SERVICE FOR WOMEN.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 9, 8 December 1932, Page 2

SERVICE FOR WOMEN.

HOME SCIENCE STUDY. “All over the world the country women are coming into their own — they are banding • themselves into groups, for the consideration of their own special problems, the study of conditions affecting the health, wellbeing. and financial and social standing of themselves and their families and the development of their own personalities. More and more the importance of the farm home as the foundation stone on which the nation is built is being appreciated by those in authority in different lands —and measures are being taken to assist the women’s organisations towards making it more satisfying and more enlightened.” This is the opinion of Miss Violet Macmillan who, as the holder of the Sarah Anne Rhodes lecturing fellowship at the Victoria University College, arrived in Palmerston North this week to establish her headquarters at Massey College as a base from which to travel and give advice in domestic science matters throughout the Taranaki, Hawke’s Bay and Wellington provinces. Although this type of work is new to this part of New Zealand, it has been carried out through Otago and Southland by the home science extension service of the Otago University for the fast three years. Miss Macmillan was one of the travelling lecturers for two years and then, as the holder of a Sarah Anne Rhodes Travelling Fellowship, for a year investigated the value of extension education in domestic matters in the countries where it is most successfully being carried out. The ■ research took her to the United States of America, Canada, Great Britain, Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and the Australian States of Victoria and New South Wales.

First, it has definitely been to work through the existing women’s organisations and not to form a new one, and the executive officials of the Women’s Institutes and the Women’s Division of tho Farmers’ Union have approved of the suggestion that the local branch officials or a joint committee made up of representatives from the two organisations shall take all the responsibility for local meetings, meetincidental expenses, advertise, and see that the lecturer’s time in their district is used to the greatest possible effect. The first year district will be Manawatu, centred at Pahiatua (course commencing in March), Wanganui, Taranaki, Hawke’s Bay (centres and dates to be decided later). Groups will select their subjects for study.and programmes will be planned.