Y.W.C.A.

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6886, 16 April 1929, Page 11

Y.W.C.A.

EXECUTIVE AT HOME. Members of the board and committee met at the Y.W.C.A. club rooms yesterday, when a delightful time was spent by members and their friends. The guest of honour was Miss Ethel Law, the Y.W.O.A. National Secretary of New Zealand, who is a visitor to Palmerston North for this month, on important Y.W.C.A. v^ork. Mrs L. A. Abraham, president of the board, recoived tho guests, who were made at home immediately, each member of tho board acting as hostess to her own table of friends. A programme of music, rendered by the Misses Gunter (violin and piano), Mrs Kendall (song), Misses Brydon and McDonald (duet), Miss Joan Wycherley (piano), Miss Lorna Ferguson (recitation), was enjoyed. Accompanists wero Mrs Kingston and Miss Dorothy Stevens. Afternoon tea proved a very cheery affair, which was a credit to tho hostesses./ Budapest, Miss Law, who recently returned fiom the world’s conference held at Budapest, was only able to give an outline of her activities during her absence, but so well did Miss Law describe her travels that her audience was interested from the moment she began to speak. It took' six weeks’ very solid travelling to arrive at Budapest from New Zealand, which meant continuous - travelling, with the exception of two : days, which were spent in London. ‘ Tho trip down the Rhine, said the . speaker was a voyage of wonder. One j needed to be there really to take in the „ beauty of it all. Prague, which is tho ■ capital of the new state, Czeeho- ! Slovakia was visited. The buildings j there were an aehitectural wonder, and - the national spirit of independence pre- j vailed. Other places visited were Bratis- , lava, famed for hand-embroideries, Nuremberg, where the speaker went to - an art exhibition in celebration of tho . fourth centenary of Durer. Also visit- ' cd wero Munich, with its glorious art ! galleries and music, Vienna, where they ' wero having the centenary of Schubert j opera and music, which indeed Miss ; Law had the privilege of hearing in - Schubert’s own house, and Paris, when ( they were holding the July 14 eelebra- ; t:ons. A most delightful tramp was - taken through tho Tyrol. Tho beautiful bridges were always a source of won- ■

In Budapest, where, in spite of all the poverty,- thcro was that feeling of jovousness always present, the peoplo were ever interesting. Of the conference, Miss Law said' that almost every part of the world was represented. The speaker was chairwoman at one period of the conference of a group’ of 30 people including 18 different nationalities and interpreters would later report the meeting in all the languages spoken.

The conference would hold a huge meeting every day to discuss the aims of Y.W.C.A. work. The theme of tha greater part of those discussions was to try to develop a better feeling of fellowship and kindred spirit. Most of the women who wero present had actually experienced the horrors of the world war, and so felt the dire and urgent necessity of trying to build up for our growing girls and boys a better and truer understanding one of the other. Tho improving of conditions of work, where girls and boys would get a chance and not begin and end still struggling for their very existence, and knowing and seeing nothing of the beauties of health and life, was also necessary; Cases were instanced, such as China and Japan, where the boys and girls were merely one of many millions. The conference was likened to a reunion of Christians, representing I every denomination, from every great [ church in tho world. It was truly a marvellous gathering of wonderful women, all striving to do that service j for the better development of tho boys and girls of the world, and it was i the duty of womon to think and work! out the problem of the boys and girls j of the present and the future. Palmerston North alone, tiny as it was in comparison, had a Y.W.C.A. hostel, where fully 300 girls passed through each year. It was a work that had the help and sympathy of almost everybody. It j was like a programme- of education,} where one could extract the very best ir. our young womanhood. The younger girls had., a codcj tot

which all girl citizens tried to be loyal. “That through truth and beauty thej may help to build the spirit of their country." Appeal For Interest. What a wonderful thing it was, said Miss Law, to see girls interested in healthy games and sport. An appeal was made to the women present to support her in this matter, if they were not members, to become members. They were not asked to go to all activities. It was ever so small a subscription that would go towards the making of a healthy and strong-minded nation. Even the gifts of fruit, or flowers, and the rendering of music, all helped, the association. How m\ny people kpew that the Y.W.C.A. club room was available at any hour of the day for. women and girls who cared to make use of it as a rest room and where mothers could sit awhile with their children instead of sitting about w r aiting for trains or buses? There were over 100 girls each week who met at the club room of an evening, which again meant that the basis of the the aims of the YiW.C.A. was friendship and friendliness. Miss Law concluded by asking anybody desirous of helping the association in any way to ring Miss Hardie, the local secretary, at the. club rooms. Mrs Crabb moved a very hearty vote of thanks to Miss Law for her thoroughly enjoyable talk, and Mrs G. G. Hancox, to the hostesses of the afternoon.