In Society

★ ... Lasting until dawn, in sumptuous style, was the grand ball given by the "Lebanese Red Cross" society on Saturday, August 14, at the Grand Sofar Hotel. Hundreds of couples danced to the strains of the music in their elegant formal dress, and the aristocratic class of ladies paraded evening gowns of a kind not to be seen except on such occasions.

What added to the throng at this ball was its being held under the patronage of His Excellency the President of the Republic and Madame his wife. It was distinguished, likewise, by the old Lebanese costume contest which this magazine organized in partnership with the Commissariat of Tourism and Summering: a bouquet of beauties came forth parading varieties of old Lebanese costumes going back to differing periods of the last century, which caught the admiration of the vast crowds.

Mrs. Edvick Jureidini Shayboub introduced the contest, saying: "This contest is the first of its kind in the history of Lebanon, and we hope it will be the nucleus of broad popular festivals in which coast and mountain, city and village, will take part, after the fashion of what happens in the advanced countries — especially as we in Lebanon stand at the threshold of a tourist year, from which we hope every good for our country."

The Lebanese Red Cross ball was brought to a close by the artiste Tahia Carioca with her marvelous native dance. And the members of the Red Cross — foremost among them the president of the entertainments committee, Mrs. Rose Kettaneh — moved about among the guests, seeing to the comfort of all and spreading a genial, merry atmosphere...

The reader will find elsewhere in these pages an illustrated report on the old Lebanese costume contest.

Buds... in Summer

It is no wonder that buds should appear in summer — that happens every day... Our bud is the baby "Subhi," firstborn of Mrs. Nabila Saab, wife of Dr. Alaa Droubi and daughter of Mrs. Najla Saab. "Subhi" is the name of Dr. Alaa's father.

The birth took place at Dr.

Gharib's hospital on Tuesday, July 27 — and the Droubi and Saab households awoke to the ululation of joy. The mother, Mrs. Nabila, and her beautiful baby have returned home in perfect health. To them all, from the family of "The Woman's Voice," the warmest congratulations and good wishes...

★ And there is another bud that dawned upon us at the beginning of last August: "Zeina," second child of Mrs. Widad and Mr. Anis Rawda; their firstborn is named "Marwan." The delivery was accomplished through the good offices of Dr. Suleiman Najjar.

"The Woman's Voice" congratulates the Rawda family on the mother's safe delivery and on little "Zeina" — who is, no doubt, as lovely as her name... But, we wonder, is she "Bedouin" in her looks... like her name?? And to whose lot did "the hen and the kmajeh and the hireling without hire" fall??...

★ And on the twenty-fourth of the month of August there dawned upon us, in a storm of joy and laughter, the little bud "Layla," the heart's desire of her parents, Mrs. Lily and Dr. Albert Badre. Little "Layla" has three brothers: Sami, Ramzi, and Nasib — God keep them all, in the shade of her two generous parents.

A week ago Dr. Albert Badre declared: "If a girl comes to us, we'll give our friends a party lasting till the break of light... and if a boy comes, we'll make do with the moghli!" And here we are, reminding the father of his promise!

★ There was founded in Amman, in the middle of last June, the Arab Women's Union, through the efforts of a select company of ladies and young ladies, at their head Miss Emily Bisharat.

The Arab Women's Union is considered the first women's political party in Jordan. Among its aims are: combating illiteracy; raising woman's level and preparing her to exercise her full rights as a citizeness; and finally, strengthening the bonds of friendship and understanding between Arab women and the women of the world by founding branches of this Union in every Arab country, if that be possible.

The opening ceremony took place in the Philadelphia Garden in Amman, at which Miss Bisharat delivered a detailed address, calling woman to solidarity and to work. Among what she said:

"National duty requires that we unite our efforts and our ranks, women and men, that we may be a fundamental force at the very heart of the national movement and the Arab renaissance."

Until she said at the last: —

"Let us women know that if we ignore our rights and stand aside from exercising them, we are gambling with the future of our country and dragging our nation down to the depths of humiliation and disgrace. For this reason we have founded the Arab Women's Union, so that the Jordanian woman may perform a practical, productive mission in the history of our country's glory and independence."

★ The family of "The Woman's Voice" is pleased to convey to its readers the news of the engagement of our friend Miss Leila Lababidi, daughter of Mr. Salah Lababidi, to Mr. Najib al-Agharr, on the second of last August.

Miss Lababidi is a graduate of the American University of Beirut and holds a master's degree in education from the United States; her fiancé, Mr. al-Agharr, is an architect, a graduate of the Lebanese Academy, and at present an official in the government of Kuwait. It has come to our ears that the completion of the festivities will be in November, and the bridal pair will begin their new life in the sister country.

So The Woman's Voice raises the warmest congratulations to Mr. Salah Lababidi and to Madame his wife, and wishes the two young betrothed complete harmony and understanding... and a love strong of pillars, issuing in a lasting happiness that nothing can shake...

★ From the news of Kumasi — the Gold Coast: the marriage of Miss Antoinette Elias Zeitoun to the young Mr. Joseph Ghosoub.

The wedding rites took place in St. Peter's Cathedral, and after the crowning the young bridal pair received congratulations from vast crowds of Lebanese and Syrians, relatives and friends of the couple. Then all moved on to the courtyard of the Lebanese Club, where the bride's family gave a sumptuous party befitting their only daughter, in which every mark of lavishness and luxury was displayed.

The members of the Women's Union helped in organizing the party, the bride and her mother being among its active members.

To the bridal pair, sincerest congratulations and good wishes.

★ We have learned that the General Arab Women's Union, in the person of its president Miss Ibtihaj Kaddoura, presented fifty Lebanese lira for the soul of Lebanon's departed, Mrs. Julia Tu'mah Dimashqiyah (God rest her), the sum to be spent in the cause of the education of girls.

Would that all people replaced with this custom the presenting of wreaths of flowers, which cost thousands and die on the spot without any profit from them — and let flowers remain for the family alone... Why should the putting of this into practice not be considered in earnest??