A CLUB ROOM FOR GIRLS

Otago Witness, Issue 3426, 11 November 1919, Page 8

A CLUB ROOM FOR GIRLS

THE OPENING CEREMONY.

A new departure in civic activity was quietly inaugurated on the 3rd inst., when a social oiub room for girls and their friends was formally opened. The room is situated in Dowling street, opposite the Chief Post Office. It ife furnished in gray, and laid with linoleum. Round the walls runs plush-cushoned seating accommodation, similar to that often buijlt into drawing-room recesses. The main floor space is at present free to be adapted to any purpose. The walls are to be hung with pictures presented by Mr and Mrs De Beer, and, for the rest, the furniture is completed by a number of chairs and, most important of all, a piano. A supper stall has been provided, where light refreshments may be obtained at a small cost.

The establishmenb of the club room is the work of an energetic committee, consisting of Mesdames S. Wolf, T. Ross, E. Mirams, Misses Black (secretary of the Y.W.C.A.), Z. Ross, Hill-Jack, De Beer, Glasgow, Messrs J. B. Taverner, W. R. Brugh, and V. T. Drew (secretary of the Y.M.C.A.). The Mayor (Mr W. Begg) v who presided at the opening ceremony, said he was sure the room would fill a long felt want in the city. A start had been made in a small way, but he had no doubt that before long enlargement would be necessary. The club room would be run on undenominational lines, and would be open to every section of our young folk. He understood that it would be the first institution of itkind to be started in the dominion. ~H r had been told on several occasions that Bunedin -was lagging behind > the other centres, but he had always maintained that it was not, and suoh progressive schemes as that showed that it was so. Mr Begg then formally declared the club open. Mr Mark Cohen expresed the hope ■ perhaps the venture might result in waking up the civio authorities to the fao+ that something more was needed for the elevation of the community than the making of streets and channels. Possibly some day they might consider the question of building a hostel for the use of the class for which the club would cater. Mr Axelsen said he desired to associate himself with the Mayor in his statement that the oity was not lagging behind in anything of great value. A police officer with 50 years service had told him that Dunedin was the cleanest city of its size in the Southern _ Hemisphere. He had been working during the last 18 years in this, the cleanest city, and ho realised that there was a tremendous amount of work to be done even here. He reminded them that, while working for the abolition of certain juaces which they believed to be traps for their young people, they must provide clean places instead, as young folk must have armisement ; He for many years urged the necessity of providing some such place, and he hoped they would find these places springing up all over the town.

Mr J. V. Hanna gave an interesting account of what he had seen the Y.W.O.A. accomplish in Capetown and Edinburgh. Mr Taverner pointed to_ the necessity for an annual subscription list in order to put the finances on a sound footing. _ It was impossible, he said, to give any iden of the sum required, as activities would necessarily be curtailed accoi-ding to income. The moverrent was in no way antagonistic to anything else in the city. It would have the approval of citizens at large, and the only question was as to what extent it could be expanded.

Miss Black also spoke briefly as to the purpose the club was intended to serve among girls who had no- homes in the city The club will be opened for use on Thursdav night, and all jrirls were invited to go along and make use of it. So far the expense had been met by voluntary subscriptions, and the committee wants another £3OO for immediate needs.