NEWS FROM ABROAD

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 307, 22 September 1943, Page 5

NEWS FROM ABROAD

Working With The Y.W.C.A.

Formerly general secretary of Y.W. C.A. of New Zealand, Miss Jean Stevenson, who is at present working in tfie Y.W.C.A., Madras, India, has written to the association in Wellington giving news of her activities. She had just returned from a week’s training course which was the tail end of a South India summer conference.

By way of war work, Miss Stevenson .said, they had a weekly dance for soldiers and a Hostesses’ Club for Anglo-Indian and European girls that was extremely successful. Soon they hoped to have a ping-pong table, tea tables, carpets and cushions for it. The association also had a canteen nt the central railway station. The Madras Y.W.C.A was described. It had three hostels, set in a lovely compound of 10 acres, lawns, trees and a pond complete with water lilies and nesting ducks. One of the hostels was a favourite resort, for missionaries coining in for a few days, but lately it had also bee.u used by the military and for people who came over from Ceylon for medical treatment. To Visit Australia Lady Gowrie’s invitation to Mrs. Hilda Grenfell, former national president of the Y.W.C.A. of Great Britain, to visit Australia, has been accepted and Mrs. Grenfell hopes to arrive at. Australia next month. The New Zealand association has also cabled Mrs. Grenfell renewing its invitation to visit the Dominion. The association is hopeful that she may be present for its world fellowship programmes. Community service is the feature of the Sydney Y.W.C.A. girls.’ department. A group of club girls goes three nights a week to the Buddington Hospital for Women to assist wherever possible and some of them have,been asked to remain ut the hospital on Saturday nighls and sleep there, to help the nurses. The club also finances a cot at the hospital. Junior members go every Sunday to a children's playground, helping where necessary, seniors help in the Y.W.C.A. cafeteria at the weekend and other members go regularly to a crippled children’s home to entertain the patients.

Committee Elected. At the council meeting of the Dominion Federation of Townswomen's Guilds held in Wellington the election of committee members was as follows: — Chairman, Mrs. S. Albert; lion, secretary. Mrs. M. Baker: hon. treasurer, Mrs. D. Benstead, and Mesdnmes Archibald (Wanganui), Deans (Hastings), Denniston (Wanganui), Dobson (Daunevirke), Downs (Wellington urea federation), Moran (Lower Hutt), Faulkner Smith (Christchurch Central). Lovell Smith (Parkvale), Treacher (Nelson). Mrs. Curtis was reappointed editor ot “The Townswoman” and warmly congratulated on her work.

Youth Week. National Youth Week, which is being planned by the youth committee of the Campaign for Christian Order, will be held from September 26 till October o. The week will give the youth, ot every church and all national .Christian youth movements the opportunity to co-opcrate in a total youth programme.