Evening star., 1923-05-06
Teaching Trades to Girls
IN Great Britain.

N JlSS MINNIE EIMMERAIAN. one Of
A*1 the officers OF the Women's Insti-
tute of the British Isles, came TO the
United States the end of March with
the intention of paying visits to her
nephews and nieces in this country
However. she discovered that she sim
ply couldn't resist many opportuni-
ties to see our institutions and COM
pare American and British methods.
Then, too. she found so many Ameri-
cans who wanted to know about the
work of this organization among the
/ girls and women OF Great Britain
that she just naturally had to turn
her American visit into an informal
lecture tour.
Miss Zimmerman is an English
woman who has engaged in many
welfare projects and is now president
or the Loughton-Es branch of the
Women.s Institute. She was secre
: tary OF the Belgian refugee relief
committee during the war and Is sec
| rotary of the Essex vagrancy COM
mittee.
While in Washington visiting her
niece, Mrs. George Wharton of 2923
South Dakota avenue, this busy Eng
lishwoman found a few spare mo-
rnents, In spite OF all the sightseeing
and government department entice-
ments to the visitor. to give a little
interview telling about this growing
British organization and what 1t is
Great Britain.
The Women's Institute was started
in 1915. primarily to instruct the
women of rural England in food con-
SsrNation and the stricteSt economy,
because England feared after that
drst year OF war that the food might
give out before the conflict WAS end
ell. said Miss Zimmerman.
The FIRST unit was started in Wales
Now thSr" are 1000 Of these clubs
in England. Wales. Scotland and Ire
lano, and. the purpose of the organi-
zation has greatly broadcned. The
interest now includes the girl in her
twenties who wants to learn a trade
or profession, and so many OF the
younger girls have become interested
groups.
THE institute is supported flnan-
cially by the state division of the
British department of agriculture for
half its funds. The other half is made
up of eDdowmentS and sums raised
by the usual bazaars. garden parties
etc. such as are employed with all
similar organizations for this pur-
pose. We are t;!.inS steps. h"N ever.
! I" become completely Srlf-suppurtiug
a. an organizatlur and ! feel cunG-
dent that within Il cuupic Of Years
; such will h" the case.
since the war the women and girls
, have rcbcllcd at the idea of spending
time studying further the matter Of
food conservation. W.. have had
enough of that to last us all our
lives they say, and they want enter
tainment and instruction along diff
ferent lines.
"Glovemaking is one Of the most
prosperous trades Of England and
classes in. this work and in other
lines of leather work arc among the
! most popular OF the institute Hun
dredS. even thousands. OF British girls
learn different phases Of gloyemaking
and earn good wages by IL. One girl
IN my own branch Of the institute
who took III" course in gloyenlakiug
. is quite Young. She has become 50
pr"trit Ut 1t making fancy gaUutlet
: gloves tlat she easily makes enough
; I" Supr"rt her aged mother and her
self In '"rnf"rt.
among other classes are millinery
ureSsnaking. lamp shade work, um-
brelia covering and many cultural
subjects. For the equivalent of 50
cents in American money a year the
girls and women who belong to the
institute enjoy series Of monthly
social programs which include in
Structive features, such as his
torical ard geographical lie, lures,
folk dancing. illustrated readings of
'PickWick Papers and discussions on
ten minute competitions, with prizes,
in hat trimming. lemon cheese-cake
baking. lamp shade designs. etc. We
also aid local clinics in supplying
model sets of hygienic baby clothes,
and We have a Shopping store where
the members bring all their un-
fortunate purchaSes-shoeS that don't
fit, dresses that are unbecominE in
color or cut. hats of which the mem
bers are tired. etc.-aud sell them
the institute retaining only the small
est of fees.
II find the American girls so bright
and wide awake that / expect much
of them," concluded Miss Zimmerman,
and l hope that we may be able to
establish an exchange of instruction
in trades in which we are most pro-
flcient. 1t seems to me such a. plan
would be Of considerable advantage TO
both countries"
Miss Zimmerman leaves Washing
ton tomorrow for Harrisburg, and
will also visit Albany before return
ing to New York to sail for England
June %.