The Exeter Times-Advocate, 1953-01-29, Page 12Page 2 THE TIMES-ADVOCATE, EXETER, ONTARIO, TOURSPAY MORNING, JANUARY 29, 1953
EQUIPMENT the modernevidenceX-RAY
equipment installed in the new hospital is this X-ray machine.
—Jack Doerr, Exeter
SlfWt 'J
>'s , ....
MOBILE CUBICLE — Babies born in the hospital will be
tucked into one of these new infanette units, first to be used
in Canada. The units are mobile, contain handy shelves and
cupboard for equpment. The plastic shelf slides across, leav
ing a convenient working table. —Jack Doerr, Exeter
Monument To Generation
—Continued from page 1
between $275,000 and $285,000.
Had the hospital been built by
contract it would have cost over
$380,000 indicated by the ten
ders received by the Association
before it decided to employ its
unique method of construction.
Thus, by the tireless efforts of
a building committee under Ulric
Snell, the wonderful cooperation
of suppliers of materials and the
construction knowledge of super
visor Helge Jensen, the com
munity was able to build its
hospital at a saving of at least
$100,000.
Donate Generously
Citizens and organizations do
nated well over $100,000 and
this was more than matched by
grants from the Huron county
council, the provincial and fede
ral governments and charitable
institutions.
The hospital may open with a
deficit but officials hope it will
be a small one.
Elmer D. Bell, Q.G., chairman
of the Association, called the
hospital a "monument to (this)
generation.” R. N. Creech, vete
ran local newspaperman and
treasurer of the Association,
states "the project stands out as
the greatest effort of the kind
ever undertaken by the people
of this district.”
Throughtout the two days of
public inspection, the ladies of
the Hospital Auxiliary will serve
refreshments to visitors. Mem
bers of the Association will con
duct tours through the building,
and ladies will be stationed
throughout the hospital to ex
plain functions of the various
rooms.
The hours of inspection for
both days will be from 10 to
12 in the morning, 2 to 5:30 in
the afternoon and 7:30 to 10 in
the evening.
The first patient will be ad
mitted to the hospital probably
on Monday, February 2. Al
ready, rooms are being sought
by doctors and families.
To highlight the opening of
the hospital, Exeter merchants
have donated many wonderful
gifts which will be presented to
the first baby born in the South
Huron Hospital.
The gifts include a high chair,
play pen, baby foods, bottle
warmer, baby bath tub, panda,
plastic meal-time set, diaper
pail, shawl, blahket, baby boots,
pictures, books and a dress;
Mother will receive an orchid,
dr”- '■tentiing, merchandise certifi-
slippers' and a steak din*
Ur-r sets' a flashlight (so
I: "u attend tho baby Jh the
night!) and a steak dinner,
too.
The
either,
nate a
baby.
The
their mothers will be given a
free taxi trip home.
Finest Of Hospitals
What residents will see when
they inspect the new hospital
is one of the finest medical
building of its size in the nation.
The many new features intro
duced in this hospital, detailed
elsewhere in this edition, have
made authoritative visitors de
scribe it as "simply tops.”
It is a proud monument to the
cooperative effort of the citizens
of this district.
runner-up isn’t forgotten
One merchant will do-
silver cup to the second
first three babies and
Saturday Shopping Sprees
Produce Best
Every Saturday night during
the past year, while most of the
people of town and district were
rushing around shopping, a
group of men gathered around
a table in an old house just off
Exeter’s main street. They were
shopping too.
The tuen were members of the
hospital building committee.
Saturday nights at 7:30 p.m,
they met in the Carling house
and purchased supplies for the
hospital.
They made the final decisions
on what materials would be
used, what equipment could be
bought, what supplies should be
ordered.
They were big decisions, tough
decisions, because they moulded
the hospital. The colorful, func
tional building with its modern
streamlined services shows how
well the shopping was done.
Ulric Snell was, the hard
working chairman of the com
mittee. His team included Albert
Traquair, B. W. Tuckey, H. C.
Rivers, Bill Ellerington, C. S.
MacNaughton and L. J. Penhale.
Few of these men knew
thing about hospitals, how they
were built or how they
operated. Nevertheless, they
faced with the huge problem of
buying the supplies to build and
equip one .
To do that job, they made it
their business to find out about
hospitals. They visited medical
buildings in St. Marys, Seaforth,
Clinton, Goderich, Ingersoll, Lon
don and many others, discussing
the ..advantages and disadvan
tages of each, discovering the
best and most efficient materials
and services. Then they incor
porated the ideas into their buy
ing.
The committee received hund
reds of quotations, propositions
and offers. These they had to
cull and sort, using their best
judgement.
They received top considera
tion from all firms. Ulric Snell,
paying tribute to the suppliers,
states "the local merchants,
wholesale houses and manu
facturers cooperated 100 per
cent, making it possible to get
the best of materials at prices
we could afford to pay.”
The many conveniences
economical services in the
pital, outlined elsewhere in
edition, will bear out the objec
tives the committee looked to
when they purchased.
They wanted to have the best
any-
were
were
and
hos-
this
First Baby
—Continued from
incubator and a
lous resuscitator.
The mother of
will find herself in a truly pleas
ant atmosphere, created by the
soft pastel colors and gay chintz
of a two-bed ward. To call a
nurse, she need only talk into a
speaker and by the adjustment
of a ceiling-to-floor curtain, she
may be either alone or in the
company of her room companion.
Nurses in the ward won’t have
to carry babies, one after an
other, from the nursery to the
rooms. In fact, they won’t even
have to pick the babies up—
they’ll just wheel them out of
the nursery in the Infanette,
and down the hall to the rooms
—like tea on a tea wagon.
And when it’s time for the
first baby’s adjustments and oil
ing, the nurse will simply slide
the plastic bed back and find
handy working space where the
little bed ordinarily, rests.
Proud papa will view South
Huron Hospital’s first through a
large square window looking
from the corridor into the nurs
ery. I-Ie’11 spend his waiting time
with a strange lack of that old
grey and white antiseptic feeling
that’s native to most hospitals.
And he can thank the imagina
tion and ingenuity of those who
have planned the ward and hos
pital in which his offspring is
born.
Page 1
rather mirac-
the first baby
For Hospital
possible hospital with a pleasant
atmosphere and one that would
operate economically gfter it
was opened.
Members of the committee
are quick to hand most of the
credit for the success of the
purchasing to Chairman Ulric
Snell. He spent countless hours
with salesmen, suppliers, mer
chants, discussing the quality
and price of their goods; with
Helge Jensen, the construction
supervisor, planning the build
ing; with the many people inter
ested and cooperating with
project.
The building committee’s
was a tremendous one but it
done with ingenuity and fore
sight.
The patients, doctors, nurses
and maintenance men will enjoy
the good things purchased by
these men during their Saturday
night shopping sprees in 1952.
*»*W**«*S
was
LARGE WINDOWS
shows large windows in the wards, permitting plenty of sun-| scaped in spring.
Picture of east winff of the hospital I light and a splendid view ior patients. Grounds will be land- - - ' ’ - • —Jack Doerr, Exeter
Veteran Canvass Organizer
Heads Drive For Funds
The money that built the
South Huron Hospital came from
the pockets of thousands of
the district who voluntarily sac
rificed to see the building erect
ed.
None can regret the invest
ment he made, however great or
small, because the new hospital
is more than full value for its
cost.
Raising the fund that made
the building possible was the
biggest job the Association faced.
Applying the theory that sense
can produce dollars, members in
charge of the campaign measured
up to the task.
There may be a deficit on the
books when the hospital is
opened (the final accounting is
not known now) but if there is,
it will be small. Citizens have
rallied to
heartedly,
was donated.
The major
ial campaign
N. Creech,
editor, who
his whole time to the project
for several years.
Mr. creech is not new to fund-
raising campaigns—he has di
rected many of them, especially
during the war years. His ex
perience a nd
the job were
in its success.
When the
formed in September, 1949, Mr.
Creech had the financial cam
paign already organized on
paper. He felt that a group
system would be desirable—
preparing a list of names of
some 30 persons and approaching
them with the idea of being one
of a number of persons who
would each be willing to sub
scribe $1,000. When this group
was exhausted similar groups
could be approached for lesser
amounts.
Using this group system, Mr.
Creech predicted, the Associa
tion would soon know whether
or not it would be in a. position
to carry the project to a success
ful conclusion.
All payments, according to Mr.
Creech’s plans, would be made
on a three-year installment basis
which would afford full income
tax deductions to the average
income.
The campaign was carried out
on this plan and it proved to be
a sound one.
An Exeter committee was set
up at that same meeting to make
the test—could the special con
tributions be pledged? It is a
credit to the members of that
committee—Ulric Snell, A. O.
Elliot, E. R. Hopper and J. A.
Traquair—that the special can
vass succeeded the fondest hopes
of the Association,
Eric McIlroy, of Grand Bend,
made the first personal contri-
the cause whole-
Well over $100,000
part of the financ-
was directed by R.
retired newspaper
devoted practically
qualification for
two large factors
Association was
tian of $1,000 three days after
the meeting was held. Ten
citizens, pledged similar amounts
shortly afterwards. In less than
a month over $38,000, almost a
third of the whole campaign
total, was promised.
With the campaign in Exeter
progressing enthusiastically,
vasses in the township were
ing organized, On October
representatives from Steph
Hay, Usborne met with the
sociation to get their drives
started.
The representatives were: Hay,
Rivers, James McAllister,
Albert Kalbfleiscli, Alex Masse
“ Harry Hoffman; Stephen,
Lawson, H. K. Eilber,
H. C.
and T.
Elmer
Fred Walker, James Dalton, Ray
Laramie and Addison Tieman;
Usborne, Hugh Berry,
Hicks, Elgin Rowcliffe,
Hern, Ross Marshall and
Ellerington.
Later, the townships
kersinith, Bosanquet,
vray and Hibbert
vassed.
As canvassers moved from
door to door, receiving amounts
from $1.00 to $1,000, the fund
grew to $50,000 by the middle
of November; to $75,000 by the
end of January; to $80,000 in
March.
Besides the donations from
people in the district, help came
from "old boys and girls”, still
interested in and proud of
their native community. Organ
izations, raising money from
every type of entertainment,
raffle, etc., contributed, thousands
of dollars.
While the canvass was being
completed, representatives of the
Association were working on the
provincial and federal govern
ments and the county council
for grants.
In January, 1950, Huron
council voted to grant the hos
pital $35,000 over a three-year
period. In November of the
same year, the province announc
ed an approval of a $35,000
donation—one that was increas
ed to $53,333.00 later. The
federal government contributed
$41,500.
Just nine months after the
financial campaign began, sub
scribers met in Exeter Town
Hall and decided to build the
hospital in Riverview Park. The
site was later changed and the
construction delayed for a year
and a half, nevertheless the
community had responded gene
rously enough to practically
ensure the final construction.
During this final campaign,
Mr. Creech became ill and his
duties were accepted by C. E.
Shaw, manager of the Exeter
branch of the Bank of Monreal.
It is unfortunate that it is
impossible to state here the
names of the many canvassers
Garnet
Harold
William
of Tuc-
McGilli-
were can-
SUPPLY ROOM for band
ages, linen, etc. The machine at right is a modern sterilizer. This room is in the basement
of the hospital. —Jack Doerr, Exeter
Here’s the supply room containing cupboards and shelves
Exeter Lions Club Began Drive
With Proceeds From Frolics
The swelled coffers of a ser
vice club prompted the building
of the South Huron Hospital.
It was back in the fall of
1947, five years ago, when Exe-
who went from house to house,
outlining the necessity -of the
hospital and pleading_for gene
rous contributions.
was no easy
tackled it with
success entitles
mendation.
In outlining, ancial campaign, the'
organizations in the community
cannot be over-stressed. These
groups included service, enter
tainment, school, church, lodge
and sports groups and many
others whose members ranged
from older men and women to
young boys and girls. These
organizations sponsored almost
every kind of event imaginable
to raise funds for the hospital.
And it must be remembered
too that almost all of the money
raised by these groups came
from the pockets of district
residents — the same pockets
which produced the individual
donations.
Their
task, yet
vigor and
them to
job
they
their
com-
briefly,the fin-
work of
ter Lions Club members began
looking for a project to spend
several thousand dollars they
had raised for service work.
"Monster Frolics” staged by
the club were overwhelmingly
successful, bringing in more
proceeds than the Lions needed
to meet the commitments they
had set. They needed some pro
ject to spend those funds.
•Members talked about many
undertakings, including the
building of a hospital. At an
executive meeting *
•in 1947, " *
then third
instructed
possibilities of a medical build
ing. That’s how it started.
First Of Many
The first of hundreds of
pital meetings was held on
vember 13, 1947, when
of the club
C. S. MacNaughton,
vice-president, was
to investigate the
$
D •$
yiJki iiii /|ii i'rirr. :
Staff Living Room
General Office
Dressing Room
Waiting Room
Superintendent's Office
Four-Bed Ward
Two-Bed Wards
Utility
Linen Closets, Washrooms
Doctors* Nurses' Dressing
Rooms
Nurses’ Station
Operating Room
Sterilizing
Suspects
Chart Room
Nursery
Formula Room
Utility
Nurses Work Room
Labor Room
Delivery Room
X-Ray
Work Room
Dressing Rooms
Treatment
Ambulance Entrance
Rear Entrance To Kitchen
Kitchen
Dining Bar
Nurses' Dining Room
Treatment Room
14
5 *••*•*.q'j wtM
•
8 8 "8 8 23
24
25
27H/.P 1 «'••/.. ■■ ■■ ■■■ ■
. kJ....’
• Ml* o 13/
,...............
■ -SLXla. i . ■■ 8 ■
hos-
No-
the
Lions Club committees of Health
and Welfare and Civic Improve
ment met together to discuss a
hospital project. At that meet
ing were Dr. J. G. Dunlop,
W. Tuckey, W. G. Cochrane,
H. Jones, H. K. Eilber, Elmer
Bell, Lawrence Wein and C.
MacNaughton.
The committee decided to in
vestigate every angle of the
undertaking, including approxi
mate size and cost of construc
tion, amount of federal and pro
vincial grants available, and the
problem of meeting an operating
deficit once the hospital was
erected.
The committee recommended
that, once such information was
available, a public meeting be
called attended by a thoroughly
representative group of the area
the proposed hospital would
serve.
Those were the first plans for
the South Huron Hospital. That
was the start
project.
If this was
the next few paragraphs would
tell about the boom of enthus
iasm, the rapid match of pro
gress, the glory of the spon
taneous and overwhelming sup
port behind the campaign.
But this is a true story . , .
the story of a fight that lasted
five years before the final bOll
rang.
Reception Mixed
The reception to the hospital
proposal was mixed . . . mixed
with doubt about the vastftess of
the project, its huge cost, and
many, wondered if the hospital
was really necessary. After all.
South Huron had never had a
hospital—the sick had always
gone to London and been cared
for there, Many felt a commun
ity hospital here would operate
ih tho red, would always be a
drain on the community.
So the Lions mulled the pro
posal ovbr in their tyinds, dis
cussed and argued it among
themselves. But While the Mltefs
debated the project, there were
a few that formed the hard core
necessary to put the hospital
project through. They became
B.
J.
D.
S.
of the tremendous
a story of fiction,
more convinced the building was-
necessary and possible. And al
though the project was stalled
for a year, they never let
out.
Approve $1,000 Grant
In March 1949, at a
meeting, E. D. Bell and
MacNaughton sponsored a resolu
tion empowering the hospital
committee to spend up to $1,$00
to obtain plans and to promote a
campaign to raise funds. The
estimate then was $175,000 for
a 25-bed hospital with $75,000
available in grants. The Lions,
now sold on the project, voted-
almost unanimously to go ahead
with the promotion of the cam
paign.
The first of many events in
aid of the hospital was held at.
Grand Bend—a concert in Au
gust sponsored by Eric McIlroy.
Meanwhile negotiations were
being made with Charles B. Dol
phin, a Toronto architect special
izing in hospitals. He prepared a
tentative plan for the
committee and this was
for publicity purposes
summer.
All-Out Campaign
At the first meeting of the
Lions Club in the fall, the mem
bers decided to start the all-out
campaign for the hospital.
» Plans were made to form an
Association comprising persons
representative of the area to
take over the project as an in
dependent organization. T w «•
weeks later that was done.
So it was the Exeter Move
Club backed by its bulging bank
balance, that started the South
Huron Hospital.
As the idea gained momentum,
a special committee composed of
C. S. MacNaughton, E. D. Bell,
Thomas Pryde, Dr. J. G. Dunlop
and H. K. Eilber held meetings
with government officals and
representatives from the town
ships and laid plans for the cam
paign.
To give the Association strong
financial support, the Lions
voted $5,500 to be used for cam
paign expenses. This fund has
been used throughout the cam
paign to pay for promotion liter
ature, advertising and admini
strative costs. None of the
scribers’ money has been
for this purpose.
Although the Lions
turned its project over to
new group and relinquished re
sponsibility for the campaign,
many of its members became the
driving force in the Hospital
Association.
In
appeal was launched to TAise
more funds,
joined With Grand Bend Lions to
conduct a successful raffle on
a summer cottage. The hospital
received $10,000 from the pro
ceeds made by these Clubs.
Early this year, Exeter Lfftrts
voted another $1,500 to- the f«»d,
making a total of $17,000 from
the Lions, $5,000 frofn
Bend as half of the cottage pro
ject, and $12,000 from Exeter.
it die
Lions
C. S.
hospital
released
in the
ewb-
ueed
C’teb
this
1952,when an urgent
the Exeter club