FIRST CONFERENCE OF COUNTRY GIRLS’ CLUBS

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 79, Issue 5, 15 November 1949, Page 499

FIRST CONFERENCE OF COUNTRY GIRLS’ CLUBS

A T the first annual general ** meeting and conference of the Federation of Country Girls’ Clubs at Godley House, Diamond Harbour, Lyttelton, during August 36 club members and 4 advisory members represented all clubs but two and came from as far north as Kaukapakapa, north of Auckland, and from as far south as Arno in South Canterbury.

THE federation is often known as the sister organisation of the New Zealand Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs. When country girls sought to join young farmers’ clubs 3 years ago the young farmers responded by helping them to form a similar organisation for girls between the ages of 14 and 30. The first club was formed in 1946. Growth in the number of clubs has been slow, but since May, 1949, there has been a marked increase. Most clubs are in Canterbury, but others are in widely-scattered parts of the North Island. The federation was established in 1948. This first conference was a most successful experiment and demands for a similar conference in 1950 indicated an appreciation by the girls of the opportunity to exchange ideas and a concern for the progress of the federation. The programme for the first two days of the conference was designed to give training in club procedure, to indicate the scope of club activities, and possible service aims of clubs; on the last two days the annual general meeting was held.

Ideal Setting Diamond Harbour, on the other side of Lyttelton Harbour from the port, was an ideal setting. Surrounded by tall trees, Godley House sits snugly on the brow of a promontory with Diamond Harbour on one side and the

Purau Arm to seaward. The mansion, now over 70 years old, housed the conference and most of the members. Fine weather enabled good use to be made of the wide verandas and lawns. Mrs. B. Jarman, Dominion president, opened the conference at which the Federation of New Zealand Women’s Institutes was represented by Mrs. W. Deans, and the Women’s Division of Federated Farmers by a Dominion vice president, Mrs. M. Coop, of Banks Peninsula. Three field officers in rural sociology of the Department of Agriculture also attended.

Mrs. Deans, in the opening talk, described the role of the individual member, stressing the necessity for individuals to. support their club officials. Unless ordinary members gave wholehearted support to their elected officers, they could not expect .their clubs .to flourish. , Point was made of the wide range of activities open to clubs. The value of the roll call for practice in : public speaking was stressed. Mrs. Deans appealed to the girls to remember that it was their movement and that it was the individual, who would make it a success.

In his address “How Country Girls Can Teach Themselves” Mr. G. W. Southgate indicated where , clubs could obtain ideas for new subjects for study and discussion and mentioned facilities such as discussion topics and tutors; available from the four Councils for Adult .; Education. Lists of plays for those interested in ' drama could be provided. He referred to summer schools of one and two weeks that were run as holidays and where a variety of special courses was provided. The Correspondence School provided a range of courses that anyone of any age could take up. The facilities . available from the . Country Library Service were mentioned as well as those of the Physical W elf and Recreation Branch, of the Internal Affairs Department. Mr. Southgate indicated the pleasure that could be found in drawing on local resources for the history of one’s own district.

Mr. B. J. Dunne, who supported Mr. Southgate on the same theme, spoke on the origin of drama and the value of amateur, play production and drama groups in the development- of a team spirit. He illustrated the greater benefit, to be gained by . forming a group of people with the same interest. If-a Country Girl .had a hobby, she might find others who were interested and all would benefit by learning and practising together. Meeting Procedure Mr. G. Manning, in his address on “Meetings ■ and Chairmanship,” said that in a democratic society everyone should know how a meeting might be conducted so that a subject could be thoroughly and expeditiously discussed with everyone having the right and opportunity to express his or. her opinion. It was as. important for: the member of a meeting to know the accepted rules of procedure as it was for. the chairman. . Mr. Manning worked. through the agenda paper of a meeting and discussed the framing, the moving, the seconding, the amending, and the putting of a motion.

Three brief addresses on “Aims and Activities' of Country Girls’ Clubs” were given by Miss K. Scotter, • Mrs. W. . Fletcher, and Miss E. E. Unwin. Miss Scotter stressed the enjoyment of club life and illustrated her talk with her experience in Y.W.C.A. work among . girls. on. the New South Wales coalfields and of the important contribution ' girls’ clubs made to the life of the girls there at a time of unemployment. Miss Unwin said that where Country Girls’ Clubs were close together inter-club events should be held, and other organisations such as Young. Farmers’ Clubs might be encouraged to participate. Field days and visits to factories and farms were useful as . additions to the talks and a variation from the usual club meeting. Mrs. Fletcher stressed the aims of the clubs to make country life more attractive and suggested that, since Country Girls were mostly farm girls, some emphasis should be given to farming activities in their club programmes.

Discussion of Specimen Remits . ’ ; These informal talks led to a discussion by the girls of specimen remits. Within each of four groups different chairmen and secretary-re-porters were elected to conduct discussion on each remit in turn. All the groups approved, amended, rejected, or provided a substitute - for each remit according to the rules of good meeting procedure. When the groups had completed their deliberations the secretary-reporters presented the findings of each group.

The first remit, “That there is no need for Country Girls’ Clubs,”.- was rejected outright, some of the reasons being a desire for instruction; the need to - counteract the drift •to the towns; that , girls should have equal opportunity with women, men, and boys, who have their own special organisations; that all girls could join in, whereas this was not so in a sports club; and that girls could plan their own entertainments. On the next remit, “That a 'year’s programme should be planned to develop more than one topic,” opinion generally favoured a varied programme. A series of meetings on one topic was disapproved of because not everyone had the same interests, meetings would lose their attraction, difficulties would arise in small clubs, and because new members would be at a loss through missing the first part of the series. A wide range of topics was supported because each person had a better chance to express: herself and it.broadened members’ outlook. “That it is unsuitable for club members to take part in stock-judging and other farming competitions” was also rejected outright, but two groups gave special attention to stock judging, the feeling being that though girls did not know anything of it, they should have the chance to , learn and. participation would broaden their outlook. The last.remit, “That a club should centre its activity in its own concerns and interests,”' was opposed on the grounds that interests should be broadened and that clubs should be of service to their districts in such activities as raising funds for social services. Business of the first annual general meeting included consideration and adoption of a constitution, finances, and recommendations to clubs. Recreational Activities Recreation during the conference included games of volley ball, deck tennis, and bowls under the guidance of physical welfare officers. There were sight-seeing round the harbour both on foot and by launch and a bus trip from Diamond Harbour over the Summit Road from Banks Peninsula to Christchurch.

Documentary films were shown and the Summer Youth Group presented the play “The Burglar Alarm” in the hall of Godley House. The producer, Mrs. S. A. La Roche, spoke on plays and the Summer Youth Group. At the social evening, to which the local branch of the W.D.F.F. was invited, items were given from each club, and Mrs. E. F. H. Paine, of Diamond Harbour, spoke on the history of Diamond Harbour and the origin of Godley House. • ’ , : ,