LYCEUM CLUB

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 5, 1 May 1939, Page 3

LYCEUM CLUB

OPENING EVENING

The Lyceum Club held its first 'evening for the year last Thursday evening when flag bridge was played. Mrs Armstrong welcomed old and new members and hoped that a happy year would ensue. Prizes for the highest score went to Mrs Riddell, Miss F. Sloane and Miss M. Dell. A dainty supper brought proceedings to an end. Those present were: Mrs E. Armstrong, Mrs F. Appleby, Mrs W. Sullivan. Mrs J. Boon, Mrs Otley, Mrs P. Sisam, Mrs Molltfaard, Mrs Riddell, Mrs Boswel, Mrs Allan Bridger, Mrs J. Conollv, Mrs Sou. they, Mrs Warner. Mrs C. Morrison. Mrs Eggers, Mrs G. Thomas. Misses Greenup, Howell, Whiteside, Carlyon Dell, Sloane, D. Boon, A. Clarke. HOUSEKEEPER SHORTAGE -4 f HOW THE W.D.F.U. ANSWERS IT ASSISTANCE IN. THE COUNTRY Probably nowhere is the prevalent shortage of help in the home felt more acutely than in the country districts. Where so many farmers are also faced with the problem of a labour shortage, it means women j.rasi share work. on the farm as well as managing the home and bringing up a, family—a complete job in itself. | What happens when the mother becomes ill? The only really serious attempt •within recent years to relieve country women, who live under the handicap of these conditions, and are completely without assistance in the - home, is that made by the Women's J*. Division of the Farmers' Union in its Housekeeper Scheme. The scheme does not pretend to attempt alleviation of the domestic situation., It aims purely and simply to provide help for country women in, times of difficulty and 1 emergency. "Two-thirds of the calls are for maternity cases, when a housekeeper is "required to look after a home and > family while the mother is in hospital. The scheme does not provide for domestic assistance when the -mother returns and is on her feet again, but it does reassure her that all is well while she is away from home, and thi s is half a mother's worry at such times. A maximum of one month is put on each housed "keeper's stay, but this can be extended in certain cases. i The WD. housekeepers are, first of all, required to be "mothers" to a household. They are thorough capenergetic and strong, ready for any emergency. They are able to manage homes of every size and condition, with a full understanding of c&untry life; they can turn out << -tempting dinner from a rickety stove which would make a city_b v ed wo. man's blood turn cold; or do the washing in primitive out-of-doors. They encounter farm homes from the highest to the humblest, and what is more, for the most part enjoy it. Many of them are elderly women, and there is a stipulation requiring them to be more than 30 ■years of age. Man3 r of them aic p?i> nurses. scheme keeps 150' women constantly engaged, and could employ twice that n,umber. THEI HOUSEKEEPERS. The nature of the work demands -much from the housekeepers, and attracts a particularly rare and fine type. For months they almost in suitcases," moving about from home to home, sometimes without a dav's break between, except for /travelling. They do not regard their work as "domestic" but look on each call rather as a mission, and an i lea of the real truth in, this attitude can only be gauged by details submitted each month to headquarter:;. Here letters of gratitude pour in film backblock mothers who have received timely assistance; here are notes from the housekeepers themselves. To quote a typical ex. ampte- v "I was here 13 months ago en the family consisted of John, aged ijjj. jsfellie, aged four and twin? 18 months' old. The mother baked her wn bread, made butter twice week. Iy. as well as goihg to the milking

shed. They had no,vehicle of any kind, no telephone, .and were ten miles from a township. Thi• time the baby is I'A months old and mother has been assisting and milking all the winter —they have no man —and is still baking her bread, but not now making butter . . • l' m trying to fix the children' 1 * clothes, as honestly I don't think they have had a stitch since I was here last year, and can you wonder?' This is only one of the hundreds of cases filed away at division headquarters. To glance through them is enough to reveal the desperate need of country women not only ior help in emergency, but for constant assistance in their struggle for worthwhile living in the backblock*.