Page 2 P H Y S I O T H E R A P Y March, 1964 M iss M. J. Neilson, M.B.E. M I S S M . J . N E I L S O N , M . B . E . By t hi s t i m e t h e m a j o r i t y o f th e m e m b e r s o f t he S o u t h A f r i c a n S o c i e t y o f P h y s i o t h e r a p y will h a v e h a d t h e o p p o r ­ t u n i t y a n d t h e pr iv ile ge o f m e e t i n g M i s s N e i l s o n . A n e x t e n s i v e f o u r w e e k t o u r o f S o u t h A f r i c a h a s b e e n p l a n n e d f o r h e r , a n d d u r i n g t h a t t i m e it is h o p e d t h a t she will m e e t , b e s i d e s p h y s i o t h e r a p i s t s , m a n y i n f lu e n ti a l p e r s o n s in o t h e r s p h e r e s w h o a r e i n t e r e s t e d in o u r p r o f e s s i o n a n d u p o n w h o s e s u p p o r t we c a n d e p e n d . T o t h o s e p h y s i o t h e r a p i s t s w h o a r e m e m b e r s o f t h e C h a r t ­ e r e d S o c i e t y o f P h y s i o t h e r a p y in L o n d o n , a n d t h o s e w h o h a v e vi sit ed o r w o r k e d p r o f e s s i o n a l l y in t h e U n i t e d K i n g d o m , M i s s N e i l s o n is n o s t r a n g e r , b u t a fri en d f r o m w h o m they h a v e a l w a y s b e e n a b l e t o o b t a i n a d v i c e o r g u i d a n c e . S h e w a s t h e S e c r e t a r y o f t h e C h a r t e r e d S o ci et y f r o m 1943— 1961 a n d d u r i n g t h a t t i m e th e S o c i e t y w a s t r a n s f o r m e d f r o m a s m a l l o r g a n i z a t i o n t o o n e c a p a b l e o f t a k i n g its pl ace a m o n g t h e l e a d i n g p r o f e s s i o n a l b o d i e s in B r it ai n . B e fo r e b e i n g i m m e r s e d in t he w o r l d o f P h y s i o t h e r a p y M i s s N e i l s o n g a i n e d v a r i e d e x p e r i e n c e w h i c h h a s b e e n o f i n e s t i m a b l e v al u e e v e r since. S he a c t e d as A s s i s t a n t S e c r e t a r y o f t h e C o n f e r e n c e o f T h e I n t e r - P a r l i a m e n t a r y U n i o n , se r v e d in p u b l i c r e l a t i o n s w i t h t h e I n s t i t u t e o f I n c o r p o r a t e d P r a c t i t i o n e r s in A d v e r t i s i n g a n d in m e d i c a l a n d alli ed m a t t e r s w i t h t h e G e n e r a l N u r s i n g C o u n c i l o f E n g l a n d a n d W al es . In 1961 H e r M a j e s t y Q u e e n E l i z a b e t h II b e s t o w e d u p o n M i s s N e i l s o n M e m b e r s h i p o f th e O r d e r o f t h e British E m p i r e , f o r h er w o r k wh il e S e c r e t a r y o f t h e C . S . P . Miss N e i l s o n is a l s o o n e o f t h e few w o m e n t o be a c c e p t e d by t he A d m i n i s t r a t i o n S t a f f C o l l e g e at H e n l e y , w h e r e a d m i n i s t r a t o r s f r o m t h e h i g h e r r a n k s o f i n d u s t r y a n d t h e Se rv ice s ar e t r a i n e d f o r to p - le v e l p os ts . Be sides h e r m a n i f o l d r o u t i n e d u t i e s a s S e c r e t a r y she s t e e re d th e S o c i e t y a l o n g t h e r o a d t o S t a t e R e g i s t r a t i o n a n d r e m a i n e d w i t h th e S oc ie ty u nt i l th i s w a s su cc ess fu ll y a c h i e v e d , t h r o u g h n o m e a n effor t o n h e r p a r t . SECRETARY GENERAL W O RLD CO NFEDERAT IO N OF P H Y SICAL THERAPY M i s s N e i l s o n h a s a l s o be en i n s t r u m e n t a l in t he raising o f s a l a r i e s a n d se rv ed o n v a r i o u s c o u n c i l s a n d c o m m i t t e e s c o n n e c t e d w i t h th e W h i t l e y C o u n c i l f o r t h e H e a l t h Services ( G r e a t B r i t a i n ). It is i m p o s s i b l e t o e n u m e r a t e all Miss N e i l s o n ’s a c c o m p l i s h m e n t s d u r i n g h e r p e r i o d w i t h the C h a r t e r e d S o ci et y b u t it is e n o u g h t o sa y t h a t t h e i r loss w a s c e r t a i n l y t h e W o r l d C o n f e d e r a t i o n ’s g ai n a n d the p o s i t i o n t h e W . C . P . T . h o l d s in I n t e r n a t i o n a l affa irs today reflects Mi ss N e i l s o n ' s efficiency a n d d y n a m i c per son ali ty . Miss N e i l s o n t o o k a le a d i n g p a r t in th e p r eli mi nar y t a l k s w h i c h led t o t h e f o r m a t i o n o f t h e W . C . P . T . and b e c a m e H o n o r a r y S e c r e t a r y a n d T r e a s u r e r at t h e first m e e t i n g in C o p e n h a g e n in 1951. T h e s e p o s t s s h e held w hi le still S e c r e t a r y o f th e C . S . P . By 1961 it w as evident t h a t w i t h t h e e x p a n s i o n o f t h e ac ti v it ie s o f t h e W .C .P .T . th i s w o u l d n o lo n g e r be p r a c t i c a b l e a n d s h e a c c e p t e d the p o s i t i o n o f S e c r e t a r y G e n e r a l o f W . C . P . T . , th e p o st she holds t o d a y . In 1953 t h e Fi rst C o n g r e s s o f W . C . P . T . w a s held in L o n d o n , a n d its s uc ce ss w a s d u e t o Miss N e i l s o n 's brilliant o r g a n i z i n g ab i l i t y , a n d it set th e hi gh s t a n d a r d o f ensuing C o n g r e s s e s . R e c e n t e v i d e n c e o f th i s w as se en ag ai n in C o p e n h a g e n in J u n e 1963. It is o f in te re st t o n o t e th a t the W . C . P . T . is a n I n t e r n a t i o n a l N o n - G o v e r n m e n t a l O r g a n i ­ z a t i o n , h a v i n g c o n s u l t a t i v e s t a t u s w it h U n i t e d N a t i o n s a n j j U . N . I . C . E . F . a n d W o r l d H e a l t h O r g a n i s z a t i o n (W.H.O.™ a n d c o l l a b o r a t e s w i t h o t h e r i n t e r n a t i o n a l b o d i e s dealing w i t h r e h a b i l i t a t i o n o f d i s a b l e d a n d h a n d i c a p p e d persons. All t h is h a s be en g a i n e d in a s h o r t p e r i o d o f a little over ten y ear s. W h i l e M is s N e i l s o n is w'ith us in S o u t h A f r i c a we hope t o l ea r n m o r e a b o u t t h e W . C . P . T . o r g a n i z a t i o n a n d through t h a t , m o r e a b o u t th e w i d e r w'orld o f Ph ys ic a l The rap y a n d h o w o t h e r c o u n t r i e s h a v e e s t a b l i s h e d t h e m s e lv e s in that w o r l d . W e e x p e c t , t o o , t o l ea r n a b o u t t h e developing c o u n t r i e s a n d t h e t r a i n i n g o f p h y s i o t h e r a p i s t s in those c o u n t r i e s a n d t h e w o r k d o n e by m e m b e r s o f W.C.P.T. sen t o u t t o t h o s e a r e a s f r o m t h e o l d e r e s t a b l i s h e d countries. M e a n w h i l e we h o p e Mi ss N e i l s o n will g a i n s o m e t h i n g by b e i n g w it h u s a n d will c a r r y h o m e w i t h her a n insight into c o n d i t i o n s a n d o p p o r t u n i t i e s w h i c h p r e s e n t h er e, a n d learn h o w we a r e t r y i n g t o p r o v e a n d i m p r o v e o ur se lv es . T h i s visit is o f p a r t i c u l a r i m p o r t a n c e at t hi s juncture a s S o u t h A f r i c a h a s r ece n tl y be en el ect ed o n t o th e Executive C o m m i t t e e o f W . C . P . T . f o r a n ei gh t y e a r pe r i o d . Miss J e a n Blair, o u r N a t i o n a l C h a i r m a n , r e p r e s e n t s us on this c o m m i t t e e a n d we a r e n a t u r a l l y fully a w a r e o f t h e honour a n d t h e r e s p o n s i b i li t i e s thi s r e c o g n i t i o n h a s b r o u g h t us. R ep ro du ce d by S ab in et G at ew ay u nd er li ce nc e gr an te d by th e P ub lis he r (d at ed 2 01 3. )