The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-05-01
NO MEN TO Be IN THIS
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ton of the amount of need for it here
seemed to be the deciding factor.
Mrs. w. +. Frear opened the meeting
informally, stating its object and her
hope that there would be a full express
sion of views by those present, and that
it might be decided whether or not
there was real necessity for such an
institution in Honolulu. She reminded
her hearers that in the old days every
newcomer to the city had been taken
into some home as a matter of course,
but that those days of all-sufficient hos
pitality were now of necessity gone by,
and that 1t was question to be decided
whether or not an institution of the
kind suggested was needed to provide
homes and other comforts and facilities
for the young women who were now
coming.
The proposed building might prob
ably provide many things which would
be welcome to other women beside
newcomers, such as lunch rooms, par
lors for meeting friends, rooms for pub
lie gatherings, and gymnasium. There
were many progressive women in this
city, she said, and it would be alto
gether a good thing if they could have
some common ground of meeting, some
center through which their work and
their views could focus and come to
some definite expression. Mrs. Frear
then called upon Mrs. Mcclellan. who
recounted the history of the Young
Women's Christian Association in Eng
land and America, and described the
kind of work they did in the colleges
and in the great cities.
The next speaker said that she had
not been many months in the Islands,
and that perhaps the needs of new
corners were the more fresh in her
mind. For one thing, she had a great
desire to learn the Hawaiian Ian
guage; bat there was no chance for this
in the case of women. The men had
classes In HAVE ian at the Young Men
Christian Association, but the women
of the City did not want to be always
asking their brothers of the latter or
ganization for favors and opportuni
ties. A still more important matter
was that OF gymnasium. Women
who come here very soon find that
they need exercise, otherwise the ener
waiting quality of the climate tells on
them severely, and they lose their ener-
gy and their strength. Furthermore. a
first-rate place to battle, with swim
ming tanks, was badly needed here;
and there were several other prOvi-
sions which the proposed building
might provide which would add very
greatly to the comfort of women,
whether workers or not, such as real
ly nice luncheon room, where women
| who worked downtown could take
their monday meal, and parlors where
they could rest or meet people by APP
pointment Both of these would be
welcome to women living at Waikiki,
Punahou, Nuuanu, or other districts
far out from downtown, who had occa-
sion to come into town for business or
to make purchases.
Mrs. Coleman REINFORCED the re-
marks of the last speaker and went on
to say that many women in the city
who were not newcomers wanted
gymnasium as badly as those who
were, and would welcome one just as
heartily
Mrs. F'rear put it to a vote to see how
many of the ladies present wanted
gymnasium in the future Young Wo-
mems Christian Association, in case
one should be founded. and nearly
every one favored it enthusiastically.
The need of pleasant place where la
/ dies could take luncheon was also Wig
orously and almost unanimously ex-
pressed, and different speakers urged
the desire for classes in Hawaiian, jap
anese, Chinese and domestic science.
Those present seemed to agree that
swimming baths and baths of other
kinds should be provided.
The next speaker said that she had
received scores of letters from young
women in California who desired to
come here for their vacations, and de-
sired information about places where
they could stay. There was literally no
place where they could go. Hotels de-
cidedly were not the place for them,
partly on account of the high prices,
partly because they were in no sense
homes, and the boarding houses were
always full. There was a great need of
a temporary home for young working
women who desired to come here on
! their vacations. AS for the restaurant
feature, that could be made to pay. The
idea seemed to be that it would help to
meet the running expenses of the estab-
lishment. But the great point was the
transient boarding house feature Eigh-
ty-two American women came here last
year to make homes for themselves.
The next speaker urged that the wo-
men who applied for admission should
not be compelled to certify that they
were members of any particular church,
as was done in other branches of the
Young Women's Christian Association.
They must be, of course, women of
good character, but the other stipula-
ton was needless and unfair.
Another woman said that there ought
to be home for girls coming here,
partly as protection. Some one should
meet every steamer and give cards to
each young woman who lands, as they
do at San Francisco in the case of every
boat coming from a distance and every
overland train. Even though the pro-
lection is not often needed, it is good
thing to meet all these girls, offer them
a home for as long as they care to stay
in it, and make them welcome
| Mrs. Frear emphasized the fact that
this was in no sense a charitable af-
fair. The young women will pay as
they go; they will be in no sense re-
cipients of charity. The point is to Of
fer them suitable accommodations. AL
so, there Is no intention to use for this