HELPING GIRLS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 97, 27 April 1938, Page 21

HELPING GIRLS.

RELIGIOUS MOVEMENT

I LIFE BRIGADE PROGRESS. j ENGLISH ORGANISER HERE. | Lite kindness of New Zealand people | and the beauty of Xew Zealand scenery | are memories that I shall never forget. To see Mount Ksmont in all its glory, -is I have seen it, is something worth coming right across the world to experience." This opinion of Xew Zealand and New Zealanders was expressed to-dav l>v Miss E. F. Blenkinsop, field organiser foi the world for the Girls' Life Rrigade, an interdenominational movement with headquarters in England, that lias ramifications in most parts of the British Empire. Miss Blenkinsop, who comes from London, arrived in the Dominion 111 January at the invitation of the local oiga nisution to lend her organising ability to the move to extend the bri" gade in Xew Zealand and to conduct officers' training classes. When she arrived there were 40 branches of the brigade here, made up of about 1000 members, but since then thsfe have been another 17 branches formed. She sails for Sydney on her wav to England on May 13. Founded in 1002 with the aim of keeping adolescent girls in touch with the Church by means of week-night activity which appealed to them, the movement aims to build up health and also, tluough handicrafts, to encourage mental activity. It is also a temperance movement. Camps and outdoor life provide for social development and the influence of the officers satisfies the spiritual nee<ls of the girls. The Duchess of Gloucester is patron of the Girls' Life Brigade, the Xew Zealand secretary being Miss Lilian Busfield, of Auckland, and the president, Mrs. Gil man Dunn, of Port Chalmers.

"During my 4500 miles' tour- of the Dominion I was greeted by practically all churches, who assured me of their interest in what tlicy described as an excellent movement for young girls," said Miss Blenkinsop. Landing in Auckland, she said, introduction was extended her by Archbislrop Averill to every bishop in New Zealand. She had seen them all but one. She had been asked by the Presbyterian Church to address their presbvterv and theological students. Further,*the'CJirW Life Brigade movement had been adopted as their week-night activity as was also the case with the Baptist Church. The Methodist Church asked her to address the annual conference and there was every reason to believe that there would be still greater activity as regards the movement among * the -Methodists, where there were already several companies of the brigade, Mis'* Blenkinsop also met the president and youth director of the Clyirch of Christ who both expressed the foeliii" that the movement was the one that thev were looking for to interest the girls. ' In the four large cities she was invited to speak over the air. "The movement in New Zealand began ten years ago when the first company was formed in Dunedin," she said. She herself had been in the bri'-jde for 23 years as an officer, but had onlt been field organiser for the past four'years, rormerly she had been secretary of a shipping company at Newca'stle-on-lyne and. after that, countv secretary for the Women's Institute ' movem-nt. The Girls Life Brigade had asked her to go back as field organiser and she iiad been there ever since. "I have been very interested in the Bible class movement in New Zealand.'' she concluded. 'T have never seen anything quite like it before, and I think it is excellent. At the same time our movement does not interfere with it or overlap at in any way."