ALTRUSA CLUB LAUNCHED

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31081, 9 June 1966, Page 2

ALTRUSA CLUB LAUNCHED

A new women’s service club—the Altrusa Club of Christchurch—was launched at a dinner held at Heatherlea on Tuesday evening. Altrusa was the first women’s service club in the world. It was established in Nashville, Tennessee, in April, 1917. Dr. Vivienne Benzie, chairman of the club’s steering committee, said the charter membership stood at 23. Members have been drawn from a wide field and include the teaching, medical, health, nursing, and academic professions as well as representing a comprehensive range of business occupations. The housewife also is represented. There was no danger that Altrusa’s projects would conflict with those of other clubs. It would co-operate with the clubs in helping to meet unmet needs of the community, she said.

Altrusa’s motto is “Patriotism, efficiency and service.” Its aim was to live up to this. The name Altrusa derived from altruistic, said Dr. Benzie.

On behalf of the Christchurch City Council, Mr N. G. Pickering gave the council’s best wishes and offered its assistance to the new club. Mr Pickering said he was impressed by the wide occupational range of the members and added he was always delighted to see women take an active part in community affairs.

Although New Zealand was a welfare State, people had to realise the Government did not take care of all welfare aspects. Nor should they be lulled into sitting back and saying that- the Government would.

Service clubs played an important part in the community and there was room for all, he said.

About 45 persons, including representatives of service clubs, attended he dinner. They were Mr L. Burt (Lions), Miss M. Cradock (Soroptimists), Mr P. Hames (Jaycees), Mr R. M. Young (Rotary), and Miss T. Eldridge (Business and Professional Women).