WHITE RIBBONERS IN NIUE.

White Ribbon, Volume 32, Issue 374, 18 August 1926, Page 7

WHITE RIBBONERS IN NIUE.

The following letter will be of great interest to our White Ribboners. It tells of our work in a little known i»art of our Dominion:--August 2nd, 1926. M> l)eur Mrs Mowlein, — 't hank you very much for badges retrived by lust vessel. The little bows have lx*en chosen by the women themselves. 1 have 6(HJ waiting for badges; each and all must Ik* served together. 1 am waiting for the 60 honour badges for my committee leaders. 1 have to hand 3(8 badges, but what are they amongst so many. Mv women are keen and enthusiastic. Next month we have our annual meetings, and we are hoping to have u big White Ribbon rally, all with their badges. No, all the Niue inhabitants have not <h lined the l*ow. All of my 600 members are women over 16 years of age, and all must of necessity be church inemliers. These 600 are mainly what we term here the Tapu Kifine (or church women). This White Ribbon band has only lt«en sturted recently, because we felt that only now were our women ready to take the movement up. In each of the 12 villages we have a committee of five women including the pastor’s wife, and these are chosen by the village. We have hud meetings in each village- the setting npart of these committee women -and they have been the most inspiring and sacred meetings we h. if ever attended. In each village the matter has been placed before the women, and a Dedicatory Service held. Koch committee woman sat apart, and each in turn stool up before her own village and repeated uudibly the pronose drawn up. and then, in place of the tjadges, which had not then arrived, I pinned on a littk* white riblion bow on their dress. Mr Hehandl took charge of the meeting, and the Pastor then led in prayer. Our White Ribbon Rand is not chiefly a Temperance movement. That is 1 rdly needed here in Niue, but 1 have included the promise to ultstain for fear at some future time drink may Ik* introduced. Our evils in Niue are not of that order. Our chief evil Is immorality, and we huve to fight hard against that. Our points then include love mid service to OUxi, truthfulness, cleanliness of mind and body, care and pro-

tection of body from sin, and abstaining lrom intoxi ating liquor. The Committee of each village interview all new members. 1 have interviewed so iur, and they also discipline all defaulters. As the bulge has been purchased, it cannot be taken away, but these women have the authority to forbid the wearing of the Imdge in their village by anyone who has committed a fault for three, six, nine months, or even longer, according to the enormity of the fault. Quarrelling, lying, steal mg, immorality, are the chief faults. So you see we have a fully organised movement. Not at all an easy-going affair. Possibly there are not many so organised South. At any rate, you in civilisation cannot interfere with the private life of your members. But here it is the private life which makes a person worthy or unworthy to wear our White Ribbon badge. In October I am taking my little gir! to Sydney for schooling, and I want to have this movement in full swing l>e'fore 1 leave. Mr Beharell is just as keen as 1 am, and will carry on when 1 leave. The strength of Niue lies in its women When the Vice-Regal party came to Niue, Fergusson addressed my White Riblion women at two different gatherings. She was simple and splendid, and just said the right things to them. Now I must close. My Niue White Kil>l>on women send loving greetings to your New Zealand women. Would that you could come over and be present at one of our meetings You would get a welcome. However, my loving greetings to you. Yours very sincerely, MARGARET J. BEHARELL.