MANY LUNCHEONS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 12, 14 July 1939, Page 14

MANY LUNCHEONS

ROUND TABLE CLUB

THE YEAR'S PROGRESS

A membership roll of 57 and a record of 17 luncheons held during the year was reported at the annual meeting of the-Business and Professional Women's Round Table Club at the Y.W.C.A. on Wednesday night. Subjects of definite interest to members had been discussed at the luncheons, when wellknown* people had given addresses catering for the cultural as well as industrial, interests in the club.

The president, Miss- M. L. Toulson, who was in the chair, read from .the annual report a comprehensive account of activities during the year. The following had addressed the club: Mrs. R. Kelso, Miss Lambie. Mrs. C. Stewart, M.P., Mrs. Knox Gilmer, Dr. G. Jacobi, Dr. Sylvia Chapman, Mrs. Blamires. Miss N. Scanlan. Dr. Mary Champtaloup, Mrs. Nelson (Vancouver), Mrs. David Smith, Mrs. Leslie Lipson, Mr. K.- Gunji (Consul for Japan), Colonel A. Cowles, Dr. Elizabeth Gunn, and Mrs. M. H. Chatfield, M.B.E. Other social functions had included a reception at which Mrs. W. R. Davidson spoke on her travels through Norway and Sweden; a "bring and buy" garden party at Miss Toulson's home in Khandallah, which had resulted in a net profit of £11; and a tea meeting on March 22, the last of a series, when the Pan-Pacific study group had taken the place of the usual gatherings. The club had combined with the women's auxiliary of the Y.W.C.A. to give a luncheon at which Dr. Sylvia Chapman had been guest speaker. One of the outstanding events of the year had been the visit of Miss Ruth Woodsmall, general secretary to the world's Y.W.C.A. at Geneva, who had o iven up her one free evening during her visit to speak to the club. -

Commenting on the progress the" club had made during.the year, Miss Toulson said that numerically its membership had advanced by seven. Financially, the organisation was in a poor state, this being mainly due to.the fact that 200 copies of the collection of sex and life lectures had been printed and distributed gratis to all women's organisations. Money from receipts of the lecture's themselves had paid for the books which had not been as well received in the Dominion as had been expected. A considerable number had. however, gone to Australia, and the ; club felt honoured by a request which had been received through Dr. Chapman for permission either to print the book t London or to supply copies in bulk. Permission had been given for the former. The pensions age for women had .een the subject of keen.discussion in the club, the report continued, and letters to the Hon. Walter Nash as well a*s to the Press had been wr'an on the subiect by members.

FEDERATION OF CLUBS.

The Federation of the Business and Professional Clubs of'the "Y." with the ultimate object of affiliating with, the International- Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs, was the final item dealt with in Miss Toulson's report. A proposed constitution had been drawn up early in the year by a committee comprising Miss E. Law, Miss E. Fitzgerald, Miss: C. Norris, Miss Sifnpkins. and Miss Toulson. and a rough draft submitted to all clubs. The constitution was finally passed at a Dominion Conference held, through the kindness of Miss Wilson, at Queen Margaret College at Easter. Dr. Sylvia Chapman, Miss Irene Wilson, and Miss Law were chairmen ip succession during the conference, an# the following officers were elected for; the Dominion: —Dominion president; Miss Margery L. Toulson (Wellington); Dominion vice-presidents. Miss Dorothy Lupton (Whangarei), Miss Eileen Stubbs (Auckland); Dominion, executive, Miss Myra Duncan (Christchurch, Mrs. De Muth CVsllington). Miss Gladys McAndrew (Wellington), Miss Irene Madden (Palmerston North), Miss Elsie Harper and Miss Mary Seaton (Wellington). : ■ It was felt that the forming of the: | federation was a step of importance i to women in New Zealand and the representative group of business and I professional women oteadily gathering! under the ever-widening ramifications of the Y.W.C.A., not just of New Zealand, but of the world, and would link women- still more closely together for j the common good. j

A letter of congratulation had been received from Miss Gordon Holmes, finance chairman of the International Federation of Great Britain, and also a cable, wishing the New Zealand Federation every success, from Miss Ruth Wobdsmall, secretary of. the World's Y.W.C.A. at Geneva. From Bergen, Norway, a cable had come asking New Zealand to appoint an international vice-president to the. board and nominations were now being received, the report concluded.

ELECTION OF OFFICERS. l

The election of officers resulted, as follows:—^President, Miss A. Bethel; vice-president, Mrs. M. De Muth, Misses M. Toulson, E. Fitzgerald, xnd. E. L. Hooper: secretary Miss A McCorichie; treasurer. Miss G. Kerry; committee. Misses Maxwell, Denton. H. Wilson, E. Billing, I. Tandy, and G. McAndrew.

*At the conclusion of the meeting Miss Ethel Lane, national secretary of the Y.W.C.A.. gave. a..talk on future programme work. •