MISS ETHEL LAW

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23330, 23 October 1937, Page 26

MISS ETHEL LAW

GENERAL SECRETARY FOR THE Y.W.CA OF NEW ZEALAND An interesting visitor to Dunedin at present is Miss Ethel Law, new general secretary for the Y.W.CA. of New Zealand. Miss Law is a New Zealandcr, her home town being Wellington. She was general secretary of the Y.W.CA. for the Dominion seven years ago before going to America to act as general secretary to the Y.W.CA. for Canada, a position she held for six years. They happened to be years of depression and unemployed, and so afforded her unusual experience in coping with the needs of women and girls. She promoted health, physical culture, and sports groups in the association all over Canada, and also cultural groups—arts and crafts, music, drama, and so on —in order to give every member an opportunity of finding some activity in which she might happily express herself. She also organised camps—in which she is a great believer —and encouraged joint classes for men and girls. In Canada

the Y.W.C.A. is regarded by its girl members as a delightful clubhouse, and it is Miss Law's hope that a similar regard shall be fostered here. After being invited to take over the general secretaryship for New Zealand once more, Miss Law left Canada and came to the Dominion via England and Europe, thus being enabled to attend the world conference of the Y.W.C.A. at Geneva and a world conference of the Church, community, and State organised by the Universal Christion Council for Life and Work at Oxford and attended by members of every Christian church in the world except the Church of Rome. The conference at Oxford was held to determine what place the Church should occupy in regard to the social and industrial affairs of the world; the

conference at Geneva dealt with international problems, and was attended by a diversity of nationalities. Miss Law thus comes to the Dominion, fresh from the experience of two very interesting gatherings and with her own innate ideals for international peace and harmony much strengthened as a result. The board of directors of the Y.W.C.A. gave a reception in the Y.W.C.A. Hall yesterday afternoon, in honour of Miss Law, between 70 and 80 members being present. The hall was attractively decorated by the Membership Committee, and made a pleasant rendezvous. Miss Frances Ross, president of the Dunedin Y.W.C.A., welcomed Miss Law and presented her with a posy of lily-of-the-valley. Miss Law spoke chiefly of the international aspect of the world Y.W.C.A., and personalities she had met at Geneva and Oxford, her talk being received with enthusiasm by her listeners. During the afternoon a duet was sung by Mrs Roberts and Mrs Black, and a violin solo played by Mrs Tait, Miss McGeorge acting as accompanist in both instances. Miss Law expresses herself as very glad to be back in New Zealand, particularly as it is springtime here at present. She spent her last spring in America at the Niagara Falls.