WOMEN'S DIVISION COMES OF AGE

Chronicle (Levin), 5 July 1946, Page 3

WOMEN'S DIVISION COMES OF AGE

| . NOTABJuE CELEBRATIONS j Delegates to Wellington for the big- • gest event in the history of the. Uie Women '» Eivision of the Farniers' Union — tlie coming-of-age celebrations and the annual Dominion conference, • assembled from all parts of the Dominion. Geven hundred and seventy was the ofhcial number tirst estimated for catering at the austerity luneheon wliicli was the overture to the celebrations. For alinost an liour before the luneheon began and three-quartera of an liour after its schoilulod starting timo, hundreds of delegates crainniod the i'oyer of the Wellington Town flall, shook hands with the Dominion prosident, IMrs. W. Flliott (otlicial hostess.) and .Mrs. II. J. .McLeavey (a fouudation menibcr) before filing into the liall where the long luneheon tables were set. Xine hundred and lifty women .linally lielped to eat tlie luneheon, most of uhich tliey had provided themselves. The luneheon lasted three hours. .Mrs. W. Orr, >Southland, Dominion president emeritus, prosided. Past Dominion prcsidents of the division and foundatiun memliers, meaning most of the people who launehed thc movement, sat ! at a speeial tuble ou the stagc. Behind them, mouuted on a black baclcdrop. were some of tlie. decorative bauners from the division 's 589 branches. Two men were .present, .\lr. W. J. l'olson, M.F. (for souie years Dominion prosideut of the Farniers ' ITiion, wliicli lieljied the Women 's Division during its early days), and Mr. d. .Marr, acting-Dominioii president oi' ihe Fcdcrated lGirmers' Union. Man Eired Eirst Shot "ti was a man who lired the first shot lliat fonned tlie Women 's Division," declared Mrs. Lilbtirn, a founda- . lion member from Wanganui. Mr. MeAlpine, she continued, lind urged the iiu-i'ption of a union of country women. Tlieir lirst quest was to collect a eornniunity rhest for £1000, as a fouudation for helping others. "1 would take oil' niy hat to tliose housekeejiers, " she remarked, describiag tlie meagre begmnings and rajiid ailvance of the hou.sekeepers' scheme, the lirst bush uurses, and sewing lielpers. The self-saeritiee and higli ideals of the founders could not be realised today, for eonditions were diJl'orent now.

Tlie motto was serviee. Members took conv aleseent mothers into their lioines (a praetiee eniarged today), badgered Parliament till an edueational sclieme was granted (the Correspondenee tScliool), and tried to help with "clothes, mouey tuni olher tliings." [f lnembers were determined to advaneo the division with tlie same high ideals with whieh tliey liad st.arted, it would j >e a vvonderful thing for New Zealand, she saiil. Tree That Weatliers the Storm J The Dominion president, Mrs. Elliott, i s.aiil : " \Vo have grown as an organisaLion aud I liken uurselves to a sfrong tree, au oak tree, that wcathers the stornis and grovvs stronger because of them. Its roois are going deoper, and .its branelies give .slielter, afl'ection, .eoiii-, •fort and love to all who eome under tlieni. Mr. l'olson, eou fessing it was the lirst timo in his life lie liad addressed so . matiy women, snid he clid not think the ' men were entitled to as niuch eredit for the early history of tlie W.D.F.U. as thoy had been given. The women 's .activities were tremendouslv vaiuable to the farniers. Ile recalled the division 's original meeting and paid tribute to Mr. MeAlpine as tlie best organiser lie had ever known. Applause followed Mr. Marr's suggestiou that the Federated Uarmers " propose " to the W.D.F.U., now that it had reaclied its uiajority. Ile eomplimeiitod the division on its sterling work during the war years. Applause also followed his einpliat ie protest against two reeent I'ourt cases in New Zealand, one of lltoni being eruelty to a child. " Our menfoik are lilled with horror, " he said. "It is for you, as mothers aud sisters, to associate your division with kindred organisat ions that will bring these tliings to the notiee of the aut horities. The doniinating feature of the luneheon tuble was a monster birthday cake vveighing a luiudredw eight, whieh had been nuule from gifts of fruit and bulter from members who saerilieed their owii rat'ions for tlie purpose. The. cake wliicli was balted and iced by Mrs. A. Stevenson, df Lower Ilutt, was handsoinelv iced in white. and gold and seattered with gold stars. It was displayed on a white stand measuring -ii'l .sins in diameter. Betvveen the iwo tiers rested a shallow gold liowl of spring tiowers. the only uo te of eolour being provided by a hand-paiuted repliea of tlie division 's badge on the top lier. Twenty-one eaudles surrounded tlie stand. Coiitiiming its birthday eelebral ions the W.D.F.U. on Wcdnesday niglit sttiged a_ " Pageant of the Years" in the "Wellington Town llall wliicli was watehcd by close on 10d0 members. It recalled iniportant division events from the tinui of tlie lirst tea jiartv in 1925, when a group of farniers' wives banded . togetlier, up to the present timo. Early members and past prcsidents wefe iuiioiig tliose taking jiart. Besides the lirst tea parly, Uie lirst Lranch meeting, Ihe work of the ilivisiou's rest lioines, its oniergeucy liousekeejKir sclieme, "travelling hook club," and the presentiition of a Spitlire it inaile to liritaiu during the war, beeame vivid again in the miuds of all in scene and com men tary. Among highlights was tlie parade of provincials (comnieneiug with Ihe lirst group set up) and tlie placing of tlieir nionetary gifts for tlie tweuty-Jirst birthday fuud in the "Pot o' Gold" on ihe stage. Nearly £4000 was cootributed to the birtliday fund in this way. Anotlier was the cuttiiig of the canrlle-lit 11 21b birthday cake by past Dominion presidents as a eoneluding ceremony, while lights in the hall were dinuned. Arncli of ihe suceess aehieved by the W.D.F.U. liad been due to ihe foresiglit, wisdoni and self-ipierifieing serviee of its Doniiuion presidents, said the eommentator, who referred spee.ially to tlif* fouudation president, the late Mrs. W. J. Polson, 1925-29. Sueeeeding presidents were-as follow: Mesdanies C.

C. Jackson (1929-33), W. H. Ward (1983-35), 0. K. Wilson (1935-37), J. F. Drake (1937-38), J. G. Wiekham (193839), Noel Adams (1939-42), W. Orr , (19-12-45), W. Elliott (1945-40).