“Associated Country Women of World” Has Wide Field of Activities

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27018, 1 March 1949, Page 2

“Associated Country Women of World” Has Wide Field of Activities

NOTES FOR WOMEN

“ The idea of forming the organisation now known as the Associated Countrywomen of the World originated in the mind of one person,” Miss Elsie Ziramern, previously chairman of the association, told her large audience in a co-ordinating meeting at the Pioneer Women’s Memorial Hall yesterday afternoon. “ That person,” she said, “ was Lady Aberdeen, who felt that, while women connected with education, medicine, nursing and countless other pursuits, had banded together in world fellowships, those interested in rural matters had no international organisation.”

Conferences in London in 1929, Vienna in 1930 (New Zealand was represented on this occasion) and one in Stockholm in 1933 saw the emergence of the organisation under its present name, while further meetings in the United States and London consolidated its position. In Washington th co-operation of President Roosevelt, Mrs Roosevelt and the Minister of Agriculture resulted in a somewhat amusing situation for those people. The Minister issued a sweeping invitation to all interested countrywomen to attend the conference, and the President promised to invite all those who accepted to a garden party at the White House. A round 7000 accepted, and these were indeed entertained at a garden party, the President addressed them from the balcony, Mrs Roosevelt walked about talking to her guests, and all agreed that the visit had been well worth while. In Canada a similar embarrassing situation occurred when a largehearted Canadian sent out a general invitation to farmers’ wives to meet members of the Associated Countrywomen of the World, and to be his guests at luncheon. This time, a mere 4000 accepted, but the students of th district agricultural college have cause to remember that day, for they cut sandwiches and baked all night, and " washed-up ” for many hours after the luncheon. "Who We Are” “Now that I have told you how we came to be, I must tell you who we are and finally what we do,” Miss Zimmern continued. “This organisation to which you all belong,” she said, “has now a membership of 5,000,000 in 25 different

countries.” The affiliated societies may be called women’s institutes, housewives’ associations, homekeepers, agricultural women, “ Martha ” associations and a dozen other names in a dozen different countries, but they all function in similar ways. Miss Zimmern mentioned Norway in particular. The Countrywomen’s Association in that country had been non-existent during the war, because when Germany decreed that a German • woman must' be head of the association, members resigned in a body. When they came to " pick up the pieces ” after the war, they found that all records had been lost, and all funds confiscated. Holland's story was a similar one. “ What We Do ” “We exist for the purpose of disseminating information, and working for goodwill and fellowship. We kept going throughout the war, with headquartei’s still in London. Women even in the belligerent countries showed their faith in our oi-ganisation by agreeing that headquarters should still be in London. In fact many women, refugees in England during the war, co-operated with us and sat on subcommittees. With their help we have bi'ought out a memorandum making suggestions for the welfare of countrywomen all over the world, and this, dealing with such matters as education, housing, and health, has been sent to all countries.” Others who addressed the meeting were Mrs W. J. Reid (Outram) chairman of the Co-ordinating Committee, Mrs G. S. Gillespie, of the Mid-Otago Federation of Women’s Institutes, and Mrs W. A. Gillon, secretary of the Coordinating Committee.