Y.W.C.A. ANNIVERSARY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1858, 18 September 1913, Page 3

Y.W.C.A. ANNIVERSARY.

A VISITOR FROM NEW YORK. . The anniversary meeting of, the Y.W.C.A. was hold in the Concert Chamber of the Town Hall last evencjig. Her Excellency tlio Countess of Liverpool was present, and l was attended by Captain Huttom Mrs. Massey, wife of the Prime Minister, was also there, and the Chamber was crowded, jicoplo standing both upstairs and downstairs. The Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) presided. AVlicji the ourtains screening the stage were drawn a tableau illustrating twenty-nine countries dn the world in n'hicli the Young Women's Christian Association existed was disclosed'. It gave an 'excellent idea of its world-wide existence, and upon the 'banners carried by the girls was inscribed the number of members belonging to each country. The Mayor, on behalf of tlio city, extended a welcome to Mr. and Mrs. Gladding, of New York, visitors who have done great work for the association in their own country. Miss Birch, the general, secretary, was called upon to give a brief resaimo of the -work during the yeair just concluded. One of the outstanding events was the Now Zealand Conference, the first of its kind, which had been called together by Miss Helen Barnes, and at wbicli thero wero present delegates from the livo centres. They had also sent one of their members to the school for secretarial training. Tho "Know Y'our Own City" Conference, which was.held for tho purpose of finding out exactly what social work was being carried on in the ciity by tho various women's' societies, was another important event, and', by it, much useful knowledge had been gained. At the end of tho . previous year they had hacl a membership of 369 members, and. at tho end of this year tho association numbered COS paid-up taombcrs. Special attention was paid to religious work. For tho first,tirao in iits history thero had been voluntary of money for mission work ; a child was supported in tho Ramabai Home, and they were also keeping a leper. Tlio Association or one of its clubs, was supporting. a secretary who was working in connection with the Y.W.C.A. in China. Their social organisations wero also very successful, and several entertainments had been given during tho year. The Travellers' Aid Cominit'teo had been formed with tho special object ,of watching over girls who were travelling away' from their holmes, and for warning thorn as to dangers which they were likely to meet with. During the year they had had passing through the hostel, as m».ny as G69 girls, but necessarily they were birds of passage. :At present there were 20 permanent boarders, obtaining an annexe to the hostel for the use of girls who desired furnished rooms only, with the right to o-et their, own meals, had been an important step, anil already it was meeting with success. Educational work had been pursued, and during the year lectures had been given, by leading educationalists. There were literary circles, and additional hoalth talks wero given by some of tho city doctors. Practical cooking was also featured. Mrs.' Gladding, who was next asked to speak, said how much slio l.ad cnjoved seeing tho performances that evening of tho girls belonging to the association, and she'was sorry that slio had only tho pictures of girls to show them. Slie had carried with her, however, the greeting of members of tlio various branches of the Y.W.C.A. in America and in Australia, and she had views to show them of the various buildings belonging to the Y.W.C.A. in those countries. In America thero were 250,000 members, aiid of these 200,000 belonged to the city associations, and.50,000 to the universities and educational systems of the country! Mrs. Gladding then proceeded to oxplain'the different views that wero shown. They consisted largely of .the hostels, colleges, and universities in America, in which Young Women's I Christian "Association had its homo. Thero could bo no doub'fc but that it was a marked factor in the life of the American woman and that it had met with tho strongest support from the far-sighted American citizens. Everything that went to tlio building lip of a healthy, cultivated, well-balanced established woman had been provided, and tlio quarters established, in the colleges and universities were very fine. Tho American evidently believed that the Y.W.C.A. "was one of the best national assets that his,country could have.

Included in tho programme was an cxcollent physical culture display by members of the Y.M.C.A. class, under tlio direction of Mr. Hewitt. A playlet, entitled "Annie's Holiday," taken part in by members of the elocution class (taught by Mrs. Wood), and two glees by tho Lyric Club, under tho leadership of Mr. 1'op".