Y.W.C.A. CELEBRATION

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 981, 23 November 1910, Page 6

Y.W.C.A. CELEBRATION

SPEECHES BY LORD AND LADYISLINGTON. FOURTH ANNIVERSARY. Last evening the. Town Hall presented i a very attractive- appearance upon the •occasion of the celebration of the fourth > anniversary, of the' Y.W.C.A. .'Possibly the. chief attraction consisted in the rows and rows of white-Crooked -fjirls of varying ages-that filled the organ seats and sang the choruses, under..the baton iof Mr. Robert Parker, so delightfully! Palms and pot-plants decorated the stage, while the front- of it was hidden with coloured drapings and lycopodium. Immediately in front of it, upon the floor below, which, had been carpeted for tlie occasion in' ' warm -crimson, ■ were a. number .of tables 1 covered with' quantities 'of beautiful' roses, while at one side of them were f ff. U P? U which had been placed most tempting looking cakes, entered for a cake competition. The gathering was presided over., by his Excellency Lord Islington, who was accompanied' by her Excellency Lady Islin?on, patroness of • the . association, and Oaptam. Shannon, aide-de-camp* in att™ t? S ° j if 1 t]l em upon -the stager* -? r: i an ? Mrs. M'Clay (president o£ tho society). Miss M'Lean ' thon. president),- Mr. Webster, and Mr. rr* lloLiues. Her Excellency was prefrE C a bouquet sent by E^te4 nd handed to by Mis 9 'i„S; 1S ?^ elknc y>-in opening. .the proceedings ot the evening, expressed on his own. ■ behalf and on that of her Excellency tho pleasure it gave them to be able to aa-'' tw fill them , selvcs . with an institution!'. KirvSn.'? 11 important part as thdt of the I.W.C.A. In this association tho main object is .to promote the encourage, rnent and assistance of as many youni \\oinen as possible who have aft'orded them te wpiirtoitics tht an organisation; of' this, kind can afford. . Here we-have a ii, 1 branch, one of the many that are now scattered, in all. parts of the world, not onlj-in those countries thai well T+c ßntoSll but ™ others ■«« l-™ 7 „ t Ejects must' be very well tion PleS , Cnt ' In an of thA ™ elsewhere, the. success ■ ». m °. Teme nt must largely, depend X n , 6 - < i n ? rgr and devotion of .thoso Offer, t0 !t : This' association . offers, and with great success, an agreeable and convenient, lome to those youil" fnrS «, ot i 6 "Bse:might not. have offorded them that advantage in life. It has a strong influence, and can. do much to increase the religious spirit of thosa I,who-enter its ranks,: as well S" tfon^ UC,Ilg , and tional advantages to those who come under the influence of its 60cial ■ atmosphere.- In- these days when the the world is to bring, women' into all its activities,. everything that 'must be°of a thA advancement ♦ greatest assistance in life, and as the tendency increases an organisation lite this will be of the greatest! service to them. His Excellency Spres ° : bis conviction that' the association) ! wonH be profitable, - useful, and .of greasassistance to young women in Welling*,'.

Dr. Fmdlay, in stating that he could) : only supplement what,his Excellency had ... said concerning the aims and needs of thai i association, said that in. looking over tW fourth annual report he had been- imJ pressed with the fact that the institution! r was entirely undenominational, that' iW floors were thrown open to friendless' '• :: young women of every creed. There was! -i need for such an institution as this. As! " the years pass and modern life, develop? more young women have to leave their 1 homes and enter into office, shop, and fac- ' ,* s , tb© _ trend of life and cannofi be . avoided, and they have to meet>ith> " all its temptations. An institution lit* tins affords a protection for friendlesa ' ■- y° un K. Y omen « Friendship and love ar9 essential for her, and here everyone ia' • helping to provide he? with it. An in-t . stitiition cased upon human Idndnessf a . succeed. Derision is f hef • ',°? criticism,' and thai • I'. y .\v.t..A. has had its share of derision, to '' face, people' calling'it a rayless institu-i " non ivhere all that is bright is frowned ~ at. Such' criticism the society must set! ' ' its face against. The religion of the as-i " sociation is one of humanity, and of love.' It is the centre of good feeling, of happi-'- vr ; •ness, of brightness. ' ' Her Excellency Lady Islington, in &, little speech made after she had pre-' sented the prizes, said "that although' l ' speeches at an assembly of . this natureusually played an important part, she intended to, be very brief, especially -as ' - there was a musical programme. ' It. had . been said that she was a public speaker, and .-she very much .regretted that it had " been said. They would find her nut to the contrary if' she spoke more than a ' few words. Until she came to New Zealand she had not known very much about - . the' Y.W.C.A.. but now that' she had : " learnt about its work it had her most in- ' : teiise sympathy. She had been to a " small meeting- some, few weeks, ago, and "" had heard Miss Anderson make a won- . - derful speech, and it seemed to her - if Jliss Anderson'gave up. her whole ' . life to furthering such a work one could ' not do better than support it. Before ' '■ com in? to New Zealand she understood that there were no charitable organisations of any kind," that -a hospital never wanted money, nor any other kind of institution. . . She" was a little surprised L; in.seeing in some lantern,slides pictures of most beautiful houses belonging to the t.'W.C.A. in America, Australia, and. V even in .China. In that case, ibscemed to her. tliev must .h.-.ve palnces in New V." Zealand. But, instead, in New Zealand. they have the smallest of all. At that time, they had; to depend upon the gene- . .V resity of the 'Y.M.C.A. for a loom in which to hold the meeting. She hoped that .this position would not last lon.', hut that -there would soon be'money to build a large place, where not only mind and body would 1 receive • training, ..." but that would possess a boai;din£. house as well. In Christ-church thev hall ' - 1 a much larger building than iri Wellington. 'It was very sad to think that . numbers who came to New Zealand 'to find situations and work have',no place -Vto go to. There is -no place for factory ' girls here. If everyone, however, puts ; J their heart into it we shall have as largo ■-C and prosperous, an association as else- ' - where in the world..

, A very , enjoyable musical programme was ' given ' during tho evening. The . ~ hymn, "0 God Our Help .in Ages Past," ' was sung. "New Zealand, My Hornet land," the first time of its performance, was. an interesting number, and- was greatly appreciated. Mrs. B.- M. Wilson ; 2 and Mr. B. Hoar sang the duet, "Lova •Divine," and Mr. Clarkson sang "The. -i lost Chord." Three more choruses, were ' given. "Sweet, the Angelas is.Kinging," two bracketed ones, "Golden Slumbers"'.,! mid "Hear-the Echoes," were very de- -■ - lightful. Mr. Eric Waters plaved "Cap- •• rice' Espagnol," and Mr. Hoar was 'onco more heard in "Smile and Bid .me Live." ; The competitors who were awarded • prizes in the flower and cake competi- ..■• tions were as follow Under twelve, fruit ! cake, , Maggie Rhynd; sponge cake, Eva . Williamson;, ginger cake, Pearl Welsford. Oyer twelve, fruit cake, Sadie Calvert ; special prize, May Mackie; snonge ■■ cake, Doris Rodgers; gingerbread, Mabel ° M'Dermott. For flowers, under 12: Buttonholes, E. d'Emden; special, —. Longhurst; basket of cut flowers, Clara Pal- . liser. Over 12: Shower bouquet, Vera '■ Hill; buttonholes, Ida Pulsford; basket ..; of cut flowers, H. Shaw; best collection of j carnations. .Toyce Baillie; best collection ' of roses, Frances'Hughes; special, Delia Thirkell. Two picked Rangitikei properties ara advertised for sale in this issue by Messrs. • A. H. Atkinson and Co.,' auctioneers, •> Feilding. < The missioner, the Rev. H. V. Stuart, M.A., will hold a farewell mission .service at St. Thomas's Church on Thursday next, November 24. Messrs. A. L. Wilson and Co. will sell : in their rooms, Brandon- Street, on Thursday, December 22, at 2.30 p.m.. a eectioa ■ of . land situate in tho Hutt district. While fishing off Dungeness, Mr. Bor.rough, of Wanstead Park, London, caught ■ a-conger weighing 1611b., and upon opening it found a wliole fresh herring ■< wrapped up in a German newspaper. ' L Tho spectacle of a yonng pig follow, ing a man like a dog was seen" in London Road, Kingston-on-Thames, recently. After calling at several shops the man. lifted the animal into his,cart and drove'. ; . away. .