WOMAN'S WORLD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18272, 13 December 1922, Page 14

WOMAN'S WORLD.

EOOIAL NEWS, Mrs. A. L. Foster, who has been on a Tisii to Sydney, returns to-day by the MoerakL Mr and Mrs. Charles Rhodes and Miss Rhod'es left town on Saturday on a visit to Rotorua, Mrs. A. L. Johns, who has bean living at Cargea, has now taken a houso in Orakei Road. Mrs. Gage-Brown of Epsom, left by Sunday night's express en routo to Dunedin, where she will stay with friends. Mr. and Mrs. A. Gaffney have arrived on a visit from Sydney and are staving with Mrs. Cotter, Reniuera Road. Mr. and Mrs. K. A. Green, of Christchuich, have returned from a trip to England, and are staying at the Grand Hotel. Mrs. E. Wilson and family are leaving town on Saturday for Waiheka, where they will stay over the Christmas holidays. Mr. Justice Herdman and Mrs.. HerdTrisn have taken a furnished house at Claudelands during the Supreme Court sessions. Mr. and Mrs. H. P: Kissling, who have been on an extended tour through Europe and America, are returning at the end of the week by the Niagara. Miss Mamie Spicer has returned to Auckland after a trip to England. "While in the Old Country tne spent, most of the time caravanning through England, Scotlandj and Wales. Mr. and Mrs. Philip Hanna are staying with Mrs. J. B. Macfarlane, Qillies AvenueMiss Mary Bradfield is to arrive by the Moeraki to-day. Miss Bradfield has been working for several years in Eastern Bengal under the auspices of the New Zealand Baptist Missionary Society. Mr. Justice and Mrs. Reed are arriving in Auckland next week 3nd will stay at Cargen. Mrs. D. C. Bates of Wellington, who is on a visit to Auckland, and Mr. and Mrs. Lindsay Russell, of Christchurch, who intend to take up their residence here, are also at Cargen. A woman astronomer, Miss Alnnie Cannon, curator of astronomical photographs at Harvard University, has just brought out. an authoritative catalogue of 700,000 staj-s, which she has classified. She can classify the distance of stars at a glance, while other astronomers have to use laborious measurements. Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Boult and Miss P. Boult are sailing by the Niagara on Saturday for Adelaide, where they wil be the guests cf Mrs. Duffield. They will return tc Auckland in the beginning of February. Mrs. Duffield, nee Miss Doris Boult, with her husband, Dr. Duffield, is at present in Adelaide on a visit '• fcom England. On Saturday afternoon art interesting reunion will take place at the Howe Bire«* Girls' Grammar School grounds , when the Old Girls of the Symondu Street Grammar School will make a presentation to Mr. J. W. Tibbs, the retiring headmaster. Ihe executive looks forward to a really representative gathering and hopes to meet many with whom contact has been lost &r various seasons. Mrs. J. Martyn Wilson, Shore Road, Is entertaining 300 children from ttie Orphanage in the city on Saturday afternoon. Various amusements have be3n arranged for the little ones including a Xmaa tree, Punch and Judy show, a bran tub, and under a large tree decorated with balloons the children will find a wonderland of toys and gifts. Tea will be served and the Salvation Army Band will provide a musical programme. The Honorary Division of the Women's National Reserve held a meeting in the Chamber of Commerce last week. The president, Mrs- Fitchett was in the chair. The committee has under consideration a flan to form a Mothers' Help Division, t will consist of paid or unpaid workers, willing to go out to assist mothers in their homes for a few hours daily. The Reserve also intends holding a bazaar early next year to raise further funds for the estab- . lishment of a rest room. I

One of the ablest woman platform speakers in England is Mrs. Philip Snowden. Her presence is commanding, her voice clear, resonant and pleasing. She is fond of hiding her right hand behind her back, just occasionally bringing it forward in a gesture of emphasis. It is not cuutomary among women speakers to use notes. Miss Strachey does, just for her different heads. She has a deliberate method of address, and, like most of her sex—too often declared to lack the grace of humour—savours her speech with pleasantries.

The principals of Melmerly College, Mrs. Arthur Boult and Miss Helen Thompson, held an "At Home" in St. Mary's Hall yesterday afternoon, which was largely attended by parents and friends. An interesting programme was contributed by the pupils of the college, who sang several songs and under th& direction of Miss Johnson a very fine physical culture display was given. The girls performed their exercises with much precision, and gave very graceful exhibitions of wand drill, hoop drill, and skipping exercises. Afternoon tea was ierved by the ex-pupils of the college.

The decollete neck for men in the in-' terests of health, was suggested by Mr. I F. H. Molesworth at a meeting of the Health Society in Sydney. The speaker; attacked a parcel of what ho regarded as sartorial " vices." Hats and boots, he said, were wanting in ventilation, and stiff collars ought to ba abolished. Men should take pattern ! by their wives, and wear low collars with-! a V-shaped opening below them. He also ■ condemned bad cooking, which, he main- I tained. had made fortunes for patent medicine vendora. Miss F. S. Warner, the Sunday-school lecturer and demonstrator for the Auckland Sunday-school Union, is returning to Auckland next week after a successful tour of Wellington, Christchurch and ' Dunedin. Miss Warner is an eloquent speaker and shows an intimate knowledge . of child psychology. In her addresses she j traces the development of the child's religous consciousness upwards from infancy to adolescence, and points out how the child can be taught citizenship, ! Christian brotherhood and the true ideals I of domestic and social life. The Queen Victoria School for Maori girls, Parnell, held its annual prize-giv-ing at the Echoed on Friday. The prizes were distributed by Her Excellency Lady Jellicoe, who was welcomed in true Maori fashion by means of the Powhiri. Speeches were made by Bishop Averill, Mr. G. B. Roberton, and the headmistress of the school and before distributing tho prizes, Lady Jellicoe also addressed tne girls. A n enioyable musical programme was contributed by the pupils, after which after- • noon tea was served. Among those present was the Queen of Tonga, who also attended in the evening when the girls presented the play. Ah Baba, to a large and interested audience. Quite a number of up-to-date schools for ciris now include carpentry as a school subject for those _ who have a reasonable amount of aptitude. It is claimed that such handiwork is of the greatest vajue in developing the pupil both mentally and morally, .states an >nglish newspaper. It is certa.n that an increasi™ „Iw of girls take a real joy in &«"SveVork of this kind though ft is usually hurled at women, that with fpw exceptions, they are utterly lacking m He creative instinct and have no interest in the problems of construction. The introduction of carpentry to the school curriculum should do more to give girls the ££££ they need than even their sports can d»is» to give them-

The boot room at the Town Hall, where the several sub-committees of the Mayoress' War Memorial Library Committee are just now engaged with their Christmas parcels, presents the appearance of the packing department of a busy •business house. The Victoria League finished ita work last week, and St. John Ambulance has also completed a portion of its Christmas packing, and when all is finished, the contents of the parcels will find a welcome in every ward of the hospital where are incapacitated soldiers, in numbers of settlements where the work of the Mayoress' Library Committee has become an institution, in the Domain hutments, the Evelyn Firth Home, and among the veterans. Last week the Civic League got ready its contributions for the little ones in homes and orphanages. Besides the scrap books done by the league itself, there has been the work of the Old Girls' Grammar School Association which throughout the year has prepared beautiful and artistic picture books on various evenings at the Howe Street school. Nor must the efforts of the Diocesan Old Girls' League bo forgotten. With a fine enthusiasm, and much artistic ability, it has prepared its quota of splendid material. Then the Query Club, which* has renovated and made dainty picture books and children's magazines, deserves itfl share of recognition. Many private individuals have also made up scrap books, and a splendid parcel was received from St. Andrew's, Epsom, let, with all these contributors, when the Civic League had collected the whole, there was no surplus, and even room for more, for there are 800 children in homes and orphanages to be catered for, while the children at the Chatham Islands should have an occasional remembrance, besides country children. Other packings will be done in their turn. The Philanthropic Committee, besides preparing parcels for the Knox Home, Alexandra Home, Costlov Home, and other local institutions, will distribute several hundred Christmas cards, autographed by the Mayoress, among the inmates of these places. Ihe cards for the most part will be manufactured at. the book room by the Service Club Y.W.C.A., which has also made ready, calendars for the back blocks and soldier settlements. Private citizens have also contributed cards. This club has also sorted and classified hundreds of cards which next year will bei made up into attractive scenio and other books for adults. The Navy League will get ready parcels for the men of the Imperial Navy, and the Plving Angel Mission will cater for the lighthouses. The list already num. hers: Books 4377, magazines.6B29 scrapbooks 255, children's books 581, Christmas cards 300. The English Child Emigration Society was founded in 1909 by Mr. Kingsley Fairbridge, who, going to England from South Africa, realised the waste of child life in the Old Country anci the loss of the Empire. The Fairbridge Farm School in Western Australia was started, and 140 children have served their apprenticeship in a happy, wholesome environment. Some of the young people have started on their own account, others are emploved as farm labourers. The Federal Government is now contributing to the funds of the school. The quarterly meeting of the Auckland Women s Club was held on Monday afternoon at the club. The president, Mrs. W. H. Parkes, was in the chair and thc.-e was a good attendance. Several of the rules in connection with the management of the club were amended or added to, and the entertainment programme lor the coming year was discussed. The club afternoons and club evenings and luncheon talks will be "resumed, their success fully justifying their continuance. The club membership now totals 400 and the reports read at the meeting were most satisfactory. The club will be closed for a fortnight for Christmas vacation from Saturday, December 23. Y.W.C.A. NOTES. The monthly meeting of the Beard of Directors of the Y.W.C.A. was held &i Friday. Interesting reports of wo;rk and plans for the future were given by all the departments. The Physical Department reported that negotiations were almost completed for the engaging of a fully- ' qualified physical and recreation expert to i follow Miss Fisher next year. These ! negotiations were being carried on with a New Zealand girl who has just completed a post-graduate course in this work in London. February 13 has been fixed for the date of the close of the summer work and for a farewell gathering to wish Miss Fisher Godspeed. The Foreign Department reported that of the £200 aimed at, £60 was in hand, this being raised by the girl members, for the support of secretaries in India, China, and Japan. The girls have also made plans for the completion of their £100, which is the amount which they are trying to raise. Plans were made for a Garden Fair to be held early in March, at which the women members hope to complete their collecting for the foreign work, each of the standing committees taking charge of a stall. The Camp Committee reported the securing of a house at Green Bay for the summer. The accomodation would have to be supplemented by a large sleeping tent. Arrangements were in hand for the united Christmas tea and service with the Y.M.C.A. on December 17. It was reported that the Rev. C. H. Grant Cowan had consented to give the address and that some of the boys from St. Matthew's choir would render carols. Mrs. A. Buchanan had numerous promises towards the Christmas fare for the day. The Cafeteria Committee reported plans for a special Christmas dinner and floral greeting on Friday, December 22. The girls' committees reported numerous activities, nearly every club giving some form of Cliristmas cheer to those less fortunate than themselves. Amongst other events the Aroha Club had entertained the children of Richmond Home, this party being an annual event. Other clubs are providing hampers and making clothes for poor families in the city. The Girls' Department also reported that it had received permission from the Education Board to get in touch with the sixth form girls before leaving school, and that an invitation had been given through the headmasters to any scholarship girls to use the building and cafeteria during the recent examinations. Very many school girls availed themselves of this invitation. The Senior Department reported an inter-club gathering in the form of a dressup children's party, the senior girls entering into the spirit of childhood with great merriment. The juvenile costumes and songs and recitations were much appreciated, while two clubs, the Kotiro Koa and Cluga, made their debut in giving dramatic entertainments. It was also reported that Mr. Thomas Harris' dramatic players had given m entertainment "The Importance of Being Ernest," the proceeds of which were to be devoted to the funds of the foreign work of the Y.W.C.A. The House and Cafeteria Committee reported that they were preparing the class rooms for emergency accommodation during the Christmas holidays for the use of women and girl visitors to the citv. The Physical Department reported 160 girls enrolled in tennis, every available ; court beine u Se d to its utmost; and also reported the loan of the Training College courts for the summer season. They rei ported the serious consideration of acquir- ; ing some permanent playing grounds to provide for this increasing need year by year. ENGAGEMENTS. The engagement is announced of Miss Victoria Donaldson, third daughter of Mr. P. J. Donaldson and the late Mrs. Donaldson, of Ranganui, Kaipara, to Mr. Owen Phillips, youngest son of Mrs. Phillips, Marohemo, and the late Mr. H. Phillips, barrister-at-law, late of Epsom, England. The engagement is announced of Miss Ida Adams, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Adams, of Maungatautari, Cambridge, to Lieutenant J. Wallace Watson, eldest son of the late Mr. J. L. and Mrs. Watson, of Maungatautari. The engagement is announced of Miss Beatrice Brendel ; only daughter of Mrs. R. Brendel, of Parnell, Auckland, to Mr. S. L. Paterson, eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. L. Paterson, of Christchurch.