A LADY WITH A MISSION.

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

A LADY WITH A MISSION.

'...AN-INTERVIEW.

' Miss Esther Anderson, Ph.B., who arrived in Wellington by. the, express train from Aucklan'd. on afternoon, is a lady with a, very.important'mission to work 1 for. : She is tho. acting national secretary for Austrahisia of the Y.W.G.A., and has'been chosen by /tho National Committee, a body composed of members representing the associations of the chief cities in Australia'; to pay advisory, visits both in Australia and, in New Zealand. From starting in a .very modest way'in Sydney, Melbourne, and Adolaide, the different, branches of, the Y.W.C.A. havo grown and developed Mn every way, and nave, como' to bo,.recognised as a most, /important,factor.in the, lives of the young women of .the cities, i Their work has been, laid down upon : broad,/ practical .'lines,'".providing the'gi;:ls working, in the 'city,not only ,with a/home, .companionship, and care, but with the meansj of. developing their faculties in every. po&liibk directioiiC, ■ : ' .In the "United States, .where Miss Anderson had been-.working for tho'samo , object, those who have important'work.to do in- tho helping on and organising of the associations nro chosen as much as possible from tho universities, as it is those' who aro. strongest physically . and mentally who are best equipped for the work of improving :the social conditions relating to: women, and aro best, able to instilMnto thorn a realisation, of what. their ; womanhood means, -.morally, mentally,,,and physically. . Miss.-. Ander-; ,Fon to see the same ; cpurse.iollowcd out in Australia and New. Zealand. . Tho YIW.C.A. is: now.', to be: found practically, all over- the world—in China, in Japan, in India, as well as the. countries of the whito races'. Now, wherever an association is being formed, the lives of the people.are,studied, their customs, their conditions, and .their'ways.of thinking, and then: when . they have been 1 grasped a branch is. sta fteu that is Ktted for the requirements of the young .women of the place. The old, haphazard, you-must-conform-to-me •' mothod of "former years: has become a-thing ■of the past, luckily for both "sides; . '. . ' ' The great drawback .which has hitherto <vd<;tc'd in Australasia in regard to the lack of sufficiently-trained/girls to act as oxocutivo secretaries is -being faced in Melbourne, where a Training -Institute, with Miss Anderson at it's.head,'will ba opened in. October for four weeks.; Here students will bo able to attend :lecture's, lie instructed in Bible study and' apologetics, - and ". adminis-' tration, the/principles of sociology',.' including' aspoctsv'pf .co'mmunity life,'; and religious■', movements. . There will. ..be visits to hospitals, factories, clubs, institutions :of all, -kinds, as. weli, - its roligious organisations, so that; all-kinds of iwdmen's work and the conditions under which it is performed may be thoroughly, studied. This'.is only to meet'the press--ing necessity of the'moment; -Later.: it is hoped, to establish,'such an institution permanently. Thero is no doubt but that there is\a great forte stirring everywhere j'in connection with the> Y.WIC.A., and Miss Anderson, is desirous that every opportunity will; be taken, 'for a completer ministry and development of its powers. -~