In Society

On September 21, Lebanon celebrated the renewal of the term of the President of the Lebanese Republic, Sheikh Beshara El-Khouri, with a truly splendid celebration. Beirut donned its loveliest attire of decoration and rejoicing, and the forces of the army and of public security, and all the forces of the state, passed in an orderly and magnificent review.

The people themselves took part in this festival, expressing their loyalty to their venerable President with their beautiful popular songs, chanted in the public streets...

On this occasion Radio Lebanon presented a special program lasting the two days of September 21 and 22, in which took part His Excellency the President of the Chamber of Deputies, His Excellency the Prime Minister, all the ministers, and a select company of writers, poets, and artists.

The Lebanese Women's League had the honor of having a voice in this great celebration: the address fell to Mrs. Edvick Jureidini Shayboub, and the reader will find it elsewhere in this issue.

"The Woman's Voice," for its part, raises to His Excellency the President its warm congratulations, wishing his noble person, and Lebanon, prosperity and glory.

○ The activity of the scouting movements was not confined to the camps of the Young Women's Christian Association at Dhour el-Choueir; the Girl Guides of the Muslim Scouts also held a camp for their guide-mistresses and their junior girls, lasting four days, in which eighteen guides took part, pitching their tents in the village of al-Mrayjat. The scouting spirit shone forth throughout the camp's four days, and the rains and storms that broke out suddenly did not prevent the guides from making several exploratory excursions to the neighboring villages and from climbing the mountains. The camp was under the command of the energetic Miss Amina Naamani, leader of the scouting movement at Makassed College for Girls.

○ The conference of the Social Studies Branch has concluded its work. Among the women who spoke at the general sessions was Mrs. Nazik Sarkis, who gave a detailed report on the work of the various Lebanese women's organizations in the field of social and humanitarian service, showing the breadth of their scope and our ladies' early awakening to voluntary social service. She recalled the most important social projects realized at their hands, together with the history of their growth.

○ No sooner had the work of the social studies conference ended than the work of the conference of civic organizations began, bringing together most of the Lebanese organizations. The aim of this conference is cooperation in spreading the principles of the United Nations, its aims, and its works. A national committee was elected to carry out the work that would lead to a result.

The result of the election was as follows:
President, Dr. Jamal Karam Harfush.
Vice-President, Dr. Omar Farroukh.
Rapporteur, Mrs. Loris Habib Mutran.
Rapporteur, Mr. Musa Sulayman.
This bureau will invite all the civic organizations to an electoral meeting to be held at the beginning of the year 1950.

○ People are still speaking with great admiration of the magnificent reception given by Mrs. Laure El-Khouri, wife of His Excellency the President, at the palace of Beiteddine. It was attended, besides the members of the diplomatic corps and the families of the ministers and the government bodies, by a large number of representatives of the people from all the Lebanese villages — their number reached a thousand persons — who came, one and all, to congratulate the First Lady of Lebanon on her return.

His Excellency the President, at the side of his esteemed wife, welcomed the guests, saw to their comfort, and spoke with them one by one.

○ We received from Mrs. Thurayya Khatib Adna a word in which she extends, in the name of the "Committee for Women's Rights," a greeting to the partisans of peace in the world, because women are united by the safeguarding of their children, their husbands, and their brothers.

○ Last month Mr. Mohammad Ibrahim Salloum of Ammar al-Husn traveled to New York to join his wife and the other members of his family.

○ Mrs. Habiba Yakan, president of the Young Muslim Women's Association, has addressed to benefactors an appeal in which she informs them that the association has taken a club on Abdul Basit al-Fakhouri Street (the Dana property) for the education of the young and their instruction in the sciences and arts; it has established there a workshop for women's handiwork and installed there a reading library. It is a bond of acquaintance among women of all their classes and creeds, and the association awaits from generous benefactors their support in its social work.

○ The Youssef Abdo Abou Joudeh secretarial bureau has opened its office in the city of Damascus, al-Firdaws Street, telephone 31-49.

○ The Abu Izzeddin family was bereaved in the month of September by the death of its doyen, Dr. Mustafa Abu Izzeddin, father of Dr. Najla Abu Izzeddin. His remains were borne to burial in Abadiyeh in a solemn procession, in which the notables walked weeping for the dear departed. "The Woman's Voice" offers its condolences to his honored family, and especially to its friend Dr. Najla. May God make Paradise his abode.