Y.W.C.A.

Evening Star, Issue 23377, 21 September 1939, Page 14

Y.W.C.A.

SIXTY-FIRST YEAR ANNUAL MEETING —✓ The sixty-first annual meeting of the Y.W.C.A. was held last night, Mrs 0. M. Begg presiding. A welcome was extended to the mayor (Mr A. H. Allen) and the mayoress, also the large number of members who attended. PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. The pressing problem of the year, as usual, was that the hostel was not large enough, said Mrs Begg in presenting the annual report. This year they , had been obliged to ref use accommodation to 305 would-be guests. They had tried to find an auxiliary hostel, but in this they htfd not been successful. She congratulated the sports department on the large number of girls that had taken part m various forms of recreation. It had been found impossible to coach all the teams in the Y.W.C.A. Hall, and so the Drill Hall had had to be requisitioned. It was doubtful ‘whether this was a wise move, because contact with the girls had, to a certain extent, been lost. The fall in membership was not attributable to any fault of _ the very excellent membership committee, but to the fact that a large number had been no more than subscribers. She would like them to feel more that they were of a fellowship. Mrs Begg referred to the helpful co-operation of all concerned throughout a very interesting year, and formally moved the adoption of the annual report. “The Y.W.C.A. should be housed in better buildings than they have today.” said Mr J. Sutherland Ross, in seconding the motion. “ The present buildings are a disgrace to the city, but they will have to stand a few years yet.” The moment was not ripe for an appeal, however worthy. The manifold activities of the Y W.C A. were surprising in their number and their variety. The motion was carried. Mrs R. W. S. Botting presented the statement of receipts and payments, of which the adoption was seconded by Mr J. R. Fairbairn. He suggested that a membership campaign _ should _he instituted to arrest the slight decline that was apparent. OFFICE-BEARERS. Mesdamos N. Parata, J. R. Fairbairn, and Miss Frances J. Ross were re-elected to the Board of Directors, with two new members, Miss M. Begg and Miss B. Kerr. The other officers elected were :—Honorary auditors. Messrs Barr, Burgess, and Stewart; lion, solicitors, Messrs Brugh, Calvert, and Barrowclough. A vote of thanks to all who had assisted in the work of the association was proposed by Mrs Malcolm and carried. APPRECIATION BY THE MAYOR. Mr Allen, on behalf of the citizens, congratulated the association on the valuable work it had done in the city. He could hardly imagine a more beautiful conception than the purpose of the Y.W.C.A. as set out in the annual report, and there was no doubt that its influence among the girls of the city was a very powerful one for good. After the business of the evening had been concluded a birthday party was held, at which the guests were entertained by Miss West, Miss Dorothy Barron, Miss Betty Matson, and girls of the hostel.