News of the Lebanese Women's Union

★ The Union's monthly session was held at the Military Club on December 6, 1950, at three o'clock in the afternoon. The president opened the session; the minutes of the previous sessions were read and approved.

★ The president announced that the delegation elected to present the protest to the government had carried out its task and had made the responsible officials understand that the Union must be invited to take part in conferences; this was promised.

★ Mrs. Anissa Najjar said that she had sent the names of the associations concerned with the child to the representative of the International Women's Union at the United Nations.

★ The Al-Nahda An-Nisaiyah society, headed by Mrs. Najla Kfoury, joined the membership of the Union, and Mrs. Nazik Sarkis welcomed it, along with the two societies of the Beirut College for Women Alumnae and Al-Hadhana Al-Khayriyah of Tripoli.

★ The National Relief Committee at the American University of Beirut applied to join the Union; since the committee is mixed and holds no government license, which conflicts with the Union's statutes, it was decided after discussion that the committee's president should attend the meetings, and that her assistance and that of her colleagues be accepted when needed.

The Peace Committee sent a list bearing the names of children's societies that are members in the Federation, to the representative of the International Alliance for Women in the U. N. O.

Mrs. Fuad Najjar was elected secretary to replace Mrs. Sarkis who took over presidency of Ar Rawda Schools.

Committee of the Federation welcomed home Miss Amineh Al-Makdisi.

Three new societies were admitted to the Federation: Beirut College for Women Alumnae; Ar Rabita Annissaia, & Al Hadhana Al Khayriyah of Tripoli.

Mrs. Osman, president of Al Hadhana Al Khayriyah, reported that illiteracy is prevalent in the Akkar Moslem villages. Their society built a school over there costing 12000 LL. which the government adopted lately. The society visits the villages and arranges for lectures on hygiene and education.

Miss I. Saghir asked for the support of the Federation to the Lebanese Teachers' Syndicate. Mrs. Shehadi and her propaganda committee were charged to hold a press campaign.

Miss A. Makdisi, Mrs. Nucho, Saab, Rihan, and Shehadi were appointed to revise the constitution. They asked for a private meeting in which the members of the Federation can vote on amendments.

The secretary was asked to answer the inquiry of Mr. Batal of the U. S. and expose the offer which the Federation gave last August to teach and board at the Beirut College for Women two emigrant girls of Lebanses descent for two years.

The Federation received an invitation to join membership of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom of Geneva, which the Peace Committee is still studying.

A telegram of congratulations was sent to Mrs. Angela Jurdak Khoury, first Lebanese woman consul for Lebanon.

Miss Nina Trad accepted to become the official advocate for the Lebanese Federation. Needy women can now seek and find justice, gratis.

★ Ladies were nominated for the post of recording secretary, and by secret ballot Mrs. Anissa Najjar won; the members congratulated her.

★ It was proposed and decided that a summary of the Union's work be written every month in The Woman's Voice.

★ A committee of the two Misses Edma Bayoud and Zahiyah Dughan was appointed to get in touch with the president of the international child-welfare branch and to obtain reports on its work.

★ Mrs. Adelaide Rishani proposed that a letter of congratulation be written to Mrs. Angela Jurdak Khoury on the occasion of her appointment as consul for Lebanon in Washington — the first time the government of Lebanon has chosen a lady for this post. The members agreed unanimously, and the corresponding secretary, Miss In'am al-Saghir, was charged with this; she was also charged to write to Miss Nina Trad asking her to act as the Union's advocate for needy women when required. The president was asked to visit Miss Trad in the company of one of the members.

★ Mrs. Awatef Osman, president of the Ar Rabita Annissaia society, spoke of her society's work in Akkar and of its fight against the illiteracy rampant in the remote villages.

★ Miss In'am al-Saghir proposed that the Union demand justice for the teacher in the private schools, this being what the private-school teachers' syndicate demands. The members agreed unanimously, and the president of the publicity and publication committee, Mrs. Muneera Shehadeh, was charged with organizing, together with the members of her committee, a written campaign on this subject to be published in the daily papers.

★ Mrs. Nazik Sarkis proposed that the constitution be examined with a view to printing it; a committee was appointed of Mesdames Adele Nucho, Amineh al-Makdisi, Najla Saab, Muneera Shehadeh, and Ellen Rihan, to meet, make the necessary amendments, and thereafter submit it to the members.

★ It was proposed that the name be amended from the Lebanese Arab Women's Union to the Lebanese Women's Union only, to prevent the confusion that so often arises between the General Arab Women's Union and the Lebanese Arab one. The purpose of dropping the word 'Arab' is solely to remove the confusion, for the Lebanese Women's Union remains a member of the General Arab Women's Union.

Recording secretary: Nazik Sarkis