Y.W.C.A. WORK

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 105, 27 January 1933, Page 5

Y.W.C.A. WORK

. Summer Training Course A review of the changing conditions affecting the life of young women in the Dominion at the convention of the Y.W.C.A. last October led to the holding of a secretarial training course which has just concluded. By the kindness of the College Council, St. Margaret’s Residential Hostel, Dunedin, was lent for the purpose and staff members from all parts of the Dominion attended. These were for the most part those responsible for “programme work,” for it is realised that the activities of the Y.W.C.A. as a world-wide progressive movement have always to bo adjusted according to conditions obtaining. Unemployment among women presents many other phases than that of emergency relief. It means also a large margin of leisure and it is realised that this may mean enrichment and development, or it may mean deterioration and stagnation. For this reason education will receive renewed emphasis in the association’s programme in all' centres —the ac-

quircment of new skills, the enlargement of knowledge and training for citizenship. ' . . . . The : training school was a specialised one dealing with methods of programme work in the Y.W.C.A., educational principles, modern problems in religion, methods of religious education, etc. Miss Stevenson, national secretary of the Y.W.C.A. was in charge and was responsible for some of the studies in association history and organisation, historical study of the Bible, etc., and was assisted by Miss Audrey McCrea, of Wellington. Other speakers and lecturers were: Miss M. Black, of “Archerfield” (Principles of Education and Psychological Principles of the Adolescent Work in the Y.W.C.A.); Miss D. Lynn (Methods and Resources in Bible Study) ; Miss 0. Ashton (Principles of the New Psychology) ; Miss M. Law (Adolescent Psychology) ; Miss A. McCrea (.Summer Camps, and Leadership Training for Younger Girls’ Work) ; • Miss Joan .SpencerSmith (Prayer and Worship). Students in residence were: Misses D. JI. Lynn and M. Law (Auckland), M. Greenwell (New Plymouth), C. M. Ashton (Palmerston North), O. Burton (Wellington), M. Burnley and D. Bates (Christchurch), E. Bowbycjs (Lyttelton), IT. K. Lovell-Smith and Rosa White (Tiniarn). A. Kirkwood and E. Labes (Dunedin).