The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-02-20
It win Be Important Step, Say
the Ofacials.
ClMPAI6N IS Being Hell
Miss Durham, Executive Sec
Rotary, Assisting In Effort
She Tells What the New Sec
rotary Will Do Here.

Through the employment OF Secre-
tary for girls. the Topeka Young
to extend its sphere Of usefulness. A
campaign is in progress with view
to making it possible to hire such q
secretary. The Y. w. c. A.. is II per
cent self-supporting: the remaining %
per cent must be made up through
subscriptions by generously inclined
citizens. Naturally the work of a Sec
rotary for girls would bring in no d.
rect financial returns. 1t is work
that should be done.
| Miss Mary MacLennan, a member of
the board of directors of the Y. w.
| C.. A., and chairman of girls work
committee. has taken an active in
work secretary. It was through the
girls of her department that the need
Of this new position was felt. Miss
MacLennan explained in detail at the
annual banquet for subscribers Tues
day night the work that has been done
in the last few months in organizing
| clubs among girls.
Miss Durham on 'sTcen Age"
| Miss Marcia o. Durham of Denver,
executive secretary for the west-cen-
trail Y. w. c. A. field. is in Topeka for
the purpose of assisting in the cam
paign. Miss Durham is familiar with
the work among girls in other cities
and has some well defined views of
her own which any association might
well adopt.
1.-THE teen age is a phrase that has
lately come into popular use." said
Miss Durham today. Books are writ
ten about 1t; psychologists are study
ing it. Boys and girls Of teen age
are recognized as about the most i'm
portant members of society. because
no matter how we'll their fathers and
mothers have builded. those same boys
and girls grown to manhood and wom-
anhood unless they have been trained
in the way they should go. may be-
come destroyers instead of builders.
Educators are beginning to recog-
nize that the highly trained teacher is
as essential IL not more essential for
the grade school as the college. and
social workers and church workers are
trying to reach the Doy and the girl
on the theory that an ounce of pre-
vention is worth a pound of cure.
Now Is the Time.
TT is this reasonable theory that
has led the Topeka Young Women's
Christian association to decide that
now is the time to have a girls secre-
tary. Two years ago the national con-
ventiOn of the association passed q
resolution that special emphasis be
placed upon work for girls from ten
or twelve to sixteen or eighteen years
of age. and the national board through
its secretarial department has been
finding and training secretaries for
this particular kind of work.
The girls secretary has to be q
very clever young person for she has
to know not only all about the prin-
ciples and aims of the Young Wo-
mems Christian association but she
has to have a special knack with girls
She has to know how to interest and
lead school girls, and how to make
friends of young working girls, and
just girls. and more tnan this, she has
to gain the confidence of the fathers
and mothers.
Secretary Works Through Clubs.
Usually the girls secretary works
through clubs. Girls. like boys, are
gregarious animals and get along bet.
ter in groups. These clubs are of al
kinds and names. . Girl Guardians
which is something like the Boy
manly aims, Camp Fire Girls, Blue
Birds, or any one Of a dozen others
all having the purpose of developing
through ordinary work and play. the
ideals of life which will make then
true and useful citizens.
Each club has its president and of.
ficers which develop self-reliance and
leadership. Through games of al
kinds is created a spirit of fair play
and simple gymnasium exercises an6
quiet tdlkS give training In the care
and development of the body In thu
spring and summer the girls be-
come acquainted with the birds and
flowers on short hikes and picnics and
sometimes there Is a week at q rea
, camp under the watchful care Of thu
secretary. A plan is on foot for
Kansas girls camp and a specia
week may be set aside for thes.
younger girls
i Plenty of Work To Do.
| That the girls secretary of the To
peka association will find plenty t.
do no one can doubt who walks dowr
, Kansas avenue and notices the mum
Der of teen age girls there are in tn,
city 1t would be surprising to know
, how many young girls come In from
7 the country looking for employment
and the girls secretary. who will Civ,
j part OF her time to the employment
bureau of the association will find al
unusual opportunity to get in touch
, with the girls
KANSAS NAN A SLEUTH.