Palmerston North Townswomen’s Guild

Manawatu Times, Volume 60, Issue 99, 30 April 1935, Page 2

Palmerston North Townswomen’s Guild

ADDRESS BY DR. K. DEAN Mrs. A. E. Mansford presided over the meeting of tho Palmerston North Townswomen’s Guild held in the Empire hall yesterday, when there was a very largo attendance to enjoy the excellent programme presented. Tho stage was beautifully decorated, large bowls of African marigolds, dahlias and chrysanthemums making a lovely show of colour, tho artistic arrangement being tho work of members of the gardening circle.

Tho door hostesses were Mrs. Ren,wiek and Miss Cranston and tho tea hostesses, Mesdames D. Evans, W. G. Black, L. J. Melvor, Macpliersou, Barsanti, Dobson and Anderson. Reports from the various circles were presented by Mesdames Renwick, Davidson and Woodroofe and’ Mesdames Do Luen and Stewart were welcomed as new members. Appreciation was expressed of tho kindly thought of tho gardening circlo members in presenting posies to the president (Mrs. Mansford) and Miss Buchanan (secretary) at last committee meting.

Mrs. N. Blackmoro wrote acknowledging the guild’s good wishes for her trip abroad. “Bon voyage 11 wishes were extended to Mrs. E. E. Thompson, a member w T ho is leaving for the Old Country on May 10. And sympathy was expressed with Mesdames Cummins and Donliam, two members who are indisposed. The Importance of Relaxation The speaker for tho afternoon was Dr. Keurick Dean, who gave a most thought-provoking address on “Relaxation. 11

At the outset Dr. Dean explained tha't he intended to deal with ihis subject as considered from the psychological and social aspects. Emotion was not something which was manifest in the mind, the speaker said, but occurred in the body organic. A stirring of the body in certain vibrations such as anger, fear, love, constituted emotion. Pits of anger might be thought difficult to control but in this respect persons were lucky that anger existed in the body and not the mind. It!| should be realised that to control emotion it was necessary tq get down to the expression of the emotion through the body. Tho soldiers in tho front line who had been able to act courageously though attacked by fear, wore the men who had been able to stay at their posts and discharge their duties. Control was achieved by acting in a contrary manner. The Speaker went on to show that when a person experienced emotion the subconscious was bombarded with all -the sensations. If a person were subject to emotion to a tense-degree the subconscious would be in a state of tension. In that sub-conscious were all tho essential things that comprised the entity. The sensations streaming iu led to activity and that was tho importance of emotion and its power to disturb the sub-conscious. To-day we lived in an age of anxieties, tenseness, fear —emotions that had arisen from contagion. People in prominent places had uttered words of fearful apprehension. Others were caught by imitation —the warp and woof of social life. Thus with motorists some' one had set the fashion of driving quickly in order to save nothing in time—a foolish custom resulting in waste of energy through over tension, and exhaustion at the end of the day through the disturbance of file subconscious. Bad habits could bo prevented the speaker went on to say, and pointed out that the women of Norway, by dropping tho ideal of weakness and dependence and adopting a more rigorous way of living had changed tho customs of the country, and became wore healthy, overcoming tendencies to disease. To-day ive found people rushing to keep appointments; anxious about the future; wondering if thoro would be war. All this worry brought about nervous exhaustion, and a depletion of vitality ready for tho attack of germs aud disease. Germs did not live in people with strong reserves of vitality, the speaker said, and if we could- find a method for husbanding our resources and keeping our vitality high we should use it. The expert wrestler or boxer radiated a mysterious something which, was tho essence of personality because he was physically fit. The method of maintaining physical fitness was relexation which was the neutraliser of tension. Another name for relaxation was repose. The speaker urged upon his audience the importance for relaxation and stressed the necessity for doing it unconsciously. Thinking too strenuously about anything upset the laws of thinking and motion. As a means of achieving relaxation Dr. Dean gave tho following simple rules; —'When there is anything to do done avoid reflection upon it; avoid egotistical reflection about the result, and walk about quietly poised. Books on the subject were suggested and a practical illustration given of a helpful exercise to achieve vitality, poise and fitness. The vote of thanks was conveyed by Mrs. Mansford who also introduced the speaker. Pupils of Miss Babctto Rodgers entertained the company very charmingly with elocutionary items, those contributing being Marie Onglfiy, Pay Flood, Margaret Luoni and Jam.es Jamieson.