A " CAVENDISH ASSOCIATION " FOR WOMEN
LTO THE EDITOR 07 THE " SPECTATOR. "1
Sta,—Some few weeks ago there appeared in the Spectator a very interesting article on the Cavendish Association, its aims and scope. Readers must have envied the men who have such opportunities offered them for social work, and have wondered that the women of the same class have not made a similar venture. As a matter of fact, there is in existence a Society of long standing, with just such aims and with a like opportunity of service—namely, the Girls' Friendly Society.
The object of the Society is " to unite for the glory of God, in one fellowship of prayer and service, the girls and women of the Empire, to uphold Purity in thought, word, and deed." The two watchwords are Purity and Fellowship. The Society is to be found in all parts of the British Empire and in the United States. With the war came a great opportunity for service, which was utilized to the fullest extent. Over £20,000 was collected, chiefly from the members themselves, by means of which huts, hostels, canteens, rest-rooms, clubs, and their leaders were supplied for all girl war-workers, G.F.S. or other- wise. With this widening of effort came a deepening of vision that has led to a modernizing of aims. Just as the Cavendish Association is a bridging over of the chasm between the classes, so, too, the G.F.S. may be a solution of the present class distinctions.
Work there is in this Church Society for all temperaments, secretarial tasks; organizing or literary, or as club leaders. There is a crying need for an equality of fellowship between
all girls, for mutual respect and confidence, and for learning each from the experience of the other. This last point is exemplified in the aim for Purity. It is a noteworthy fact that the prevalent looseness of talk, the excessive smoking, the immodesty of dress and behaviour, are more marked among the more educated classes than among less cultured women. Indeed, the working girl has very much to teach her sisters in the art of " taking care of herself," Which is, Bien entencla, in self-respect. The girl of the high-class private school is not, it would seem, more self-controlled than the elementary scholar, in this, the first generation of her complete in- dependence, and she has not the experience of the world which is the heritage of the worker.
The G.F.S. calls to the girls of education and wealth to join in a crusade on behalf of two of the most desirable of virtues-- a crusade for Purity based on the higher spiritual motives—a crusade for Fellowship, each for all and all for each, in the largest charity of the Christ-follower.—I am, Sir, &c., AGNES E. BREWIN.
G.F.S. Central Office, 39 Victoria Street, Westminster, S.W. I.
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