DOMINION PRESIDENT Of W.D.F.U. VISITS HASTINGS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 13, 8 October 1937, Page 11

DOMINION PRESIDENT Of W.D.F.U. VISITS HASTINGS

At present visiting Hastings in connection with .the work of the Women's Division of the Farmers' Union, is the newly-appointed Dominion president, Mrs. J. F. Drake, who will speak at a meeting in the W.D.F.U. rooms on Saturday. Mrs J. F. Drake was born in Lawrence, and has spent all her life in the country. She is the wife of a runholder near Berwick (Otago). Mrs Drake was the first presidont. of the Berwiek braneh of the W.D.F.U., and was president for five years. During her term as president, the Berwick braneh was the largest branch of the W.D.F.U, in Otago, which speaks volumes for her energy and personality. Mrs Drake was app'omted. president of the Otago provincial executive at a time when the work of the Women's Division was little knowh tliroughout the province. At the time of her appomtment, there were only six branchcs in Otago, and only three of these were functioning. With characteristic en-

ergy, Mrs Drake «ot to work to bnild up the prestige cf the W.D.F.U. in Otago province, and, during the succeeding. fou'r years of her' presidency, the number of' branches was mcreased to fifty. Mrs • Drake made a point of visiting the majority of the branches annua-lly, no mean feat in a province 300 miles wide and split up by geographical difficulties such as mountain ranges and rivers. IJnder her inspiring leadership the Otago province came to the fore as one of the best organised provinces lor W.D.F.U. work in the Dominion. The executive work of the W.D.F.U. was also brought to a high standard of efficiency. Otago was the first province to have a paid Women's Division secretary, and this fact alone has considerably fffieilitated the work of running housekeepers and sewmg women efiiciently and economically. During" her term of president, Otago estabflshed a very successful Women's Division weekly market. It was the first province to embark on a Young Women's Educational Week. One of the featnres of Mrs Drake 's term as' president has been the splendid manner in which she has won the goodwill and activo co-operation of other women's organisations in the Otago province. As vice-president of the National Council of Women, and as a m6mber of the executive of the Otago Women's Club, Mrs Drake has always had a sympathetic hearing when she put forward the point of view of the country women. Despite her busy life on the farm, Mrs Drake has also f ound time to regularly attend meetings of the Otago Women's Unemployment Committee and the Flock House Committee. She therefore comes to the presidency with a mind enriched by the experience of many phases of women's activities in this Dominion,