Y.W.C.A. ACTIVITIES

Evening Star, Issue 23689, 24 September 1940, Page 10

Y.W.C.A. ACTIVITIES

ANNUAL REPORT A year of steady, progress in all actvities is recorded in the annual report of the Young Women's Christian Association. Particularly mentioned is the building of the cafeteria, the girls’ department, and the health and recreation department. The hostel, says the report, has had a successful year, accommodating 50 residents and 687 transient guests who had stayed for varying periods; C 5 would-be residents and 203 transients had been unable to secure accommodation owing to lack of.room. Members of the Hostel Committee had been responsible for organising stalls at the World Fellowship bazaar, the garden party, and for the street appeal. The cafeteria during the year had provided some 30.000 women and girls with meals. “In these times of stress,” the report continues, “we have been able to help, firstly by lending our cafeteria for 'Red Cross classes and as a centre for the Lady Galway Guild, and by giving volunteers for canteen work an opportunity to gain practical experience in our kitchen. Altogether, 12 young women have spent periods of one or two weeks’ training in this way." The health and recreation department reported that this year 38 teams played basketball under the Y.W.C.A. name. Two teams were affiliated to the Otago Baseball Association and one Y.W.C.A. team played in the Cridket Association’s competition, two members gaining representative honours. The World Fellowship Committee had mot monthly throughout the year and discussed news and reports from other countries. Refugees had been welcomed and invited to participate in the fellowship of the Y.W.C.A. Of the thousands of women and girls who made use of the facilities, there were 981 who ■were members of the association. These wex-e classified: Women members 402, girls’ department 92, senior department 46, health and recreation department 391, hostel 30. . The relation of the institution to the community was evidenced by its participation in the work for the refugees in Finland and in other countries where the heed was paramount. A small committee formed to assist with sending clothes through the Red Cross Society had become a Lady Galway Guild, making and mending clothes to be shipped overseas. The association also co-op-erated with the entertaining of the men of the forces in the Services Welcome Club.