MANCHESTER MEDICAL SOCIETY
(Registered Charity No 222800)
c/o John Rylands University Library, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PP

History of the Manchester Paediatric Club

Extracts of minutes from the Manchester Paediatric Club Inaugural Meeting held on 15th March 1948 at South Downs Cottage, Bowden, the home of Professor and Mr W F Gaisford.

Professor Gaisford opened the meeting by outlining the aims of the proposed association.

1. To promote friendship among paediatricians in the  region.

2. To further paediatrics in clinical practice and research.

3. To provide a 'portal of entry' into membership of the British Paediatric Association.

Membership of the proposed association was initially limited to twenty-five members who were actively engaged in teaching paediatrics, clinical paediatrics and paediatric research.

Professor Gaisford proposed that Dr Catherine Chisholm be invited to become first President as a marl of appreciation for her pioneering work in Paediatrics in Manchester.

Professor Gaisford was elected as the first Honorary Secretary and Dr W H Patterson as the first Honorary Treasurer.

It was agreed that the annual subscription was to be 'one guinea'.

It was also agreed that the association would be named the 'Manchester Paediatric Club'. Dr Chisholm suggested that the club should meet at least three times a year.

There were twenty original members and a further five members were elected at the first Annual General Meeting. This meeting was held on Friday 7th January 1949 at the Turner Dental School University of Manchester. The afternoon session took the form of a symposium entitled 'How to improve the Child Health Services'.

At the conclusion of the meeting, it was decided that the time was ripe, if not over-ripe, for some definite Paediatric planning and it was accordingly suggested that the Executive Committee should appoint a sub-committee to make some constructive plans for Paediatric arrangements in the region, and to bring these to the notice of the Regional Hospital Board as soon as possible.

The resolution was unanimously adopted.

ORIGINAL MEMBERS

Dr Catherine Chisholm     (President)
Professor W F Gaisford  (Honorary Secretary)
Dr W H Patterson           (Honorary Treasurer)

Dr H T Ashby                     Dr G M Kromrower
Dr W M Burbury                Dr F A Langley
Mrs Florence Cavanagh     Dr R I Mackay
Dr H W Dalton                   Dr G Martyn
Dr M Egan                          Dr M L Thomson
Dr R N Fisher                     Dr J F Ward
Dr S K Guthrie                    Dr Nesta Wells
Mr T Stewart Heslop          Dr B Wolman
Dr A Holzel

Five members elected at first AGM

Dr J D Allan                         Mr A N Guthketch
Dr J L Burn                          Dr E M Jenkins
Dr W A Kane

This brought the number of members to the maximum of twenty-five laid down by the rules of the Club.

In 1992 the Section of Paediatrics and the Manchester Paediatric Club amalgamated.

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