N.C.W. Reviews Year’s Work

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30447, 22 May 1964, Page 2

N.C.W. Reviews Year’s Work

A new affiliation, that of the Maori Women’s Welfare League, was warmly welcomed, said the president of the Christchurch branch of the National Council of Women (Miss M. E. Saunders) in her report at the annual meeting last evening.

“On the other hand, we regret the loss of the Adult Cerebral Palsy Society, the Giri Guides Association, the Home Economics Association and the Nurse Maude District Nursing Association, but appreciate and Understand the decisions made in each case,” she said.

“We were particularly grateful to our Mayoress (Mrs G. Manning) for . her continued interest, and although she was not able to attend all the special functions, we appreciated the time she spared in her busy life for N.C.W. affairs.” Several overseas visitors attended meetings. A number of delegates had travelled overseas and the knowledge and experience gained by them added considerably to discussions, she said.

Reports entitled Mother and Infant Home Help Scheme,

and Social Security Benefits for Widows in New Zealand, were prepared by sub-commit-tees for the branch during the year.

Topics Studied J Housing, television, home • help and the history of i pioneer women were other 'topics studied by subcommittees. Reports on C.0.R.5.0., the Special Class After Care Society, and a number of community projects were heard at meetings during the year. A regional meeting, attended by members of six South Island N.C.W. branches, was looked back on with a “feeling of pride and achievement.” It was the first such meeting for six years. Addresses were given on racial integration and progress in education, and a panel discussion was held on homosexuality. A system of recommenda-tion-remits, tried during the year, had come to be appreciated by the branch, said Miss Saunders. Remits received by the Dominion office had been sent out to branches as recommendation-remits, delegates themselves decided whether or not these recom-mendation-remits should be dealt with as remits, and their decisions were sent to the Dominion office. Remits Discussed Some organisations in' which pressure of business, had precluded discussion of N.C.W. matters had formed remit sub-committees to discuss remits, and enable delegates to the council meeting to vote on the remits.

An innovation during the year had been i series of “two minute talks”, in which in turn, delegates to the council meetings had described the aims and activities of their organisation for other members.

The Associates Group had continued to play a significant role in branch affairs, and several more former delegates had joined to continue their interest in N.C.W. activities.