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34
BABY WEEK.
This was celebrated on June 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st,
Garden Parties being held at the Red Triangle Club and St. George's
Hall, Freezywater. The weather on all occasions was satisfactory.
The total attendance of mothers and children at the four
meetings was 1,330.
Many members of the Maternity and Child Welfare Committee
were present, and the distribution of prizes was made by Councillor
G. E. Jones, J.P., Miss G. M. Ford, Mrs. E. M. Thirkettle and
Doctor C. Thomson.
In previous years it has been the practice to award silver or
silver gilt spoons for 50 or 75 per cent. attendance at the Maternity
and Child Welfare Centres. The Maternity and Child Welfare
Committee determined that in 1934, instead of giving prizes for
regularity of attendance, it would be better to organise competitions,
and award prizes for the best entries.
The following competitions were therefore organised :
1. Write a letter to a friend, telling her that your child
under 5 years of age had had measles ; tell her the
child's symptoms and how you treated the child.
2. The best made knitted new garment.
3. The best garment made from new material.
4. The best garment made from old knitted material.
5. The best garment made from old material.
Some 151 entries were sent in. The garments were judged by
Doctor Agnes Nicol, Assistant Medical Officer of Health for the
Borough of Willesden; whilst the essays were referred to me for
marking.
The standard of the entries was satisfactory, and served as an
indication as to how much attention had been paid to the instructions
given to the mothers at the Maternity and Child Welfare Centres
and during home visitation by the Health Visitors. Moreover, the
entries formed a basis for demonstration, and we were able to point
out where the garments failed to be hygienically satisfactory.
I am quite satisfied that it is far better to organise these competitions
than to give away prizes for regularity of attendance.
It is very pleasant to think that during our Baby Week the mothers
of Enfield were turning their minds to the care of the health of
young children and to the consideration of the most hygienic form
of clothing for them.
When prizes were given for regularity of attendance one always
had a feeling that many children were brought out in inclement
weather to make an attendance at one of the Centres, when the
child would have been far better off if it had been kept at home.