GUILD MONTHLY MEETING IN HASTINGS YESTERDAY

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 124, 11 June 1937, Page 15

GUILD MONTHLY MEETING IN HASTINGS YESTERDAY

After the Natioiial Anthem and the guild ode had been sung and the aspirations repeated at the monthly meeting of the Hastings Townswomeoi'a Guild yestepday afternoon in the Oddfellows' Hall, Hastings, the presidexit, Mrs A. F. Glenny, asked the members to stand in silence as a mark of respect to the late Mrs E. A. W. Henley. Mrs Henley wa* the much-loved president of the Napier Townswomen' s Guild, and will be greatly missed by both Napier and Hastings Guild members. Several members of the Hastings Guild were present at the meeting in Napier last week and took a beautiful floral basket arranged by Mrs L. J. Harvey as an expression of Sympathy from the Hastings Guild.. The basket was arranged with small bundlea of flowers, which were later given to the crippled children in the Hospital. Mrs A, F, Glenny once again thanked all those who had taken part in the Guild Coronation entertainment, which resulted in tlie splendid sum of £50 for the King George V Memorial Fund. Mrs E.Riley and Mrs F. Deans, the organisers, and Mesdames Macaulay, L. W, Goldfinch, Coleman and Miss Jean Ballantynie, were specially thanked. Corrgratulatory letters had been received from the Chamber of Commerce, Mrs Chapman-Taylor, president .of the Havelock North Women' s lnstitute, Mrs W. A. Wliitlock, the Hastings Women's Community Club, the Women'g Christian Temperance Union and the Women's Division of the Farmers' Union. The resignation of Mrs G, Marsicano from the leadership of the music circle was received with much regret. It was announced that Mrs H. Lovell-Smith ajad Mrs E. Riley had been co-opted by the committee. A letter was received from the English Disabled Sailors' and Soldiers' Mutual Association, asking whether Guild menibers would assist at an exhibition to be held in Napier on July 19, 20, and 21. The exhibition is to show the people of tlie Dominion the wonderful work which is being produced in England, by some of the worst cases of war disability, and also to give assistance to those in New Zealand trying to find employment for returned soldiers. It is not hoped to make any profit, but just to' pay the expenses of the trip. Mrs G. A. Maddison spoke about the recent meeting arranged to give assistance to the Hastings triplets, and announced that thp card party to raiso money would be held in the afternoon at a date to be advertised later. Circle reports were then given by the leaders, and it was announced that the July me.eting, being the Guild birthday party would be held in the Assembly Hall. Delightful vocal solos were given by Mrs W. A. Greer, who was aecompanied by Miss McHutchon. She sang "Spring' s Awakening," and as an encore "Baby," Two vocal trios, "To a Wild Rose" and "The Streamlet," were sung by Mrs G. Mai-sicano, Mrs Jenkinson and Miss B. McHutchon, aecompanied by Mrs A, J. Smith, and wero heartily applauded, Afternoon tea was then enjoyed, und thip was followed by a very interesting address given by Mrs McBeath, of Napier. Mrs McBeath, a prominent membfir of the nursing profession in Napier, gave a very able and interesting talk whiehi, at tlie conclusion left the members with much to think about. Mrs McBeath said that she was greatly interested in Hastings' new population, the triplets, more especially so because they wefe not the flrst in Hawke's Bay. Nearly 47 years ago triplets were born at Maraekakaho, three girls, who were in those days looked upon as poor little freaks. Mrs McBeath said that she had kuown these triplets all her life because she was one of them, The speaker called her subject "The Cradle of the Nation," and by this she meant women's bodies, a subject upon which she is able to speak with authority, being a qualified medical and surgical nurse who knQws as much about folk's insides as their outsides, "When women think of their bodies as being the cradle of the Nation, they then realisp, their responsibilities," said the speaker. "The responsibilities begin very young; in fact, as soon as we are old enough to understand our bodies and we must then think of the future and care for them. Mothers should begin at a very early age to tell their children about the uses of their own bodies, and when young children asfc. questions there is nothing so disheartening to a cliild's mind than to be put off and not answej-ed," Mrs McBeath said that she addressed the members of the Guild as intelhgent Christian women desiroiis of wiping out the evils among women to-day. She said that many girls „these days were given credit for knowing so much more than they really did that they would not ask questions. The speaker urged her listeners to scize every opportunity to enrich their own minds to euable them to help those tliey were responsible for. She said that she had been forturiate in hpving time to spend in study, and she felt that her hiission in life was the betterment of health as a whole but more especially among women and girls, and she felt it her duty to pass her knowledge on to others.