Bishop’s Wife Keen Member Of G.F.S.

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28897, 18 May 1959, Page 2

Bishop’s Wife Keen Member Of G.F.S.

The industrial life being imposed on Africa causes many problems. One of them is the condition of women going to work in cities instead of existing in a tribal society. The difficulties of these women were discussed by the wife of the Bishop of Mombasa (Mrs Beecher) at a meeting held in conjunction with the Lambeth Conference at Townsend House, the headquarters of the British Girls’ Friendly Society, last year. As a result of this discussion, the world council of the G.F.S. which met recently in Sydney, decided to assist the training of some African girls. They will learn of social and recreational organisations so they can be of use to the society in the diocese of Mombasa.

“G.F.S. always tries to do something for the young women in less fortunate countries than our own. Later on. we hope other countries will benefit too,” said the president of the British G.F.S. (Mrs F. R. Barry) in Christchurch yesterday. Mrs Barry has just spent six weeks in Australia visiting branches of the G.F.S. and attending the world council from April 24 to 27. She is accompanying her husband, the Bishop of Southwell. Nottinghamshire, who was on a tour preaching and conducting clerical schools. “He seemed to be always in pursuit of Billy Graham,” said Mrs Berry. “The society, essentially Anglican, though open to members of all denominations, is not wellknown in New Zealand. It conducts a number of residential hostels in the' North Island, but does not fur.ction as the parochial bodies do elsewhere,” said Mrs Barry. 40,000 Members There are 40,000 members of the British society, ranging in age from seven to about 20. Members are “candidates” from seven to 11, “apprentices” to 14, and “fullyfledged” to about 20. The society attends to the

spiritual, mental, and social needs of its members. There is emphasis on handcrafts at ordinary meetings, and the girls go on retreat and study at summer schools. It was during a summer school for representatives from each continent at Oxford last year that the African question was discussed, said Mrs Barry. Founded by Mrs Townsend in 1875, the G.F.S. had its first world council meeting four years ago when the English society celebrated its eightieth anniversay. The meeting was accompanied by an historical pageant of the progress of the society. It was played by members from different countries, and took the form of the dance-drama which is popular in Britain now. said Mrs Barry. “World council meetings have been held annually since 1956. in Switzerland, New York, and Sydney, but they will be triennial in future, mainly because of their expense,” said Mrs Barry. “The society is eager to promote international interest, and encourage conferences, trips, and correspondences.” Mrs Earry has been British president since 1952. She first became a G.F.S. officer in 1941 when her husband was made Bishop of Southwell. 50-Room Residence The bishop’s official residence at Southwell is a 50-room house built in 1906. It was inconvenient and hard to run, said Mrs Barry. It forms a quadrangle with 14th century walls, great hall, and chapel which were part of the medieval summer residence of the bishops of York. To this residence. Cardinal Wolsey retired when banished by Henry VIII in 1530. In Queen Anne’s time new buildings were erected on ruins, and similarly in 1906. “The great hall is often used for diocesan functions, and the chapel for services,” said Mrs Barry. Mrs Barry is graduate in history from Cambridge. She met her husband, an Oxonian, when he was giving a mission there.. The Barrys have one daughter, Rosemary, who also read history at Cambridge, and who is now married and teaching in London. Apart from public work, the family are keen mountaineers. They have a cottage in the Lake district, and enjoy holidaying in Switzerland. Mrs Barry will return to Britain through Canada where she will see the work of the Girls’ Auxiliary, the Dominion’s equivalent of the G.F.S.