Soroptimist’s

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 261, 31 July 1937, Page 4 (Supplement)

Soroptimist’s

New Exclusive Organisation for Women New Zealand has many women’s organisations, but has yet: to form a Soroptimist Association. Soroptimism is an international movement among business and professional women, organised 011 exactly similar line to Rotary among men. and is one of the most, exclusive organisations in Europe to-day. TT had its origin in Oakland. Gali--1 forma, where Hie first Soroptimist club was started in 1921. Other clubs states “The Dominion’s” London correspondent., were soon established throughout tlie United States and Canada. In 1923 Great Britain’s finst dull was founded in London. The following year Paris’ women formed a club, and since then the movement has spread to many' towns in Great Britain, France, Holland, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Austria and other countries. European clubs are united with each other through the European Federation of Soroptimist Clubs, which in its turn is affiliated to the Soroptimist International Association. An international conference is held every’ four years, and the governing body of the European Federation meets annually. in Great Britain there are now about 40 clubs. I have called the Soroptimist organisation “exclusive.” This is because of the strict membership rules. Membership of it chib is limited to one member of each profession or business in file district where a club is formed. Once a member, a Soroptimist is entitled to enter any club meeting in the International Association in any part of Hie world, an advantage of special benefit to travellers. The chief objects of the movement are to encourage and foster high standards of professional and business life, to promote the spirit of service and true friendship among its members, to encourage civic movements for the | betterment of general social conditions, and to encourage the spirit of friendship and co-operation among representative women of different nations. 'The mime "Soroptimist” needs some explanation. It is derived from file Latin “sorer” and “optimus”—hence “best sisters.” Aly introduction to soroptimism was a meeting of the Central London Soroptimist Club. Sitting between a woman dentist and a woman ophthalmic surgeon, 1 listened to a talk on chartered surveying as a career for women. The speaker was soignee, darkhaired, and youthful Miss RoyaltonKisch, who is one of 1 he few women to have qualified as a chartered surveyor in England. 'There are. she told us, only about eight women members of the Institute of Chartered Surveyors, compared with 8000 men, but she recommended chartered surveying as a profession eminently suitable for women. Other women with interesting careers whom I met at this meeting included a well-known London portrait photographer, an accountant, an architect, a cinema proprietor, an incometax expert, (lie deputy-governor of a women's prison, a house-decorator and a barrister-at-law. Among tlie honorary members of the club are Mrs. Corbett-Asliby, Miss Margaret Bondfield, former Minister of Labour, Dame Maria Ogilvie Gordon, and Miss Ishbel MacDonald, Mr. Ramsay MacDonald’s daughter. Besides the Central London branch, there are three other soroptimist clubs in the London area. In the Greater London club, which has a large membership,, there are, I learn, such wellknown people as Miss Gwen Lally, the pageant master; Miss Mary Field, film director; Lady Hollywood, hotel proprietor; Miss Caroline Haslett, engi» neer and founder of that growing organisation the Electrical Association for Women: Lady Barrett, obstetrician and gynecologist; and Mrs. N'icloux Kerr, Hower painter, some of whose pictures have been bought by Queen Mary. To restore dripping that has beeonre dirty, melt it, add a half-teaspoon of soda and a half-teaspoon of salt to each pound. Pour boiling water on to it and stir it. When it is cold again, remove the fat. from the top, scrape the bottom, melt again, and let it heat slowly until all the water is drawn oil. The dripping will be found to be fresh and clean again.

When cooking pigs' trotters, dip them in cold water as soou as taken from the pot, and all sign of stickiness will be removed.