens when you encounter a casualty is communication: initially it is visual communication, which may also give you an indication of the history of the casualty. For example, colour of skin, large pool of blood, unusual shape of limb. Next, if you are lucky, the casualty may be able to tell you what happened, where it hurts, and generally how they feel. With the unconscious casualty the visual signs could be all that you have to go on; again if you are lucky a witness may be able to give you useful information: 'He fell over the kerb and hit his head on the stiep'.

Let us jump ahead a Little: the patient is stable and now you need to get help to transport him to hospital. What do you do? You may be lucky and be near a telephone - great! Or you have the help of a passerrby. Equally great. You now have the means to summon an ambulance. But what if, suppose, you are involved in an organised over-night 40 mile marathon in February across the Cotswold Hills?

This is not a fictitious scenario. The Cotswold Marathon takes place every year in Gloucestershire. Check-points are set up every couple of miles, plus numerous mobiles tour the route wherever practical. In order to keep track of the 400 or so runners a computer system with back-up is employed at a central control based in Gloucester. This cGmtrol is kept in touch with every check-point and mobile by radio

throughout the night. Apart from the control station, there are some 25 other radio operators whose job it is to pass radio traffic about the positions of the runners, details of casualties locations of the emergency vehicles, and links into the main emergency services in case of a major incident.

Not difficult, you may think but just work out how many numbers that is in total to pass, not to mention all of the other information that is needed!

The organisation that provides this service free of charge is called RAYNET. This is the Radio Amateurs emergencY NETwork. Raynet is a national organisation, sponsored by the Radio Society of Great Britain, that works predominantly on a county basis , although groups do work together as disasters recognise no boundaries. Raynet has been around since 1953 and all members are trained in accurate message handling and are recognised by the emergency services and the County Emergency Planning Officer (CEPO).

Under the terms of the radio licence, Raynet is authorised by the Secretary of State for the DTl, to provide communications for St John , Red Cross Police , and CEPO. And it s FREE. In addition to voice communications , groups can also provide data, television , and fax services. On the Cotswold Marathon most of the 'n umber crunching is carried out by data (computer) radio links which speed message handling to a few seconds.

You may ask what is the difference between the Raynet service Citizens' Band radio , and for those who can afford it , the St John radio system?

Basically , as far as using the medium of radio is concerned, there is no difference The differences are that Raynet has perfected the technique o ver 33 years, can offer more facilities, is officially recognised, its members are professionally tra ined , it is properly structured and insured , and is willing and able to provide you with a means by which you can communicate when you want it where you want it, and it's free.

To find out how to contact your local Group Controller write or telephone the Radio Society of Great Bri tain Lambda House Cranbourn Road Potters Bar , Herts. Tel 0707-59015.

As a footnote, despite some letters and rumours to the contrary, ALL St John groups have been authorised by the Secretary of State for the Department of Trade and Industry to make use of Raynet se rvices. Any communications to the contrary should be sent to the RSGB.

Gloucester Nicholas Negus

The Communications Adviser, SJA HQ, writes RA YNET was formally set up as a result of the excellent assistance given by licensed Radio Amateurs during the East Coast Flood Disaster of 1953. The function of RA YNET as laid down by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTl) is to assist the 'user services', namely the Police , the County or Borough Emergency Plannin g Officers , the British Red Cross Society and St John Ambulance with communications facilities during 'e mergencies However , the DTI agreed that on a limited basis events such as the marathon, which Mr Negus describes could be used as an 'operational exercise Thi s exercise would not be classed as an emergenc y It was stipulated by the DTI that an emergency may only be declared by one of the user services . VHF radio channel s ha v e been allocated to SJA by the DTI for their day -to-day operations. SJA member s use these channels to s peak to each other direct without the need fo r another organisation as an intermediary. However , there are occasions when on reque st RAYNET does supplement SJA s communications during a major duty and this is apprec iated by all concerned. Requests by Briga de members for the assistance of RA YNET mus t first of all be approved by their SJ A Commissioner.

CALLING SJA DEVON from Andy Young I would like to hear from anyone w ho has any interesting or amusing stories to tell , fo r a book on the history of St John in Devon of their invol veme nt in St John in De von from the early days till the present. If you think someone else wo uld be intere sted in your story , please send it to us.

Involvement in St John work in Devo n durin g the two world wars and th e Queen's coronation dut y in London in 1953 woul d particularly interest us Also old photographs of St John activities in Devon ; photos sent to us will be returned as soon as possible. We would be mo st grateful to receive any information that is connected in some way with St Jo hn in Devon. Ple ase get in touch with either Andy Young 48 Furzehill, Sidbury , Sidmouth EX to ORJ , phone 03957 243; or Chris Johansen, 16 6 Manstone Ave, Sidmouth , Devo n , phone 03955 77568 Sidbury Andy Young

NEWS from SCOTLAND

On Sunday June 22 the Musical Society presented the Bach Passion of St John in the historic Dunfermline Abbey. An outstanding performance of music and song was rendered by the Haddo House Choral and Operatic Society, together with the orchestra of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music, and soloists from the Royal Northern School of Music, under the baton of the Society's Musical Adviser, June, Marchioness of Aberdeen and Temair, herself a Dame of the Order of St John

The Passion preceded the Annual Festival, which was held in St Andrews - a few miles along the Fife coast. It was, however, unfortunate that the performance coincided with other civic events in Dunfermline.

WALES

Clwyd

THE LORD Aberdare Shi€ld, presented annually to the cadet unit in Wales to gain the highest number of Special Service Shields, has again been award@d to the Cefn Mawr Division. The award was presented by the Prior for Wales, Lord Aberdare, at an investiture in Cardiff in July.

It was noted that the cadets were only one shield away from gaining the Sir Edwin King Shield.

Rhyl Division was nominated as the best division in Clwyd, and reclmtly received the Clwyd $t John Council Aberdare Silver Jubilee Shield. This award was received by Mr R. J. Griffith and Ambulance Member R. Roberts at a meeting of the St John Council on June 24.

CHAMPIONS OF THE CROSS

Part 9

The Fall of the Templars

Fortunately for many individual members of the Order, these extreme measures of persecution were not enforced in every country. It was in France and Italy that the persecution was the strongest. In England at that time there were only one hundred and thirty-five members of the Order, including six knights, and when the Pope s Commission began its work, many witnesses came forward to testify to the good works performed by them. In Cyprus, seventy-six knights were arrested and put on trial, and all were acquitted. In Portugal the King refused to have anything to do with the attack on the Templars.

But Philip of France and the Pope were determined to destroy the Order. Many knights were tortured and burned at the stake, and Templar properties were confiscated. Finally, on March 12 1312 , the Pope issued a decree officially suppressing the Order for ever. The Grand Master, Jacques de Molay, was sentenced to life imprisonment. When he protested, he was condemned to death and burned at the stake in Paris Members of the Order who were found innocent were allowed to join other Orders, or to retire on a pension.

Under the Pope's decree , all Templar wealth and property was to be handed over to the Hospitallers. First, however, the Kings of Europe were allowed to deduct the costs of the various trials , and they made sure that these costs were high. In the end, the Hospitallers received very little other than land and buildings.

In England the Hospitallers were soon occupying the Commanderies of their unfortunate brothers. The Templar Headquarters in London was taken over and later leased to lawyers. To this day three of the Inns of Court are known as the Inner, Middle and Outer Temples. Temple Combe in Somerset, Temple Bruer in Lincolnshire, and Temple Grafton in Warwickshire are three other examples of over thirty Templar properties, large and small, that passed to the Hospitallers.

After only one hundred and years, the 'P oor Knights of Christ' had fallen. The Hospitallers had managed to survive, and a new chapter in their story was about to begin. Let us return to the island of Cyprus in 1291.

Order of St John

As we have seen the Order of St John was not made homeless by having to leave the Holy Land. Near the city of Limassol, on the island of Cyprus, the Order owned a castle. Here they settled down to rebuild their

THIS is the story of two of the great Military Orders which were part of the everyday scene in Mediaeval Europe and the Middle East. Many towns and villages in Britain also bear witness to their influences on local life. The Order of St John wasfounded to provide carefor pilgrims to the Holy Land and the Poor

Within two centuries one of the Orders was to disappear under a cloud of suspicion and disapproval. The other was to survive to the present day and in the process turnfull circle to serve its •masters the sick '.

depleted ranks, and renewed their resolve to continue with their work of defending pilgrims and caring for the sick.

So far in our story we have spoken only of the male members of the Order , but there was an equally devoted band of Sisters, or nuns, who had worked in a separate convent in Jerusalem As the fortunes of the Order changed, the Sisters had moved with their Brother s of the Order. Like their male Brothers, the Sisters also wore the eightpointed white cross on their habit s, and took the three -fold vows of Poverty Chastity and Obedience, as well as the Hospitallers' vow to serve the sick.

Now, with the work among pilgrims at an end the future of the Sisters was difficult to assess. In the end it was decided that they should return to their homelands and continue their work among the sick there. In

Take to the sea ... It was decided that the Order must take to the sea. The blu e waters of the Mediterranean Sea held many dangers for the unwary seaman, but nothing was more terrifying than the Muslim pirate fleets that roamed everywhere from the Holy Land to Gibraltar. Sweeping over the horizon the slender long -oared galleys , often rowed by Christian slaves, struck terror into the hearts of the crews and passengers of the slow, _ heavily laden merchant ships. Here was an opportunity for se r vice, and the Order was quick to sieze it. Within a short time of their arrival in Cyprus, they had equipped a fleet of galleys to carry the war into the pirates own haunts. Some of the most dangerous pirates or corsairs were the Turks , who were now one of the leading powers in the Muslim world. With their galleys well -armed and crewed, the Knights of St John set out to rid the eastern Mediterranean of this menace, and to ensure safe passage for Christian shipping, as well as releasing those held as slaves in the enemy galleys.

n England the Sisters of the Order were given Buckland Abbey.

England the Sisters were given the Abbey of Buckland for their headquarters, and there they remained until the time of the Reformation under Henry VIII. But in our story that is still over two hundred years in the future.

For the survivors of Acre, and those who had joined the Order in the decades before , the Holy Land had been the centre of their activities. It was there that Gerard had founded the Order, and it was there that it had gained its reputation for its medical work and military prowess. Every knight who joined the Order had been required to serve in the Holy Land , both in the hospital and on the battlefield Promotion within the Order could only be gained by this service.

To become a Commander the knight had to spend at least five years there, as well as take part in the required number of 'caravans' or campaigns against the enemy. To qualify for the Priory fifteen years service was required , and ten of these had to be spent in the Holy Land.

Now, with no opportunities for land engagements with the enemy , some other means had to be found of fulfilling their vows.

The life of a galley-slave was extremely hard, whichever side he rowed for. Chained to a heavy oar with half a dozen other slaves, he was lashed with whips by the overseers as the speed of the galley was increased Many slaves died from this brutal treatment, while others were killed in battle or drowned at their oars as the galley sank beneath them. Rarel y was a man released from this terrible life so that he could tell the tale. If he did survive, it was usually because he had been exchanged for a prisoner from the other side. Young men seeking an adventurous life still offered themselves to the Order, and within a short time the knights were a militar y force to be reckoned with once again. The King of Cyprus, however , was greatly alarmed at this growing military presence in his island, and in 13 10 he ordered the Knights of St John to leave. This time they had no base to retire to. They would have to seek a new home for themselves.

Two hundred and fifty miles north-west of Cyprus lay the island of Rhodes . It was a pleasant place, with many forests, good water supplies and several excellent harbours. But it was also one of the principal pirate bases in the area. Only a few miles from the Turkish coast, it provided a useful haven for the Turkish corsairs. It could prove equally valuable to the Order in their continuing struggle with Islam.

This book can be obtained price £2 a copy plus 34p postage from St John Ambulance HQ, 59 King Streef, Norwich NRllPH.

Dunfermline Abbey, where the Musical Soeiety presented the Bach Passion of St John It is hoped to make arrangements for the presentation of the Passion in Aberdeen on the eve of the

presents the keys of a new

(Left) County Staff Officer R. Edwards makes a geod job of a simulated wound at the Gwent Police Open !Jay. The casualty

PERSUADING PEOPLE to give their time or money to support St John or any other charity is difficult enough but I suspect that finding people to look after the money which a charity has raised is even more of a headache.

My business is the management of investments belonging to charities and , whilst that is mainly concerned with looking after portfolios of long-term assets, we are increasingly asked to look after cash which is earmarked for use in the near future. Very often, trustees ask us to do that because it is just simpler for them to have all their financial assets under one roof but, equally, they want to make sure that they do get a competitive return on their money.

When the amount of cash on deposit is fairly large, getting the right rate is not going to be diffiGult but for smaller sums the rates offered by the savings institutions will inevitably be rather lower than those available on the money market. Alternatively, the money may have to be tied up for a longer period than is really convenient. For our managed portfolio clients, we have therefore always had a 'pool' system in which we act as agents to bring together numbers of small deposits and then put out the larger sum in the money market at the prevailing 7 day inter bank rate. For that service we would normally charge up to 0.5% per annum, taken out of the rate of interest.

However, that is not a service which we had thought of offering on its own - it has always been ancillary to the business of managing portfolios. Then, about 18 months ago, my former partner Peter Swan introduced me to your National Headquarters and we talked generally about t he way in which charities could best look after their short -term cash. They told me that divisions and other fund holding units of St John work very hard to raise money which will ultimately be used for their local work -

St John 7-day Money Fund

BIGGER RETURN ON MONEY WHICH IS STILL VERY ACCESSIBLE:

POOLING CASH FROM MANY SOURCES IS AN ANSWER

but that Treasurers are very likely to have cash on deposit much of the time as a 'float' or until they have got eno ugh to buy a new ambulance or something similar. Those balances in total will be millions of pounds but they are spread over 4 000 or so units whose Treasurers have to make the best use of what they have - and the problem in many individual cases is that balances will often be far too small to get the best money market rates. Could there be a way of making sure that they all had access to the money market whatever the size of their deposits ? But could they at the same time be sure that the money was available to them at very short notice?

Set up a pool

It seemed to us that setting up a pool of 7-day deposits specifically for the Order of St John might be the answer. From our point of view , the practical difference between this and our existing 'pooling' of clients money would be in the much greater number of potential depositors and therefore in the number of movements in and out of the pool - we needed to be sure that we could cope with the paperwork. However, a pilot scheme was worked out and then authorised by Chapter General and we began to take deposits last summer. Today, about 150 units have deposited over £ 1m with the pool and we now feel that we could cope with more deposits. An advertisement elsewhere in this issue of the Review says that my

colleague Graham Chapman in our Brentwood Office will be happy to send you an application form with details of the St John 7-Day Money Fund We ask that deposits should be for a minimum of £50 but withdrawals can be made in any multiple subject to 7 days notice given over the telephone or in writing. The interest is credited quarterly without deduction of tax. Separate records are maintained for each unit making deposits, showing those deposits, any withdrawals and intere st earned. Full statements are made quarterly and we give written confirmation of deposits and withdrawals as they are made.

In practice, I think that Treasurers probably like to have a certain amount of cash in a local bank or post office to meet regular small outgoings but that monies which are being deposited with the 7-Day Money Fund are over and above that so the number of withdrawals has not been too great - that obviously suits us because we are not setting ourselves up as bankers! Our aim is just to make sure that small deposits can get a return which is very close to the inter bank 7-day rate whilst giving units maximum flexibility if an urgent need for cash does arise. Looked at another way, lots of people in St John are pooling their resources without losing their control over them but improving the return for everyone in the process. That seems to us very worth while and we hope that the scheme will become better known and attract even more support. (See advert inside back cover.)

Northern Ireland

Starting a Division:

ABOUT TWO years ago a friend had gathered about him a number of fathers of young lads and, with the active assistance of the Hambleton District Council, laid out a track for the lads to hold rallies with their BMX cycles. When the Northallerton BMX Club (as it became known) came to want to enter competitions under the rules of the national organisation, they were unable to unless qualified first-aiders were on hand at rallies The organisers were faced with a lack of first-aiders and I went to a few of their rallies as a private individual.

Ex-member

by

MICHAEL STOPFORD DIS

Thirsk and Northallerton Division, N Yorks

of the Division were engaged in:

An eight-week public first aid course in order that unqualified members could become partly operational. (Some members joined us already holding First Aid at Work qualifications and it was more or less possible to cover ali public duties with at least one member holding FA W.)

A nine-week course, Part Caring for the Sick.

Attendance at 52 public duties with a total of 517 man hours , during which 99 people were treated, 11 requiring hospital treatment.

A massive fund-raising exercise to uniform and equip members and to buy a secondhand ambulance for use as a mobile first aid unit.

We are now into a new season, 1986 , and we are in the middle of training those members to the Statutory FA W standard.

Public Duties in 1986 have far exceeded last year.

Need

An immediate financial need of the Division is to equip the ambulance with oxygen , entonox , resuscitation equipment, scoop stretcher and inflatable splints A second immediate need is to provide four hand -held radio sets to ensure good communication between members on public duties.

An organisational development is the decision to change this combined into a quadrilateral division with effect from the coming autumn. We have a member who is prepared to take responsibility for cadets , and are aware of a number of young people who wish to join. I had been a member of St John Ambulance in years past, and had also spent 13 years as a full -time ambulance officer, having left that service to enter the Methodist Ministry. I found the occasional return to active first aid work stimulating and formed the idea of establishing an active SJA Division in the area. The Division officially came into being on April 1 1985 with 15 members

JOHN REVIEW

From then to December 1985, members

TEACHING AIDS

Three Cross A ward (Video Cassette)

THIS EXCELLENT video teaching aid was made by the audio-visual department of the Royal Society of Medicine for St John Ambulance Association. Both are to be congratulated on a very effective and well produced presentation.

It is aimed at 10 to 15-year-olds receiving instruction in their schools from their own teaching staff. Teachers are provided with a teaching pack which includes the manuals for preparation of lessons. The pack also includes a sample list of the necessary objectives for each of the awards which can be achieved - the One, Two and Three Cross Awards, one leading on to the next in order of skills acquired.

The accompanying book Emergency Aid in Schools is also well produced and easy to read , though possibly a little too involved for the younger age groups. The Three Cross Award is planned to lead on to further study such as is contained in the Essentials of First A id for those enthused by the scheme.

The course is in three parts , divided on the tape by short intervals.

Part One lasts nineteen minutes and includes features on 'assess, make safe', emergency aid and the recovery position ,

and how to summon help. Part Two (14+ mins) explains and demonstrates mouth -tomouth resuscitation and external chest compression; Part Three (8 mins) gives brief, but succinct advice on the management of burns and scalds, choking and poisoning. Badges and certificates are available on completion of each part of the course - how the young love their badges!

The course is also highly recommended for the introductory phases in first aid and for juniors joining St John. In fact, it would give cadets a useful springboard for their further progression - and would do very well for Public First Aid and Emergency Aid courses.

And, finally, of further appeal to the young is that the presenters are all well-known TV personalities, Leslie Ash, Janet Fielding and Keith Chegwin. They do it well.

Three Cross Award from St John Supplies, Priory House, St John's Lane, London EC1M 4DA. Video set (P20004) £14.95 (VHS or Betamax): St John £13.00. Cadet Divisions £9.95.

BOOKS

Emergency Aid in Schools (P20000) £1.95

The Essentials of First Aid (P00020) £2.95

A Colour Atlas of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Techniques

Wolfe Medical Publications Ltd. G. Page, K. Mills, D. Morton. Price £9.95.

This paper -cover Atlas contains excellent photographic reproductions of all aspects of cardiopulmonary resuscitation from basic life support to drip insertion , defibrillation, blood oxygen and carbon dioxide sampling, even open chest resuscitation!

Therefore, it cannot be recommended for any first -ai der or even the advanced trained ambulance attendant or paramedic; it seems to be aimed at the junior doctor in his first post, especially if in Accident and Emergency. It would not do for those proceeding to higher examinations, but would be of interest to doctors serving in emergency aid services, such as those who belong to the British Association of Immediate Care Schemes (Basics).

Nevertheless the Atlas does contain some useful points and good summaries of the causes of cardiorespiratory arrest.

Of special interest is the recognition of an international agreement of the phases of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. This is divided into (A) Airway, (B) Breathing, (C) Circulation, (D) Drugs and Drips (E) Electrocardiography and (F) defibrillation.

The Altas has been written and prepared by a team from the Grampian Health Board and by the director of the Graves Medical Audiovisual Library. What a pity the production seems to be aimed at such a limited readership! N. P.

19. Intestinal obstruction. (5). 22. Almost worthless old coin. (3). 23. Three upset old anaesthetic. (5). 24. Ten-year period. (6) 27. Opening of sweat gland. (4). 28. Pain in trachea. (4). 29. Surgically -produced orifice. (5). 31. Final part of large intestine. (6). 32. Vertebrae of the neck. (8). 33. Plants a skin disease. (6). 34. Pathological narrowing of an anatomical duct. (8).

Down:

1. Isotope used in radiotherapy bomb. (6). 2. Carpal bone. (6). 3. Do employ to drench rapidly with water. (5). 4. Conveys saliva from submaxillary glands to floor of the mouth (8·4). 6. Do not include in vomitus. (4). 7. Bony prominences of dorsum of hand. (8). 8. Starch-digesting enzyme of saliva and pancreatic juice. (8). 1 I. Childbirth. (12). 15. Coil for flatulence. (4). 17 Very unusual combination of artist and engineer. (4). 18. Part of foot is to ea st. (3). 20. Take temperature by mouth for arteries of head. (8). 21. Largest lymphatic duct. (8). 25. Spheroidal-shaped micro-organism. (6). 26. Instruction to contact United States for bone healing a fracture. (6). 29. Number of pairs of ribs attached directly to the sternum. (5). 30. Restore to health. (4).

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS

23p a word (min. £4.60): semi display £23 single column inch (min. £11.50) incl. VAT. Send to Sl John Review, Wood Cottage, High Corner, Butley, Woodbridge, Suffolk JP12 3QF.

NEW CATALOGUE of audio - visual a ids for First Aid (23 colour s lid e sets) , Home Safety and Road Safet y FREE from F. C. CURTIS LTD 6 Mileta s Place, Lytham St Annes, Lanc s FY8 I BQ. Tel. 0253 735381.

FUND - RAISING through our Composite Soft Toy Charity Pack s as effective and affordable pre se nt a tion s Broc hure from - Scarborough Soft Toy M a nufacturer s, Greenfield Road , Scarborough. Tel: (0723) 374006.

REVIEW CROSSWORD No. 10 (86) by W. A. Potter

Across:

1. Reduce agitation and eXGitement by employment of mad clown. (4·4). 5. Addicted to drugs put in the eye. (6). 9. Affecting both ears. (8). 10. Bone frequently fractured in ankle injuries. (6). 12. Of supple and slender physique (5). 13. Sound parasite. (4). 14. Subject to ridicule. (4). 16. Professional not upset immediately and quickly. (6).

240

SOLUTION TO CROSSWORD No.9 (86)

Across: 3. Acrophobia; 8. Flying; 9. Coma; 10. Pestilence; II. See; 13. Divers; 14. Scaling; 15. Shoe; 17. A·tt·ic; 20 Organ; 22. Near; 24. Carotid; 25. Excite; 28. Ram; 29. Cloth-eared; 30. Bubo ; 31. Pe·ps·in; 32; Convalesce.

Down: I. Alienist; 2. Little; 3 Ageless; 4. Runny; 5. Pace; 6. Boa·sting; 7. All·ergen; 12. Halo; 14. Hand; 16. Sera; 17. Ascorbic; 18. Thrombin; 19. Ca·to; 21. As·then·ia; 23. Reshape; 26. CI·a mps ; 27. Bolus; 29. Cool.

MITSUBISHI L300 private ambulance 1984 'B' Reg. 4 000 m i es o nly. Complete with full st retc

TWO WAY RADIO COMMUNICATIONS

Present Brigade supplier offers for sale the following radios. All are crystalled on Brigade frequencies and are NEW and DTI APPROVED.

LOWBANDAM: (MOBILES and TRANSPORTABLES)NO HANDPORTABLES.

LOW BAND FM: (Brigade NEW Frequencies). MOBILES , HANDPORTABLES

HIGH BAND FM: (NEW Frequency) MOBILES , HAN DPORTAB LES. Prices start from as low as £375, OLD EUUIPMENT CAN BE TAKEN IN PART EXCHANGE.

If not, the Order of St John 7-day Money Fund should be of interest. Designed especially for St John funds, the service is provided by Phillips & Drew one of the City ' s leading stockbrokers. And it is available for even quite small deposits - anything from £50 upwards , and will earn inter-bank rate less only O· 5 % pa paid quarterly without deduction of tax.

So to find out more about how to make your money work for you, contact Graham Chapman on 0277-222222 (Phillips & Drew , Regent House , Hubert Road, Brentwood , Essex CM 14 4QQ) and ask for an explanatory leaflet. The Order of St John 7-day Money Fund A service from Phillips & Drew MAKE MONEY NOW for your dub, charity, society or organisation

Instant Prizes PRORTS FROM £25 to £2,200____...,

CONTACT: David Goulden , IMPEX ELECTRONICS LTD, 132 DALE LANE , APPLETON, WARRINGTON WA4 3DG Telephone : (0925) 61697. Your heart's in the right place. But what about your St John funds?

Dr.

The deaths that need never

The county of Hereford and Worcester are proud to present their second crystal goblet, to celebrate the CENTENARY OF THE ST JOHN AMBULANCE BR ] GADE I887-I987

again manufactured by Royal Brierley Crystal, hand made and cut in full l ead crystal with engraved logo, packed in its own box, displaying royal warrants.

Id eal for pres entations or to supplement your 1977 gobl et.

ORDER YOUR GOBLET NOW FROM:

K. H BILLINGH AM , C.ST.J. 24 PRIORY COURT, OLD SW INFORD STOURBRIDGE, WEST MIDLANDS DY8 INJ Telephon e : (0 3 8 4) 374I55 PRICES:

If coll e cted ( b y arran g ement) £14'95 e ach If despatched in UK £17.95

Orford (0394)

a nd A bo ut to a 5,0 00 wo rd arti c le - but it s ho ul d all have so me co nn ec ti o n with

J o hn a nd its wo r k. Ph o og r a ph s sho uld be glossy bl ac k a nd w hit e p rint s o r goo d q ua lit y co lour prin ts , no t negat ves or ra ns pare ncies If p hotograp hs a re to be re turn ed , writ e on t

the right to decide which charities sho u ld be n efit from h eir donations to a committee which might be elected from the workforce.

(c) Employees might collectively elect a charity or group of charities

(d) Employers might encourage the choice of a charity or char ities and a so might offer to match employees' contributions.

THIRD, all money given by indi viduals must not onl y go through their firms b u t he fi r ms cannot pass the money direct to the charities; it has to go through a charity agency. Each charity agency has t o d ist r ibute the money to all charities chosen

Acti o n You wi ll note fr om the outline facts that in order for St John to benefit u nder the scheme a good deal of persuasion will be necessar y. It is s u ggested h at the following actions shou ld be urgently undertaken:

(a) Brief a ll St J ohn members on the scheme and the vital role they ca n play in it, as detai l ed bel ow.

(b) A ll members of S J ohn should work to inft u ence fr ends and re latives to ensure fi r ms operate t he scheme and employees elect to give to us. (Cadets can, of course, play their part with their parents and othe r rela ti ves and friends.)

(c) Contact and persuade as many employers as possible and get t h em

6.

2

1.

Changes - at last

CHANGES in SJA competition rules , both fo r the Brigade a nd the Association , become effective from January I 1987

The present regulations have remained unchanged since time immemorial'; many in St John have thought them outdated and unrelated to modern first aid teaching.

The format of first aid teams always consisting of four members who happened to be passing ' or on the way to the competition' was unreal. The new regulation adjusts teams to two , of any mix of ranks without sexua l discrimination and may include cadets over the age of sixteen if qualified.

The regulations for cadets are virtually unchanged except for timing and marking; these latter also apply to adult tests. Another major change is the elimination of the first a id test for nursing competitions.

The se overdue changes will mean much adjustment and change of approach for those who prepare competitions at all levels, area, regional or county.

HQ is to be congratulated on this major rethink. We shall see how the new rules work and are accepted in practice.

Norman Paras

NewSJA

Competition Rules

Brigade rule No. 23 -A plea of ignorance of any ruling shall not be held to justify the breaking of that rule .

HAVE YOU SEEN COPIES OF THE NEW RULES? IF NOT, WRITE TO US

Association

THE GRAND Prior ' s Trophy competition taking place at the Fairfield Halls, Croydon on November 20 will be the la st such event at which teams of four men and four wo men will compete.

As from January I 1987, the majority of national first aid competitions organised by St John Ambulance Associatio n which lead to participation for the Grand Prior 's trophies, will be run as pairs events , with categories for men, women and open pairs (in which two adults of either sex can compete).

Each pairs category will be expected to include a reserve, who will compete in a sepa rate individual test for which sepa rate awards will be presented to the highest scoring male and female participating.

In the new competitions a maximum of eight minutes will be allowed for competitors to show their skills as pairs , while all categories of individual tests will consist of six minutes practical work without a section for related oral questions.

Where organisations eligible to compete in the Grand Prior's Trophy competitions opt to maintain a four -member team formation

244

re -jigging, teams of two will replace teams of four, so divisions who cannot field a full team now have NO EXCUSE. The amount of latent competitive spirit that shou ld be rel eased by this change of rule is incalculable but I would think that the prima donnas of t he old era are on twelve month s notice

This development will cau se a little extra thinking for the judges They will no longer need to set catastrophies, just minor disasters which can be readily dealt with by two people in fifteen minutes.

The rules for the cadet competitions are sensib le a nd at long last the upper age limit is clearly defined and the number of over 16-year-o lds in any team is lim ited to TWO.

I think that it is sensible to keep the number of members in a cadet team to four. This prevents real accidents on the set and youngste r s from injuring th e mse lv es by trying to move or lift cas ualties that require four young people to li ft them.

The Association find s itself in a cleft s tick. Some of the organising bodies w ho have competit ions organised by the Association on t heir behalf ha ve certain factors which a re peculiar to t hat body and they set their own rules. The Gas and Electricity indu s tries ha ve pairs competition s because that is a realistic number of trained fir st-aide rs that they could expect to arrive at the scene of any incident initially , with in their organisation.

British Coal and the Essential Services st ill have teams of four arriving at in c ident s, but these could be reduced in fu ture simp ly by changes in operating routines.

More competitive

for the ir own national events the two highest scoring members of their champion teams will be invited to form a 'pai r' to compete in the appropriate section of the Grand Prior's Trophy competitions.

Detailed rules relating to the pairs competitions have already been circulated to St John county offices and to secretaries of the various Ambulance Centres for whom national first aid competitions are run by the St John Ambulance Association.

It is hoped that the new format will encourage more first-aiders to become interested in this method of training which is designed to help participants to cope more adequately with real life accidents anywhere.

David Hallard

A competitor's view

HA VING had an opportunity to read the new national rules for SJA competitions , both Association and Brigade, it is pleasing to see that at long last it is recognised that first-aiders do not always walk around or travel in groups of four or five.

The changes affecting Brigade competitions for adults are quite simply summed up as 'Small is beauti ful and with a bit of

With the advent of the team test the pairs test and the individ ual test , I fore see grea ter competitive spirit within teams while the two tier structure exists, especia ll y when it is realised that having attained their own service's national champion s hip with a team of four plus reserve they then ha ve to re -jig to represent their service in the Grand Prior' s Trophy Pairs Competition. Thi s in it se lf will encourage se rvices with teams of four to adopt the pairs test, which is far more realistic.

To those bodies who organise open competitions , how are you going to interpr et these new rules ? No doubt there wi ll be differing translations peculiar to each competition. Is the team test to be for pair s or fours, or are we to face a new and exciting dilemma - team test, pair s test and individual test , with trophies for each? More expensive possibly, more time consuming definitely, better chances for everyone to win a trophy and even greater competitive spirit most certainly.

These changes are long overdue for both Brigade and Association competitions. I loo k forward to the outcome with great enthusiasm and might just come out of retirementto have a bash at the pairs test.

Bruce M. Coltman

Brigade Conference CHANGE TO SUCCEED

SOME 500 St John members gathered at Butlin's Holiday Camp, Skegness on August 29 for the annua l conference. St John literally took over the Red Camp' for the weekend.

The two-day get-together got ofT to a sw inging start with a meal followed by a disco in the Tudor Bar - and the number of people dancing showed that the evening was ce rtainly a success.

The real business of the weekend started on Saturday morning when the conference began with a talk by Dennis Flexney Briscoe , vice-president of the Institute of Marketing, who gave a stimulating speech ' Getting into Gear with a few home truths and stressing the need for change in the Brigade ,

Revival is possible

'How to Resuscitate a Division proved a fascinating insight into reviving the Brigade in areas where membership had laps ed. The exper iences of Mile End and Callington divisions proved that with enthusiasm and a great deal of hard work revival is possible.

500 members at 2-day get-together at Skegness

Next the Badgers were formally introduced to the Brigade and Bertie and hjs 10 little friends immediately endeared themselves to all ; by the end of the conference many of us were proudly sporting Get set the Badgers are coming' t-shirt s

Continuing the theme of Change to Succeed , Avon and the West Midlands proudly showed us how they had managed to acquire a marvellous fleet of ambulances through fund -raising and encouraging sponsorship. They had plenty of novel ideas, and even the audience responded to a little fund -raising by donating over £ I SO which was given to the county with the oldest ambulance as an encouragement to raise the rest to replace the vehicle.

The rivalry, already obvious between certain counties, came to the fore in the 5-aside football competition held on Saturday afternoon Many counties fielded teams , but the final victors were the

'Eastenders', the by now notorious Londoners who were serenaded everywhere by the famous soap opera signature tune. Saturda y ni g ht entertainment was provid ed courte sy of the Com missioner -inChief, who invited all to a 'Happy Hour' with wine and St John cake (the latter supplied by Butlin's) with music b y the Stockport St John Silver Band Sunday morning began with a service led by Butlin 's Chaplain Re v Geoffrey Walker with the Chief President re ading the lesson. This was follow ed by another opportunit to hear more of the extensive repertoire of the Stockport band.

Major Michael Parker then talked on the plans for the ' Great Party' and a ma zed his listener s by the sca le of the event - it should not be missed at a n y cost!

Regional publicity Director of Public Rel a tion s John Mills spoke on publi c it y for the Ce nt enary Year, and encoura ged delegates to think about the Continued overleaf

Change to Succeed (Continued)

importance of regional publicity; and Doreen Sainsbury revealed the selection of centenary souvenirs , ranging from mugs to clocks, available from the Supplies Department.

The conference was brought to a close by the Commissioner -in-Chief, who spoke of the need for smart presentation, the value of a smile but above all instructed us to 'take pride in St John

GETTING INTO GEAR

by Dennis Flexney BriscoeVice-President, Institute of Marketing

I SUPPOSE that along with the certainty of death the one thing that we can all be sure of in life is that things never stay the sameCHANGE IS INEVITABLE. Even if we don want change we will get it; if we do want it, you can be sure that other people may not! Generally speaking change is resisted by more people than welcome it. It is cosy to stay where we are and carryon doing what we are doing and not have to change Unfortunately , maybe , we don t have the choice: change is taking place at an alarming rate in almost every walk of life and in almost every situation we might find ourselves.

The rate of change is sometimes staggering My father , as a young man, worked with Bill Morris in Oxford , making some of the first motor cars in Britain. He recalled that he saw the first car drive through Oxford preceded by a man waving a red flag - an act that owed more to thoughts of danger to the public than to any strongly held political persuasion! Before he died at the age of 85 he had watched on television a man called Armstrong walking on the moon waving the Stars and Stripes All that technological pro g res s in s uch a short time It is said that over 70 % of all the world s inventors are still alive. CHANGE IS INEVITABLE

I am delighted that you have chosen as the theme of your 99th conference CHANGE FOR SUCCESS, because it starts off by acknowledging change puts it in the title and then purports to set about using change positively - to ensure success.

Discussing how much we Gan all accept change, how much we can all accept that change is neces s ary, and how much we can all expect change to bring success, forms a large part of my chat with you - because there are many hurdles to jump or knock down, many practices to question and maybe abandon, and many ideas to update, at every level in an organisation - if we are really going to master CHANGE FOR SUCCESS

246

Can I try to list some thoughts of what is the success we strive for - and how shall we know when we have achieved it?

I suppose success can be measured in several ways. One must be in a materialistic way: success means more members in St John; more money donated to St John. Another must be by status: success means more respect by the public for the work done by St Johnners; more recognition of the voluntary effort.

And I think another way must be in the spiritual way : success means achieving near perfection in training; never saying No to a request for a duty and - 4,000,000 hours of professional first aid duties every year.

If you will accept that a mixture of these and other measurements of success are our yardsticks, we can now look at the changes which may have to come about to ensure that we do achieve such successes.

At this stage I must confess a very limited knowledge of St John Ambulance When I was asked to open your conference I asked permission to visit and talk freely with members of St John so that I could hopefully acquire enough information to be able to make my contribution today. I am pleased to say that I have met a wide cross-section of memb€rs over recent months. I have met and talked to many members of the Brigade in all sorts of places. I have put a lot of five pence pieces into black and white boxes over the last few months merely so that I could have a chat with the St Johnners. I have met with divisional officers, with district people , even county persons, and I succeeded , contrary to what many of you might think in meeting real live people at your Headquarters in Grosvenor Crescent in London.

So I have seen a little of your organisation, but why I think I might be helpful to you in looking at your changes for success is because I have been involved with several other organisations which have changed some of their thinking, and who have had great ideas of attaining more success, and who have achieved a greater success as a result of making various changes. Maybe by my talking about these other cases we can find some common links between them and St John

So let me start at the end , where it all happens w ith the members in your ca s e the membership of the Brigade, for make no mistake about it the members are the most important assets of any organisation

Had to know more

We found that we had to find out an awful lot more than we originally knew about our membership - we only really knew how many we had got. We had to look at age groups, at the movement of new members in and members out, in different age brackets and by length of service.

The facts that emerged came as quite a shock. We found that quite contrary to what was generally thought , we were losing many new members as early as in their first year, that we were losing more new members than long serving ones. We found that we were

hardly recrUltmg anyone in certain age bands and that the future of the organisation was dependent on getting new mature members in the 25 to 35 age bracket in order to secure the middle and long-term future management and control of the organisation

We then had to establish why new members joined , why people didn't join and why we thought that members left. I s ay establish since there was an awful lot of speculation, a lot of guesswork and a lot of really misguided information about these factors

What we concluded was that at the time our organisation was geared to attract onl y a rather limited sec t ion of the community and that we were definitely missing out on the very new members that we would n e ed in the future

We found all sort s of rationalisations and reasons as to why it was thought to be so but not a lot of these stood up to re al scrutiny What we had to agree on wa s that we did not have enough attra c tion to the type of new members which we needed.

In looking to find out why that was we really got to the heart of the chan ge s th a t we needed to be able o s ucceed in the first of our materiali s tic ways - attractin g in quantity the right type of new members.

We had to tackle the or g anisation and it s structure, as well a s the acti vity level within the organisation , before we could hop e to attract the st y le of new member which I h a ve described.

Our predicament wa s not an uncommon one. We had a lot of very senior members in senior jobs in the or g ani sa tion. Over th e years we had lost the art of having a mix ed age group management team which m e ant that a young a s pirin g g uy who j o i ned could not see any chance of ad v ancement for many, many year s and subsequentl y left. We made a new level of senior ad viser s and moved some of the sen ior people on to th a t body where their experience and expe r tise was invaluable. Thi s then left some room t o encourage younger people to take on the mantle of management at a much earlier a ge. The mix is critical for if you had all y our management team of a young age , y ou would also switch off the a s pirin g new member since he could s till not see a way ahead.

Did not inspire

We were also driven to believe th a t the style of the meetings which were held for the members did not inspire the new and younger members and therefore in the planning of these meetings we had to take into account that what we had been doing for the last 10 years or so was not what the newer and younger members wanted, and again a blend had to be found that accommodated both old and new. This was CHANGE creeping up on us with a vengeance and what should be noted is that it is the establishment which has to change to meet the changing pattern of requirement of the membership.

Continued on p.261

Fund-raising ideas

HAVE you ever wondered , writes John Mills, Director of PR , what you can do in the next weeks that is a little different and will raise money for St John Ambulance?

In order to help, I have been looking around for good ideas and suggestions and the list I have come up with - many thanks to Northern Ireland and Avon Headquarters - is long but perhaps not complete If you have any ideas for fund-raising or tips that would be useful to others, perhaps you could send them in as few words as possible to the Revie w.

so long b y so man y of you It was sugge s ted that I mi g ht be the chairman of a committee to explore an idea of Dr Andrew Raffle s that a simple course wa s needed for those at home including the elderly , young mothers , the handicapped , etc Of course it was known that in some counties the teaching of special groups was already practised , but it was clearly sensible to examine what was available nationally for such groups. Then we would hope to provide teaching material that would be useful and consistent throughout the country

The core committee had already been chosen , drawn from Brigade and Association, and in the event turned out to be everything a chairman desires , i.e hardworking, witty , challenging and very agreeable. We decided to keep the committee small so that others could come and go as we needed their advice. This worked very well.

A great deal of evidence was taken from profes sionals in the home care field and from national helping groups and we came to the conclusion that we should

Simple course for the Elderly

concentrate first on one group. t h e elderly , and provide a simple c ourse t o help people to help themsel v es Three modules, simple first aid personal c a re and home safety were devi s ed which could be taught in separate sessions or perhaps in one whole day. The teacher s of the course would be selected by count y directors bearing in mind that teaching such a course requires a rather different technique than that required in sa y, first aid at work.

Several county director s from widel y differing counties were asked to run trial s of the course to see if they thought it useful and to point out difficulties and omissions. They agreed willingly and the results were very positive. The experience in the counties confirmed the level o f

ISLAND

OF LIGHT

The following etter appeared recently in the Tim es of Ma lta.

From Mrs Pamela Taylor: Sir, - Very good wishes to all the brave people of the George Cross Island, and remembering the S{ John Nurses and VADs for their loya l service through the dreadful siege, when on day and night duty at Advanced Dressing Stations in the Dockyard and at Bighi and Mtarfa Hospitals, they neverfaiLed.

Greetings to all the women of Malta, who showed such courage and fortitude caring for children and parents when so tired, hungry and anxious, through those long years.

GOING ON IN THE WORLD OF

BY THE EDITOR

BROTHERHOOD

A helping h a nd from other divisional members when he was in a fix has prompted Cpl Harold Bale to praise the brotherhood of St John.' The Brislington member was marooned at hi s Bristol home over the weekend when he developed Asian 'fl u , He had been due to take hi s car for repair but postponed the trip until the Monday, Feeling worse by then, he contacted his divisional superintendent George Puzey , and explained the problem.

to Mr Bareham's letter in the Re view, December 1985 concerning Radio Amateurs who are members of SJA and who may wish to participate at the Great Party, Hyde Park June 20 1987. The Great Party organising group have decided that the Radio Amateur 's pecial eve nt' station which is to be set up in Hyde Park for this event s hould make contact solely with overseas Radio Amateurs The amateur radio bands to be utilised will be 14 MHz and subject to radio wave propagation conditions 21 MHz and 28 MHz. Communications will be confined to speech rather than any other mode of transmission and the sta tion will operate

LORD PRIOR

Westcliff-on-Sea nursing cadet Marrianne Har ris practises tying reef knots with an ambulance member while cadets Michael March and Jennifer Mar c h look on during a lull at their beach hut duty during the summer

between 1500 hour s, Thursday Jun e 18 t o Saturday 1500 hours June 20 1987 a period of 48 hours It is proposed that at Hyde Park there shou ld be a tally board listing the countries worked and giving the number or contacts made to each of them.

Radio Amateurs who are memb e rs of SJA and who wish to participate in this project at Hyde Park should submit their name, add ress and telephone number to the Communications Adviser at SJ A Headquarters, I Grosvenor Crescent, London SW I X 7EF. Two or three volunteers are also required to organise the equipment required and supervise the Hyde Park installation a nd operation.

The Lord Mayor of Birmingham Cllr D ennis Martineau chose SJA Birmingh a m Sutton as the charity to benefit from the 1986 Lord Mayor's Procession The Lord Mayo r and Lady Mayore ss presented this special cheque to Area Commissioner D G. Smith

By 7.45 am Sgt Ralph Sewell and Cpl Philip Bleadon were at Mr Bale's door. Not only did they take hi s car in for repair but returned to take hi s wife shopping for items to help her husband's reco ve ry Mr Bale's comments : To me that is what the brotherhood of St John is all about. Many thanks to Brislington di v is ion , Bristol.

LONDON CONCERT

Through the generosity or Wandsworth Borough Council and the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis the band of the Metropolitan Police will be performin g at a Grand Charity Concert in Wandsworth Town Hall on Wednesday November 26 commencing at 7.30 pm All proceed s will be for the benefit of South Western Area and local Divisional funds Tickets price £5 (numbered and reser ved) and £3 (unreserved) can be obtained from the Area President, William Best, 3 Dickerage Road, King st on -upon -Thames, Surrey KT 3SP , tel 01-942 7039.

William C. F. Best QPM A rea President

The 1986 St John investiture in New Zealand on June 22 was unique in that for the first time ever it was held on a Maori Marae.

The Turangawaewae (roughly pronounced Tooran gaw hywhy) Marae is the home marae for the Maori King Movement and the Maori Queen , Te Arikinui Dame Te AtarangikaahuDBE or Dame Te Ata as she is affectionately known, who was invested as Officer Sister.

The investiture was hosted for the first time by the Order in the Waikato-King Country. The Marae is in Ngaruawahia, a few miles north of Hamilton, Waikato-King Country.

Over 1,200 people were in the huge dining hall including a choir of 60, trumpeters from the Royal New Zealand Air Force, a Maori cultural group, 70 postulants , friends and relations, Civic Dignitaries, Members of Parliament, Chapter members and the Prior of New Zealand , the Governor General, Sir Paul Reeves

Before the rehearsal for postulants in the morning members of St John were welcomed on to the Marae in the traditional Surrey s Banstead Div isio n which almost closed a few years ago was kept alive by

Maori custom, with speeches and song from both Maori and St John personnel. With the arrival of Sir Paul Reeves for his rehearsal, St John members joined the Maoris to welcome him on to the Marae.

Many of the St John members had not participated in anything of this nature before and were moved by the feeling of friendship and love it fostered.

The investiture itself was run as any other in New Zealand, but the Marae environment

MOBILITY

St John Ambulance Air Wing completed it s 100th life -sav ing mis s ion this year when a team of four from Harefield Hospital flew at night from Heathrow to Zaragoza, in Spain, in an HS 125 jet to retrieve a heart and lung. The return trip was completed in u s under 7 hours and the team reached Eng land with their valuable cargo at 4.30 the following mornin g. The dedication of the Air Wing ha s given another critically ill patient the chance of a new life.

FAMILY

Thelma Kingsbury, Supt Southend Nursing Divi s ion, wr it es: The local Rotary Club adopted our division in 1985. At nearby Shoebury Common there was an old first a id po st which over the years

Situated in a re s idential part of town, in years gone by the post had been very busy se rving residents rather than holida ymake rs. We set about restoring and refurbishing this old po s t, which was no mean task. We were fortunate in enlisting the services of our Area President, Mr Ernie Lockhart. At the time Mr Lockhart was taking a first aid course with us which I am pleased to say

Recently

Caring

The Local Council connected

and electricity to the post and painted it inside and out. They even put up a flag pole for us. We

every member supplied food for the buffet at our HQ. We are very proud of our members. We all pull together and as one guest said when he came back to the HQ for lunch: It's like being welcomed into a family".

Our SJ A family of Southend-on -Sea.

OUTWARD

A NUMBER of place s have again been reserved this year for St John Ambulance personnel by the Outward Bound Trust (OBT). There will be seven 12 -day courses for adult members (over 20 th birthday) with a total of 14 place s and two courses of I week's duration each for the age group 14th to 16th birthdays and one course for the 16th (excl) to 20th birthday. Details have been sent to all County / District headquarters , to whom applications should be made.

The OBT is a charitable non-profit making organisation, and the full costs of courses have been limited to £391 for the adult courses and £ 195 .5 0 for the young courses, per person. St John Ambulance Headquarters is willing to provide a subsidy of £300 and £ 145.50 respectively, thus limiting the cost to Counties/individuals to £91 and £50. You will be pleased to see that this is an effective reduction on last year's costs of £60 and nearly £20, depending upon which course!

The courses for the younger element aim to provide opportunities for them to understand themselves and move more close ly to fu filling their potential. The courses bring students to recognise their individual physical limitations and social

BOUND 1987

abilities. This is achieved by active and energetic routines involving physical effort on treks, waterwork , canoeing , ropework obstacles, rock climbing, etc., together with mental application. The re is problem solving under stress, lJ11tlatlves , cooperation with and leadership of others in a team. All is under the s upervision of sympathetic and expert instructors, serving to make the indi vid ual aware of their strengths and weaknesses.

In the adult courses, tightly structured training periods concentrate on the individual as a member of a group. The 12 -da y Effectiveness at Work course comprises progressively more and more complex tasks and exercises in the country and on water. These explore the personal and practical skills involved in working as an effective team. Issues such as trust co -o peration competition and compromise are addressed. Theories in communications, organisation, planning, decision making, plus the efficient use of limited resources are put into practice during an expedition into remote country, with apparatus or on a mountainside. We also have options on the Combined Challenge courses which contrast the outdoor and urban community experience; particularly

suitable for St John Ambulance members

Having first engaged in various outdoor projects from canoeing to rock climbing or a lone survival exercise. s tudents then go to work with disabled. aged or mentall y disabled people.

Courses are:

a. Juni or Young Courses. Aug 15 -2 2 and 22-29 19 87 at Rhowniar, Gwynedd.

b. Senior Y o ung Courses. Jul y 18- 25 1987 at Eskdale. Cumbria.

c. Effecriveness at vVork Cours es. No. UG II Jun 8-19 1987 at Ullswater. Cumbria.

No LG39 Sept 7- 18 1987 at Loch Eil Highlands.

No. WG72 Aug 31-Sept I I 19 87 at Rhowniar, Gwynedd.

No. WG73 Sep 14-25 1987 at Aberdovey, Gwynedd. No EG39 Oct 12-23 1987 at Eskdale. Cumbria.

d. Combined Challenge Courses. No. ACC4 JUIl 15-26 19 87 at Aberdove y, Gwynedd.

No. UCC9 Aug 11 - 21 1987 at Ullswater, Cumbria.

So hurry! Apply soon to County HQ for a whale of a time!!

Clare Mordan cadet corporal of l fracombe, was in a party of four Devon cadets who came to London for the Royal Wedding. She got an excellent view of the procession from h er position looking on to the north side of the Abbey. Clare and her twin sister Wendy joined Il fracombe N/ C Division where their mother is Nursing Officer in 1982.

Making gifts - a paperweight

YOU WILL NEED: A smooth, fairly flat-topped pebble, small piece of felt , glue, plastic model seals (available in toy shops) and some river sand or budgie grit.

To make: Cut a piece of felt to fit the bottom of the pebble and glue it neatly into place. Now turn the pebble over. Spread some glue over the top of the pebble. While the glue is still wet , attach the seal and sprinkle sand or grit onto the wet glue around the seaL Allow to dry,

Note: Other plastic animals are available but the seals look best on the pebbles and are often the least expensive.

Christmas soap bag - for Mum

You will need: Crepe paper , cotton wool strips, tablets of soap (inexpensive soaps in packs of six are sold in most chemists), glue, tinsel and sticky tape ,

To make: Cut the crepe paper into a shape

large enough to make a bay to hold one tablet of soap, This can be done by u si ng a rectangle of paper , fold it over and seal at both sides with a small stapler. Turn the bag inside out and the top should open, Stick a strip of cotton wool all round the top of the bag. Put the soap in side the bag and crimp the neck, Fix with sticky tape and tie tinsel around the neck, Add an inexpen sive gift tag (these can be cut with pinking shears from old card - birthday or Christmas),

Decorations - bells

Using the base of an empty egg box , cut round the 'bumps' and discard the rest of the box. Cover each of the 'bumps' with tin foil or silver wrapping paper from chocolate biscuits, Thread a bead on to a length of thick thread and, using a needle , put the thread through the top of the bell. Knot the thread at both ends inside and outside the

Dagenham Essex, cadets man their display at t he town's an nu a 2-day show and hol d compet iti o n s in which the p ublic can participate and so tell them what cade ts do exactly, which helps recruitment

Romford s Katie Grove, who has just passed her EFA. with Cadet Leader Kim McWilliam at her first big duty at London Zoo. Both girls joined as Juniors. Kim is le ader of the Divis ion's competition team. Who are their fr iends 7 'm not sure , but they look like friendly goats. bell and leave a longer end to attach the bell to the tree ,

Tree Twirls

You will need: A packet of coloured pipe cleaners, tin se l, sc issors and pencil.

To make : Take a co loured pipe cleaner and wind it round the pencil. When the pipe cleaner is completely wound. pullout the pencil from the centre and gently pull the spiral pipe cleaner out a little way, Cut a ength of tin se l just shor of the length of the pipe cleaner and push the tinsel in side the spiral. Once it is in position tease out the tinsel so that it peeps through the pipe cleaner.

Fold a pipe c le aner into a triangle s hape and twist the ends together so that they hold tight. Decorate the triangle with a little e ngth of tinsel.

Now try another s h ape , a c ir c le , a sq uare a diamond. To comp lete the decor ations fasten a length of thread to each to hang the decoration on to the tree.

Tree Chain

Cut a length of green crepe paper and fold the paper carefull y in folds about 10 cms wide. Keep the paper flat and fold over and over again until all t he paper is fo lded The strip should be between 18 cm and 20 cm deep. Carefully cut the paper into tree patterns , being careful to lea ve the branch tips joined together.

Table Trees

You will need: Large fir cone, paint and brush (silver or go ld s pray paint loo ks good but can be expensive), glue, glitter, cotton reel cut in half, two g ummed stars and a plain pin.

To make : Paint the fir cone the colour of your choice and allow it to dry. Glue the

base of the fir cone into the hole in the centre of the cotton reel. Lay the pin between the two stars and stick them together. Fasten the star to the top of the tree.

Compass drawing

Before the meeting, a ser ie s of compass bearing and measurements s hould be taken of a simp le design chalked on the floor of your he adq u arters. Groups of three cadets a nd a parent or guest armed with compass, ruler and some chalk should be able to r eproduce the original design from the bearings and measurements you read out. The bearing s must follow in sequence, that is, the end of one line should be the start of the next. If you cannot use chalk on the floor, large pieces of paper could be attached to the floor orientated in th e same direction w th a X marked on them to indicate the sta rt.

Football Towers

Each team should be given six staves and a supply of sisal and instructed to build a tower of over seven feet in height that will not fall over or collapse when a football is kicked at it. At the end of 15 minutes a guest can be invited to h ave three attempts to knock down each of the towers with the footba ll from a distance of about 20 feet.

Other activities

Other activities which can be

y displayed include first aid incidents with mock wounds, tea or coffee races using camping stoves, and indoor tent pitching replacing pegs with nails if you r headquarters has a suitab le floor.

Try fund-raising

This is the first opportunity we've had of finishing our alphabet of ideas published in August Review,

R - Raffles

Again, an old favourite of many divisions. A Christmas draw can be particularly fruitful.

S - Safari supper

Tn this event a meal of good quality is provided. Each course, however, is held at a different location and participants move on from one to another. We coped with 100 people on such an event by holding the main course at our headquarters and the others in parents homes. Finish with a dance at your headq uarters.

T - Tee-shirts

There are many firms offering to print tee-shirts and bulk orders can work out quite cheap.

U - Used toy sale

After the success of BBC TV 's Blue Peter bring and buy sales, could you use the idea for your own funds?

V - Vehicle rally

Families go round a route of clues in their car looking for local features and answering questions. Provide refreshments at the end and charge an entry fee, (The police may need to be notified of such an event and be sure to check your motor vehicle insurance policies.)

W - Washing cars

This is a good way for the cadets to raise money for themselves, Some service stations will allow you to set up in their car parks, Ensure good service. as it puts St John Ambulance in the public eye.

X - Xmas postal service

Offer to deliver Christmas cards in your local area and charge a small fee.

V - 'Y' not consider covenanted donations?

Covenanting details for Cadet Divisions can be obtained by writing to Headquarters

Z - Zest

Is what you need to make these ideas work! Good Luck.

Edmonton , North London cadets included fund-raising and recruiting on their float in the local carnival during September.

Bridgwater cadets won the Winn Cup for Area achievement and the Secretary 's Cup shared with Wellington Divi sion. Pau la Dunn (centre) received the Eric Woods Cup

COLD CAN I<ILL: the facts about hypothermia

We're notoriously bad in this country at preparing ourselves for harsh winter weather. But, as LEE McMANUS of Age Concern England explains, some six or seven hundred people are likely to die from the cold this winter, many of them unnecessarily.

HYPOTHERMIA means the interio r of the body is too cold It is said to exist when the core temperature drops b y 2 ° C (5°F). At first , the bod y responds by shiverin g and feeling uncomfortable as it works to replace the heat loss , but if its temperature continue s to fall the sufferer may become drowsy and confused and unaware of the body 's dangerously cold state Breathing and heart function become impaired if the condition is untreated unconsciousness and death w ill result.

At least six or seven hundred peop le die like this is England and Wale s each ye ar. A few are mountaineers and yachtsmen but most are elderly people living in their own homes Thousands more die from coldrelated illnesses s uch as heart attacks strokes and bronchitis. Man y thousands suffer extreme discomfort from a cold en vironment and untold misery in freezing homes. And this is what happens in a mild winter. In a severe winter the numbers who die, or are at risk, increase by up to a third.

How to recognise danger

Hypothermia is dangerous because the sufferer may be unaware of the risk. Old people are especially at risk because their heat-retaining r eflexes are le ss effective and becau-se they tend to be less acti ve and so generate less heat by metabolism. Yet hypothermia is preventable and much can be done to counteract it. First we need to know how to recognise it. Although the initial effects of hypothermia may go unrecognised by the sufferer , the outward s ign s can be detected. Speech can become slurred and there may be unsteady movement and poor co -ordination. The face becomes pale and puffy and skin will be cold to the touch in normally warm areas such as the lower stomach The environment will usually be cold and an elderly person who does not notice a cold room is very much at risk.

Treatment of hypothermia involves slow rewarming of the patient and the room; it is best to s tay well wrapped up and in bed with warm nourishing food and drinks Alcohol should not be given and a doctor should be called in all cases.

Elderly people particularly at risk are those over 85, on low incomes, living alone or otherwise isolated. People living in consistently cold temperatures may be suffering from an underlying hypothermic condition which makes them suscept ble to a more acute condition brought on by a fall or a period of severe weather. Illness, drugs which affect metabolism, poor diet and

restricted mobilit y a re furth er predispo s

Prevention

Ho w can h y pothermia be prevented? The most important thing is to ensure that the body generates and retains sufficient heat to prevent a temperature drop. Regular hot mea ls are an important way of he ping the body to re tain heat. Some elderly people may be unable to cook properly for them s elves because of disabilit y, or illness. The meals on wheels se r v ice provided by local authorities ensures re g ular hot meals a re available in the home and some local day centres and clubs pro v ide hot meal s and a warm environment.

It is important to wear adequate clothing , especiall y in bed. Natural fibres with many layers of thinner mat erial are better than one layer of thick mater ials. Electric under blanket s will keep the bed warm. Low voltage blanket s can be kept on all night and s ome a r e s uitable for those with inc o ntinence.

One of the main causes of hypothermia is a low air temperature in the home. Many elderly people live in older , draughty propertie s which are difficult and expensive to heat. They are less likely to hav e central heating and often rely on expensive and relatively inefficient appliances like one -bar electric fires. Many do not have draughtproofing or loft insulation s o heat e s capes between the gaps in doors and windows or through the roof It has been estimated that over 75 % of heat in the home is lost this way. Repairs to heating appliances are often left undone or delayed because of worrie s over bills.

Grant aid

Grants are not available to replace worn out or old heating appliances and install modern efficient ones. But insulation grants are available , and elderly people on low incomes

have almost ce rtainly grown in number.

can get 90% of the cost of loft insul a ti o n up to a maximum of £95. You hav e to get th e approval of the local co uncil before a ny work is carried out. Single payments for draught -proofin g material s can a lso be mad e to people on Supplementa ry Benefit (SB) but any savings over £500 w ill be taken in to account. In some par ts of he country, there are energy projects t o install dr aug h tproofing a nd in s ul a tion in e ld e rl y peo p le's homes. Local Age Conce rn groups m ay be able to help as well , or put e ld e rl y peop le in touch with ot her loca l organisations.

Many p eop le on low inc omes are so frightened of h igh fuel bills that they over-economise on heat in g. So it is especia ll y important for e lderly people to be aware that financial h e lp ma y be available - nearly a million d o n ot claim th e benefits they are entitled t o. People on Supplementary Benefi t w h o are over 65 can ge t a week y h eat in g a dditi o n of £2.20 or £5.55 if th ey a re over 85 (Jul y 1986 ra tes). Although £ 1.00 pe r week is deducted t o take acco unt of the fact that el d er ly people rece i ve the hi ghe r long - term rate of SB. th e r e is extra h e l p fo r people who liv e on estates w ith hi g h heat in g costs. Help w ith very h igh f ue l bi ll s s given if there h as b een a period of except iona ll y severe weather or t he claiman is unfamiliar with a central h eat in g sys t e m but on y for the fi rst s ix months of t h e n ew syste m Again any savi n gs over £500 w ill be t ake n into acco unt.

More help needed Unfortunately, help of this kind is not enough. Last w int er's severe weather highlighted the inadequacies of ex is ting policie s In th e m o nth of Feb ru ary. 7.000 more people died t h a n might h ave been expected H ypot hermi a may n ot h ave accounted for all these d eat hs but it was cer tainl y a con tribu to r y factor in m any of th em

The problem of h ypother mi a fi r st ac hi eved national prominenc e in the early sevent es, when a survey found that as m a ny as o n e in ten old peop le were at risk. S inc e the n successi ve governments ha ve intr od u ce d sc hemes to h elp elderl y people a nd others on low ncom es with pa y ing fuel bill s. Heatin g additions for people on Supplementary Benefit were introduced and expanded throu g hout the seven tie s. The Hom es Insulation Scheme came into effect in 1978. The Electricity Di sco unt sc h e me in 1978-9 reduced e lectricit y bills for consumers in receipt of rent a nd rate rebates and Supplementary Benefit. In the e ighti es we have seen the further spread of he a tin g additions, so that now nine out of every ten pen sioners on SB receive them. About £2 million per y e ar goes to provide grant s for draught - proofin g to people on SB

More people at risk

The problem is still with u s and those at risk

E ve n gove rnment figures s how increase s in death s from hypothermia in the pa s t few yea rs Some additional factor s h ave mad e things worse. Fuel prices mor e t han doubled betw ee n 197 8 and 1986 and gas prices alone went up by 10% a bove th e r a te of inA a tion in each yea r from 1980-2 There is evidence that the condition of the housin g s tock is deteriorating a nd elderly peo ple ge n erally live in poor e r housing t han most. More and more e lderly people live on low incomes, nearly half receive mean s tested benefit s. The pric e of h e atin g appliances, heating syste m s a nd in s ul a ting material s hav e al l go ne up. Society's re spo nse t o the problem of fuel p overty ha s been fragmented a nd spas modi c. On t he fuel su ppl y s id e, over £ I billion a ye ar is t aken from the fuel boards

John. made the best of very crowded conditions.

'CAPETONIANS warmed by their winter fires in comfortable homes can have absolutely no idea what life out here is like.'

This was said by an exhausted but still on top Sister Pat Gelderbloem, St John Ambulance Cape Town Centre s Cape Flats Co-ordinator. The out here' she was referring to was Crossroads.

Fighting there in the last two weeks of May was publicised not only across South Africa but around the world As always, however , the sterling remedial work done by St John and a host of other organisations received rather less recognition although the newspapers have been magnificent in helping with appeals for aid.

The trouble started on Sunday May 18 when fighting broke out between the 'Witdoeke' or 'Vigilantes' as they are sometimes called, and the more recently settled 'Comrades'.

As the fighting continued at Crossroads it soon became obvious that this time it was to be in real earnest. According to St John staff axes, pangas, barbed wire whips, heavy iron crowbars and even pistols were used. Almost overnight some 2,000 huts and shacks were razed to the ground.

The numbers of wounded and fleeing mounted fast, and a large proportion headed for the neutral ground of Zolani Centre, from which St John operates in this area.

There to receive them on Sunday night were St John Volunteer Elizabeth Kwinana, the conscientious and humane Kenneth Nxu, our experienced ambulance driver, and several St John Community Auxiliaries. By midnight they had patched up 29 seriously wounded people and Kenneth had ferried a further 30 or so to medical centres.

That was, however, only the start of the flood. On Monday morning Pat Gelderbloem was at the centre early. She called in Sister Grace Qotoyi and some 40 volunteers, and by Monday night 1 14 cases had been treated and a further large number of sick and wounded people taken to the Shawco mobile clinic. Two were so seriously wounded that they died while still in our care.

Tuesday saw a continuing influx of people.

Pat Gelderbloem arranged for the Divisional Clinic to be open and for volunteer doctors to come across, mainly from Groote Schuur,

256

centre. This gave our staff a chance to escape through a back door and they were taken to Guguletu po ice station for protection. Sister Qotoyi's car was, however, set alight and completely burned out, and the centre itself was rendered unusab e for the next three weeks.

The disaster did not prevent St John members from carrying on their work. The Guguletu Day Hospita l made space for our team and they were soon badly needed , as fierce fighting in the KTC squatter camp produced a host of casualties. Seventy patients were treated in the 24 - hour periodand three of these died.

St John, having lost its own base, 'adopted' the five refugee centres nearest the Day Hospital and continued supplying food and basic necessities As the situation

The Crossroads Crisis

South Africa's Cape Flats SJA teams have been in the front line of relief work

and help. These people were very often working in their off time.

At Zolani itself a situation of organised overcrowding to the maximum degree prevailed. The premises are not large. In normal circumstances they might hold 100 people. But as the homeless, the ill and the wounded kept coming in St John found itself having to house and feed over 2,200 refugees in the cramped, old-fashioned quarters. Fortunately by then an appeal had been made through the press and the Cape Town public responded very well indeed. By Thursday the American Embassy had donated $10,000 and the general public over R 10,000 in cash and a further R50,000 (approximately) in food, clothing and medical supplies. Among the more generous donations were those from Federal Marine Ltd marketing organisation for the inshore fishing industry - on their behalf they gave 20,000 cans of fish while Cadac (Pty) Ltd donated 108 paraffin stoves and 60 gas bottles with stove and light attachments.

At Zolani St John teams introduced order by organising a committee , a cooking group and cleaning group for each communal hall as well as a central food store and a central clothing and blanket supply.

During the day some of the men went to work, thus easing the congestion, but at night people were sleeping literally shoulder to shoulder. Many of the men had to sleep out in the central courtyard where in recent weeks they have been rained on night after night.

At least 500 children have been cared for by the centre. Tragically, some appeared to have lost their parents or guardians in the fighting, and where this was the case they were passed on to the Child Welfare. Amazingly, among those with parents, mirth and good humour still prevailed.

Tribute must be paid here to the sterling work of the ambulance driving teams, which continued working 24 hours a day throughout the first 10 days The three St John vehicles were the only ambulances in the area and they worked day and night delivering patients to the St John clinic and taking the seriously wounded to hospitals, By the end of the second week they had delivered 326 wounded and sick people to medical centres and transported a further 371 doctors nurses , workers, sick children and others over 9,000 km. it looked then as if St John would eventually gain control of the situation, at least in their own centre, and that in time this would return to normal as the refugees found their own homes again.

At a meeting with the Minister, Mr Chris Heunis , and the Directors of the Coordinating Committee, Malcolm Jones, our Director , and Sister Pat Gelderbloem our Sister in charge of the Cape Flats operation learned that the displaced residents would for their own safety not be allowed to return to Crossroads. Khayelitsha, they were told, was the only feasible alternative. However the refugees had by now made it clear that they would not move voluntarily to Khayelitsha. It was obvious, therefore, that no easy short-term solution to the problem was going to be possible. Matters were then complicated by further fighting which erupted at Nyanga on June 9.

The Zolani Centre was surro!.mded by a determ1ned band of Witdoeke who did their best to break in. Almost all the refugees fled, but Sister Qotoyi and Sister Niels of St John, as well as three of our auxiliaries, two mothers and two babies were trapped in the building.

The police were contacted, but before they could arrive the Witdoeke set alight to the

worsened the number in the centres grew to just on 2,000 and our teams found the logistics of supplying them all increasingly difficult. However, by working long hours they and the ambulances, which were still given free access throughout the area, were able to continue their services.

Then on June 13 a State of Emergency was declared. After a period of uncertainty

St John found their vehicles were still allowed to move freely in and out of the area and they could continue their work.

The plight of the Crossroad refugees became world news and St John and other organisations were able to attract more generous donations both from South Africans and overseas embassies representing the United States , the Netherlands and Germany. However the sums raised have

PUPILS FROM Clyst Vale Community College, Exeter, demonstrated Emergency Aid techniques to a captive' audience of 250 delegates and their wives at the annual 4 -day Federation of Master Builder s' conference held in Torquay recently.

The pupils and their teacher were invited by Mr W. Hilton , National Director of FMB , to promote the St John Ambulance Three Cross Award Scheme to the delegates with a view to their donatin g further packages to schools in their own areas, (The Federation of Master Builders has already sponsored 45 schools with the Emergency Aid package.)

After seeing the school children demonstrate the recovery po s ition and mouth -tomouth resuscitation so efficiently, many delegates felt that they too should know these techniques, which gave an opportunity to promote the Save a Life campaign and the St John Ambulance courses for adults.

Mr Hilton is very interested in St John Ambulance and its various 'hats', therefore I invited both Mrs June Pearce, Area Commissioner , and Mr Steve Blackmoore, Area Staff Officer Cadets, from Devon, to be at the demonstration so that delegates could appreciate the progression from learning Emergency Aid as a school pupil to joining a trained unit to practise these skills.

HQ back-up

It is very encouraging to see that some counties are appointing their own schools project officer. Now that so many schools have the Three Cross Award video and more are showing a keen interest, it is vital that they have back -up from us at Headquarters in the first few months of starting the scheme.

Any photographs and other information of schools in your area regarding the schools project will be of great use to me to go towards compiling a comprehensive handout for teachers.

Again, let me say that if you need assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.

A nne Macleod Schools Project Officer

never been quite sufficient to meet all the needs. Throughout the difficult period it has been costing St John over R5,000 a day in cash and kind to keep the needy supplied, and Mr Jones has stressed that further aid is likely to be needed for a considerable time. He appealed to the Cape Town public to continue with its generous donations. He had too, a final word of thanks for the many St John people who risked their lives by staying on in the Crossroads area - often working 24 hours a day,

In all its many areas in South Africa, said Mr Jone s, the St John Cape Town Centre had never before played so vital a role in helping the community it served, and had never before been so badly needed as it had been in the last few months.

(There are just over 3 Rands to £ I.)

School children

teach adults emergency aid

Refugees at the Zolani Centre, organ ise d by St

Clyst Vale pupils and teacher and Federation of Master Builders executive, with SJA guests. HQ s Anne Macleod extreme right

NEWS from SCOTLAND

DUMFRIES and Galloway, one of the 'younger' branches of the Order in Scotland, but no less active for that, hold an annual exhibition of paintings by local artists to raise funds for the work of the Order. The exhibition this year took place on July 27 and despite very inclement weather was very well supported by members and friends from all over this most delightful corner of Scotland.

On this occasion the exhibition was opened by the Chancellor, Dr Duncan Shaw KSU, who was accompanied by the former Preceptor of Torphichen, Mr Andrew

The photograph shows (L to R) Mrs Sophie Gordon, SSSU, Secretary, Dr John Calvert, OStJ , Chairman of the Local Association , Mr Andrew Lawson, the Chancellor , and the Priory Secretary.

Change to Succeed (Cont.)

What I suppose all voluntary organisations are looking for is a mix of membership which includes the right types of men and women for the future One way of attracting and keeping the latter is to offer responsibility at an early age, over and above any such re spo nsibility that the member would get in his or her job. This can then be seen as offering training for advancement in life in a practical way.

Another way of attracting such members is to offer adventure type activity and a lot of organisations are making a feature of this type of activity in their curriculum.

And finall y I s uppose anot her major way of attracting such members is the po ssi bility of h e lpin g in the community in some form or other. The sort of thing that attracts young men into The Round Table and The Lions.

WALES

Retiring MISS JOAN Denfield retired from the Priory for Wales as finance officer in August after completing 40 years to the Priory.

Miss Denfield, an Officer of the Order, joined the Priory as accounts clerk working her way up to finance officer. She has worked with three different treasurers and seen many changes one of the latest being the Priory's records put on its own computer.

The Chancellor of the Priory for Wales, Mr Donald McDougall, presented a gift to Miss Denfield from staff and members of the Finance Committee.

Miss Denfield 's successor is Miss Shirley Rees.

First

The Boys' Brigade 1st Bassaleg Company of Newport, Gwent, were the first company in the town to complete a IS-week course leading to the award of the Essentials of First Aid and the Three Cross Award certificate. The first nine successful company candidates received their certificates from Keith Dunn, chief training co-ordinator for Wales. They also had the opportunity of trying out their knawledge on Keith.

Dunn with lads of the Boys Brigade

At a recent meeting of the St

were presented w it h the Clwyd St John Council Lord Aberdare Silver Jubilee Shie ld for being the best division in the county. Council chairman Dr M T. I. Jones presents the shield to % R. J. Griffiths and A/M R. Roberts.

Sri Lanka's Mrs M. Dias Abeygunewardena. SSStJ.

OVERSEAS

Sri Lanka

Mrs M. Dias Abeygunewardena, who recently sent us a report on Brigade activities in Galle, joined the Galle branch of St John Ambulance in Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) a few years after it was established in 1936.

During World War II the members helped the Services by making bandages, etc., and

after the war eight cadet divisions were formed in the area. In 1958 Mrs M. Dias Abeygunewardena was among members who manned the first aid post at Southlands College to treat injured Tamils.

In 1966 Mrs M. Dias Abeygunewardena, an Associate Serving Sister became District Staff Officer, serving till 1967. Today, the SJA activities in the Galle area are under Area Commissioner Mr L. A. S. Pushpakumara, a very able young man.

about it. I suppose it comes under my heading of status, so if we mea s ure it as having improved your image to the general public by telling them you are all volunteers, who don 't get paid , and indeed who provide for yourselves, then it could be judged to be successful in this regard. 1 mu st admit that 1 felt that from an internal point of view it could very well have upset member s who did not wish to be described in the way they were.

Overall impression

You are considering I know that you are considering some form s of diversification of objectives within St John Ambulance si nce as I went around meetin g people I was awa re of such diversifications being talked about and in so me areas being actively pursued. The leader ship induction courses, for example.

I spen t an in sp irin g afternoon with Mary Neville- Kaye, your chief welfare officer, li sten in g to the pilot plans for your Care in the Community project which hopefull y will be launched as a national scheme in your centenary year.

T hi s together with the possibility of expanding your Auxiliary Membership throu gh this route str uck me as just the sort of thin g that expands the inAuence and r ecognition of St John increases your membership in a diversified way, and sho uld be a source of recruiting from Auxiliary to full membership anyway! I certainly wish you well in this venture which in itself shows an example of changing certain rule s and regulations and object ive s for anticipated success. Hopefully someone can come up with a better name than auxiliary thou ghhow about Associate Member or have you got some of those already? How about Community Member, which describes pretty exactly what it is all about, doesn't it ? Perhaps that is enough about membership It is the most importan t part of any organisation and neglect it at your peril. What about changes for success as success applies to status, presti ge and image?

Press coverage

I first visited Grosvenor Crescent in London about a week after the recent Saatchi and Saatchi poster had hit the press and have been aware of the large amount of press coverage generated by the poster or rather by the comments which the media printed of your views about it. It would be interesting to be able to know how many new people it helped to recruit and how much more by way of donations it helped to produce, since it had a very peculiar style

When I was doing my rounds meeting and talking to your members in many places I have to tell you that as a marketing man the overall impression 1 got would have given me apoplexy! I f you are goi n g to ha ve a uniform and if you are proud of that uniform, as yo u should be, then why oh why would you only want to wear half of it? Or why would you want to mix and match it with sneakers, sweaters and scarves? From an image point of view you are judged initially solely by your appearance - you only have one chance to create a first impression! Your ability as a nurse, you r professionalism at first aid , or your prowess at treating the sick are all initially subservient to your appearance in your uniform. Some of yo ur membe rs 1 saw would cast a doubt in my mind that if they could abuse a uniform and appear as sloppy as they did then by God keep them away from me in an emergency. 1 would view this image -making as at a very serious stage, for if I noticed it over the last three months, then it cannot be something very new, and therefore is something which is per sisti n g, which means that it will only increase in certain areas if le ft unchecked. So where in the organisation can we look to effect the necessary change for success in correcting this image? 1 have been posing a lot of questions today but on thi s point I am adamant that I ha ve the right answer. The Divisional Officer is the person who, by example, by induction and by training , and then by control, can be sure of creating the super image that the Brigade deserves and indeed enjoys in so many parts of the country. Unfortunately people notice the exceptions before they notice the good, so that bad individual s have an effect on all.

Communications

One thing that large organisations s uffer from and which can affect success is its attention to its communications , both internally as well as externally, which we have talked about so far. Wherever you get a line of command, you stand a chance of producing bottlenecks fo r good communications, and you stand a chance of getting messages distorted or mislaid or forgotten or changed or whatever. 1 was saying to the Commissioner-in-Chief that it is virtually impossible for him to write a letter to every member of the Brigade and expect it to be fully understood and appreciated by everybody If he writes it for the lowest intellect and ability then all those with more intellect and ability think he is a simpleton and if he

writes it for the comprehension of area commanders then people down the line stand the chance of not understanding either the jar gon or some of the meanin g. Good communications demand interpretation and explanation as they traverse an organisation. What is also important in my book is for the Commissioner -in - Chief to be in contact with the divisional officers on a regular basis. Thi s is about hi s on ly chance of knowing how hi s communications are working as they travel through the organisation. Such a connection would also provide the divisional officers with a means of knowing how well their communications upward s are being received! If they are being received. did I hear you say? The Brigade in its wisdom has selected a remarkable man to lead it over the ne xt few years, remark able as to back g round as well as ability, and I can't help feeling that he will be ve r y hot on getting the right communication channels open and working as part of his priorities for success.

Where are we?

So where have we been over the last half hour or so?

We have looked at areas in which we might want to achieve even more success. We have lo oked at the ways and mean s that other organisations ha ve used in starting to tackle some of the problems which now could be facing us.

We may have become more aware that new members are our lifeline and we have to be sure that our organisation, our style and our intent. is in the right gear to attract new members , including some of the future potential managers we will undoubtedJy need.

This has led us to consider our current organisation and structure, in particular the problem of getting an age-balanced management.

We may have to increase our diversification of interests still further in order to be able to attract the right sort of members and to ensure that we get increased recognition from the public. The image that we present to the public at large will have the most initial effect on our prestige and standing in the community. Our ability and professionalism will ensure that our image continues to enjoy the high standard we have attained.

Right messages

And we have to be sure that we tell the world the right about ourselves and our achievements. And be very ure that we hav e a good means of talkin g among ourselves. both upward - and downwards, so that all can be aware of our successes a we achieve them, and all can enjoy such success in being part of one of the world's finest organisations for helping the community and treating sufferers at large.

Pl ease ask me back to your 100 th conference. I would love to hear how you have achieved your change for ucce in the co ming year.

News from Divisions/Centres

OBITUARY

Mrs T. Jones, Divisional Officer, Southend Nursing Division, officer-in-charge prior to moving to Canada, where s he served with a Canadian division. Returned to England and died in August after a long illness.

NOTTS

The annual inspection of the four Newark Divisions was held at their headquarters on Septem ber 17

The Southern Area Commissioner, Mr R. Bexon, making his first visit to Newark was unable to conduct the inspection because of problems at one of the collieries. But Mr Bexon was able to meet the divisional superintendents, surgeons, officers, presidents and one of the vice-presidents after the inspection. Deputy Commissioners Mr A. Shields and Mrs A. Higgins conducted the inspection in the absence of the Area Commissioner.

Area Staff Officer Mrs B. Handley presented Grand Prior Certificates to Cadet Leader Karen Brooker, Sergeant Michelle Hall and Nursing Cadet Clare Dalby. Warrants of Appointment were presented to Divisional Surgeon Dr A. Parkin of the Nursing Division, and Divisional Officer D. Clarke of the Ambulance Cadet Division.

Nursing Officer Mrs J. Foot received her 2nd bar to the Long Service Medal and Ambulance Member A. D. Rimington his Long Service Medal.

The Ambulance Division celebrates its 75th Anniversary on January 15 1987 with a service of rededication at the Parish Church on March 15 followed by a reception in the town hall.

The Division met in the Butter Market under the Town Hall before it was registered as a Division, and many of its committee meetings were held in the Mayor's Parlour in the Town Hall. T. H. H.

Health facts

SOM E FACTS from the Health and Personal Social Services Statistics for England, 1986 edition:

The average daily number of ho spital beds occupied by mentally ill and mentally handicapped patients decrea sed by 25% and 23% respectively between 1974 and 1984. This reflects the trend from long -term hospital care to short-term care and the move from hospital to community services. For example, mentally ill patients staying less than one month in hospital before discharge (or death) accounted for 59% of discharges in 1984 compared with 52% in 1974 and there was an increase of some 46% in the number of regular attendances at hospital day care facilities.

Acceptance rate s for diphtheria, tetanus and polio vaccinations continued to increase

in 1984, reaching 84% for those born in 1982. Acceptance rates for whooping cough vaccine continued to recover from the low levels of the late 1970s, and reached 65% in 1984 from a low of 35% in 1979.

Acceptance rates for rubella vaccinations in sc hool -girls increased from 78% in 1979 to 86% in 1984.

Between 1974 and 1984 the number of general medical practitioners (unrestricted principals) increased from 20,219 to 23,640 ( 17 %). The average list size per unrestricted principal decreased fro m 2,384 to 2,089 (12%).

Between 1975 and 1985 the number of dentists practising in the General Dental Service increased from 1,206 to 14,334 (28%). Over the same period; the number of courses of dental treatment increased from 25.9 million to 3 1.4 million (21 %).

Over 1,7 million people received chiropody treatment in 1984. This was a 4 5% increase from 1983 and an increase of over 30% from 1974.

Between 1975 and 1985 the number of ' meals on wheels increased by 27 % This was partially offset by a decrease of 9 % in the number of meals served at luncheon clubs and day centres Overall the number of meals served increased

St John Fellovvship

AS I WRITE, it is just a year since I announced the formation of the Great Party is as it says a party

time as they please. 50th branch of the Fellowship. I am now even more pleased to report that the 60th branch has been formed - and the third in Norfolk:

Thetford & District Branch, Norfolk

Contact Mrs D. B. O Grady, 28 Castle Close Weeting, Brandon, Suffolk IP27 ORG

Branches have been discussing the Brigade centenary celebrations at recent meetings. All have received the leaflet on the Great Party in Hyde Park on June 20 1987 and some are well ahead with their plans notably Greater Manchester Branch who have applied to their county H Q for 100 tickets. Others however , have in some cases got the wrong impression of the event. They remember the last Royal Review in Hyde Park and think that this is going to involve the same amount of standing and strain. would like to say that from all I have heard the

St John Fellowship

Notification of the formation of a branch

Name of branch

Branch Secretary or other contact

Address Telephone No Date

To: National Secretary, Miss Sheila Puckle, 31 Malvern Court, Onslow Square, london SW7

From 11 am to 2.30 pm , I understand that entry will be limited to S t John person,nel, their families and friends. During that period , too, he VIP guests will attend From 2.30 pm on the public will be admitted and no doubt the area of the Park will become rather crowded I strongly recommend Fellowship members to attend in the morning if possible.

I hope to be able to send further details to Branches shortly.

ST JOHN REVIEW

SUFFOLK: Victor Copsey, Nursing Officer of Sudbury

service from County

Archie Mayes. Mr Copsey, who became

Five members received the Grand

in

(Left to right)

Wightman

Ball, Brislington

Beware High Flyers ...

WHILE WAITING to inspect a Divi sion I witnessed a n unfortun a te event w hich I thought sho uld be repor ed to all members.

During a conversation abou t county staff officers, a senior Area Officer was suddenly and without warning hit by the excrement of a bird. Du e to the high velocit y at whi ch the excrement hit the officer, he affected areas of his unifo rm were wides pread. Luckily he was we ll prepared and with a w hite han dkerchief he wiped off the offensive foreign matter. Observations at the time indicated that the offender was probably a high flying sparrow.

It was obvious that the officer's h at afforded little protection, so here are a few hints to help readers avoid this unfortunate and highly embarrassing occurrence w hen wearing f ull d ress uniform in the open air.

(a) Do not stand still. It is more difficult for the bird if the target is moving.

(b) Have an umbrell a ready. (An automatic opening one gives a better chance, but a great deal depends upon the reflexes of the vi ctim and upon advance warn ing of attack.)

(c) Do not look up , thus avo iding temporary blindness.

(d) Carry two handkerchiefs. (The officer involved had only one and he was therefore unable to blow his nose for the rest of the evening )

(e) Identify nearby nesting sites or high densities of flying birds so that yo u can avoid bu sy flight paths.

(f) I f you wit ne ss an event of thi s n at ure , try no t t o la ugh because this causes even more embarrassment for the vic tim.

(g) If yo u hold a conversation a bout hi g her rankin g officers , never forget that nearby birds might be li s tening to what you r e saying.

Signs and symptoms aiding diagnosis of a patient subjected to a direct hit:

No t e: Try to identify the s pecie s of th e offending bird and notify a senior officer of the occurrence. There is no need to provid e samples of the excrement. However, a feather from the offending bird would he lp indentification. If stat istics prove that there is a certain spec ie s which is mor e likely to attack St John memb ers, consideration will be given to s tartin g a new soc iet y, namely the S.P.SJ.A.M.H.L.F.B. (Society for the Protection of St John Ambulance Members from High and Low F lyin g Bird s)

Editor: We are always lookin g for ev iden ce that bein g a memb er of SJA ha s its li ghte r or - dare we say it - funnier moments. Let's hear w h a t happen ed to yo u or that g u y or ga l yo u don t part ic ul ar ly like. We promise to publi s h it.

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS

23p a word (min. £4.60);

T reatment:

Try to avoid laughing while treating the casualty.

Maintain an open airway.

Protec patien t from further danger Reassure patient hat t s hi ghly unlik e y to happen again.

Clean affected parte s)

Seek medical aid if patient is hit in t he eye.

Give laughing bystanders something to do and insi st that they do no discuss the incident within earshot of the casualty.

You have been warned.

copper sulphide needle. (4). 16. Amongst with a doctor holdin g one (4). 18. Alarm for bo nes of the face. (S) 21. Having borne only one child. (9). 22. Reason abo ut strange rite to destroy tis s ue by burning. (9). 24. Notes amended to sho w first appearance of sympto m s of di sease (S). 26. Box for street orator. (4) 27. Rain for Is lami c state (4) 28. Written permit to attain the required examination sta nd ard (4) 29. Cure containing one unit of radioactivity. (S). 32. Protective tissue present in tonsi ls, sp leen, and Peyer 's patches. (8). 33. Abdominal supporter. (6). 34. Evacuating pus from an abscess. (8). 3S. He fo ll ows a summo ns to und ergo painful contor tions. (6)

Down:

I. No sai nt ad ds spirit to a quack remedy. (7). 2. Carrying weapo n s in stra nge dream (5). 3. Embed filling for tooth cavity. (5). 5. Raised a s he e t for cardiac disorder. (5·7) 6. Eng r ave by corrosives. (4). 7. Incapable of causing injur y. (9). 8 Note girl s in aids to visual acuity. (7). II. Aim munitions for a prophyl actic procedure ( 12). 14 None in to annoy. (3). 17. Ca rboh ydrate from palm for puddin g. (4). 19 Malignancy characterised by great increase in number of wh it e ce ll s. (9). 20. Become dizzy in a dance ? ( 4). 22. Reduced temperature to preserve. (7). 23 Urgent call for aid. (3). 25. Operations room. (7). 29. Group of singers. (S). 30. Manipulate the fractur e a second time. (S). 3 I. Call for si lence in the part of the le g. (4).

SOLUTION TO CROSSWORD No. 10 (86)

REVIEW CROSSWORD No. 11 (86) by W. A. Potter

Across: I. Calm down; S. Hooked ; 9. Binaural; 10 Fibula ; 12 Lithe; 13. Tick 14. Skit; 16. Pro·nto; 19 Ileu s; 22. Sou; 23. Ether; 24. Decade; 27 Pore ; 28. Ache; 29. Stoma; 31. Rectum; 32. Cervical; 33. Lichen; 34. Stenosi s Across:

I. Vitamin of the B complex (6). 4. Making jokes about breathing of bronchitis sufferer? (8). 9. Medicinal herb for an uncomplicated fracture. (6). 10. Mild infection produced by s mallpox prophylaxis. (8). 12 Healthy, rosy complexion. (S). 13. A speck in the eye. (4). IS. A

Down: Cobalt; 2. Lunate; 3 Do use; 4 Wharton 's duct 6. Omit; 7 Knuckles; 8 Dia s ta se; II. Accouchement; IS Wind; 17 R a· r e; 18 To·e; 20. Temp·oral ; 21. Thoracic ; 25. Coccus; 26. Call u s; 29. Seven ; 30. Cure.

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1W0 WAY RADIO COMMUNICATIONS

Present Brigade supplier offers for sale the following radios. All are crystalled on Brigade frequencies and are NEW and DTI APPROVED.

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ST JOHN REVIEW

Germany Calling p.2 71

Around and About by the Editor p.272

Th oughts on First A id p.275

Cadet Chat by Jim p.276

Children

Three Cross Award goes to the

Order I nvestiture , O ct 16 p.280

Maud Alice Harrison, OBE , CStJ p.281

Readers Views p.282

News from Scotlan d p.284

Wales , N. Ireland - FA Competitions p.285

Champions of the Cross (10) by H ugh A. R Edgell p.286

Centenary Year Help p .28 8

THE BRIGHT October day at Snetterton Motor Racing Circuit, Norfolk , began just like any other of the 44 race meetings there attended by St John Ambulance during the current racing season. On duty were 20 members three ambulances , two doctors and three paramedics. We all arrived at 8 30 am , in time for the practice heats which start at 9 am. Members were detailed to the seven first aid points around the circuit, and the ambulance crews were briefed and dispatched to their positions. Practice went on without a hitch and an early lunch was taken by all. Everyone returned to their positions without a hint of the drama to come.

The Six Hour-non-stop-Motor Cycle Endurance Race is started and at the first corner the yellow warning flags began to wave - a rider is off. Time to tryout the recovery procedure. The medical car and an ambulance attend the rider, who has a fractured clavical. The ambulance takes him to the Medical Centre, where he is transferred to the local hospital. All is quiet again for the next hour or so, with riders coming into the pits at intervals to refuel and sort out minor problems.

Suddenly the flags are waving again, indicating another rider is off. An ambulance is called as the first-aiders at the scene suspect a fracture of the lower leg. Then the radio crackles into life. Scramble! A serious accident has occurred in the pit lane. The medical car with doctor, paramedics and St John controller go to the scene. A bike

coming into the pits to refuel has collided with another machine just about to leave. A number of people have been hit by flying debris. The doctor and paramedics attend the most seriously injured rider. There are three other casualties , one with broken ribs and multiple fractures of the leg , another with clavical and leg fractures , and the other with a leg fracture. Eight people among the nearby group of spectators have slight injuries.

The priority is to first get the mo st seriously injured to the Medical Centre, so a pit garage is cleared for the 'w alking injured while evacuating the more seriously injured. It was decided to stop the race and call the remaining ambulance s to the scene, together with all available first-aiders. As the first-aiders and ambulances were converging on the pit area, the third ambulance returns from the hospital. The Medical Centre is receiving the first injured. The casualty with the most severe injuries, who is still unconscious, is being intubated All three treatment areas of the Medical Centre are utilised. The first ambulance removes the unconscious patient to hospital; with him go a doctor, a paramedic and a St John crewman. The other ambulances are positioned and made ready to transport the remaining casualties to hospital, while the minor injuries are treated at the Medical Centre.

After all the patients have been treated and discharged it is time to clean up the

Medical Centre and restock This completed , there seemed to be an endless wait for the ambulances to return with news of those taken to hospital. Then all three vehicles return together , to be re stocke d and cleaned before the race is re-started some two hours after the incident.

The injuries were :

Patient 1: Severe head injury , broken rib s and a broken arm.

Patient 2: Broken ribs and multiple leg fractures.

Patient 3: Leg fractures.

Patient 4: Torn ligaments in leg and arm.

Oth ers: Eight sustained various cuts, grazes, bruises and bumps plus a broken leg from the fir st accident.

Our actions this day were successful only because of the vital importance placed on training The theory quickly became practice as St John Ambulance members demonstrated team -work , first aid and diagnosis skills which have since been commended in writing by the Chief Medical Officer of Snetterton Race Circuit.

Footnote - The patient with a severe head injury was in intensive care on a ventilator for four days before regaining consciousness.

I am pleased to be able to report that all the injured are now recovering satisfactorily.

Robert Head, ASO Controller, Sn e ttertOI1 Motor Racing Circuit

ACTION at the races

4

2.

1.

AS THE NEWLY-coerced County Secretary, I was doing the rounds of the various printers trying to get the best quote for producing membership certificates. wandered into one of these new plush copy-shops to try my luck with them and spoke to the owner. When he heard that was from St John Ambulance the topic of the conversation changed from my printing requirements to his first aid requirements. It appeared that he was proposing to run a BIG marathon 'the biggest thing to hit Cleveland in years' was his description of it, 'and I want the best first aid coverage'. Taken a little aback by the suddenness of his request, replied that I was the person to contact, at least to get things off the ground.

Crossing my fingers , asked 'When is it, then ?' waiting for the usual reply, 'next Saturday '. Luckily, the proposed date was some months off. agreed that (still crossing my fingers) we could cover the event and said we would like to be involved right from the start, discussing the route, etc. This undoubtedl y pleased the organiser of the event for he offered to print all my membership certificates free of charge.

Advice sought

That evening I rang John Restorick, who had succeeded me as county training officer, and we both agreed that we had not a clue about organising big marathons. While John read the Review articles on the London Marathon, etc. , started writing to various counties whom I knew had experienced large marathons asking for advice. Among the many very helpful replies I rec€ived was one from the West Midlands. They very kindly invited John and me down to e>bserve them in action at the Birmingham Walkathon.

So John and I undertook the long journey to Birmingham where we were greeted and made most welcome by everyone. To say that we were impressed by the radio communications, their fleet of ambulanGes and their control network would be an understatement. We were indeed, very, very envious. At that time Cleveland's communication network relied on a man and a bike. Our greatest impression, though, was not of the technological facilities but of the attitude of the members we met on the duty. I must

We

OPERATION UNITY

And what's more the plan is working, reports SJA Cleveland

confess that I asked some very direct and leading questions to try and get the real feeling of the ordinary member at the first aid post. Every time I got the impression that the coming-together of divisions and the central organisation of major duties was the best thing since the triangular bandage. There seemed to be a spirit in the West Midlands that was sadly lacking in Cleveland

On the equally long journey home John and I discussed what we had seen. We agreed that, as far as equipment was concerned , we must have decent radios and that a central co-ordinating body for major duties must be set up We realised the potential in adapting the West Midlands system to our own small county and saw this whole organisational process as one that would not only bring the county's various divided divisions together but would also provide a vehicle for the interest of the younger members of the adult divisions We decided to put our own unofficial title on our plan of action and called it Operation Unity - we wanted to unite Cleveland as a county. Now for those who have never heard of Cleveland before, let me explain that Cleveland is what was left over from North Yorkshire and Durham during the 1974 re-organisation of counties. It is the smallest county in England (and the nicest) and has 16 adult divisions and 14 cadet divisions. There is no area structure and so the county staff officers relate directly to divisions. Since the county was only formed in 1974 , the average age of the county staff officers is quite low. Because of the small size of Cleveland, it was decided that the radio communications system would consist of radios maintained and issued by county headquarters to divisions as they needed them. No division could justify the purchase

of radios for their own use, whereas the county could ably justify the use of the radios throughout the entire county, as and when needed The radios were seen as the central feature of the ' Operation Unity' along with organising larger duties within Cleveland centrally from county headquarter s.

Consequently, John took the tit le of county operations officer and began orga ni sing larger dutie s that had been previously dealt with on an ad hoc basis by division or combination s of division s. Our radio-communication s for these early duties were provided by our good friends RA YN ET who were, at that time, limited in their availability to us and had previousl y only been involved with us on major incident exercises. Prett y soon we developed an excellent working relationship with them and we owe a lot to their advice, time and patience. The ce ntr a l organisation of large duties soon produced the unity and spi ri t for which we had been lookin g.

Money needed

While John was busy organising the operational side of bringing the county together I set about trying to raise funds to buy radios and other items and to set up control facilities. I sent off beggin g letters to Rotary Clubs, Round Tables, Lions International and other sources and got very little re sponse from them in the end. There were many promises but little cash. John and I had prepared a report based on our visit to the West Midlands and our plans for the county. This was circulated to al l county staff and member s of Council, etc. We obtained unanimous support from them and the Lady Gisborough, County President set to work organising fund -rai si ng events. During the course of the next few months a

Grand Barn Dance was organised and a large raffle to coincide with it. Donations in lieu of attendance at the Barn Dance provided a greater income than the number of people who actually attended! And the raffle was won by one of the very active divisional presidents who had helped to organise the Barn Dance! Later during the year a Christmas Concert was organised by the Lady Gisborough and some other friends, along with a local radio personality. Resulting from these events, we managed to raise 90% of our target figure of £6,000. This figure was required to buy 10 radio units for use within the county, a radio unit comprising the set itself and ancillary equipment. We were lucky that during the course of time it took to raise the funds, the Brigade received approval to use FM equipment which is cheaper than the type that had been authorised previously. So we were able to supply all our radios for less than our original estimate.

Radios were purchased , equipment was put together and soon every mobile unit in the county had facilities for installing one of the county radios as the need arose, No time was wasted putting radios into operation, the final two radios arrived at II o'clock one Saturday morning and were fitted up , tested and in use by 12 o'clock at a large point-to - point duty.

Training package

It is essential that all the county's members are able to use the radios properly and effectively and so we set up a training package. The package consists of a talk by (usually) myself and a table-top exercise using radio techniques run by John.

Following this a further sess ion involving the actual use of radios is undertaken

John and have spent man y happy hours going round the divisions and have covered most of them by now The response has been very good. One elderly member at one division started off the evening by grumbling about county spending all this money on new -fangled radios, and by the end of the evening was fully involved and profi c ient as the most enthusiastic member of our youth group.

The youth group had been formed during 1985 to fiIJ a gap left by the youth division which had collapsed a few years ago. This division had been a tremendous success in retaining young members in the Brigade but, for administrative reasons, had disintegrated and the members transferred to a new proper ' division Part of the idea behind Operation Unity ' was to provide a means of maintaining an interest with younger members and they have become fully involved in the running of the radio and control system.

Although John and I started off running the system at the last major duty I was able to go and enjoy the event while John was able to drink copious cups of coffee. The whole event was controlled by our younger members and they have certainly taken to the idea of radio control. It has instilled a

sense of responsibility in them, it has provided a focus of interest and it has actually caused some potential newcomers to the Brigade to sign on the dotted line. The youth group now forms our flying squad/ major duty control team.

Meanwhile in the county at large, a feeling of comradeship and unity is prevailing and there have been many unsolicited comments that St John Cleveland is now a county and not divided divisions. The radios do provide a focal point but the operations organisation has provided a vehicle for pulling the county together. We have now reached the stage where county provide the donkey work, the organisation, the materials and the communications and the divisions provide the personnel. You might think that this is detracting from some of the work of the divisions but our experience is that it is work that they did reluctantly and now that we have a specialist dealing with it, it is so

much easier to do as a regular item. Our income from public duties has increased , our image has been enhanced and we have won the confidence of the organisers of every event at which we have assisted

And what about t he BIG Marathon?

Well, this was put back 6 month s and it was reduced to a half marathon and we did not have our rad ios in time but we did have our operations system, we did have RA YNET , we did have the willingness and the in vo lve ment of the entire county. We did have a big duty and it went exceedingly well and we are now busy preparing for the next one. We still intend operating this duty with RA YNET but our own comm unication s network will be full y involved looking after all the mobile units.

No project is ever complete. We are now entering phase 2, which is to provide better equipment and facilities for the county , based at county headquarters.

GERMANY

CALLING

Combined church service in Germany.

THIS MAY not seem very significant, but to the members of Sennelager Combined SJA Di vis ion of the British Forces in Germany it was the culmination of many hours of liaison aimed at bringing together the Di vis ion and units of the Malteser- Hilfe- Dienst (Sovereign Military Order), the Johanniter-UnfallHilfe (Germany's SJA) and the DeutchesRotes-Kreutz (Red Cross).

The result was a combined church service, conducted by the Rev. A. Boyd , whose mother is an ex-president, with presentation of colours at the altar. The SJ A flag party, made up of cadets from RAF Gutersloh Quad Division , was Samantha Stanhope, carrying the flag, and escorts Rebecca and Matthew Seabrook.

A collection taken during the service was presented to Sennelager Division.

This, together with money raised at the St Peter's Church fete enabled the Division to buy its own flag , which is to be blessed later this year.

The Sennelager Division, which is only 18 months old, has already carried out some large public duties, two of which involved crowds of some 8,000 people.

They have been assisted at public duties by Malteser-Hilfe-Dienst, with whom they now have a very good working relationship. Since last January there has been only one weekend when the Division has failed to have at least one member on public dut y.

Another SJA Division in Germany. at RAF Wildenrath, recentl y appointed a new divisional superintendent and enrolled cadets,

During the summer the Area Commissioner, Col Forsythe-J oche, CO British Military Hospital Rinteln , and his wife , together with the Area Chaplain, Rev. Malcolm Jones, escorted a group of handicapped people to Rome by ambulance train for six weeks.

Also Divisional Surgeon Lt Col Richardson , Div / Supt Sgt Lawrence , D / O L/ Cpl Anderson and A / M Cpl Payne , all of the RAMC, were invited to the open day of Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe to celebrate their 25th anniversary in Paderborn. At the ceremony they were made active members of Paderborn JUB by the District Commissioner JUB for Westphalia.

(Left) CSO (Operations) John Restorick receives the radios from Lady Gisborough , county president, who spea r headed the fund-raising.

(Right) AIM Jim Fenwick with hand portable radio - we used to use a man and a bike

I

SERVING BROTHER?

For many years Lewes (Sussex) Division , sometimes helped by Crawley or other local divisions, covers the All England Show Jumping Ground at Hickstead , Sussex. It is a pleasant but always busy duty at which the caterers never fail to supply a packed sandwich lunch free of charge to our members.

But one year s uperb trays containing an excellent three

lunch were delivered and thoroughly enjoyed. When the trays were returned, however , everybody including the caterers

WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE WORLD OF ST JOHN

The long day, which started at 7.30 am at the hospital, entailed a journey by ambulance to London, by high -speed tra in to Edinburgh, and then again by ambulance to Peebles.

Having safely handed over the patient, Mrs Coles was then entertained by the patient's son and family with a tour of the area and dinner in Edinburgh, before ta kin g a s leeper on the ni ght train back to London. Mrs Coles arrived back home in Surbiton at 9.30 am to start work at 2.30 pm t hat day.

Thank you, Mrs Marianne Coles , from everyone.

are play ing a part in the nationwide Save a Life cam paign. As part of the region's further education programme for pharmacists, District Pharmaceutical Officer, Ian Simpson, who is also St John county welfare officer, is running a course to teach his colleagues the principles of mouth -to - mouth res uscitatio n a nd cardiac massage.

The course, which will be held at t he George Pickering Postgraduate Centre at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford is for both community and ho sp ital pharmacists Already over 20 pharmacists, including Regional Pharmaceutical Officer, Dr Bryan Veitch, and Regional PSNC representative, Peter Dean, have enrolled. Mr S im pson is pleased with the response, but hop es that

Dunstable (Beds) Combined Division says Thanks! to Councillor Bert Whinnett and h s wife Daphne for raising money for the Division to buy equipment. D S Mrs Robin Wegner checks that Bert can stand it lying down.

(Photo: Mike P erce)

BY THE EDITOR

more pharmacists in the region will come forward to take advantage of the opportunity to learn resuscitation

Although Mr Simpson has over 20 years experience of first aid as a member of St John Ambulance and Red Cross, he has prepared for this course by qualifying as an instructor with Oxfordshire CPR Life Support, which, under consultant anaesthetist Dr Mike Ward, is co-ordinating the Save a Life campaign in Oxfordshire.

The interest shown by pharmaci s s in the CPR course is evidence of the increasing role which the profession is adopting as an esse ntial part of the health care team in hospital and the community. It is hoped that so me pharmacists may also wish to take a full first aid course, and perhaps even join the Brigade.

PRESIDENTS MEET

A conference of county vice -presidents, area presidents and vice-p resid ents and members of the St John Council of Norfolk was held recently at the home of the County President, Mrs David Ll oyd Owen.

The main subject under discussion was the SJ A centenary, both nationally and within the county, with stress on the importance of publicity and particularly on the recruitment opportunities 1987 will bring to the organisation. The Commander, Col C. E. Knight, gave a short talk on the Save a Life campaign.

LOST WATCH

The Great North Run is , I hear , I3-and-a-bit m ile s of well, I m not really sure, but I do know it starts at the Town Moor, in Newcastle, and ends several hours (and no doubt several pints) later in South Shields. More than 25,000 people take part, one of whom this year was Jimmy Saviie, who during the run lost a wristwatch reported to

At t he opening of a Norfolk punch actory at Upwell by SJA supporter Barbara Cartland , the novelist. (Left to right) the factory owner Mr St John Foti, AIM Ben Edw ards (Wisbech), Barbara Cartland and D S Mrs J Wilson (Wisbech cadets). Th e photograph (above right) appeared in a Kent publication and produced a flood of applications for the Save a Life Campaign Photo : Paul Dennis,Adscene). And (below right), t he Mayor of Barrow , Cumbria , called at the local SJA HQ to be instructed in Save a Life by Deputy Area Commissioner Ron Walker and senior cadets. (Photo: North-Western Evening Mail).

Southend Nursing Division members (right) at a service co mmemorat ng the Battle of B ritain on Sept 21. (Left to righ t ) N M L Luckett , Sgt Robinson DI D J. Uren, DI S T Kingsbury, Deputy LordLieutenant of Essex, Mr E Lockhard the Mayor of Southend, D/ O A. Catto , N M S.Askeos,SgtJ. Pheasant and Cpl S. Wilson.

Mr E Lockhard (left) is also Southern Area's SJA president.

County PRO Meryl Latham hands the 'lost watch back to Blyth D/ S Yvonne Thompson (left) and D/ S Jean Foggett, see story LOST WATCH

be worth £7 ,000. But later the lady who gave him the watch admitted that it was in fact bought in Hong Kong and not worth anything like that. The watch was found by a competitor and handed to D I O Mrs Jean Foggett, of Blyth Di vision, who handed it to the police Hearing the watch had been found Jimmy said St John could keep it to use in a raffle.

Nearly 5 000 tickets at lOp each were sold in the raffle, raising well over £400 And the winning ticket , drawn by Mrs Foggett, meant that the watch was handed to Brian Telford , of Co Durham, by SJA ' s PRO Meryl Latham on Tyne-Tees TV s news.

SHOW TIME

Manchester West Combined Division covers the annual three -day Manchester Show which draws some 65 ,000 visit(')rs. They man four showground first aid posts, two of them throughout the show, with 20 members covering the duty

Apart from the usual minor complaints reported at such a duty , on one occasion a young man was concussed when a ram ran amok. Two other casualties were young girls waiting at the fairground rides who were pushed into the path of one of the carriages ; they were both taken to hospital. A 9-yearold boy who fell on the ice -skating rink had his arm badly cut when it was run over by

(Liskeard) and ASO Simon Darl ing.

another skater. Another boy of 12 , with two others , complained that having fallen on his hand he couldn t move his fingers butsuspicious ly - examination seemed to show nothing wrong with the hand. Upon bein g told that he would have to go to hospital for X-ray , he and his friends depar ted swiftly, obviously ' enjoying the joke This year the division completed 324 duty hours at the show, with 88 casualties. Members seldom find time to see the s how themselves.

HAVE YOU .?

Has anybody an y examples of old collecting boxes and tins ? The Museum and L ibrar y at St John s Gate recently received an enquiry from a craft , des ign and technolo gy student doing a project on the designs of collecting boxes. If you have any information which may be of help, please send it to the Curator, Museum & Library The Order of St John , St John's Gate , St John ' s Lane Clerkenwell, London EC 1M 4DA.

BIGGEST KILLER

More than 150,000 people in England die each year from coronary heart disea se, which could be described as Britain's Number One Killer', Baroness Trumpington, Parliamentary Secretary at DHSS told NHS District General Managers and

Administrators of Family Practitioner Committees in Lo ndon rece ntl y. Put another way , it mea nt that one pe r son died from he art disease every five minutes. Nor was Britain having the s uccess of some other co unt ri es in bringing down the high death r a te from hear t d isease. T he Government was ve r y concerned a b o ut this problem and was considering how best it might be tack led, r e ports a DHSS pr ess re le ase relevant to the Save a Life campaign. Barone ss Trumpington said: Heart di sease rarely hi ts the headlines. We hear more about road traffic accidents a lth ough, by comparison, a r ou nd 5,000 die each year on the r oads. A nd heart disease is not just a cause of death. There are thousands w ho become ill or disabled with all that th at can mea n in terms of human suffe rin g and misery, to say nothing of the pressure that providing care puts on hard-pressed NHS resources. There is an economic cost , tooindu st ry loses so m ethin g li ke 25 million working days eve r y year becau se of heart disease. So, on all co un ts, it makes se nse to try to do somet hin g about it. The tragedy is t h at many premature deaths and much illness could be avo ided The experts agree that li fes t y e' h as a lo t to do wi th heart d isease In other wo rd s, the way we live can often determine whether we are puttin g ourse lves more a risk of getting

I HADA HEART ATTACK Thoughts on First Aid by a Ireal' Casualty

AS A NON -SMOKING female in my early fifties, not parti cularl y ove r weigh t and a pp arently in goo d health, a he art attack was somethin g that happen ed to other people; over several years as a St John first aid in st ructor, I had always taken a detached v ew o f the co ndition. A practice of letting members of first aid classes talk about the symptoms of those t he y k ne w who had had heart attacks h ad prepared me for atypical symptoms, an d whe n, hu rr ying wi th my husband to vote before go in g to wo rk on May 8 1986 (a short walk from our house to the polling s tation) I became conscious of a q uit e mild discomfort in the r egion of my breast bone, a nd a feeling that walking as sma rtl y as we were was a bit of an effort. The thought of a h ea rt attack crossed m y mind but not ser iou sly. We made it to the polling station and exc h a nge d pl easantrie s with the clerks , but by then was feeling poorly, alt h o u gh still un ab le to think that there could be anything very much the matter wit h me. I felt rather foolish when 1 had to sit down outs ide on a low step, and the best decision seemed to be for my husband to go home and fetch the car. I fel t de solate as he disappeared. It was early and there were not many people about, but fortunately the low step was just outside the cottage of the caretaker of the nearb y school. Within minu tes he and his wife a ppeared , bo t h full of concern. By this time I was feeling it necessary to lie down Without my knowing it the caretaker sent for an ambulance , although I had said that my husband was fetchin g the car and would not be lon g. Within the h a lf hour I wa s in the coronary care unit of the local hospita l. Luckily for me it was a mild

infa rction , precipitated I we ll know, b y the st r ess of tryi ng to do too much of late. Here are so me of the points for first aid which I felt I learned by having this happen to me:

1. A blanket put on top of me was really too h eavy and as the gro und was cold I co uld have done with it underneath , but the ki ndness a nd so licitude of those who helped me well outweighed thi s slight discomfort, which was of ve r y short duration before the ambulance arrived

2. Something thick and soft whic h felt like an eider do wn placed under my head was blissfully comfortabl e, and I was conscious of hoping that whate v er it was w a s not getting dirt y (I was not worried about m y own light-coloured coat).

3 I de veloped severe pins and needle s' in both hands, and I would have l iked someone ju st to hold my hands. I tried to ho ld them o ut to indicate this My husband took hold of my hands comfortingly as s oon as he was back , but other people seemed shy of touching me.

4. Two frequently repeated question s were particularly trying : first , ' How are you feeling ?' - to which the answer had I had energy to repl y, would have been ' terrible '; and second, 'A re you feeling better ?' (w hen 1 was feeling progressively worse). 1 could understand the se questions but I was unable to produce speec h When the ambulance arrived, the ambulance officer spoke to me kindly and considerately for the whole journey (my husband followed by car). I could not , however , answer any of his questions although I knew perfectly what answers to make : my name, where I lived , my telephone

number , and so on. 1 just could not raise the necessary energy to speak. When he changed t o giving continued simple commands, such as , Open your eyes and look at me' o r Squeeze my hand with this hand ', or Squeeze my hand with yo ur other hand' , I could respond ; to do so seemed easy and comfortable and I think I probably smil ed at him - he was smiling at me, and I remember thinking with slight amusement: 'Ah! He is tr yi ng to determine my le vel of response .' In fact, the lucidity of my thoughts is perhaps what I most remember, when to everyone else must ha ve seemed practically inert I would not have mi ssed much of what was happening if I had not deliberatel y closed my eyes and surrendered to the lu xury of being lifted and carried, and not havin g to make any effort. 1 could hear perfectly - and comprehend.

I wonder whether this account (wr itten in a hospital bed, in a coronary care unit) of personal experiences as a 'real' cas ualt y may be of some use to first-aiders and first aid in structo r s. Kindness, reassurance , and most importantly personal contact are the messages whi ch come over most strongly. Also not to assume that because a cas ualt y cannot speak in response to questions he or she is not mentall y lucid And thirdly , to bear in mind that the casualty , however apparentl y unres ponsive ma y be capab le of feeling concern about your property or the incon venience his or her mishap may be occasioning you (as a first-aider) and might like to be reassured of not being a nuisance. And as tl y, that a casualty however poorly, may still be ab le to appreciate a touch of humour.

Celia Latham B rmvJ7, Centre Secretar) Leeds

byJIM

Junior carol hour

INVITE PARENTS to join the juniors when they meet to cdebrate Christmas.

Select the most convenient church , or use the headquarters , and arrange a service to take place at a normal meeting time. The choice of musical accompaniment is important. Whether piano, guitar or recorder, it should be played by someone accustomed to accompanying children's voices.

Beforehand, at previous meetings, ask the juniors to write or draw their own version of the Christmas story and each leader should rehearse two or three juniors who are willing to read or recite their accounts. These Christmas stories are then told by the juniors and between each account one or two verses of well-known carols or Christmas songs are

sung by everyone. Let the juniors practise their favourite carol beforehand at a meeting.

Popular carols for this age group include

A way in a Manger, I saw three Ships, The Rocking Carol, We Three Kings, The First Nord, We wish you a Merry Christmas, and Jingle Bells.

A reading from the New Testament, Luke 2, verses I to 16, in a simplified version is all that is needed to end the simple service.

If meeting in a hall, create an informal atmosphere by seating the juniors on mats or cushions on the floor.

Christmas handicrafts

Snowflake cards - Stick assorted snowflake shapes, cut from silver gold or white doilys, on to red or green card.

Stars for the tree - Use halved plastic straws fastened in the middle with wire to give a six-pointed star. Place the ends first in glue, then in glitter.

Paper chains - Buy ready -pasted strips or cut strips (7 inches by I+inches) of coloured paper. Glue the ends together to form a chain of paper circles. Divide the cadets into teams and see who can make the longest chain.

Supplies

Have you heard of the Early Learning Centre? This chain of shops, situated throughout the United Kingdom has over 100 branches. They supply a wide range of toys and handicraft materials for the under eights at a reasonable cost. To get on to the Early Learning Centre's mailing list and

receive a catalogue, write to Early Learning Centre, Hawkesworth, Swindon, Wiltshire SN2 ITT.

Suggestion

Large floor jigsaws make an ideal cadet Christmas present, the assembly of which can be used as a reward or to occupy a 'fidget' during story time.

Story

The Snowman by Raymond Briggs, a Picture Puffin, price £2.50, is a powerful story in pictures. Sit in a well lit place holding the book so that the cadets can see each page and lead their eyes from picture to picture with only a few words of explanation

Rainbow

This month let us travel to the end of the rainbow to find the pot of gold that legend says is there:

RED - Fit the beard

Equipment for each team of six: A large colourful drawing of a smiling Santa minus his beard. Paper cut -out beards. Cadets in relay formation run for one at a time , shut their eyes and turn around once before trying to place the beard on to the correct position.

ORANGE - Make a pomander

Each cadet will need an oran ge a packet of cloves and a piece of coloured cord or ribbon. The cloves are pushed into the orange horizontally in two rows and then in vertical lines. The cord or ribbon is then tied round the orange with a loop for

CORNWALL'S CADET (FUN) DAY

A DAY OUT for Cornwall cadets took place on a sunny September Sunday in Newquay. It started with a service of re-dedication and presentation of awards by the Chief President, Mrs H. Phillips. Grand Prior s certificates were presented to Scott Varker, of Truro and Helen Bradbury, Jonathan Crocker and Julian Gilbody of Torpoint, and Divisional Officer Mark Westcott, of Bodmin, received his warrant of appointment.

The rest of the day was filled with a variety of activities, including plastering a limb with ASO Bill Ledden, who is in the photo (left) with the Chief President and a

hanging in a wardrobe. Fill in the empty spaces on the orange with cloves before wrapping it in greaseproof paper and placing in a warm place (airing cupboard) for one week. Then roll the orange in a mixture of spice and cinnamon and again wrap and leave for another week. The pomander makes an ideal present at this time of the year.

YELLOW - Kim's Game

Either make a collection of small, yellow objects - such as a felt-tipped pen, jam pot lid, cotton reel, piece of paper, lemon or a sock - or cut out various shapes from yellow paper and stick these on to a sheet of paper ruled into squares. The cadets will find that objects of all the same colour are far more difficult to remember, so don't include too many.

GREEN - Decorations

Evergreens have traditionally been used to decorate the house at Christmas time and just now magazines are full of ideas for table and hanging decorations that the Cadets will enjoy making.

BLUE - Game: Leaping the Waves Equipment: one or two long ropes. Cadets all stand at one end of the room, while leaders hold the rope across the room. One leader moves his arm up and down, varying the intensity of the waves made by the rope. Teams take it in turn to leap the waves successfully.

INDIGO - Carol Singers' race Equipment per team: an assortment of

WHICH APPEALS TO YOU? THE

TREVOR Harris, DI O of Work sop , was asked by his local D I S nursing cadets to produce a poster to stimulate interest in the cadets He found inspiration (surprise for Review critics) in March 1985 Review p.59 , What is First Aid (SJA Australia) and produced poster I (below left) which

of either poster can be obtained by sending a SA E to Trevor Harris, 125 South Parade, Work sop, Notts S81 OBP. Thanks, Trevor.

VIOLET - Observation

POT OF

- Make

276 cadet from Redruth removing the plaster (note Bill's T-shirt). Yes we aU know the Badgers are coming! The other photo shows Deputy Area Supt. Mrs Jean Reid demonstrating a voicebox amplifier as part of her talk on laryngectomy. Cadets also enjoyed abseiling, trampolining, self defence and were pleased to see and handle various pieces of ambulance equipment and to be shown the Blue Peter van for children with hearing difficulties. ASO Terry Mundy put them through

their paces polishing their drill ; he demonstrated that drill can be fun Our Interlink g roups demon st r ated archer y and provided music in the form of the Chipmunks, their very own pop group. Rifle shooting and casualty simulation weren't short of volunteer s to have a gosome were better than others , but succe ss or failure , it all added to the fun of our great day out.

Fun day in Cornwall. (Left) ASO Bill Ledden plastered his own arm. (Right) A talk on laryngectomy.

A flag drill competition run during the day was won by a trio of ambulance cadet s from Torpoint - they showed the girl s how it is done! M.T.

Children are our Future

WE ARE FOREVER hearing complaints about why people are leaving our organisation, how membership is going down, and reasons why people won join us. I am afraid it seems to be a fact that the days of mass recruitment of adults to an organisation such as ours are over, but that does not mean that we have to just switch off. In the words of the song I believe that 'children are our future', but can we honestly say that we are doing our best to get them to join us?

The Association branch has come up with a cracker of an idea which could do more for your division than thousands of leaflets. It is the FIRST AID IN SCHOOLS - THREE CROSS AWARD SCHEME, which in Sussex we have used to great effect in three ways.

Three Cross Award 1

The Association started in Sussex by reacting very quickly to a request from Mr Marshall, from the Rocks Park School, Uckfield, for some form of Emergency Aid training for his pupils. Alan Bunny, the recently retired training officer of the East Sussex Ambulance Service, was sent to give

SUSSEX SAYS

FIRST AID IN SCHOOLS

A CRACKER OF AN IDEA

a talk to the children and the first scheme was set up. The course was given by Mrs King, with Alan Bunny helping on resuscitation and elsewhere. The result was that there were soon several courses running at the school for the different age groups.

At the end of the 1986 summer term, the Rev. Peter Galloway (Asst. D-G, Association) and Cllr David Bellotti (chairman of the East Sussex Education Committee) came to the school with Anne Macleod (HQ s Schools Project Officer) and presented over 60 certificates.

The autumn term has seen a continuation of this activity and recently photographs were taken at the school for a new brochure to promote the scheme. The school may even start one of the first 'outside Badger sets in the county.

Three Cross Award 2

At this year's South of England Show I organised the Sussex SJA display area which comprised our publicity and control units, old ambulances dating back to 1913, a simulated accident, a casualty simulation tent, and a large mess tent. All the display

items (especially simulated 'cuts ' at 20p each) were used to attract children to visit our stand. We recruited a potential 100 new members, but perhaps it was the tent that was the most exciting for them.

Instructors attended daily and with seating, TV and teaching aids we were able to hold ONE CROSS A WARD courses on the spot and present certificates. The results were beyond our wildest expectations , for more than 150 children successfully completed the course. They left us supplied with details of how their school could continue the courses.

On the Saturday the s tand was visited by the popular South of England OJ Timbo, who not only presented certificates but also took the course. Teachers were supplied with SJ A information packs giving full details o f our act vities. As a re s ult of this drive we know that at least nine school s in this area adopted the scheme.

Three Cross Award 3 For some time D / Supt Mike Hole o f Worthing , and had been givin g school talk s at assemblies and s ome basic first aid. A s a

result Mike had lifted his Worthing Cadet Division from 22 to 93 members in four years, and at Lewes I had periodically gone out to encourage new members when we could cope with them - the last time being early this year which brought 30 recruits.

The Three Cross Award has given us a new tool to make these talks more effective I have taught it at schools and Mike has caught on to the idea by teaching the first two stages to get the kids interested and then telling them that to complete the scheme they have to attend St John meeting nights.

The future

We in Susse x now have a team of member s armed with training aids , book s , video and equipment to s pread the word of the Three Cros s Award scheme Their job is not to do all the training, but to assist and to encourage recruitment.

Robert Balchin and Anne Macleod are to be con g ratulated on thi s excellent scheme and their back -up to it. The Three Cros s Award will get the children intere s ted in fir s t aid and St John , and the e x cellent new Badger s' idea will keep them in our organi s ation Let 's hear no more about falling numbers. It s in your hands. DO SOM ETHING ABOUT IT. Th is is the be s t opportunity we ' ve had for a ge s and the lon g -term an s wer o recruitment. But be quick. For I ve alread y sold a bo ok to the R ed Cr oss Count y Di rector.

T im F e ll ows C o unty S t a[fOjJice r PRO

THREE CROSS AWARD GOES TO CARIBBEAN

TRINIDAD is an indu s trialised , den sel y populated small island not a centre of touri s m , a s on e mi ght ima g in e (being in the Caribbe a n ). And in the past it has generated a g reat deal o f wealth , which is reRected in the massive s ports stadium and many modern s ch o ols Whil e at the SJ A Oversea s Regional Seminar , which was held in Trinidad and T o ba g o durin g Octob e r , I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to give a talk and show the v ideo of SJA s Three Cross Award scheme to delegates from the Caribbean countr ies Great interest was shown in the schools project with five dele g ates buying the video. So th e Three Cros s A ward video will now be seen and hopefully the scheme implemented in Bermuda, Barbados Jamaica , Trinidad and Tobago. No I have not yet received any invitation s from these lovely islands to set up the scheme!

One school in Trinidad - Malick Senior Comprehensive - already ha s a small first aid section run by a school teacher Ivan Baptiste who is also an SJ A Area Staff Officer (Cadet). He invited me to meet the Principal of the school, Mrs Carrington, and to talk about the Three Cross Award scheme. She agreed to start the project immediately, having video equipment available in the school. This school will be used

b y Mr Baptiste a s a pil o t run , with the intention of e ventuall y in v olving all the sc hools in Trinidad in the s cheme

Two students of Mali c k Senior Comprehe nsiv e Schoo l, Odette Jones and Nigel Duncan received their One Cross Award Certificate from Mr Ivan Baptiste while I wa s at the school. I hope to be able to update in 1987 with further information from the schools project in Trinidad

Mr Baptiste has written the followin g poem for hi s Cadet s which I fe e l a pplie s to

ORDER

INVESTITURE

humb ri a)

J a n e. Mr s Dn ver (S u fTo lk )

Edith Bert h a. Mrs Edwa ds ( or th an ts) J o hn A nth o n y Ell is La n cs)

Doro th y M ay, Mr Feaver (SufTo lk ) J ean Bea tri ce. Mr s F ox o rt hants)

Angela. Mi ss Ga nn on Lo ndo n De re k Ga to n ( Oll S)

Ro be rt He nr y G illin s (Sa o p)

T H E R E mu s be m any m e m bers in th e

Bri ga d e w h o we r e sa dd e ne d a n d fe t t h ey h ad os a n o ld an d t r us ted f r iend w h en t h ey

rea d of th e deat h o n August 17 1986 of

Ma u d H arriso n in h er 96t h year.

Ma u d took h e r o ri g ina l Fi r s A id

Ce rt ifica te in D ecembe r 1925 , a n d h er H o m e

N ur s in g Ce rt ifi ca te ear ly in t he fo ll owing yea r , so s h e was a bl e t o enro l in No 9

Ke n s in g t o n Di v sio n o n M a r c h 2 4 1926 and s h e re m a ined a wo rkin g m e m be r of th a

Di v is o n until h e r r e tir e m e n t in 1970. Sh e a lso worked as a V A D fr o m 1926- 1939.

Durin g t h ose 44 yea rs s h e mi s se d on ly hree

a n n u al r e -exa m s h av in g bee n ex cu se d fr o m ta kin g th e m , a nd as we ll as ma n y o th e r

c e rtifi cates s h e achie ve d a n Ad va n ce d H o m e

Nur s in g Ce rtifi ca e in 1960.

M a ud 's c ar eer a Bri ga d e H e adqu a rt e r s

s t a rt e d e ve n e arlier. In 1924 s h e be c a me

se cr e t ary t o th e Sup e rint e n de nt - n -C h ie f,

whi c h w as to b e th e s a r o f a o n g ca r eer in t h a t capa c it y for s he was sec r eta r y o n o

less th a n fi v e Sup e rint e n de nt s- in -C hi ef -

Lad y P e rr o t t , Mr s St J o hn A k in s on , Lad y

M o untbatten , to m e a nd th e n t o La d y M oyra

Browne. I a m s ur e s h e w as as inv a lu a ble to a ll of them a s s h e w as o m e. H e r kn o wl e d ge o f a ll matter s to do with St John , b e it th e

Ord e r th e As s oci a tion or th e Bri ga d e w as ph e nom e n a l and c e rtainl y, s pe a kin g for my self, s he w as a ble to g iv e m e s ound , well

M B. BS DO bs l. R COG (S ufTolk)

Willi a m Edga r Phillips. FS VA. FR S H (S ussex)

J ac k Pococ k Wilt s)

Audrey. Mr P rice W Midl ands)

A la n Geo rge R ay no (NOllS)

He be rt Ri d ey ( Oll S)

De ek Se by (N ot IS)

Ba rr y Victory S a d e (S ufTolk)

Th e R ight Reve e nd Leo S m ith. PhD (De"o n)

G a h a m Jo hn S a nt o n ( Beds)

Geo r ge Willi a m Sto ke (No n s)

Maud Alice

HARRISON, OBE,

cStJ

co ns id ered advi c e and on several occasio n s very t ac t fu ll y p re ve n ted m e from m ak ing

w h a t m ight ha v e been rather unfortunate er ror s ! N ot o nl y was h e r S J ohn k n owle d g e so comp r e hens i ve b u t she h a d the g ft of

b e ng a bl e to im p art it to ot h e r s in an

int e r esti n g a nd exc iti n g way an d as a

teac h e r a nd a s p e ak er was a n i nsp ir at ion to m a n y a r ec r u it. Her en th u s iasm and devotio n to her St Jo h n work was untiring,

m in g led w ith a great se n se of h umour , b u t a l ways ca rri e d ou t wi th s ym p a hetic understand in g.

M a ud was a v er y reli g io u s pe r son a n d a tt e nd e d h e r chur ch, St Pa ul's, K ni g h tsbrid ge, wi t h great r eg ul a rit y w h ere she not o nl y wors hipp e d but he lp e d n a n y way she co uld O n o n e occas ion s h e was in h e c hur c h b y h e r se lf I t hink arra n g in g Aowe r s w h e n a y ou ng man ca me in and s n atc h ed he r h a ndb ag. In s pit e o f h e r s m a ll. b ir d -lik e s t a tur e s he hit th e y outh wh o in re turn k no c k e d her down and le ft h e r al o n e in he chur c h w ith a brok e n leg. T y pi c al o f h e r. s h e w as n eve r h e ard to say a w o r d aga in s t h er a tt

GOOD PUBLICITY

from Mike Paynter

The need for recruitment and good publicity has never been greater. This is a fact very much in the minds of SJ members up and down the country, especially since Mori Poll, and more recently the advertising campaign produced by Saatchi and Saatchi.

I feel that the current Save a Life campaign, co-ordinated by the Royal Society of Medicine , with the assistance of the BBC, is offering St John divisions the resuscitation they require With so much emphasis on community CPR training, SJ members are in an ideal position for not only instructing members of the public in basic cardiac life support, but also, very importantly, to promote the image of St John Ambulance and its hard-working members.

This is the perfect opportunity for recruitment, with so much national media coverage encouraging people to undertake CPR training. I do hope county and divisional staff make full use of this free publicity'.

Leamington Spa Division Mike Paynter

TWINNING DIVISIONS

from Ann Kelly, Divisional Officer

I was most interested to read Doug Millband's letter (Oct Review) regarding twinning divisions.

Rural and coastal divisions often have duties (i.e., experiences) that are completely different from an urban division's. If they could be brought together there would be all kinds of benefits for the members involved.

Here is an example. A London division could visit an Isle of Man division during the tourist season and help them while learning about jelly fish stings and the like The Manx members could then go to London and help at football matches, ceremonial occasions, etc.

Really, we should try twinning. You never know, we might even start talking to each other.

Wembley Nursing Division Ann Kelly

from Howard Gregory, County Pool

I was most interested in the idea of twinning divisions and think it should be tried May I take the idea one step further? How about twinning with a Red Cross Detachment?

I tried this as a personal enterprise about four years ago when I was involved with a cadet division. I was made extremely welcome by the Red Cross officers and members and we did manage a few 'get-togethers', their cadets and ours.

Unfortunately, their Detachment had to fold through lack of support and, due to personal circumstances, I had to withdraw to county pool, so I never did get the opportunity to try again. Yet!

I'm sure there s great potential there. So how about it? Dorset Howard Gregory

from Rex Purchase, County Pool Dorset

With reference to Doug Millband's letter Let's Twin Divisions (October Review) in which he accuses Dorset of discourtesy, I assume he is referring to the letter he wrote to me in support of my article in the January Review. I must r€fute his statement that I -did not have the courtesy to reply.

His letter was one of a number of communications which I received as a result of my January article, all of which have been acknowledged with thanks. I regret that he did not receive my reply dated March 2 1986, of which I have now sent him a further copy.

Regarding 'Twinning', which could be an asset, I wish him every success, but regret I can do little to assist as I no longer lead a division. Dorset Rex Purchase

WE AGREE from Tonbridge Division

We have read with great interest the article by 'Andy' (Aug Review) , for whom we give three cheers. It moved us to voice or rather shout our opinion.

We were not adverse to being called 'Lunatics', since in our humble opinion the leaflet in question dragged St John into the twentieth century. Certainly none of ol!lr members resigned as a result of any publicity that resulted. We have even used a similar leaflet dreamed up by a member in the past and got results.

Taking this year as a whole, we have gained one new member per month - how do we do this you ask? - certainly not by bringing in the

great rule book: drill , call me Sir/ Madam Per so n salute when you enter the hall. No, we do things our way. Everyone is on first name terms, everyone joins in decisions (maintenance, expenditure , letter s like this, public relations). Treating people like human beings really works.

The uniform - yes, Andy, we don like it either. Expensive, confusing (don't kid us about standing out in the crowd; one uniform looks very much like another to Joe Public. Our female DO has been mistaken for a policewoman by a rather irate motorist). And oh, those badges, stripes etc, etc, etc , which mean nothing to anyone but us. Why not use fluorescent tab bard tops with the words FIRST AID back and front? No one could miss us then.

We are perfectly sure that we have trodden on someone s toes But Andy you certainly get our support.

Tonbridge Di vision

ANNUAL

REPORT from Man-in-the-Middle

The report of The Chapter-General (Sept R eview) is mi s leading in the section devoted to the Association course statistics. It states that the Association 'is maintaining a strong position in providing courses for the public' and lists , among the types of clas s, a figure of 33,359 people gaining public first aid certificates.

Credit should be given where it is due Here in Avon 95 % of the public first aid courses are provided and run by our hard worked divisions and I suspect the situation is much the same in other counties. The Association registers the course, charges a fee and provides a certificate - but it is the Brigade members who turn out for ten or eleven cold, dark winter evenings to provide the courses.

Could we have a section in The Chapter -General's report for 1986 devoted to the courses provided for the public by the Brigade ? Avon Man -in-the -Middle

The Association General Manager. Mr S. H. Glenny. replies

St John Ambulance has over 7 ,000 first aid instructors who provide the teaching for all types of first aid courses for the public; of these 7,000, about 5,000 are also members of the Brigade.

The purpose of the Association Branch is to teach the general public first aid and nursing; the purpose of the Brigade is to provide first aid and nursing activities for the relief, transport, comfort and welfare of those in need. In brief, St John Ambulance provides a service to the community and also training. Those who are members of both Association and Brigade provide all of these activities. The major part of the income made by the Association is used to support Brigade service to the community

In summary, let us all consider ourselves members of St John Ambulance and let us support it by our individual efforts in different ways.

NEW COMP RULES

from Linda Heaney

I would question the wisdom of those who directed that the very make-up (excuse the pun) of competitions should be so drastically changed. Are the chiefs sure that their new plans are going to be a success, especially in a very important centenary year?

Why two - person teams? I have heard it stated that British Telecom,

the Collieries and the Police Force are already working on a two - person basis in some competitions, therefore St John has to change. Who does St John cater for, the mines, the police or St John members?

Another argument for two - person teams was that the smaller divisions would be able to submit a team. However , according to the rules and regulations of the Brigade a division is not viable unless it has eleven members. One team of four out of eleven leaves seven members who can opt out of competitions if they so desire

Also being heard was the argument that the chances of two first-aiders coming across the scene of an accident are more likely than the chances of four (ie, two members of an ambulance crew). A first-aider is more likely to come across an accident either when she is on duty or on her own. On duty there are usually more than two first-aiders, as due to the type of event being covered an ample supply of fir st -a ider s is required. Al so what about the duties without an ambulance? On the se occasions one usually has three or four members.

Competitions were seen as one way of learning fir st aid, a way which is much better than listening to countless lectures. Competitions by their very nature are practical and so are seen as being more effective tools of learning. Any serious competitor who wanted to achieve a high standard would read hi s book more, especially if he came across something in training which he was unsure of. The readin g of the manual was in conjunction with lots of practical work, thu s reinforcing the learning of certain matters.

So by reducing the size of the teams we are also seen to be losing out on an effective learning process for a lot of Brigade members.

Within the competition system t here are already opportunities for individual first -aiders. With the two - person team are there to be more than two casualties? It requires more s kill to write tests for a team of four than for a team of two.

Delegating first-aid duties to a team of four requires more thought from the leader than iss uing orders to the 'o ther half' in a team of two. Therefore, in an incident of two casualties , teamwork in a two-person team is not being put to the same te st in the way that it was with the four - per so n team.

Our division used competitions to bring the members closer to gether. Members of a team would get together fo r additional practice in each other s home s. By working so closely together friendships were strengthened. We fear this companionship is now going to be lost with the team being halved in number s.

Obviously each district will be allowed to submit only one team for each section at National Finals, therefore the chances of last year's adult winners of making it to the Finals next time has been halved.

Fifty per cent will not have the sa me opportunities of getting back to London due to numerical guidelines rather than the quality of their first aid. Forty-eight members of the Brigade will now miss out on the excitement and honour of representing their divisions at the National Finals.

With these new rules what happens to all the work that some divisions have put in to raising the standard of their team over the past two yea rs ? Which way is the old team g oing to split in order to create two new teams? With only one place at the top they will now be competing against each other rather than with one another. What about the successful cadet teams which want to stay together as one unit; what happens to them when they come into the adults?

I would be very interested to read the opinions of other members on this issue. As a competitor who has been lucky enough to reach the National Finals twice I know that many others are going to disagree with these new rules Londonderry Linda Heaney

John Hammond. Secretary to the SJA Medical Board replies:

As the result of numerous letters of concern from the Brigade about the future of competitions, in January 1984 the then Commissioner-inChief set up a working party under the chairmanship of the Surgeon-in-Chief to make proposals for the future of First Aid and Nursing Competitions within the Brigade '. The working party considered all aspects of competitions at county, regional and national level. The counties were involved in the decision-making at every stage. They were invited to submit recommendations to the working party , who also took advice from a wide range of experience and geographical spread of Brigade members. The counties were asked to comment on the proposed recommendations and, as a result, some were modified before these were submitted to the Commissioner -inChief in December 1984

BURY CORPS

Bury Corps' stand during the town's

E. week - the Mayor Mrs E White and N M M. Byrom.

Meet Deborah Wardle , of Radcliffe (her mother is i/ c Cadets ). who got to Greater Manchester s finals for cadet leade r of the y e

The aims of competitions were taken to be, to:

(a) Encourage the pursuit of excellence by team training sharing enthusiasm and encouraging others to become involved in good practice to the subsequent benefit of the sick and injured in a real situation.

(b) Encourage members to broaden their experience by meeting at competitions.

(c) Enable divisions to measure their performance against each other and so encourage cQrrection of errors.

(d) Exercise command and administrative skill.

(e) Provide a spectacle which will ensure pUblicity.

(f) Stimulate the involvement of doctors and professional nurses in competition work.

1t was agreed that to achieve these aims competitors should be tested in the following: (a) Know edge; (b) Skills; (c) Communications; (d) Understanding; (e) Response to stress caused by speed of workin g, adverse physical environment , emotional and physica l demands; (f) Situation management including a sensitive approach to the incident and the casualties or patien ts; (g) Evaluation; and (h) Leadership incl uding performance when deprived of the normal leadership.

To deal with Mrs Heaney 's specific questions:

'Why two-person teams?' The counties ha ve been saying for years that apart from the regular competitors, divisions found it difficult to raise four-person teams and in many places competitions had ceased to exist. The working party was impressed that many counties had successfully run pair competitions and to discover that not only did they encourage a greater number of Brigade members to compete than hitherto , but tested ability in a more s earching way. Test s should be as realistic as possible and preferably the same for competitors at all levels from the di v ision to national finals. If competitions are to achieve their aims, they must not only reflec t life situations but be of a format acceptable to the majority ; clearly four-person team s no longer do so

'British Telecom, the Collieries, the Police Force are already working on a two-person basis .. therefore St John has to change'. While the Brigade had made its decision by the end of 1984 to change to pair teams, the Association did not hold discussions with the organisations

ON THE EVENING of Sunday August 31

1986 Brig a dier and Mrs H. N Crawford welcomed over one hundred members and friends of the Order and Association in Fife to their annual 'A t Home in their historic residence, Naughton House. Brigadier Crawford gave a short but interesting talk on the history of Naughton House mentioning its former owners, its antique furniture and tasteful furnishing s.

This was the 10th annual musical evening with buffet to be held in Naughton House, but sadly was also to be the last of these happy gatherings , as Brigadier and Mrs Crawford would be moving shortly to another house for their retirement. Over the years the excellent catering for the supper

George Gordon

participating in the Grand Prior's Competition unti l the end of 1985. It was not unti ear ly this year that most of these organisatri ons made a similar decisioD - indeed 1 believe that at a nationa l eve l the Po ice have only just done so.

'Competitions were seen as one way of learning first aid, a way which is much better thalllistening to countless lectures'. A balanced training programme cannot be planned around Mrs Heaney's contention. A training programme must be the result of a se nsitive and objectiv e ana lysis of the needs of the divis on followed by consideration of the best teaching and instructional methods avai lab le to meet those needs Competitions and lectures are but two options to be studied

'It requires more skill to write tests for a team offour (hanfor a team of two'. The size of a team is not the significant factor determining th e skill required to write an imaginative scenario designed to achieve th e aims of competitions. In this context, there is increasing fee ling among Brigade members to whom I h ave spoken that we shou ld take advantage of the changes to abandon much of th e o ld s t e reot ype thinking and introduce stimu lating 'new - look' competitions

•What aboulthe successful cadet teams? What happens (0 them when they come into (he adults?' The working party agreed with the view o f those concerned with cadet training that young cadets often lack confidence and a larger team wou d be a source of s upport and encouragement and afford opportunities to develop leader s hip sk ill s Therefore, the decision was made that cadet teams should remain as teams of four. Inevitably , as they get older yo ung peopl e must adaptand mo st do so eagerly - to thei r approaching ad ulthood with its changing responsibilities. 1 Corinthians, Chapter 13 Verse 1 I but there is need for the adult members to be sympathetic t o the maturin g needs of young people who join adult division s, f th ey want them to continue as Brigade member s.

'Our Division used competitions to bring members closer together The fact is that many Brigade member s hav e lo st inter est in co mpe titio n s set to the old rules. Many counties have found pair team s generate exactly the atmosphere Mrs Heaney desires, e s pecially when combined with other forms of quiz for example diagnostic tests u sing 35 mm slides.

NEWS from SCOTLAND

had been undertaken by Mrs Janie Thompson, Mrs Phillipa Crawford, and members of the Fife Ladies Committee; the beautiful floral arrangements by Mrs Elsie K irk , and the musical programme by George Gordon During the musical programme Roger Crook played some excellent accordion solos and introduced hi s own compOSItIon arrangement of the 'N aughton House' reel specia lly written for the occa s ion and played for the first time. The others taking part were Mrs Crook and Miss I< aren Stephen.

Dr Duncan Shaw, Chance llor of the Order in Scotland. thanked Brigadier and Mrs Crawford for th e sp le ndid se rvice t h ey had given and the work he y h ad done for the Order over the yea r s, making a Naughton Hou se eve nin g one of the mo st popular events in the Fife social ca lend a r.

The Chancellor , in conclusion, invited artistes and audience to join in the si n ging of Auld 1.ong S),ne, thus endin g a memorable evening.

Among those present were Sir John Gilmour , Lord - Lieutenant of Fife Chief Constable William Moodie and Mr s Moodie.

Mr W. Gordon , Chairman of the Council of Associations and Mrs Gordon , M r W Smith Priory Secretar y, and Mrs Smith.

Mrs N. Crook Miss Karen Stephen Roger Crook

WALES

THE HOLYWELL F l ag Party were in attendance at The Church of St Stephen , Bodfari, in north -eas t Wales Sixty cadets from divisions all over Clwyd were enrolled by the Chief Staff Officer , Peter Harries.

The Flag Party (right) were (left to right) Susan Rutherford, Cdt Sgt Llywela Lloyd and Gwawr Closs Parry (a Welsh-speaking Holywell member)

Back row Rev J T. Evans , President Ho lywe ll Divi sio n ; David Walker, County Cadet Offic er; Clwyd Deputy Commissioner, A. Bilsborough ; Commissioner, Clwyd, R Eaton Dr H. J. Brad ey , Assistant Chief Commissioner of Wale s; and the Enro lling Officer, Peter Harries.

NORTHERN

IRELAND

At Londonderry Guildhall at the launch by the Mayor, Councillor John McNickle of a publi c a ppeal to rai se funds to pa yoff a loan for the purchase of a building as an Area headquarters in the city ce n re The Ma y or

to Area Commiss ioner Mr Albert Smallwoods with (left to right ) Dr D.

r ; Miss l. Anderson , fo rm er Deputy Area Commissioner: Mr L. Edgar, Area Training Officer and chairman of Hall Committee; and Mrs C. Willsher , Deput y Area Commissioner.

CHAMPIONS OF THE CROSS

THIS is the story of two of the great Military Orders which were part of the everyday scene in Mediaeval Europe and the Middle East. Many towns and villages in Britain also bear witness to their irifluences on local life. The Order of St John was founded to provide carefor pilgrims to the Holy Land and the Poor Knights of Christ (The Templars) to give protection to pilgrims on their dangerous journeys. Both of these Orders were to develop far beyond the visions of their founders. Within a few years, monks and fighting men had become one and the same, wielding immense military and political power in the Holy Land and throughout Europe. Within two centuries one of the Orders was to disappear under a cloud of suspicion and disapproval The other was to survive to the present day and in the process turn full circle to serve its 'masters the sick'. Part 10

Rhodes

Written

and illustrated

by Hugh A. R. Edgell, Assistant Chaplain of the Order

JUST AS the King of Cyprus had feared the growing military power of the Knights of St John so the rulers of the island of Rhodes did not welcome the thought of having an armed force of that kind on their island. When the Order s ought permission to establish their ne w headquarters there , the authorities firml y refused to give it.

The Grand Master Ful k de Villaret , and his knights were not to be put off so easily Loading their equipment into their galleys they set sail for the island A voiding the harbours w hich contained many corsairs the y landed near the little village of Charak i on the <;a s t coast. Quickly erecting a s mall fortress overlooking the s <;a , they set about gaining control of the island Through their determination and brav ery, the y soon overcame any re s istance

Their first task was to establish a permanent headquarters for the Order in which the y could build a hospital and provid<; adequate accommodation for their m<;mber s The y also required harbours suitable for their galleys and for the merchant shipping that passed that wa y The obvious sit <; fo r these w as the anGient cit y of Rhodes on the northern tip of the island.

Within a s hort time, massiv <; fortifications wer<; erected , inns for the Langu<;s were put up , and a modern ho s pital provided Today these m assive w a ll s and bastions can s till be seen and in the famous 'Street of the Knights stand the inn s, ju s a s t hey were built in the e a rly fourteenth century. T he two ho spitals are a lso there , although used as a museum and offic e s today E v erywhere there are th e h igh wall s with their graceful 'swallow-tail battlements, and dominating the skyline is the great fortified Palace o f the Grand Ma ste rs

Soon he g alle ys o f the Ord<;r were roving the sea s of the Eastern Mediterranean att ac k ing the c or s air s, and providing safe conduct for the merchan vessels. Meanwhile the sick and wounded received the best medical car e available anywhere Once again the Order of St John was fulfilling the provisions of it s two mottos ' For the Faith and For the Ser vice of Mankind

For nearly two hundred years th e Order flourished in Rhodes , in spite of the fact that the Turks became increasingly successful in their campaigns against the Christians elsewhere. In 1453 the Turks attacked and captured Constantinople, and soon they were advancing into eastern Europe

The cross and the crescent

The Sultan of Turkey , Muhammad The Great , had been concerned for some time over the presence of the Christian Order of

286

St John with its base so close to his own territory

The knights and their galleys had caused much damage to his shipping and coastal towns Muhammad was determined to see this menace removed

In mid summer 1480 , the Turkish force s attacked the island with a force of over 70 ,000 men. The Order of St John , under its Grand Master Pierre d ' Aubusson could muste r but 5 000 of whom onl y 450 were knights For three months the Turki s h armies besieged the city but could make no impression on the defenders Wave after wave of their best troops were thrown against the defences but to no a v a il. Finall y the Turks decided to abandon the atta c k. There was no po int in wasting men again s t a small island when the rest of Europe la y ready for conquest.

By 1522 the Turks had captured Belgrade in modern Yugosla via and moved on into

The Turkish invasion 1 5 2 2

gun -powder were s tored in the Palace Wh e n the attack came the Order would be prepared

The Great Siege 1522 Grand Master d e L lsl e Adam could not hope to match the mi g ht of th e Tu r ki s h force s. There we re onl y 600 knight s of th e Order pre se nt on he is land , and a b o ut 5 ,000 other soldi e r

SAIL TRAINING CRUISES 1987 FOR 16 to 25 YEAR OLDS

An Adventure of a Lifetime HURRY

AND APPLY!

COUNTIES / Districts have been advised that a number of berths have been provisionally booked with the Sail Training Association (STA) for St John Ambulance personnel to go on their fine adventure training cruises during 1987. There are a total of 24 places over eight cruises by the STS Malcolm Miller and STS Sir Winston Churchill between April and October. Trainees must be aged between their 16th and 25th birthdays. Places offered are as follows:

stion s Throughou t

th

Hungary A few years later the y advanced even further and b y 1529 they had reached the g ates of Vienna in Austria. Now even west<;rn Europ e wa s threatened b y the armies of I s lam.

T he Turkish Sultan Suleiman The Magnificent (grandson of Muhammad) had not forgotten the Order of St John on the is land of Rhodes The knights were still a s erious menace to his shipping. Sooner or later the y would have to be destroyed.

With his ad v ance into Europe halted for a time, Suleiman decided to make another attempt on Rhodes . T his time there would be no doubt about the outcome Preparations were made for one of the greatest i nvasion forces ever assembled. Over 400 ships were to transport 200,000 men , equipped with the latest weapons and s iege machinery No island could withstand an attack of this size. In mid-summer 1522 the Turkish armada set sail for Rhodes

For some time the Grand Master Phillipe Villiers de L'Isle Adam had been expecting an attack. Although forty years had pa s sed since the Turkish armies had seriously threatened the island it was clear that one day they would return to the attack After their assault in 1480, Pierre d Au busson had remodelled and strengthened the defences. Food and arms as well as ample stocks of

nce

Eve ntuall y th ey found it at the b as tion defe nded b y th e E n g lish L an g ue. A s s a ult after assa ul wa s la unched , b ut he kni g h ts h e ld firm. It wa s then th a t he une x pe c t f; d happ e ned The g un-p ow d e r s t o c ks app ea r ed to b e a lm ost ex hau s ted It see m e d t hat one of th e kn ig h ts Andre a d Am a r a l of the L a ngu e Cas till e angr y a not be ing eje cted Grand M as t er had deliberatel y misled the Order a bo ut t h e amount of supplies a v ailable But th ere w as no time to in ves ti ga te the m a tter th e n Fortunatel y s tock s of sa ltp e tr e we r e a bund a nt and m o r e p o wde r wa s qui c kl y p r epar e d. As he we e k s pa ss ed , th e T urk s realised that assa ults would ne ve r br e ach t he defence s Ev en the fact that th e Sultan himsel f cam e to watch the pro g re s s o f the siege could not change t he situation.

The Turk s prepared to withdraw , but a s they did s o , the unexpected occurred again An arrow wa s found in the Turkish line s which had apparentl y come from the Ba s tion of Auvergne. Attached to it wa s a mes s a ge to the Sultan , informing him that the defenders were exhau s ted almost out of powder, and that if the Turk s persi s ted with their assault s the city would fall. The message was signed by Andrea d'Amaral. Thi s boo k can be

St John Fellowship

OUR PRESIDENTS

CENTENARY YEAR HELP

DURING 1987 - centenary year of t h e St John Amb ul ance Brigade , man y division s and counties wi ll be planning their own celebrations in the form of displays, exhib itions, etc. Do not forget the Muse um & Libra r y of the Order at St John 's Gate: it owns a vast collection of material relating to the history of the Order of St John an d St John Ambu a n ce. Next yea r we wi ll be celebrating 100 years of service to mank nd in the Brigade , stress ing the histo r y of th e organisation as well as the way forward for the next century. The history of St John Ambu lance and the Order is one of the greatest selling points of our organisatio n as the he ritage' and tourism in gene r a l bec ome the more popular. The Library & Museum wa nt s to help yo u plan and present the history of the Brigade and s u ggests the following services:

Sets of display posters: These posters , s ix in a ll , chart the history of St John Ambu ance from its origins to the present day, illu strated wi th photographs from our vast collection at St John 's Gate. The posters can easi ly be sent through the post and can be mounted b y a rr angement with the Museum & Library. They will add a professional touch to your displays and will fit on to your existin g display panels.

Uniforms: We a r e able to loan uniforms to display on dummies but NOT for wearing, as we ha ve only a few examples of each type - in some cases, one example - and the more they are used in unsuitable environmental conditions the more they will deteriorate and the fewer we will be left with for the permanent collection at St John 's Gate

Patterns are also available for maki n g up you r own ve r sions of ( I ) A K night of St J o hn , (2) A Sister of the Order (3) 1890s Amb ul ance and Nurs in g Members of the Brigade (4) 1922 A mbul ance Member, Nursing Member and Cadets

Equipment: We can loan water bottles (o ld type), leather belts wi th first aid pouches sal volati le bottles , etc. , IF YOU HAVE A DISPLA Y CASE TO PUT THEM IN , and old train ing po ste r s.

First Aid Books: We can loan earl y first aid textbooks for display Some examples are in foreign languages.

Slides: Loan sets on the history of the Order, which cover the present -day work of St John Ambulance and St John s Gate and t he Grand Priory C hur ch; the rustory of the changing role of St John Ambulance through the years; the St John Ophthalmic Hospital.

REVIEW CROSSWORD No. 12 (86) byW. A. Potter

Acros& : 1 Endocrine gland (8). 5 Acid produc ed by souring of milk and muscular actio n. (6). 10. Carried by F lo rence Nightingale on her night rou nd s.

s ili cate dusting powder (4). 16.

Photographs: Yo ur county or division s members may well have photographs of historic interest whic h you co uld incorporate in to a n y ex hibition. We have a collection of abo ut 3,000 St John Ambulanc e photographs - your area may we ll be featured We can have these copied for you for incorporatin g into a d splay.

Archive material: We hold some early record s o n division s (when they were founded, ear ly members' name s, etc). Your co unty or division may also have so me ea rl y record s. We a lso ho ld so m e in formation on awards to St John members.

In so me cases we will not be ab le to do a ll the re searc h nece ssa ry. You are always welcome, by appointment, to come to St John 's Gate and use our research faci litie s with the help of t he Mu se um staff. Old copies of first aid periodical s all con t ain a grea t deal of ocal information.

Ap pro ach your local museum NOW if you are intere sted in putting on some sort of ex hi bition in h eir premises next yea r.

Publications: There will be a special Cente n ary History of St John Ambulance published, and a book of reproduct ions of hi sto ric photog r aphs from our collection at St John' s Gate, among other anticipated publications.

Exhibition: D urin g the summer months ne x t yea r the Museum & Library w ill be mounting a spec ial Centenary Ex hibition o n St John Ambulance : don't miss it !

Talks: Museum & Library staff are always willing. if give n enough notice, to give talk s on a variety of subjects to venue s around the country.

Museum & Library, St John's Gate: Visitors are a ways welcome to visit the Museums at St John's Gate covering the history of th e Order of St John and St John Ambu lance. Guided tours take place at 11 am and 2.30 pm on Tuesda ys, Fridays and Saturdays. Large partie s should book in advance If yo u are interested in any of these facilities, plea se contact:

The Curators

Museum & Library

St John's Gate, St John's Lane Clerkenwell, London ECIM 4DA

Tel: 01-253 6644

Early booking and co -ordination is very important.

Raises the hindquarter s. (5). 19 Sudden painful s tiffnes s of the neck muscles. (5). 20 Dis urbance to terrorise a no isy reveller. (9). 23.

Completely free day for the doctor. (3 .2.4) 25. Lady is insane before mid-day which ever way o ne looks at it. (5). 26. A nae sthet ic used in the neighbourhood hos tel r y? (5). 29. The customary va lu e. (4). 30. Harbo urer of parasite s. (4).32. The whole amount is one's destiny. (3).

33 The rash appeared and the teeth came thr o ugh the g um s. (7) 34.

Show of feeling b y movement from east. (7). 35. Nurse on structure joining muscle to bone. (6). 36. Pus -forming micro -organisms. (8).

· Down:

1. Pain produced by learner trapped in door. (5). 2. How miotic drugs

· affect pupils (9) 3. Part of resi ient spleen. (4). 4. Pacemaker of the heart. (4 - 6.4). 6. Amend by later change (5). 7. Put in at tea centre for ringwo rm (5). 8. Company lo s t spirit producing first secretion of · breasts. (9). 9. Main vesse l of t h e arm. (8.6). 1 I. Digit of the lower limb. (3). 17. Ob se r ve a sense organ. (3). 18. Excreto r y and temperature - regulating organ. (4). 19. Rash in which spots coalesce. (9) 21. Grave to doctor. (4). 22. Co lourful astringent containing z inc s ulphate. (3.6). 24. Fema le gametes. (3) 27. Butter mak e r. (5). 28. 32

Across to a game of chance. (5). 30. Pyrexial. (3) 3 1. Bracing medicine for continuous mu sc ular spasm. (5). 32. One of the head s of biceps. (4).

SOLUTION TO CROSSWORD No. 11 (86)

Across: 1. Niacin; 4. W heezi n g; 9. Simple ; 10 Vaccinia 12. Ruddy; 13. Mote 15. A cus ; 16. A·m·i·d 18. Malar ; 21. Un ip arous; 22. Ca u·teri ·se; 24. On set; 26. Soap ; 27. Iran; 28. Pa ss; 29. Cur·i·e; 32. Lymphoid; 33 Corset ; 34. Draining; 35. Writ·he.

Down: No·st·rum; 2. Armed ; 3. Inlay; 5. Heart disease; 6. Etc h; 7. Innocuous; 8. G· la sses; 11. Immunisation; 14. O· in ; 17. Sago; 19. Leukaemia; 20 Reel ; 22. C hill ed; 23. SOS; 25. Theatre; 29. Choi r 30. Re-set; 31. Sh·in.

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS

23p a word (mill. £4.60); semi display £23 s ingle column inch (min. £1 J .50) inc/. VAT Send to Sf John Review, Wood Cottage, Hig h Corner,

Woodbridge,

Your heart's in the right place. But what about your St John funds? Do

If

Order

So to fi nd out more about how to make yo ur mone y work for y ou , contact Graham Chapman on 0277-222222 ( Phillip s & Drew , Regent House , Hubert R oad , Brentwood , Essex CM 14 4QQ) and ask for an exp lanato ry leaflet.

The Order of St John 7 -da y Money Fund A service from Phillips & Drew

1WO WAY RADIO COMMUNICATIONS

Present Brigade supplier offers for sale the following radios. All are crystalled on Brigade frequencies and are NEW and DTI APPROVED.

LOWBANDAM : ( MOBILES and TRANSPORTABLES)NO HANDPORTABLES :

LOW BAND FM: (Brigade NEW Frequencies). MOBILES , HANDPORTABLES

HIGH BAND FM: (NEW Frequency) MOBI LES , HANDPORTABLES.

Prices start from as

CO

(7) . 12. Haemorrhage causing s udd en loss of vision. (7). 13

centre for male ch ild. (3) 14. Severely chastise ve rball y to assess worth. (4) 15. Magnesium