THE Y.W.C.A. MOVEMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17110, 15 March 1919, Page 11

THE Y.W.C.A. MOVEMENT.

; EDUCATIONAL DEPARTMENT. ; WORK AMONG BUSINESS GIRLS. \ The establishment in New Zealand and [ Australia of an industrial. department for t the general education of working girls J has been decided upon by the National i Board of the Young Women's Christian 1 Association, and Miss Jean Stevenson, late ' industrial secretary to the association in * Melbourne, has, been appointed national 1 industrial secretary of the combined asso- > I ciations. Miss Stevenson, who is a native I i of Dunedin, has been associated for many I years with women's work. ~ She recently ? returned from America, where she gradu- "' ated in the draining course in the Na- , tlonal Y.W.C.A. Training School in New . York,-and aat present in Auckland, en [ route to Sydney, to take up her appoint- . rnent. i Referring to the work, Miss Stevenson yesterday «aid she intended to visit the [ various centreß and organise clubs for the . purpose of interesting business girls in , educational; and social work—in short. > to train them in good citizenship. This , -work bad been carried out in 'Melbourne ( and, to a "much greater extent, in th» . United States. During the latter part ) of the war period she was engaged in thei formation of service clubs for women eni gaged in war work in the Pittsburg steel i, works. '} ...• j During the war,, said Miss Stevenson, . the work of the Y.W.C.A. in America , I had developed tremendously. The comi bined associationiihad raised £4,000,000 for their war work. Part of this had i been expended in providing housing ac- . commodation for munition girls.. Mother important branch was the provision of "hostess houses" in all the principal American military camps. In these '. houseß, recreation was provided for the I I troops and facilities provided for the reI ception of soldiers' relatives. The staff ' included interpreters for native visitors ' and couriers to convey important. news to * individual soldiers. The Y.W.C.A. was I I recognised as the greatest women's move- ' ment in America, owing to its well-or- ' i»anißed staff and good financial status., ' 'The American Government had placed ' all matters relating to women's work ■ iUnder its care. i - ——— *