For WOMEN

Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24395, 23 October 1944, Page 2

For WOMEN

CURRENT NOTES Fifty members were present at the recent half-yearly meeting of the North Canterbury Federation of Women’s Institutes. Miss Barker (Loburn) was presented with a good service badge in recognition of her many years’ service to her institute. Congratulations were extended to Mrs MacleOd 'on her appointment to the Dominion executive. Suggestions that the rehabilitation scheme should be extended to tram girls discharged from the forces to. assist mothers with young families were made at a meeting of the Auckland Rehabilitation Committee. It was considered that training schools should be established. The course would have to be attractive, as’ few girls were looking for domestic work. Women members of the committee emphasised that the need was urgent. Approximately 600 servicemen were entertained at the Welcome Club during the week-end. On Saturday, afternoon tea and tea were provided and served by members of the St. Margaret’s Old Girls’ Association. Members of the St. Albans sub-centre of the Red Cross served supper. Vale and . Company, Ltd., supplied and .served afternoon tea, tea, and supper bn Sunday. An excellent concert was given on Sunday evening by the Harmonic concert party, under the direction of Mr W. H. Down. At a general meeting of the Riccarton branch of the Housewives Union it was decided that the branch sponsor a public meeting in connexion with the proposed amalgamation of Riccarton Borough with the city, and that Cr. M. E. Lyons be. invited to address this meeting. It was agreed to write to the forthcoming educational conference pointing out the great need of buildings for a free kindergarten m the State settlement. On account of the increase in scarlet fever cases, it was decided to recommend to the central union that the Health Department be urged to close schools and bar children from trams and places of amusement for one month. Mrs Box was elected delegate to the central union. Mrs J D. Thomson, whose husband .was for some time medical officer of the Melanesian Mission Hospital at Fauhbu, on Malaita Island, was one of the speakers at a meeting of the Methodist Women’s Missionary Association* She dealt chiefly with the medical work of the mission. Major G. R. Thompson, of the Salvation Army, who has been chaplain to the New Zealand Division in the Solomon islands, described the beneficial effects of missionary work in the islands, and said' that invaluable help had been given to the Allied forces by missionaries and native teachers. A report on the Dominion conference held in Timaru was given at the October meeting by Mrs Raymond Dudley. Mrs Ann Robbie, widow of Mr* Charles Edward Robbie, who died recently, was born at Greymouth 69 years ago and was the eldest daughter of the late Mr and Mrs Hugh McLauchlan. After spending her childhood m Christchurch and moving to Auckland in her early twenties to be governess to the family of the late Mr and Mrs Hugo Friedlander, Mrs Robbie, who was a certificated teacher, went to Pongaroa in 1898. She was a wellknown. singer and good pianist, and her piano was the first to be taken to the Pongaroa district. The lady editor of "The Press’’ gratefully acknowledges receipt of parcels of magazines for patients in hospitals and the sanatorium ifrom Mesdames Stewart Male. R. C. Jamieson, and R. W. Morrow. Mrs George Hennessy (Morven) returned home on Saturday after attending meetings held in Wellington of the Dominion executive of the New Zealand Red Cross and of the Joint Council of St. John and the Red Cross. in Wellington Mrs Hennessy inspected the packing of clothes to be sent forward for the Polish children who will soon be arriving In New Zealand. Working in conjunction with the Polish Red' Cross, the New Zealand Red Cross Society months been preparing supplies to have ready on the .arrival of the children, and, with'a membership of about 100,000, It has been able to assemble a very large consignment of useful goods, ENGAGEMENTS The engagement is announced of Phyllis Lorraine, youngest daughter of Mrs E. C. and the late Mr K. E. Burt, Bartholomew road, Levin, and Kenneth Henry, son of the late Mrs H. Light, and Mr H. Light, Woodham road, Christchurch. The engagement is announced and the marriage will shortly take place of Lois Mildred „,only daughter of Mr and Mrs Norman Rutherford, Mendlp Hills, and David Rudd, son of LieutenantColonel and Mrs Rudd, Auckland. PARTY AT “AVONBANK” £35 RAISED A very enjoyable social gathering with a strictly practical bias was held on Saturday afternoon, when 1 Mrs George Gould entertained members of the Christchurch Ladies’ Guild of the British -Sailors’ Society and their friends at her beautiful home, “Avonbank,” Fendalton. ,An annual “book and coin” party has long been established as an important event in the guild’s programme, as, on that occasion, a supply of books and magazines for seamen is received as well as a sum of money which Is used in furthering the work of the guild. For many successive years Mrs Gould has lent her home for these- gatherings and has provided tea for the guests, who have greatly enjdyed her hospitality. The party on Saturday was one of the largest and most successful held for some years. Many of the visitors spent a pleasant time in the gardens, where the azaleas were particularly lovely, and competitions were held in the drawing-room. After tea had been served Mrs A. Mouncer, president of the Lyttelton Ladies’ Guild, gave an enlightening talk on the work of the guilds. The junior members in Lyttelton, she said, attended the Seamen’s Institute every night and junior members from Christchurch once a week. Dances, concerts, games, walks, and scenic drives were arranged for visiting seamen, reading matter was provided at the institute and was placed aboard ships, and newspapers, printed in London in different languages, were received at the institute and distributed among crews of Allied countries so each man could read in his own language an account of current events in his own country. Mrs H. T. J. Thacker, president of the Christchurch guild, thanked Mrs Gould for her continued generosity to the guild and Mrs Mouncer for the valuable information she had given the guests. As a result of the party the sum of £35 was raised and hundreds of books and magazines were received for the use of seamen.