Y.W.C.A.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22505, 25 February 1935, Page 4

Y.W.C.A.

f 1 NATIONAL CONVENTION^ The National Y.W.CA. Convention was opened in the Blue Triangle Hall, Wellington, on Wednesday, when there, was a .very representative gathering of' members, delegates from all parte of New Zealand and interested friends : being present. Dr Sylvia Chapman (Dominion president) was in the chair, and also on the platform were the Mayor (Mr T. C A. Hislop) and Mrs Hislop, Mrs Robert Gardner (Wellington president), .Miss Kirk (Dominion president of the National Council of Women), Miss Jean Stevenson (national secretary), and Miss Bridgman (Wellington .secretary). Dr Chapman, after extending a welcome to* the - Mayor ' and- delegates, remarked that the convention promised to be a. particularly interesting one for two reasons. First, that as a new phase of work had been commenced-—co-operation with the Y.M.C.A:—the reports of which would be eagerly listened to; secondly, that there were several present who had recently returned from close contact with the associations abroad. Miss Jean Stevenson, from the World Council at Geneva, Miss Moncrieff, from China, Miss Jean Begg, from India, Miss E. Griffin, from Australia, and Miss Birch, who was the first field secretary of the Y.W.CA. in New Zealand.

Miss Stevenson, speaking of the World's Council, developed the three main ideas with which she started for the conference and which she developed while there. One was the necessity of getting more international contacts. The second was to hear everything possible about rural extension work, realising that this is very necessary in New Zealand. The third was to try to establish an, industrial, social, and economic department to prepare young women fordeadership. Miss Stevenson added that she was sure that the Y.W.CA. was a. great force for reconciliating,. understanding, and peace. There was no ready-made solution to offer of the, difficulties met with, but .the association could be a great force, and a strengthener in the building of friendship among the. nations. - ! The theme-of the convention was "A Christian Movement and World Relationships" and, the work of the sessions has centred round tKis theme. Committees have been set;up to work out further findings on such topics as leadership, cooperation, membership, hostels, worldfellowship, finance, programme work; girls' work. Dr Houghton gave an illuminating address on the "teen-age" girl. In connection with the . work of cooperation with the Y.M.CA., the convention has been fortunate in having the presence and help of Br Brasted, the national general secretary of the Y.MCA. and interesting discussion, on further cooperative work other than New Plymouth and Hamilton have taken place. A: most interesting address was given by Mrs Harris, president of the Women's Division pf the Farmers' Union, Tar'anaki, on the need of work among the youth in the rural districts. She painted a vivid picture of girls and boys, in her own district who possess special gifts in varying directions and, owing to the inaccessibility of the secondary schools, had been unable to develop along these lines. She pointed' out the excellence of the work done by the W.D.S. and Women's Institute, but emphasised the fact that this lay only with the older women and is not definitely in the nature of character training work. She urged that the Y.W.CA., with its special contribution to the character building'of the youth of New Zealand, should step into this breach and, with the co-operation of the existing, 'organisations in . the country, seize this opportunity ■of doing national service to the Dominion.