Marriage Guidance Activity ‘Explosion’

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30452, 28 May 1964, Page 2

Marriage Guidance Activity ‘Explosion’

Rapid growth and exciting changes have been the keynotes of the last 15 months at the Christchurch Marriage Guidance Council, said the report presented at the council's recent annual meeting. New premises, generous finance, more counselling, fresh ideas in education, and notable visitors have all contributed to an ex- ; plosion in activity which has kept the executive working at pressure. “The most significant change, however, has been the unseen one of public opinion,” he report said. “The council is rapidly becoming accepted as an organisation which has a useful job to do in our society, and its efforts in trying to do that job are becoming recognised and appreciated." Those who were professionally involved in marriage breakdown, particularly in the medical and legal professions, were referring more and more cases to the organisation. The council was now also much more widely known to the general public. This situation was revealed in many ways, for example, in the number of people who went directly for help, “off the street,” to the council’s rooms. New Problems This growth and change created new problems. To meet increased demands for: service the council needed more counsellors and more educators. It needed more members to take a practical interest and spread knowledge of the work through all sections of the community, j the report said.

During the year the council received a grant of £2090 through the National Marriage Guidance Council—part of a large grant obtained with the help of the Justice Department—from the Golden Kiwi lottery funds. Accepting Grant “The executive had first to consider whether it would accept the grant." the report said. “It had to face the fact that refusal would make it impossible to expand counselling services, with even a prosnect of reduction. “The demand for services had grown so much that the executive could not allow its qualms about the source of the grant to outweigh its conviction that the council had a vital function to perform in the community.” The result was that in accepting the grant the council was relieved of financia* worries, with which it had been plagued for so long. The grant was for a year. The council should, as its work becomes better known seek financial help from industry and local government, said the report. Officers Officers were elected as follows: President, the Bishor of Christchurch (the Rt. Rev A K. Warren): vice-presi dents. Mr Justice Macarthur the Very Rev. M. W. Wilson. Messrs R. C. Aberae y, W J. Cartwright and Mrs Bernard Zeff: secretary, Mrs D S. Anderson: treasurer, Mr R A. Grainger, committee. Dr. M. H. Aiken, the Revs. P. S Downey, H. L Hopkins. J. S Vincent Messrs N. H. Buchanan (chairman). C. C. Maddren. J. Morrison, J. F. Robilliard. Mesdames A. K. Warren and P. H. Webb.