Miss M. Robbie’s Mk Experience

Northern Advocate, 20 July 1949, Page 6

Miss M. Robbie’s Mk Experience

Her world-wiae experiences as a secretary for YWCA clubs were recounted to a meeting of women in the Whangarei YWCA Hall yesterday by the acting general secretary (Miss Margaret Robbie). Miss Robbie has been connected with die association for 25 years and has worked in and visited Australia, including Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney and Geelong; England (Brixton and Nottingham); Canada (Kingston, Quebec, Vancouver and Toronto); Palestine (Jerusalem, Jaffa, Nazareth and Haifa); Egypt (Cairo and Port Said); and the U.S.A. (Chicago, Detroit, Honolulu and elsewhere). “No matter what country one visits, one will always receive a warm welcome from members of the association, who number more than 2,000,000 in 60 countries,” Miss Robbie said.

Her address mainiy concerned her successful efforts to strengdien a weak club :n the Siuni area of Brixton. "There Is nothing one cannot do if one set.*, ones nurni to :V she remarked IN BRIXTON SLUMS From a dismal-looking building with only- a few members, she built up the club until it was undertaking all manner of activities and was eventually able to support a 40-bed hostel. The building for the hostel was bought for £2500, a considerable sum for a ciub in a sium area. It was fu.msned reconditioned, and eventua iy jpe-ned by Royalty. Miss Robbie promised me meeting that, by the beginning of next year,

when a permanent secretary will take over, most, if not. all, of the Whangarei YWCA's functions would be recommenced and the club would be back to its former strength.