Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1919-10-24
CHINESE BECOME
SOCIAL PIONEERS
Men and Women Form Good Fell
lowship Club Together Under
Y. w. c. A. Leadership.

The Good Fellowship Club has made
Its appearance in society in Hangchow,
China.
Ii began with the desire of pro
gressiye young Chinese doctor TO give
his compatriots. especially the Chris
tians, some healthful form OF social in
iercourse.
Channels for good. clean, social
life among Chinese people are very
limited Until recently becoming Il
Christian often meant cutting oneself
or from ones friends and relatives,
nlso from feast days and festivals.
As FOR joint meetings of men and WON
en--well, such thing was never heard
Of In decent society.
The young doctors plan OF having
q club where men and their wives
might come together to enjoy good
time with each other was discouraged
and shifted at. However, few people
agreed TO be pioneers in the cause Of
social intercourse, and Y. 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 a
friends home. The women began to
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 first 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 UNI
derstand and take part. Many OF the
| scoffers began To apply for admission.
The members began indulging In much
friendly chatting and occasionally for
got their dignity to play jokes on one
another. Finally It became so large
that II had to be divided into two sec
tons, which met separately three
| Tuesday evenings In the month and on
the fourth Tuesday met together for II
joint session, with n special program.
| Students just returned from Amerl
can and German colleges, an old Bud
dhist scholar who Is particularly inter
ested in the discussion on Buddhism
and Christianity, merchants, railroad
and government officials compose the
mems side of the room. The womer
are still n bit shy about talking II
front of so many people, but many o
them show signs of great eXecutiv,
ability and power OF leadership. The!
are all well poised, clear thinking indi
viduals, who will have n great inhu
ence on Chlna's future. They discuss
among themselves group meetings II
their various churches, the lack o.
amusements for Chinese women, sOcia
service work, subscription lists for tn,
orphanage. cake making, types Oi
+ stoves, baby diets the latest engage
ment and other topics such rs one
would hear discussed by n group OF
women gathered together any place IN
America
The social part OF the evening is Civ
on over to games. which at first
astound the sober Chinese gentlemen
1 but which they take up with great Zesi
after the first evening, And theii
wives enjoy II just as greatly.
Real American picnics are the latest
thing which the club has tried and
| they are n great success. Christmas
| play Is being planned now.