BUSINESS GIRLS

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 110, 9 April 1926, Page 8

BUSINESS GIRLS

TO-DAY’S LUNCHEON

ADDR.ESS ON Y.W.C.A. WORK. Tho Business Girls’ Luncheon Club mot to-day, when members wero given an interesting address on tho social activities of tho Y.W.C.A. by tho national secretary for Now Zealand, Miss E. M. Griffin, M.A. Miss D. Hollier presided. Miss Griffin stated at tho outset of her remarks that she was pleased to soo such clubs of the type of that of tho Business Girls’ Luncheon established in the towns. In Melbourne there was a similar, but larger, institution which had been fostered by the Y.W.C.A., and all over tho world, as signifying good fellowship, thero were these types of clubs every day springing up. In tho local club, though they had not yet formulated a constitution, they had this important element of good feeling. And similarly was that spirit at the bottom of tho Y.W.C.A.—a movement that most girls thought they should keep away from ; perhaps tho members themselves wore a hit suspicious of Y.W.C.A. secretaries and tho Y.W.C.A. ideals, “Well,” stated the speaker, “about 15 years ago wo wero as you think we are; but we aro not so now.” Continuing, the speaker said that educated people who had carefully analysed the movement would tell them that it was ono of the most intelligent organisations in tho world—an organisation that had been instituted over 70 years ago. It really grew out of the problem of girls leaving homo and going to tho cities, with the consequent temptations and tho need of suitable board and lodgings. In a the speaker gave members the broad principles of the instution: It was an international movement (there were something like 60 countries with Y.W.C.A.’s, including Estonia and Czecho-Slovakia) which meant really a world-wide league of friendship; it was interdenominational and its mernbership was very, very great; it included women of all denominations and no denomination at all. “We never think to ask a woman’s religion,” stated tho speaker, “we have a wonderful fellowship of all kinds of girls and women • we have the older and the youngei kind down to minimum ago of 14; we have women of great position, professional women, and wo have women of humble position and all classes of occupation.” In the Y.W.C.A. at Auckland where she had worked, Miss Griffin stated that there were 15 different working groups, so that the spirit of good fellowship could develop more freely. Miss Griffin was thanked at the conclusion of her remarks by Miss Hollier. In a few months’ time Miss Griffin is to tako over the duties of national general secretary for the Y.W.C.A. in Australia.