Y.W.C.A.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16485, 26 February 1914, Page 11

Y.W.C.A.

DIAMOND HARBOUR-CONFER- 1 '.' •:.ENCE. ■., .-.■■■: - ■■■'■ The Rev. George Jupp began a series of studies on "The Manhood-of the Master" at the Conference .of the Young Women's Cllristian , • 'Association at Diamond-Harbour oiv Tuesday. '■ ' The technical hour was taken by. Mks Helen F. Barnes. Model schemes for .effective- committee';work occupied.the.:.first of -tlieitiraev -rThe - programme ror' religious work committees was outlined, and provision for healthy social life 1 : of girls ' was •considered.. Great emphasis was also laid upon the necessity of making right provision for i the adolescent, girl. .-. . An .interesting chart had been made by, the National. Board of the Young. Women's Christian Association setting forth the facts relating,, to. the .social conditions of girls between the ages of ..ten, and eighteen years. The adolescent.age.was especially, marked as a character forming periol of life, and .that period marked, also the greatest accession to the church. It was the time of life when there was the. greatest susceptibility to temptation. The safeguarding of youth meant s_afety : to the individuals and to the nation.

Tho mission studies on India, led by ; Miss Brentnall, 8.A., student secretary for Calcutta,' . proved ~, ..attractive. They are made : 'interesting by the fact' that'.;," ; Miss. v ß.rentnail has herself been'four years oh the field, and has- only just returned for a rest and holiday before resuming her. work, in Bengal. Native curios, models and pictures were exhibited, and animated descriptions given. It was stated that there were in India 'no fewer than 140 Y-.W.C.A.'s. Of these sixty : .four were Student Associations working in the colleges and schools:' Many of, the other Associations ■ were large cityinstitutions with clubs and boardinghouses, while some were holiday homes, and others again existed in railway centres .for. the young wives of the employees. Some Associations provided for the wives of the soldiers.'-.; These smaller branches were maintained by volunteer .workers, with occasional visits from the experienced .district secretary. . In the Calcutta Association alone there -were. 1200. members in the' Y.W.C.A. Some of these were Indian, some Eurasian . and some European; The fact that the Eurasians were' citizens of no country, formed one of the greatest needs for Association work "*n India.

The sports prizps were presented "-o the Conference delegateson Tuesday afternoon, and iri the evening : Miss Barnes led the devotional .meeting, oh the hillside. Mr Brownel!, general secretary of the Y.M.C.A., was amongst the visitors' at the Conference yesterday.