Women's World Going to the Conference by RORA PAKI In our last issue we described the history and purpose of the Maori Women's Welfare League. This time we are publishing an article by Mrs Paki which shows the social side of the League in a juicy tale of preparations for annual conference. Now it is nearly time for another conference of the Maori Women's Welfare League, and once again our minds turn to such things as remits and giving day contributions, travelling arrangements and such like. It's a big responsibility and yet lots of fun too. Meetings take on new life, and our minds go back to other such conferences, and we think of those we met and those we are likely to meet again, and we wonder if there'll be as many there and so on. Now let's start reminiscing! When preparations began in earnest for the big event, and members met, conference to us women was the favourite topic. Forgotten was the water shortage, the poor potato crop, or the early drop in milk production. All these were secondary to preparations for conference, and we lent only half an ear to hubby's small talk of ‘the new fence’ or the ‘fat lambs’ or ‘gettin’ the hay pressed’, and such like. A feeling of anticipation ran high, every member being keyed up to a state of great expectation, even our hubbies who, through the course of the year, had become sceptical, now became caught up in the excitement of the hour, to the point of discussing the approaching event with non-league friends, carefully pointing out what the Maori Women's Welfare League was endeavouring to do for the community as a whole. Now our story concerns just one delegate to conference, yet I think, is typical of the majority of them—mothers of families and in quite humble circumstances, taken from the average everyday women not over endowed with initiative, but with a great desire to make a go of things! So back to the preparations—first and foremost, the family had to be considered, clothing prepared and sorted and left in readiness, the cupboard stored and extra cooking done and every little detail seen to. Then mum's wardrobe came in for close scrutiny, not being an elaborate one, certain sources had to be tapped to make the necessary additions. As the time neared, an occasional visitor