"A RECONCILING FACTOR"

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21733, 16 March 1936, Page 7

"A RECONCILING FACTOR"

WORK OF THE Y.W.C.A. ADDRESS BY NATIONAL SECRETARY “The Young Women’s Christian As-, sociation is not just a club for girls; it is not just a hostel or an employment service, valuable as these'are," said Miss Jean Stevenson, national secretary of the association, in an address she gave by invitation at the Trinity Congregational Church last night. The association, she continued, was a reconciling factor linking together people of various religions, traditions, classes, and races. As such i+ merited the interest and co-opera-tion of every man and woman. Miss Stevenson said that her claim to the attention of the congregation was that she represented a great Christian international movement. Ihe story of the beginnings of the Young Women’s Christian Association was well known. A movement of Christian women had banded themselves together first in the service of the Crimean nurses, and then for the "rowing company of young women coming out from the shelter of home to take their place in the world. From small beginnings the movement had spread, until now--80 years from its start—it was planted in 50 countries, and had in its fellowship more than 1,000,000 women of all ages, religions, and social groups. Work and Spirit The work of the association might be summed up, Miss Stevenson said, in the slogan—to meet the need of every girl.” The spirit and purpose could be interpreted in three mottoes. The first of these was “by love, serve one another," which still served jis the motto in Great Britain, and had been the original motto of the association. In Belgium it had been adapted to‘to understand, to love, to serve.” The second motto, as used by the great association in the United States, was the words of Jesus, “I am come that they may have life, and may have it abundantly." The World Movement, formed 40 years ago-the first of women’s international movements — took as its motto “Not by might, nor by power, but by My spirit, saith the Lord of Hosts.” The strength of the movement, Miss Stevenson continued, was in this motto —in faith in God. and it was truly a fellowship of faith and service; The association deplored the divisions of the Christian Church, but in it people who were liberal and conservative. orthodox and unorthodox, in their religious traditions, met together in a fellowship of service and mutual sharing to the great enrichment of their life and service. The misunderstandings of classes and class snobbery were deplored, but in the association were found the princess, the factory, worker, the student, and the business girl. -