The urgency of present needs must put a stop to reminiscence, and recall us to those things which must be done right now. Members of the B.W.A, wil have received the printed appeal sent out by their Executive Committee. and publicity has been given to the urgency of enlisting all possible membership in this time of difficulty.
In the qavs when the British Women's Association was rst formed, many will remember that one great reason mentioned at the time for the desirability of such, wis that of service.
This Association was formed in the days when Shanghai was prosperous, given to much social life and entertaining, and when there was not so much call as has happened of recent years upon charitable endeavovr. Consequently many inquired jat, if they joined, would be offered Mrs, Billinghurst, I remember, pointed cut that those joining must ask themselves not, "What can I get out of this," but, "What I put into it to help." Succeeding executives have stressed this point. Mrs. Whitney has not only urged this recently, but has been able to show what tremendous services to the community have been rendered. She has repeated that the object of the Association is to unite British women in dhe social service of the Empire and of the community, and at no time in our history, she points out, has such union been so important In the past many women have refused to join, and their reasons, on the face of them, have been excuse able enough. While they recognize the desirability of the existence of such an association, they have said, quite frankly, that public gatherings and women's associations do not appeal to them, and that they have preferred their leisure time to be spent privately among friends.
As a nation British women are not club-minded: clubs and associations do not appeal to them; they are nervous of such, and with this retire ing tendency they may have been excused in the past for hesitating to join any big society. However, now that the general rally is for the common good, one feels sure that women will put aside a natural dislike at coming into a public association of to making this of some use. From orange peel to empty bottles, all are now useful to somebody or some institution. Hundreds of pounds of orange peel are used from which to extract Vitamin D, it appears, and refugee babies thrive on this.
Bits of odd wool can be knitted into garments, the destitute are not touchy about colour schemes, and only warmth matters. Even a small scrap of wool might be enough to knit a bonnet for a new-born baby for Chinese valiies we learn; must have their heads covered, and one vould appreciate that; in this cold
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.