The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1919-10-21
CHINESE BECOME
SOCIAL PIONEERS
Men and Women Form Good Fell
IOWship Club Together Under
7. w. C.. A. Leadership.

The Good Fellowship Club has made
its appearance IN society in HAGgchow,
China.
II began with the desire Of q pro-
gressive young Chinese doctor to give
his compatriOts, especially the Chris
tfans, some healrhful form Of social In
tercourse.
Channels for a good. clean, social
life among Chinese people are very
limited. Until recently becoming
Christian often meant cutting enSEsf
off from ones friends and relatives,
also from feast days and festivals.
AS for joint meetings OF men and wonn-
en-well. such a thing was never heard
OF IN decent society
The young doctors plan OF having
a club where men and their wives
might come together TO enjoy a good
time with each other was discouraged
and shifted at However, q few people
agreed TO be pioneers IN the cause Of
social intercourse, and 7. w. G. A. sec
retaries agreed to help make the club
a success.
At first the meetings of the club
were laughed at by outsiders and the
whole affair considered a joke How
ever, the members kept on meeting,
first at one house and then Mt another.
Soon the men got over the feeling Of
strangeness> at starting out with their
wives on Tuesday evening for q
friends home. The women began 70
enjoy the outing and to take part In
the discussions-an intelligent part
too-much to the surprise Of their hus'
bands
The membership grew. The clubs
fame began to spread. At drst the dis
cussions Of the club were conducted In
English. Soon 1t became necessary
for them to be carried on In Chinese
so that more Of the women could un
derssand and take part. Many OF thu
scOffers began to apply for admission
! The members began INDUCING in much
! friendly chatting and occasionally for
| got their dignity to play Jokes on on
! another Finally 1t became 80 larg'
| that 1t had to be divided into two sec
tons, which met separately three
| Tuesday evenings in the month and OIL
the fourth Tuesday met together for
Students just returned from Ameri
can and German colleges, an old Bud
dhist scholar who IL particularly intel
ested in the discussion on Buddhism
and Christianity, merchants, raiiroa
!. and government officials compose tn
: mems side Of the room. The wome
. are still q bit shy about talking 1
front of so many people. but many Q
! them show signs Of great executiT
ability and power Of leadership. The
| are all well poised, clear thinking ind
, viduals, who will have q great infiI
ence on China's future. They discus
{ among themselves group meetings
their various churches, the lack {
amusements for Chinese women, socii
7 service work, subscription lists for tn
Orphanage, cake making, types (
stoves, baby diets, the latest eng0R
ment and other topics such an or
would hear discussed by a group I
p, women gathered together any place
America.
The social part Of the evening II g1
en- over to games, which at nr
astound the sober Chinese gentleme
a but which they take up with great 20
n after the first evening. And the
wives enjoy 1t just as greatly.
!. Real American picnics are the late
O thing which the club has tried, ar
h they are a great success. A Christina
: play is being planned now.