CORRESPONDING SECRETARY’S REPORT FOR 1945

White Ribbon, Volume 18, Issue 3, 1 April 1946, Page 7

CORRESPONDING SECRETARY’S REPORT FOR 1945

AS PRESENTED AT CONVENTION

I This year of 1946 will again be poll Lar anil it offers us the golden opportunity of re-introducing the W.C.T.U. in other women’s organ*, ai.ons and jrving to gain their support and interL t in our aims. We nmst gra>p every Lvadahle opening to educate others and L in their vote. Plans are well in hand h,r special literature. This will be Lmder four headings, spiritual, social, hedical, and economic, and unions will W a>ked to distribute this at stated tunes before the election.

\x union members, our chief interest in 1945 was the Royal Commission on the Licensing Laws of our country. The report of this commission should onne before the Government later this war. and we anxiously await the outcome. Points of special interest to us u n .athered together by the Dominion officers and Miss Sullivan (Dunedin) and then submitted to Mr. HerIn rt Adams before being sent to the lawyers retained by the New Zealand Alliance, to be put before the commission. We could not have had better re, resentation and the New Zealand union is grateful to the alliance for allowing us this privilege. As mothers and wives of the rffcn who have been serving in our armed ser ices we give grateful thanks to (»od for the cessation of hostilities and the safe return of loved cues. Our loving sympathy is with those whose loved ones will not return.

We have 140 active local unions and lm of these filled in and returned the <im - stionnaire answering the necessary questions. The union at Marton is reported to he reorganised and working

I .am There are still five in recess and we trust that now times are more normal they will again he able to take an active part. The latest figures of financial members are 4,092. This in,':le> .U2 Niue Island members. The number of new members reported to m. since last Convention is HO.

lia r arc appioximately 160 Maori irl> attending “Y” branch meetings, nt a percentage of these are not h-ilg»*d members. There are 11 other V hrarclies.

The total number of members on the Little White Rihboners’ roll for the Dominion is 7,9)8. There is no doubt juvenile work bolds pride of place with union members and if the same /eal and energy were shown in all departments it would make us a more live force.

Ninety-six unions have a Cradle Roll and the largest is Invercargill Central, with 475 members. Auckland is largest district—l,7o3. Dur L.T L. depaitment should he more thoroughly worked as it constitutes the training ground for youthful folk and in it they are taught to take

charge and lead their own meetings. There arc 11 branches of» the L.T.L. One new branch, a Maori one, is reported to have been organised during the year. Eighteen unions have active Hands of Hope, many lack leaders for this worth while work. Ashburton takes fir>t place with 228 members. In speaking of youth work. Lady New all said: “The service of youth will always he ati essential interest of any live community, the recruitment of youth is the life blood of any lasting organisation; the future of youth is the future of the work we work in.” Much has been done under the good citizenship department, showing our member', to have befn engaged in many activities, and they are still very busy for Red Cross, Unrra and Corso, in addition to the duties they carry

out in civic peace time life. The union is represented on a number of organisations. It is pleasing to note that one district assisted our Niue Island members with suitable clothing.

The Dominion officers hdd two meetings in 1945 and districts were circularised with the business transacted. thus keeping everyone up to date. The officers sent the following resolution to the Prime Minister and the members of the War Cabinet* ‘‘That the N.Z.W.C.T.U. deplores the Government action in allowing hotels to be open on V.F.. I )ay. We are convinced that the Government had adequate warning of the attitude of the Churches and many other organisations on the issue and was well informed of the moral danger to the community of allowing the unchecked sale of liquor upon such an occasion, a danger which events proved to he bv no means imaginary. Its failure to safeguard the community, especially our young men > and women, against this moral danger is most reprehensible. and must be described as a serious failure in responsibility. We urge stronedy that this grave mistake should not be made upon the occasion of final victory over lapan and demand tha* all hotels and liquor stores he closed on the day of victory and on the following day.” Members will well rem rrber that hotels were closed during the morning hours while Church services were held, but were open, with dire results, during the afternoon when the victory parades were held in August. Districts have all held their own conventions, and report much help received bv the interchange of ideas and the talking over of any difficulties.

We are verv fortunate to have had three workers in the organising field during part of the past year, each one so very suited to her particular sphere

of work. Miss Andrews, in the educational section; Miss Appleby doing personal visiting and concentrating on maintaining the women's interest in the unions, and Miss C. McLay among the Maori women and girls. Surely, with these three fine workers, the union should be greatly helped. The 30-yeav long-service badges arc still not procurable, but 3) of the 20vear badges were presented during 1945. The temperance films are a great asset and unions are asked to make full use of them and, wherever possible, arrange to have them shown at schools, high schools, etc. Valued members of our organisation have been called to their rest during the year just past and we need the support of fresh workers to fill the gaps left in our ranks.

There has been little overseas news available lately, but with the return to more normal conditions we hope to have news of temperance organisations in other countries. Our world president refers to world convention in her correspondence and this will now be held in Toronto, Canada, in June of 1947.

1 would conclude with the following prayer (by Sir Francis Drake): — “O, Lord God, when‘Thou givest to Thy servants to endeavour any great matter, grant ns also to know that it is not the beginning but the continuation of the ame, until it be thoroughly finished, which yieldeth the true glory.” I. M. MITCHELL, Dorn. Cor Secretary.