Whangarei Women’s Civic League Meeting

Northern Advocate, 13 May 1939, Page 5

Whangarei Women’s Civic League Meeting

j The monthly meeting of the Whangarei Women’s Civic League was held on Tuesday in the Y.W.C.A, . rooms, Bank Street. There was a ! splendid attendance of members pre- ■ sided over by Mrs W. J. Dawson.

After routine business had been concluded a short talk was given by Mrs Allen, excerpts being taken from the lives and activities of Florence Nightingale, Mary Slesser and Mary Elmes.

Mrs Allan gave the meeting an outline of the great obstacles put in the way of Florence Nightingale and her brave helpers by the government and army, before they went to Russia to nurse the wounded soldiers during the Crimean War, and, how eventually their efforts were recognised and appreciated, and so the great army of trained nurses came into being. Devoted Lives To Natives. Mary Slesser, continued Mrs Allan, was born in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, of very poor parents. When she grew to womanhood she trained as a missionary and devoted her life to ministering to the natives of West Africa. She built schools and mission houses and made the twin babies of the natives her special care for when twins were born the natives believed evil spirits entered their bodies at birth and the poor mites were .usually left in a forest for wild beasts to devour or else to die from starvation.

These children grew up to be very useful men and women, greatly loving their “white ma.” By her bravery and calmness of spirit this woman quelled many uprisings among the natives, who named her “the peacemaker.”

Mary Elmes came later to carry on the same good work, gaining for her long years of service, the decoration cf the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.

The president passed ,a hearty vote of thanks to Mrs Allan for her talk, and hoped she would again deliver an address. This was carried by acclamation. Attack By Aeroplanes, Mrs Hirtzeli asked if the league would consider preparing an item for the Women’s Institute concert which takes place at the end of July—other women’s organisations had been asked to contribute an item to the programme. After some discussion Mrs Potts was elected to try and find members willing to assist 1 with an item at the concert. There was also some discussion about just how league members could help in the event of New Zealand being attacked by enemy aeroplanes. The president said it was ,a burning question among all local women’s organisations, but she had learned on good authority that it was from Government offices in Wellington that instructions would go to the mayors of the various centres, as to the different duties for which willing women could be enrolled.

It was suggested that it would be advisable for members to take ,a course in first aid .and attend the St. John ambulance class held .on Wednesday evenings in the Y.W.C.A. rooms. It was .also suggested that all members, whore possible, should learn how to drive a motor car or lorry.

Nothing definite was fixed, however, and an interesting meeting closed with the serving of afternoon tea.