Girls' Friendly Society.

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume III, Issue 6, 1 December 1912, Page 85

Girls' Friendly Society.

! A Council meeting of the G.F.S. was held at Bishopscourt on MonHay, 4tn November, Miss E. Wil- : Hams m the chair. Present — Mrs. Averill, Mrs. Ruddock, Mrs. Stopford (Secretary), Miss Jardirie (Treasurer), Mrs. Hansard (Candidates 1 Associate), Mrs. Tuke and Miss White (S. Augustine's Branch), Mrs. Hamilton and Miss Ebbett (Hastings Branch), Miss Hunter (Port Ahuriri Branch). After prayer, the minutes of the last meeting were passed, and the report for 1912 was accepted, also two Treasurers' and two literature reports. Mrs. Stopford mentioned that any one wishing to get a respectable lodging for a girl coming to Napier could send her to Mrs. Rolls, two doors below Anderson's Gardens, Napier South. The Council then adjourned to another room, when Bishop Averill took the chair at the general meeting. The Bishop .addressed the members, and spoke of the wish he had to have a " Quiet Day " for women" as soon as he could arrange it, as he felt women workers could hardly keep up to their ideals, or be of real service to others without special help — so that a day of special prayer and thought for Church women workers would be of great help. Another thing that he thought would also be of service would be to bind all women workers into one guild— a Church of England Women's Society, with the simple rule of Prayer and Service. There was so much danger m isolated service, and strength would come from unity and fellowship. The Bishop then spoke of how painfully he had been depressed by the " downgrade " movement of ' many of the English women, doing: ' nothing but amuse themselves and fooling away time, and said no one could be surprised at the cleavage between classes when the poor saw the well-to-do so wasting time. All thougfhtful women should try by their work for others to offer a protest against this frivelling, and do" what will help to close this chasm. Lastly, he would like to ' speak of the great Bible m State Schools movement. He hoped for . women's help, and was surej as workers amongst girls, that we would realise the help it would be to us m teaching and influencing if we found that girls' had some '

background of Bible > knowledge, ior us to build on — knowledge now often lacking. He hoped the members of the G.F.S. would do their xitmost for the movement There is much need of women's work. The spirit of the age is against discipline, so there is need for work to help girls lead holier, purer lives. He objected to intemperance m visiting too frequently picture shows, as often their influence was bad. Child suicide could be traced to this source. He concluded by saying that if the workers found their work difficult and not appreciated, they must not be disheartened, but remember that bread cast on the waters would be found after many days, and that personal influence, of life on life, was the thing. So let us Sanctify ourselves first, and sacrifice self for those we try to help. The following Committee was elected for 1912-13 : — Miss E. Williams (President), Mrs. Averill (Vice-President) , Mrs. Ruddock (Vice-President), Mrs. Stopford (Secretary), Miss Jardine (Treasurer), all Branch Secretaries and al! wives of Clergy who have a Branch m their Parishes, also the following :— Mrs. Hansard, Mrs. Levien, Miss Pallet. Mr. Hansard was elected auditor of accounts. It was resolved— (l) That £1 be paid to. the "Church Gazette," and reports printed m full. (2) That the Council should see if a Women's Hostel could be started, Votes of thanks to Bishop and Mrs. Averill, the Committee, and Messrs. Stopford and Hansard for help, were passed, and the meeting terminated.