Newspapers / North Carolina Federation of … / March 1, 1953, edition 1 / Page 4
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Page 6 THE FEDERATION JOURNAL March-April, 1953 HANDS ACROSS THE SEA Continued from Page 1 mothers to hold their own as future Wom en of our land. In this group they hold debating classes, ballroom dancing, ten nis, net ball, and other hobbies. They are trained to do proper club work, handle ac counts, join in the annual election, and this year we hope one of them will be elected to our board of directors. They send repre sentatives to local councils or committees. I am one of the “Adult Group.” In this group we are more matured. Our young est member is 25 plus, and we have as the oldest Mrs. Adelaide Caseley Hayford now 84 years. She was our first president. We have the interests of both married and un married members. Activities are planned to suit all. We elect our board members annually, which has the whole guidance of the association in its hands—The board of directors—It comprises our president, chairman, vice chairman, secretary, secre taries of sub committees, and representa tives of each group of the association. We all share in the programme planning of the association. We have classes in handi crafts, home management, child welfare, public affairs, keep fit exercises, outings and excursions. We have a ‘Quiet Day’ in December each year. During which time we look back on the past year and plan and make resolutions for the ensuing j^ear. We are representatives of nearly a cross section of women in all Sierra Leone. General. We are not content with what we are, but we have been much encourag ed lately in 1949 we were given an or ganizer from the Y. W. C. A. of Great Britain, but only to lose her services in less than a year. This was a blow to us as she fell ill and had to be sent back home. Still our courage was undaunted. The faithful few of our reals banded themselves to gether and steadily, shoulder to shoulder we strove forward holding the torch to those who were about doubting whether we could still survive our ordeal But as always happens to those with the real ‘Y’ spirit and aims and purpose, we held the threads and continued weaving the snap ped ends until Canada reinforced us, and today! Thanks to the Canadian YWCA. We have Miss Estelle Amaron—nothing short of what we had long yearned for. She came to us in November 1951, but there was still another ordeal for us to go through. Miss Amaron was on her first trip out to a branch in our rural areas— When she had a car accident and had a broken petalla. We were worried but not dismayed and she was flown to Lon don where an operation worked a miracle for her and us; and thanks to her Christ ian Spirit and God’s answer to our pray ers—she returned, though not as free of foot as wljpn she first came to us, She had in her the call to the bigger service there was, laid out for herr amongii us. She IMPROVING RACE RELATIONS Continued from Page 3 the police force, and there is a Negro on the city school board. Some very gratifying progress has been made with young people in churches, schools, colleges, summer camps and as semblies in all parts of the country. Par ticularly is this true in the southern states where a large part of the citizens are Ne groes. This advance is made in part be cause the various denominations are try ing, through their Church School literature and otherwise, to promote the brother hood of man as taught by Jesus. Another cause is the training in competetive sports and other types of physical education that instills into youth a spirit of fair play and a desire to see the other fellow get that which is rightfully his. This training makes it difficult for youth to understand why they should be unkind or unfair to anyone because of his race or religion and it makes a fine foundation for good relations between the races. The destinies of all people who live in this great country are so inextricably con nected. that whatever of good or bad comes to one must come to the other. The largest measure of prosperity cannot come to one race while the other lives in poverty. The greatest measure of mental and spiritual growth cannot come to one group of peo ple while the other, because of being frustrated by prejudice and discrimination and their attending evils, is stunted in moral and intellectual development. From a purely selfish standpoint we should be intensely in the welfare of everyone be cause we can create for ourselves and our families security, happiness and self-re spect only to the extent to which we ac cord them to others. When we have in our hearts harmful attitudes and prejudices that allow us to treat anyone unjustly or unkindly, or see anyone so treated without being concern ed we so damage our own personality that we fail to find the joy and satisfaction that may be found when we really love our neighbors. If this is not true the scripture is pure fiction. When the social, civil and economic rights of the minority groups are consider ed, many complex problems of adjustment arise, some of which are extremely dif ficult to solve by the methods used in such cases. If these problems can be con sidered in the light of the teachings of the prophets and in the spirit of Jesus when he prayed “Not my will but thine be done” a solution will always be found. The test of a Christian is how he prac tices his Christianity, because Christianity is neither a set of rules, patterns nor creeds but everlasting and eternal prin ciples to be practiced in our daily living. Those who are genuinely Christian, allow ing themselves to be guided by the pre cepts and examples of Jesus, will do a great deal more than be sorry for those who bear burdens of poverty, discrimina tion and prejudice from whatever cause. They will make an active effort to aid them. They will remove from their own minds prejudice and harmful attitudes that frustrate and hinder. They will also encourage others to do the same. They will judge them as they do other people, according to their worth and character and not their race or color. As far as pos sible they will aid in creating sentiment that will allow them to find work accord ing to their skill. They will be interested ' in having better homes, schools and churches provided for all people. Whoever sincerely endeavors to settle these problems in this light will find in his heart a larger measure of that peace that passeth all understanding. thought of our spirits too and she is now right in with us again. In March, we are sending three dele gates to a planning conference in Accra in the Gold Coast. At this conference 4 West African countries—Nigeri, Gold Coast, Liberia and Sierra Leone will each send three delegates to plan for a bigger con ference for West Africa in order to pro mote the fellowship in West Africa gen erally as the years advance. Only, had we a home—A building of our own—where ‘our Estelle’ could give out more of the boiling enthusiasm there is in her—and we could better establish ourselves—for she knows we are coopera tive and we are of no mean soil. ‘O for a,‘Y’ owned building! where we could centre all our activities and ring out our bells far more forcefully—A ‘home’ in walls of our own. We haven’t one, but all our efforts are towards this end now, and until we achieve this and appoint one of ourselves as general secretary, we go for ward in faith and high hopes. Lifting As We Climb By MAUDE B. COTTON From the mountains of Carolina, To her eastern golden sands, There are sisters who need helping. Shall we reach to them our hands. There are children of our neighbors. Who need a mother’s helping hand. And we are our brother’s keeper. Hear their cry throughout the land. There are girls to be incited. To a higher, better life. There are those for whom life’s struggle. Has been little else but strife. There are homes to sweeten, brighten. And there are hearts to gladden, cheer. Shall we live for our self, no never. We’ll bring comfort everywhere. Chorus Rise, ye daughters of Carolina, For our mission is sublime. Listen to the clarion watchword, “We are lifting as we climb.” Rise, ye daughters of Carolina, ' For our mission is sublime, Listen to the clarion watchword, - “We are lifting as we climb.”
North Carolina Federation of Negro Women’s Clubs Journal
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
March 1, 1953, edition 1
4
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