YOUNG WOMENS' CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 922, 15 September 1910, Page 9

YOUNG WOMENS' CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION.

'\->' THE ANNUAL MEETING.' - "The annual^meeting of the ' Young •Women's Christian .Association' was held in their- rooms; 119 Lambtoh Quay,' last evening,' a large number'of members being present. Mrs. M'Clay presided at the gathering. The fourth annual report and balance-sheet were read and adopted. The report stated: that, the committee, wished to express their thanks to. the many, business firms and individuals who have assisted tho.association:.in both service and money, and to the '.press of Wellington, who have opened their columns, to further - the interests of the association.. Two or three changes of secretaries have' taken place'during the-year, and ,at the 1 present time tho services of. Miss Mason have been secured.' The visit of : Miss Meager,' the general ■ secretary .'of.- the Sydney Association, encouraged' them in their work, and, acting on her suggestion, a,guild, of helpers is now being formed, who will help in extending the work. The visit of Dr. and Mrs. Henry aroused 1 ' great interest in the. work of the. association, and is gratefully ' remembered.' During tho coming year it is hoped thai the generosity of the Wellington people will help to provide a much-needed home for women. No other institution, of. an undenominational basis at all times keeps an open door and welcomes the young, woman who is a stranger to the town. In order to keep the religious side of the work alive, a Bible class is held every. Sunday at i p.m., a Bible study class on Saturday. evenings, from 7 'to 8 o'clock, and'on the first Sunday in every month addresses are delivered on.foreign mission work, those assisting being vMesdamea Gibbs, Atkinson, ' Taploy, Bla'mircs; M'Clay, Miss M'Lean, M.A., Miss .Griffiths, B.A.,Messrs.. Mathiesou, Bradley, ■N..-H. Holmes, and Dr. Henry. The mtuijbers aro supporting a-little girl in the Mukti Home, which is "conducted by Puudita Bamabai. and another in the Home for Lepers, superintended by Wm. Powell at Bapatla, Madras Presidency, and are arranging to send a box of : gilts to Mr. Bradley, of .the. Egypt General 'Mission. Titbit* is a prayer mwetiii" cvtiy Saturday night from 8 to 9, and a visitors' tea at 5, o'clock on. Sunday, afternoons. , Thanks are due' to . Mesdames' M'Clay, Webster, Chapman, Caiupbull,ShirtclifFe, George, Ecith, and Each, as well as Messrs. D. Anderson and Co. and A. S./Paterson.and Co., for donations.' The Entertainment Committee 'providos 'a monthly social for promoting social intercourse among members nnd brightening tho lives of lonely girls.. The first social function was the third anniversary concert in the Town Hall on September 10, for which thanks are due tu the fol. lowing:—Mr. L. Watkins, Miss Bach, Mesilamcs C. B. Bates. TapJey, Miss Watkms, Messrs. J. C. Clark and ClarkJohnson, St. Mark's Choir, and the members of tho Bible classes. Thanks were due for tho Christmas-tree and to those who contributed towards it. Mr. Hwang, the ChiiiesD Consul, gave an - interesting lecture on "Social Lifn in China." and Mrs. butcliffo organised an entertainment Tc.ni ,vas B roatl y appreciated. Mr, M Clay gave two lectures unun India, There were also the performance of Beauty and the Beast" bv the pupils of the Wellington Girls' College. Special efforts were made to augment their finances, and thanks arc due to the Wesleyan Literary and Debating Society lor their entertainment on tiic association s behalf. The sale of work-in April realised .JWIO for th« hostel fund, mumbers collecting, cards swelling it considerably,, as did Miss Sybil Johnson's beautiful entertainment. The balance of the hostel fund now stands at ,C 479 18s. 9d„ and with the ■ interest due at the md cf the year should bring up tho amount to .£uoo in the Savings Bank. Gratitude is due to Mrs. Webster for books donated to the library, to Mr. Glen for pot plants, Messrs. Veitch and Allan, George and Korsley, and Scoullar and Co. for furniture. It is very gratifying that 83 new members have joined this year. 1 hanks are due to the association's Board of Gentlemen's Advice, to Mr. Aitken and ■Mr..A. P. Webster, and to Mr. D. 0. Morpeth, hon. auditor. The committee wishes to express its gratification concorning the. fact that Lady. Islington has

graciously consented lo accept the position of patron to tho Wellington brauoh of the Y.W.C.A. The balance-sheet shows that tho association ' started tho year with a balance of .£lB 12s. 2d., which, with tho receipts that- have come in during the year has amounted to the sum of 4:30-1 7s. Cd. .The expenditure amounts to .£350 Ids. Md. The hostel furnishing fund started with a balance of ,£332 Os. 9d.. which, with sundry receipts amounting to SS& 155., bazaar proceeds, J.IOO, and interest .£ll, amounts in all to ,£479.185. 9d. This has been placed in the Savings Bank. The secretary's salary fund starts with a balance of .£sl 10s. Gd., and, with dona-' tions and interest,' amounts to .£G4 9s. Bs. Exiienditure equals .£34 19s; Bd. The same officers were elected for tho ensuing year. ' . .■ \ ■ . After the business of the meeting had been transacted and various votes of thanks passed, 'Miss Anderson, the visiting national organising secretary of the Y.VV.CJ.A.'s of Australasia, delivered a most interesting address. Miss Anderson is a charming speaker, very simple, very direct in her appeals ,to the best that is in the hearts of her audience. She brought with her, she said, the very hearty greetings from ; the Australian , Associations, who take the deepest interest in those branches in Now Zealand. Although the National Committee in Australia might seem a .very vague thing to. her listeners, that evening, their interest in tho work in Now Zealand was a' very tangible thing. Amongst tho many interesting things Miss Anderson spoke of, but that space will not 'allow the mention of, was that the association in all its work wished to fit girls for life, physically and mentally. The fulness of life oan never ,'bb. theirs, unless their bodies .are sound and healthy. Tho" success of our country lies in the physical conditions (and mental) of this generation and the next, and this they wished to promote to its'utmost. .One thing is expected from those of the association—the ideal they have set before them—that of aiming for a noble womanhood in every sense of tho word; and thoroughly' realising their responsibilities,, among other things,' to their neighbours.' - .