WOMEN’S WORLD

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 123, 24 April 1936, Page 12

WOMEN’S WORLD

WOMEN’S INSTITUTES

NORTH ‘WELLINGTON FEDERATION. ELECTION OF OFFICERS. The annual meeting of tlie council of tlie North Wellington Federation of Women’s Institutes, hold in the Municipal Hall, was concluded yesterday afternoon. Proceedings were resumed with the institute song, “Comrades and Friends.” Miss E. iiindle officiated as teller during the election of officers, all the members of last year’s executive being returned. Miss Grant was unanimously re-elected president, and was accorded musical honours. It was decided to hold tlie next halfyearly meeting at Fcilding. A recommendation to go forward to the incoming committee is that the affiliation fees lie paid three months before the annual meeting. A resolution was put forward by the Makino Institute that at small A. and P. Shows there should be only one class for institute displays, and at a large Show there should not be more than three classes. This was carried.

It was decided to forward to the Dominion executive a recommendation that the annual general meeting of the Dominion Federation, to have been held' at Dunedin in July, should be postponed. This recommendation was made in order that Airs Alfred Watt, Canadian founder of the Women’s ■ Institutes, and one of the most famous countrywomen of the world, may be suitably welcomed at tlie meeting. Mrs Watt has been invited to New Zealand by tlie institutes to celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of the movement. The New Zealand delegates who are going to attend the conference of the Associated Countrywomen of the World at Washington will then be hack in time to attend the meeting also. Kopane Institute proved the winners of tlie roll-call competition. ? Two scholarships are to be provided at the Fcilding Agricultural High School in 1937 by the North Wellington Federation, one for a hoy and one for a girlj it was decided. The boy will take an agricultural course, and the girl a home science course. An examination will decide the tiro successful scholars.

The president urged members of institutes to support the journal of the movement.

A musical demonstration was presented by Miss Mona Dean,,assisted by her pupils. The demonstration was thoroughly enjoyed, and when the pupils concluded with “Auld Lang Syne” tlrev were accorded hearty Reclamation. A vote of thanks wa.s moved to Miss Dean and her pupils by Mrs Drew, who said the demonstration was an inspiration to the institutes to carry on with their music. TRAVEL TALK.

An interesting travel talk, “Different Ways and Different People,” was given by Miss J. Hume, M.A. Miss Hume said that the people of New Zealand were more like the English people than any other colonials. The New Zealanders, however, in her opinion, had a little more initiative, as they did not live in a land with so much tradition as England; but this was balanced bv the fact that tlie English people, living as they did in a country with such a depth of culture, showed evidence of an extra culture which New Zealanders did not have. She also thought that people in New Zealand were perhaps a little more progressive, explaining this by .saying that she had been surprised to find in England that there were very few built-in cupboards :n kitchens, and not so many “gadgets" as used by the housewife in New Zealand. Also, tilings which had been going on for hundreds of years in England were still going on, for example, the market habit. The English' people had a great affection for animals. There was a greater prevalence cf beggars in England, particularly in London. The speaker also said that the peasant class was more evident in England than in New Zealand, and she would say that that was so cn the Continent also. Speaking of Germany. Miss Hume said the people there struck her as

(By “Nanette.”!

BUSH-AVAIBARAPA i'EDERAHON.

being like ours, and were of a Teutonic type. She had felt the close affinity. The Germans were a strong, fine, upstanding people, with a great pride in phy’sique, and the present regime was emphasising the latter. Women did not “make up/' It was interesting to note that women were being trained ill Germany to be good wives and mothers, special classes for this being held in the evenings. Germany was getting down to the roots in this regard, and not only concentrating on the children, hut on the mothers before the children were born. Continuing, Miss Hume gave some chatty sidelights oil meals on the Continent, shops and the opera. In Russia peasants were numerous, and women occupied a number of positions. At Moscow there was a hostel at the station for mothers travelling with children. In spite of the differences she had mentioned. Miss Hume concluded Ji.v saying that she believed that,- fundamentally, people of all nations were the same, with the.same joys and sorrows. It was an infinite pity, then, that to-day we should be drifting into hostile acts. Nations should learn to understand one another more, by greater contact. She expressed the opinion that the League of Nations was the only means of bringing about that understanding. The League might have failed as far as the Italian-Abyssiiiian question was concerned, but that' was probably because it had not had the support" it should have had. ~ She stressed the need of according the League of Nations ardent support, on the part of every individual. On the motion of Airs Guthrie, Miss Hume was accorded a vote of thanks. Miss Hindle was accorded thanks for her assistance to the gathering. An arts and crafts display attracted attention and drew forth appreciative comment. It included an exhibit by the Makino' members, which was placed second recently at a Hawke’s Bay exhibition. Afternoon tea terminated the meeting. At a subsequent meeting of the executive. Mesdames Waring-Taylor • and MeCorkindale were re-elected vice-pre-sidents. Airs AV. G. Short (lion, secretary) and Afrs Barnicoat (treasurer). Afiss Grant was given leave of absence, Airs Waring-Taylor to preside in tlie interim.

ANNUAL REPORT. The annual report of the BushYYairarupa Federation of Women s Institutes, ’which was presented at the annual council meeting, held on Wednesday at the Mastervon. Parish Hall, stated, inter alia:—“New institutes have been formed at ltongokokako. Upper Plain, Parkvale, and Poro-j.*oro-i\gaumu. Other* locallities are under consideration, blit it is necessary, in forming new institutes, to guard against overlapping with those already existing. 'llns federation feels great pleasure and honour in the fact that a member of two of its institutes (Aiangamutu and Paliiatua) has been elected by the Dominion executive committee as a delegate from the New Zealand' Institute to the conference of the Associated Countrywomen of the World, to be held in Washington next June. AVe refer to our beloved Dominion president, Airs li. Paterson. The financial statement to he presented will show our members the extent to which we, on theiT behalf, have supported the different activities, both in and beyond our own federation. Of the latter we refer to the approaching visit of the founder of the institute movement in Great Britain, Airs Alfred Watt, president .of the A.C.AV.AV.; to the sending of a delegate to AVashington to the conference of that body, and we have reason to believe that this is being also splendily supported by our institutes themselves; and to the support of the institute endowment fund by the placing of two names thereon. Of the former we have fully met our obligations by forwarding our quota of 10s per institute and the correct proportion of our affliation fees, to the Dominion Federation; AVe wish to express our appreciation of our proportion of the profits from the calendar forwarded to us with a true institute message from our sister federation oi Northern AVellington. As we have again come to an annual election, we wish to express our regret that Airs Cowlan has been unable to accept renomination on account of ill-health. She is an experienced coinrfiiuee member, having been a member _ol the original Hawke’s Bay Federation as president of Eketahuna Institute, that institute having been formed m November, 1926. Her keen insight and bright personality will be missed by the new committee. AA’e much regret to say that Airs Jolly has also not accepted renomination. For the two years that she has been a member of this committee she has been absent mi only three occasions—in wet or t flie weather making the trip from Mnrtinborough to help with the work. AVe can only hope that at a later date she will give an executive committee the benefit of her understanding, help and ability. The number of institutes that sent delegates to the first annual meeting and the halfyearly council meeting shows that the 'rule t-o hold these gatherings m di liferent loealittes is appreciated. During the year, to enable all ro put their problems before us-person-ally, so that we can try to help them, every institute has been visited either by a voluntary organiser or a member of the executive committee. Our president has personally, during the period under review, visited half the institutes in the federation, giving the benefit of her experience to institute .officers and members.. AVhen there are Maoris in any locality the women are encouraged to join the nearest institute, and we trust that they derive benefit and happiness from the meetings. Onr drama, music and folk dancing sub-committee is niokimr arrangements for two drama schools’ to be held, one in AVairarapa and one in the Bush area to be followed by a drama festival in each locality, and an eliminating contest for our federation’s trophies. Miss A. M. Sargent, of Makomako, is the convener. with Airs AVylie. ol Nikon, and Mrs Johnston, of Carterton, is Cn. secretaries of the respective areas. AVe wish the incoming committee every success and happiness. P.N. TOAVNSAVOAIEN’S GUILD. The monthly meeting will be held ill the Empire Hall, Alonday, April 2/tli, at 2.30 p.m. Programme: National Afternoon. Items by Miss M... Cranston, Mrs A. I. Bagnall, Aliss James, Aliss Jean .Scott’s Pupils.