AUSTRALIAN WOMENS CHRISTIAN TEMPERANCE UNION.

White Ribbon, Volume 26, Issue 312, 18 June 1921, Page 4

AUSTRALIAN WOMENS CHRISTIAN TEMPERANCE UNION.

ELEVENTH TRIENNIAL CONVENTION. Dear White Ribbon Bisters,I am taking tin* earliest opportunity to give you .some account of tin* recent Triennial Convention of the Australian W.C.T.P. For delegates the meetings began with a devotional day on May 2nd. The morning .session was wholly devotional. The theme upon which the addresses were based was “Old Time Habits'*—Faith, l’rayer, Family Worship. Bible Study. In the afternoon a most impressive Commemoration Service for Promoted Comrades was held. Mrs Carvosso, Australasian Corresponding Secretary, called the roll of those who had passed to higher service, and Mrs E. W. Nicholls, for the World’s Pnion and representa tives of the different States, paid brief tributes to th< memory of the many faithful workers who had irsted from their labours. The usual reception to delegates was held on Monday evening, and I canno* remember that I have ever attended a more enjoyable function. The large hall was beautifully decorated, and the programme was admirably arranged. The speakers for the evening were limited to three minutes each, so that though there was quite a formidable list, the time limit kept every one strictly to the point, and the audience was not tired by lengthy speeches. The business sessions of Convention opened on Tuesday morning, and from then on till late on the night of Monday, May 9th. delegates had a strenuous time There were two business sessions each •lay, and always a public meeting in the evening, while tea-table conferenees and special committee meetings were put in wherever they could be arranged. I was much impressed by the amount of work that was put through by the Ex-v-cutive officers. Lady Holder (the President), Mrs Carvosso (Cor. Secretary), and Mrs Jamieson Williams (Rec. Secretary), were always and continually on duty, Igidy Holder preaiding at all the business and public meetings. It is not my intention to attempt to give a detailed account of the business transacted. Time and space will not

allow of that. I cm: merely record one or two of the outstanding features. In the first place, I must tell you Hiat 1 was overwhelmed with kind attentions, and every opportunity was taken by the President (Igidy Holder) and the othci Executive officers to show honour to New Zealand through your delegate. Several opportunities were given me to speak of our t’nior. work in New Zealand. and where special conferences were held to discuss phases of the work, 1 was invited to attend. Indeed, my experiences have convinced me that we miss a great deal by not being represented at Conventions held in other countries. This is the first gathering of the kind that I have attended outside New Zealand, and it would be impossible for me to convey to you any adequate idea of what this Convention has meant to me. The best has been, perhaps, that it has given me a deeper conviction of the great work the W.C.T.U. is doing, and a fuller conception of what it means to belong to a world wide organisation of women all working and praying for the one great end the establishment of the Kingdom of Cod among men. Of all the questions discussed in Convention the most interesting was that of work among the Juveniles. More time was given to this subject than to any other, and our Pnion might well imitate the Australian Pnion in regard to the working of this department. Among the delegates there were a number of most enthusiastic workers among the Juveniles. The discussion in open Convention was prepared for by a tea table conference, at which I was present. Among the speakers were Mr Rose, of the Band o!' Hope Pnion, and Mr John Vale, 1.0. R., well known to many in New Zealand. Some of the subjects dealt with show how serious a business the Juvenile Department is considered. These were: “What shall we do.” “The Winter Programme and Outdoor Meetings." “The Value of Competitions,” “Paying Our Way," “Keeping Interest Alive," "Elements of Success," “Training Classes for L.T.L, Leaders," "Pp and On Plans for Extension Work.” Finally a number of recommendations were agreed upon, and these were submitted to Convention. I hope to be able to deal with these in a future issue of The White Ribbon Meantime, 1 will only sav that, to in

mind, the mast admirable feature of the Juvenile work is that the Australian l'nion» attaches sufficient importance to it to employ a special organiser. Miss Aildie Robertson, the organiser in question. seems to be especially adapted for the work, and it is m\ hope that she ma> be able to visit New Zealand during tlit* next Convention and tell us something of the work she is doing. The invitation to send delegate's to our next Convention was most warmly ieeeived, and 1 have to convey the thanks of the Austraian Convention to New Zealand for the invitation, and also most affectionate greetings to our I nion as a whole, and to our President and others who were personally known in Australia. —Yours in White Ribbon bonds, CMKI ST 1N A 11EN DEI {SON.