'GOOD TO BE BACK'

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 129, 2 June 1945, Page 12

'GOOD TO BE BACK'

MADRAS SECRETARY

SEVEN YEARS OVERSEAS

Pale and tired, but smiling and cheerful after wliat she described as a perfect trip across the Tasman, Miss Jeari Stevenson, until recently Y.W.C.A. general secretary ill Madras, arrived at Auckland on Thursday by flying-boat from Sydney to enjoy a long-deferred holiday. She was met on arrival by her two sisters, Mrs.. A. S. Neil, of Northcote. and Mrs. L. Fish, of Devonport, and. by Mrs. O, Peatfield, acting general secretary of the Auckland y.W.C.A. "It is ' good to be back after such a long absence," said. Miss Stevenson, who left: New. Zealand- seven years ago on a holiday trip to the East, after retiring from the position of liatoinal secretary in N v ew Zealand. After visiting Java. Miss Stevenson went as- a guest to Malaya, where she spent most of 1938. . .... . ; She was in Calcutta when war broke out and later helped with the evacuation from that city until the Y.W.C.A. I building was taken over by the military authorities.' In Madras a great deal of her work was entertaining the soldiers. INDIAN HOSTESSES. ' "Ours-was' the only non-commercial form of entertainment offering lor. the men," said .Miss Stevenson, "and our open nights once a week were most i popular. We had ten acres of lovely j grounds, and we used to have games. I dancing, supper, and all kinds of amusement for them. Then the hostel girls would help to organise four invitation parties a" month. I also organised an Indian hostesses group. It included older Christian women and those who had travelled, also a number of intelligent, well-educated, college girls, all of whom tried to arrange entertainments representative of India and to give the men some understanding of the real India. These parties were immensely popular with the men." Both in Calcutta and Madras. Miss Stevenson organised Indian business and professional'women's clubs. Many Anglo-Indian business girls joined, also j-oung Indian women teachers, doctors, nurses, and members of other professions. SHOULD BE INVITED TO N.Z. Miss Stevenson expressed the opinion that in order to build up friendship, sympathy, and understanding with Indian women, some of those qualified should be invited to come on to New Zealand nursing, hospital, and teaching staffs for a term to gain experience of western ways and ideas. In Madras, Miss Stevenson also arranged hospitality for English Wrens in transit from one place to another. Amenities for Indian girls in Madras included a library, organised games, hostels and. an international lunch club, besides the business and professional women's club. In India the unit is the family, and the, greatest success is obtained wheiv, the family can be included in whatever plan is organised. - In- summer, camps were arranged for' the• girls. VA big camp used to be-run for three or tour months at Anandaghirx (Hill of Happiness), in the hills near Madras. Here holiday periods were arranged for special groups, such as students,) mides. business girls, and so. on: The nlace had' now been taken over for refugees, but iHe Y.W.C.A. hoped to cef, H bnek soon. Miss Stevenson left yesterday for Wellington, on route to Dunedin.

Mrs M. Low. Remuera, Auckland, is vHtin'sj Wellington and is the guest of Mrs. F. Malcolm, The Crescent, Rosen<Dr James B.Licgins and Mrs. Lig"■jns of Thames, who have been spendfntf 'a few days in Wellington as the guests' of Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Carr, have relumed north.