WOMEN'S WORLD

Evening Star, Issue 24331, 21 October 1942, Page 6

WOMEN'S WORLD

[By Diana.]

Social and Personal. Mrs S. Lawn left on Saturday _ for a holiday in Christchurch and Wellington. Mr and Mrs Robert Spinner, of Gisborne, arc the guests of the latter’s parents (Mr and Mrs Christie C. homo), of Oamaru. The Taien Croquet Club opened the season last Wednesday. As the lawns were rather damp for play, the afternoon’s programme consisted mainly of competitions. Mrs McPheat (president) welcomed the visitors from sister clubs and honorary members. Mrs Uuchler, representing' the Croquet Association, acknowledged the weicome, and declared the lawns open for play. At an enjoyable afternoon tea, Mrs Buchler was presented with a posy. The Musselburgh branch of the League of Mothers hold its October meeting on Thursday afternoon, Mrs Duff presiding. An extremely intc.esting talk was given by Mrs Hunter, in which she told of her experiences while living in Thailand, Singapore, and Penang. Events prior to, and immediately after, Britain’s declaration of war on Japan were described, and members followed with interest the speaker’s tales of the hair-breadth escapes of refugees from the danger zones in the Near East. The 537 New Zealand women serving overseas will not be forgotten at Christmas, for , the National Patriotic Fund Board has made arrangements for each to receive a specially-selected personal parcel, together with the largo mess parcel that groups of eight will divide. Each parcel will have a printed card bearing the words “1942, Kia Ora, with the compliments of the season and best wishes from the people of New Zealand.” The High School Old Girls’ Association held its final meeting for 1942 on Monday evening in the Otago Women’s Club. The members of the sixth form and representatives from the senior fifth forms were the guests. Miss Morton announced that the foundation service would be held in Knox Church on Sunday, February 14, 1943. Miss Bayley reported that nine parcels had been posted during September to old girls on active service in England and the Middle Bast. At the conclusion of the business the evening took the form of a social, under the leadership of Miss Helen Ball. Under the auspices of- the Theosophical Women’s. Association, an address on ‘ The Campaign for Christian Order’ was given by Sister Catherine, of Knox Church, last Saturday afternoon. The speaker outlined its foundation and objects and the numerous activities it is undertaking. Music was supplied by Miss Joy Irwin (violin) and Miss Bette Johnson (piano). Pamphlets on the campaign were distributed, and an informal chat over afternoon tea concluded an instructive meeting. Otago Women’s Cricket Association. The eleventh annual meeting of the above association was held in the Y.W.C.A. rooms last week, when the following officers were elected Patroness, Mrs W. A. Boss; president, Mrs E. Flockton; hon. vice-presidents—Lady Linde Ferguson, Mesdames Harrould, W. B. Taverner; vice-pre-sidents— Mesdames Borthwick, Divers, Samson, A. Hudson, B. Hudson, W. Strang, A. H. Allen, G. Coulle, Breese, Stephens, Garland, Gaffaney, Phelan, Kirkland, Cullen, Newby; delegates to N.Z.W.C.C., Mesdames Gaffaney and Flockton; hon. secretary, Mrs Gaffaney; hon. treasurer, Mrs Phelan; hon. auditor, Mr Tyrell; ground warden, Mr P. Baltrop. Business and Professional Women’s Club. The fortnightly meeting, held in the Tudor on Monday, was presided over by Miss Vera Hayward (president). The speaker for the evening was the Hon. W. Downie Stewart, a patron of the club, who gave a descriptive and highly enlightening talk on that brilliant personality, Major-general Karl Haushofer, quondam confidant of and adviser-in-chief of the German dictator. A term as attache in Japan, and a Bair for geography and its effects on politics proved him invaluable for many years. Through Hess he became acquainted with Hitler (at that time serving a gaol sentence), and collaborated with him in the writing of ‘ Mein Karapf.’ After many years as philosopher and guide Haushofer has fallen from grace. Against his advice Hitler became enmeshed in Russia, an act which may alter the fate of all Europe, but in a way contrary to his ex-' pectations. The triumph of the unexpected in history is brought about by ambitions and jealousies, said Mr Stewart. Miss Duthie proposed a vote of thanks to Mr Stewart for his interesting address. Y.W.C.A. in the Near East. Mrs Murray Brooks, writing to the ‘ Y.W.C.A. Beview,’ gives news of many workers in the Near East after the fall of Singapore. She says: “-You have been in niy mind over and over again during the last few months since all the awful things have been happening in the Pacific and in Burma. I thought of you especially when Singapore fell, and Leila Bridgman was, I suppose, caught there. Nell Elliott and T. Z. Koo are in Hongkong; Glenn Wishard and 25 or 30, Y.M.O.A. folk we know are in Manila, and, of course, the hundreds we know in Burma. Only in the last few weeks have we had any news of our friends there at all. Most of the missionaries, so far as we can find out, are in India and safe so far; all but a few of the men who stayed behind for ambulance work, etc., are laccounted for. Dr Seagrave and his Shaiy nurses from Nankham, way up near the Chinese border, ‘ retired ’ with the British forces to India, marched with them, fed them with berries and roots out of . the jungle, and nursed them at night. It will make a wonderful story 'of heroism some day. Dr and Mrs Jury, of Judson College, Rangoon, were in Mandalay when it was bombed, and walked out 300 miles on only a cup of rice a day. Mr Case stayed in Burma and fed the Chinese army for weeks; no one knows whether he got out, but he probably went to China with them. He is the head of the Agricultural College at Pyimina, and knows the agricultural possibilities there and the peasants everywhere all up through the Shan States, as there are demonstration centres all over the place. He has done a magnificent job, before the war and since.

“ But no one has heard anything of our Burmese and Indian friends. The Indians must have had the worst time of all, because the Burmese hate them anyway for getting ahead of them in business, and 55 per cent, of the population in Rangoon was Indian. There are so many hundreds of people I want to know about.”

Plunket Society. The monthly meeting of the committee of the Dunedin branch of i lie Plunket Society was held on Friday last, Mrs J. McOeorge presiding. The Matron of the Truby King-Harris Hospital reported that during September 22 mothers x and 33 babies had been admitted, and 21 mothers and 36 babies had been discharged. Patients had been admitted from Oamaru, Green Island, Luggate, Temuka, Mosgiel, Palmerston, Kelso, Waimate, Hillgrove, and Abbotsford, as well as the city and suburbs.

The Charge Nurse reported that four groups of medical students, numbering approximately 80, had attended the rooms and received instruction in the examination and dieting of the normal baby, while breast feeding, complementary feeding, weaning, supplementary diet, artificial feeding, and the pre-school child were demonstrated. During the month two clinics for pre-school children and unsatisfactory cases had been conducted, with Dr Deem in attendance. At the Wakari clinic lecturettes and demonstrations on foods for children from six to 18 months had been given. The report summarising the work of the Dunedin Plunket nurses stated that in September there were 2,115 babies on the list and" 1,068 older children; 1,307 visits had been paid to homes, and 5,153 to offices (2,574 mothers, 2,260 babies, and 319 older children). There were 126 new cases for the month.

It was reported that the Daffodil Day street collection had realised the gratifying sum of £l,llO. A motion of thanks was passed to Mrs Cleghorn, who was largely responsible for the success of the appeal. Appreciative reference was also made to the help given by the subbranches in sending in donations of produce and flowers and also providing helpers, for the stalls.