VISIT OF MISS JEAN STEVENSON

Evening Star, Issue 21079, 16 April 1932, Page 23

VISIT OF MISS JEAN STEVENSON

A very successful “ at homo ” was given by Mrs J. Sutherland Ross on Thursday afternoon, when guests were invited to meet Miss Jean Stevenson, national secretary of the Y.W.C.A. In the course of a short talk, Miss Stevenson gave a survey of the outstanding points in the history of this world-wide movement. “ The Young Women’s Christian Association has been called * The Christian side of the woman movement.’ Ever since the far-hack days of 1855 it has been moving alongside women in their change from sheltered home life to educational and political and economic freedom. The tremendous changes in the life of woman during the last 100 vears have meant a constant adjustment to entirely new conditions and the Y.W.C.A. has represented_ the thought and care of public-spirited people in helping in those adjustments. FOUNDATION OF Y.W.C.A. “ It was just after the Crimean War that Ladv Kinnaird took over a little hostel that had been used for the girls who were going out to help Florence Nightingale, and founded the Y.W.C.A.,” Miss Stevenson continued. “ Girls were just beginning after the upheaval of that war to move out from the circle of home, modern business was beginning its development, and Lady Kinnaird and her group saw that the need of a home for the girl away from homo was the first apparent thing. But, of course, that was not the only need of this timid young woman launching out for the first time. She needed training to become self-supporting, so a sewing class came into being. She needed friendship and social life. If she were a girl coming from the Continent to be a governess in an English familv she would need some English teaching, help in finding employment, as well as this ever-present need of friendship and understanding. “ These things began in simple, little ways—but the underlying principle is the same—whether it is the great Y.W.C.A. buildings of America, with their educational departments, their gymnasiums and swimming pools, and the thousands of girls swarming in and out of the building, or whether it it in the rural Y.W.C.A. of China, or the Y.W.C.A. of an industrial city in Japan. The Y.W.C.A. is planted in every city to minister to the needs of the girls of the city, and with the inspiration of its Christian purpose, to build tho best type of womanhood, without regard to class or race or creed. The Blue Triangle badge is a reminder of the aim to develop body, mind, and spirit into a balanced personality. WAR WORK. “I always put it down to the adaptability of women that this movement, begun in the days of bonnets and hooped skirts, and growing steadily in tho early days of the woman movement, has 'known an even greater expansion in the war and post-war period,” said Miss Stevenson. “ Many of you know that the American Y.W.C.A. was charged with tho care of all the nurses, telephonists, W.A.A.C.’s and Signal Corps girls who went to France. In every American camp the Blue Triangle hostess house was tho place to which all women_ visitors went to meet their soldier friends and relations, and the foyers which were opened for tho munition workers in France, and the recreation work of the soldiers in towns near camps were

all part of the work of the Y.W.C.A. They were a recognition that the factor that matters most in the life of a man is the right kind of girl. “ I have spent twenty years of my life in this movement, most of the time in Australia or New Zealand, and I am convinced that the Y.W.C.A. has the power to reach the girls of _ our own country and to be a constructive char-acter-building factor in a way that no other movement can. People to-day need the inspiration of _ a Christian motive that is not limited by one church or creed. They need the enlargement of vision that fellowship in an international movement gives. They need training in responsibility —even though it begins in simple group life like the Girl Citizens, they need the stimulus to a growing personality—and for many these things must come outside of formal school education. “ To-day we are nil feeling new claims and lessened resources,” Miss Stevenson said. “ Some people are apt to think that in a time of need the provision of food and shelter is all we can be concerned about. But the disastrous effect of unemployment in the life of a girl is not the loss of food and shelter—even in the terrible depression of Melbourne, it has been easy enough to provide that, and how much more possible in a bountiful country like New Zealand—but the loss of interests, of friends, of occupations, of recreations—these are the things that lear to discouragement and despair. Do not think the clubs and classes and sports and the committees. of the Y.W.C.A. as ‘extra frills,’ to be curtailed in a time of depression—these things were never more needed if we are to keep up the morale of the young people in whom the future of our country lies. And its service agencies,, cafeteria, hostels, and lounges need to be carried on with more alertness even if they cannot produce revenue.”.' At the conclusion of her address, the mayoress (Mrs R. S. Black) thanked Miss Stevenson and said that the need was never greater for work among unemployed women and girls. She was proud* that one of our own girls should have been chosen to fill such an important post as national secretary of the Y.W.C.A.. Afternoon tea was served in the dining room, and many of the guests took the opportunity of renewing acquaintance with Miss Stevenson, and finding out more of the important work on which she is engaged.

On Thursday Miss Stevenson was the guest of the Rotary Club at % its weekly luncheon, when members’ wives were also invited to hear something of Miss Stevenson’s work in the Y.W.C.A. On Friday, members of the Otago Women’s Club arranged a luncheon talk at which Miss Stevenson was the speaker. Lady Ferguson introduced her to those present, saying that the members of the club felt their indebtedness to the Y.W.C.A. for the special work leing done for women in these critical times. Miss Stevenson gave an interesting account of the varied programme carried out for the betterment of the girls of New Zealand, and in doing so stressed especially the present policy of the associar tion in regard to tlm protection of its members, a policy which aimed at protection from within and not from a series of prohibitions. It tried to teach the girls to want only what was highest and best, so that it would not be necessary to hedge thein round with rules and regulations which seemed made only to be broken. At the conclusion of the talk Mrs R. H. Barron proposed a vote of thanks to Miss Stevenson, and assured her of the sympathy of

club members in her work and them desire to render help where necessary, Mrs Sutherland Ross thanked Lady Ferguson and members for giving Miss Stevenson an opportunity to tell them something of what their association was aiming at. On Friday afternoon Miss Black arranged an " At home ” at Archerfield in Miss Stevenson’s honour, and in the evening Archerfield Old Girls’ Association invited members _ from all other old girls’ associations in Dunedin to a special evening, when they were given an opportunity of meeting Miss Stevenson and hearing something of that phase of her work which specially m-t terested them.