ST. ANNE’S GUILD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19283, 22 September 1924, Page 10

ST. ANNE’S GUILD.

WORK AMONGST GIRLS. PREVENTIVE AND PROTECTIVE. A mooting of tho Dunedin branch of tho St. Anne’s Guild was hold on Friday night for the purpose of hearing addresses by Mrs W. G. Roberts and Mrs Henderson Begg as to the work that is carried on at the guildhouso in Christchurch. Bishop Richards welcomed Mrs Roberts, and mentioned that Mrs Henderson Begg han been misinformed as to the time of the departure of tho train, and therefore would not arrive until the meeting was over. Dunedin had been interested in the work of the guild at Christchurch since its inception, and ought to have a home of its own. In tho meantime the home in Christchurch did tho work for the whole of tho South Island. For , spine little time tho Dunedin' subscriptions had fallen off, but that was rather because Christchurch had not told how things were going on. The position was that it needed financial help, bo Mrs Roberts, who is president of tho House Committee, had kindly come down to revive interest in the work here. Mrs Roberts said that the reverend mother and tho two sisters who came from America wore recalled at the end of 1923, and that Sister Margaret (of the Community of the Sacred Name) and Novice Francis now had control. The work had' gone on well from the point of view of getting girls, but during tho past year tho income had not been bo good, partly because they had been working without an organising secretary. Ihe only money source was voluntary subscriptions. There was no subsidy. A subsidy had been asked for, but so fur without result. 'ihe archbishop was going to put before tho synod the need to take up tho work as a church work. The house originally used, at Styx, was too far away and unsuitable otherwise, so tho ■ guild had moved into a house in Papanui road. Fourteen girls were there now, and this complement packed the house tight. Each girl had a single cubicle to herself, and there were two sisters’ rooms and accommodation for a housekeeper, who directed the work. It was hoped to be able to have a third resident member of the staff. Ihe girls did n great deal of gardening. They also kept fowls, and until recently they had a cow and made butter. They also did all the work about the house. This was not so bad for girls whose ages ranged from 13 to 19, and four of them went to school. Another of their activities was tho making of washing cotton mats on a hand loom. ’lTieso mats were sold for the benelit of the funds. Recently a voluntary helper gave up every other Saturday afternoon to teach the girls basket-hall. This encouraged the team spirit. Most of tho girls needed that teaching, having been brought up m circumstances that made them fight for themselves and become self-centred. There were causes apart from broken homes that brought these girls to tne guild. H. G. Wells summarised those causes in a sentence: “Wo give them liberty too soon; wo instruct them too late; we punish them too severely.” Usually they wore the passive victims of tragedy. Each community was called upon to undertake a. programme for the defence of its unprotected girls. All sorts of evil influence had to be combated—the bad home, the lax, parent the vicious lurker. Sonelies were needed to deal with the problems of broken homes, family neglect, and incipient waywardness. Women protective olheers were badly wanted, also better housing. Tho work of the guild was d a threefold kind-preventive and protective, and the definite rescue work. It was difficult to mix the three, but the guild had to, since there was no finance wherewith to enlarge the establishment. A suitable place existed next door, but the guild had not the money to buy it. Maternity cases had to be refused. The preservative work was m tne direction of forming clubs and so forth in which the girls could be happy. . lhe P* e ‘ vontive work consisted partly m takinp mrls away from slovenly mothers and drunken fathers. The weakness of the guild was that it had no legal control. One mother who wanted to keep her girl away got her married when she was only 14i years of age. , The aim ot the guild was to replay what was missing in the gala byes Ihe first thing was discipline of the right kind. They did not know the meaning of uio , "fd “obedience.” The next and the greatwasTo link up love with wisdom and understanding, and thus show the gu-s that they can be happy and gocxl at the Kamo time, and that they need not bo kept apart, from the natural joys that guls < ro ‘ n Tho d ßcv V. G. Bryan King, as cha itJ of the Dunedin branch, moved a vote n J a,r l i i x,r r c for com in*? from Chi istclmrch the «ddro~ There was urgent need for such work in Dunedin Never before had he known such a low'moral tone in the girlhood and hoya low mu . Things were going on n.med i that' if spoken about would «L Wbe ve ttdr.gs too horrible, to mennot be muieveu _ £ The ma in cause was tho absolute lack of parental control " o the reason for that .was ihe want of I,™? hastily 'and too^lVgtHW,''an/'wTen *f*3 'ss£zzr women police or patrols. When the Goxwome p w j)b them, on account of monev. it did incalculable harm. Bv dispensing with their services, ho knew of not ore, but dozens of cases where „irl s had “gone to the bad, ’ as. the saying ran! During their two years work in Dunedin -they saved dozens of . girls from downfall It was false economy and cruel, to do away with the services of those magnificent women, who often at tne.r own cost i i, A ,i nftpr otiVs for weeks. Ho certainly ".ought that “the Government should help their Work, and that, tho members of 1 arliaTncnt ought to firmly back up the request te a subsidy. The -Government gave the Army money for all sorts of things, and surely the church, which had the numerical predominance in New Zealand, "Ciul get equal rights. Mr King concluded bv remarking that, the Dunedin branch seiit £123 to Christchurch last year, and now had £25 in hand towards this year's contribution. . The Rev G E. Moreton, in seconding the motion, said that he hoped to see n home established in Dunedin. The motion was carried. Tho Bishop added that from information that bad come to him independently of Messrs King and Moreton, he. was quite sure that, the conditions in Dunedin amongst the young people wore not, too strongly stated There was a want of homo life, and evidence of definite improper teaching on tho part of mothers. . Mrs Roberts, in acknowledging the vote of thinks, spoke ot the advisability of appointing an evening in Dunedin for the medical clinic, as was done in Christchurch Women could not attend at the hours nowappointed.