WE ARE SIX MONTHS NEARER PEACE WOMEN’S DIVISION

Waikato Times, Volume 126, Issue 21052, 2 March 1940, Page 17 (Supplement)

WE ARE SIX MONTHS NEARER PEACE

WOMEN’S DIVISION

Importance Of Stay-at-Home Women All work and no play . . . you know the ancient warning. Well, isn’t it the same about war and peace ? If you let the present situation completely dominate your waking and sleeping thoughts, and never seek any escape at all from war news of some sort, then you are bound to break down in the end, and be of no more service to your country. Men have always looked to women for relaxation, beauty, forgetfulness. Don’t fail them now. Thousands of women today are wearing some kind of uniform. They have my admiration and respect. But that does not mean that I have no praise left over for the women whose job still consists of staying at home, cooking and sewing, doing the flowers and arranging the table, and putting on the kettle for tea. On the contrary, my praise for them is tremendous. I know that theirs is the unspectacular job. I know what anxiety they are hiding under the cheerful smile with which they greet their menfolk. A mother, who had taken in some evacuated children in her country cottage said to me yesterday : “I shall do my very best for them, and pray that God, in His turn, will look after my boy in the Air Force.” I knew what she was feeling, but none of us can h#pe to make such bargains. All we can do is to hope and pray that our loved ones are safe. Let us remain confident, for even out of evil and destruction can sometimes emerge constructive good. And it is good if all social and class and spiritual barriers are broken down, as they are being broken down now that we are united as a nation, to preserve the freedom of other smaller nations, as well as our own. In this struggle that we have embarked upon, knowing full well that it would be a test of endurance and self-sacrifice, our own petty problems are submerged and forgotten in our universal efforts to be of use to our country. Do Not Fail With Your Reassurances You must be brave, very brave, for that is not only the best way to help your country, but also the only way to help those dear and precious to you. Remember, they are seeking reassurance from you at every meeting, by every post. And they will receive it, won’t they ? Finally let me quote something written by that great philosopher, G. K. Chesterton. He once said : “You can put down the mighty from their seat. You can turn the world upside down and there is much to be said for the view that it may then be the right way up. But you cannot create a world in which the baby carries the mother.” Learn that off by heart, you who are mothers, for on your shoulders you carry the greatest responsibility of all. To reassure your children that there will be a Tomorrow. And here one word of warning. Never go spy-mongering. Never pass on silly rumours that grow with the telling. Never allow yourself to give way to vain, unreasoned tirades against “the enemy.” Individually, they are just the same sort of folk as we are, with the same simple love of family life. But they have been duped and deceived and put in fetters. So when you think about them, if you can, try to pity them, for pity is a virtue that becomes a woman, while hate is like a boomerang that repercusses and ultimately destroys the striker. Besides, you will want all your energy to do your job of keeping up the spirits of those fighting on the home front. They may be in uniform, they may be in mufti, but you may be sure that they are all doing their bit. Just as you are, even if your job is only to put on the kettle and make a cup of tea, to cheer up others, with a smile. Any man can do without sugar in his tea, but no man can do without the sweetness of some woman’s smile. It may be his wife, it may be his mother, it may be you. So good luck, and keep smiling, and may God take care of your dear ones till all danger passes. As it will .. . For I, too, believe in a Tomorrow. —Godfrey Winn

VICE-PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Dear Fellow Members, In speaking about the work of our “ Division,” I find that we are constantly reminding ourselves of the benefits it has been able to confer on certain members; but in this message, I wish to point out, that we have each and all benefited in one thing—that of citizenship. All people, who use and enjoy the privileges, freedom, and protection of state, are said to enjoy the rights of citizenship. To some it is given to enjoy a greater share of the privileges of citizenship than others, because citizenship in the wider sense involves obligations and responsibilities, other than one’s own; viz., responsibilities concerned with the organising of help and relief for those less fortunate; responsibilities concerned with the organising of recreation and rest, and finally the responsibility which rests on each and every citizen to play his or her part in the general public life of the district, country, province or country in which he lives. To some, through wealth, social position, or influence, the opportunities to play a full part in citizenship are many, in that they have both the time and means to devote themselves to public affairs and to organisation. To others occupied in trades, businesses and professions, there is less time and opportunity to take prominent part in public work, except in the affairs of their own particular union, or association, and finally there is a large class of people, who although both able, and willing, to contribute something to citizenship generally have, through lack of organisation and opportunity, been able to do almost nothing to improve either their own lot, or that of others, or take any prominent part in community of social life, and, prior to the formation of the W.D.F.U. and kindred women’s organisations, countrywomen belonged largely to this class.

Celebrations, the W.D.F.U. was responsible for the production of “ Brave Days ” —a book telling of the pioneering women of New Zealand, and the production of a Centennial cookery book. It also took over Flock House, and has been responsible for converting this into a rest home for tired mothers. But no matter what the activity, whether it consists of serving in one of our local produce markets, in organising music classes, in helping with dressmaking schemes, in providing soldiers with recreation and entertainment, in producing a cookery book, or other work of literary art, or in organising a country mothers’ week—every phase of our work has given countrywomen opportunities of playing a large and wider part in social and national life—that is to'become better citizens. JANET EVANS. KARAKARIKI BRANCH The Karakariki branch of the Women’s Division of the Farmers’ Union held its first meeting for the new year on February 14. There was a good attendance of members and Mrs Magner presided. Mrs Magner reported on the Provincial meeting held in Hamilton. Three competitions were held, the winner of the first one being Mrs Macfie, Kawhia. The second competition was won by Mr Duke Buckley, and the third competition was won by Mrs Hastie with Mrs Gardner second. The hostesses for the afternoon were Mrs Magner and Mrs Hastie.

Many countrywomen of good organising and general ability must have felt in days gone by that they were able to do more for the community and themselves, to take a wider interest in the country’s problems and to be of some real service to mankind, if only they had some organisation through which to work. It was the advent of the W.D.F.U. which gave many of our countrywomen an opportunity to put their latent powers to some practical use —powers which, so to speak, were “ born to blush unseen.”

Primarily the work of the W.D.F.U. was the providing of help for country mothers in times of necessity. This scheme consisted of sending j housekeepers and bush nurses to j country homes—a scheme from which j our present housekeeping scheme j has evolved. Since then our work has expanded so greatly, and has ' entered so many spheres of country life, that the work of the W.D.F.U. j is now a household word through- j out New Zealand. It is obvious that the various | phases of our work cannot be car- ! ried out everywhere, all at the same time, but throughout New Zealand j in every province the W.D.F.U. is , forever organising various activities. I i.e., Country Girls’ Educational Weeks, Farmers’ Touring Parties, Dressmaking Classes and so on. In 1939 as part of the Centennial •