COUNTRY WOMEN’S WEEK

Evening Star, Issue 23122, 23 November 1938, Page 1

COUNTRY WOMEN’S WEEK

OPENING FUNCTION The delegates to the second annual Country Women’s Recreational Week were welcomed to the. city at a function held at the Somerset Lounge yesterday afternoon. Mrs W. Elliott, provincial president! of the Women’s Division of the Farmers’ Union, in the course of her remarks thanked the citizens for their co-operation, which had enabled sueii an attractive programme to be arranged. The city possessed many amenities, and was generously offering the use of them for the enrichment ot the visitors. The mayor (Mr A. H. Allen) was also present, and extended a welcome to the visitors on behalf o£ the citizens of Dunedin.

Extending a welcome on behalf of the Dunedin branch of the National Council of Women, JVlrs Peter Milne said that the women’s division was linked through the National Council with the International Federation, which had as its aim the furthering of any movement for the uplifting of humanity and the linking together of women Of all nations. She made a suggestion that in next year’s programme more attention should be given to the study of the great world outside the Dominion, To-day, when democracy was challenged by dictator States, it was essential that the inhabitants of tho'demporacies should be sufficiently well informed to have their own ideas about international affairs. Just a few weeks ago New Zealand was within an ace of being dragged into a terribia war on account of admail of ; 4>eoj)le ih Central Kurpfje abpaS' whom'mpst New; Zealanders knew nbthing... ButM international affairs was too wide a subject, attention at least could be-given to Pacific affairs, for trends to-day seemed to indicate that in the near future New Zealand would be faced with problems of which she bad never dreamed. Mrs J. 11. Fairbairn welcomed the visitors on behalf of the, Y.W.C.A. She emphasised the great benefits which would be derived from such organised visits, and contrasted the conditions of to-day with those of 30 years ago, when such an occasion would have been well-nigh impossible. Even as town and country were closer linked to-day, so were countries, and the responsibilities of all to make the best of their abilities were greater to-day, when no race could live to itself any more than could any individual.

Professor Strong, of the home science department, University of Otago, ia the course of her welcome quoted some advice which had been given in America by Mrs Compton, whose four children had achieved such outstanding distinction in research and education that she herself had been given an honorary degree by one'university. It' was- really, said Professor Strong, a degree for a good mother. Mrs Compton had said that her only guides had been the Bible and common sense, and she had urged her family to work fop work’s sake and not for money. .She mothers not to laugh at tho tunny ideas of their children, but to keep their confidence and he interested in their interests. These things, added Professor Strong, could he recommended to any mother in a demooratio country. In the totalitarian States to obey was to be good. If the heritages of the democracies were to be retained, she concluded, children would require to be taught to think for themselves, not to reproduce facts and other people’s opinions. Mrs G. Fitzgerald (Otago Women’s Club), Mrs W. H. Borrie (New Zealand Federation of University Women), Mrs G. Glue (Home Economics■ Association) , and Mrs J. H. Drake (a member of the executive of the women’s division) also welcomed the visitors. The visitors were free for their owa engagement* durinv the evening.