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The Helena May Institute for Women opened its doors on Saturday,
12th September 1916, thanks to funds raised from local
philanthropists including Sir Ellis Kadoorie and Chinese
businessman, Mr. Ho Kom Tong C.B.E. Today the main building in
Garden Road is little changed, a pleasing reminder of a more
gracious age. In 1994 the exterior was gazetted as an Historical
Building ensuring its existence for future generations. While the
building's turn-of-the-century elegance evokes a sense of
nostalgia, the appeal of the organization and the key to it's
survival through the turbulent times of the last century is rooted
in the modern. This is apparent when one considers why the Helena
May first came into being.
With the collapse of the Ching Dynasty and the creation of
the Republic of China in October 1911, Hong Kong experienced
tidal waves of refugees; according to one contemporary account,
the city was "packed full of ruffians and robbers who have come
down from Canton..." The Helena May was established to provide
for the physical and moral safety of the newly emancipated women
who were also arriving in the Far East in unprecedented numbers.
These women were eager to test their new-found independence
and their newly acquired professional status. They could be
seen as a vanguard presaging the hugely influential women's
movement of later years. From the outset it was envisioned that
the Helena May would rely primarily on its female membership,
it would always be an organization in which women would be the
main decision makers. Sir Henry May, Governor of Hong Kong and
husband of our name sake, said at the opening ceremony "...the
management of the Institute is the largest work which women
have undertaken as yet in the Colony." The driving force was
Lady May, daughter of Lieutenant General George Digby Barker,
British Commanding Officer in China and Hong Kong from 1890
to 1895. She married Henry May, a civil service cadet, in St
John's Cathedral in August 1891, a devoted wife while he rose
through the Colonial Service to become Governor in July 1912.
As President of the Y.W.C.A and mother of four daughters Lady
May was very aware of the lack of facilities for women and girls
in Hong Kong and she presided over many good works before leaving
the Colony in1919.
Throughout the 1920s and 1930s the Helena May flourished in
its purpose. However, the Second World War saw Japanese forces
occupying the building and, at the end of the war, it was briefly
requisitioned by the Royal Air Force.
In 1947 the Garden Road site was derequisitioned. Then began
the golden years of economic growth for Hong Kong and so too
for the Helena May. During this period, Associate Membership
was introduced to allow husbands, and later bachelors, to use
the library. Also, the title "Institute" was removed being
considered outmoded and misleading.
The heady days of the 1980s and early 1990s pre-empted the
British handover in July 1997 which happened to coincide with the
start of an Asian economic downturn. It cannot be denied that this
plus the departure of a great many families had an impact on the
Helena May. Nonetheless, the Club and its members have responded,
as always, to these challenges and the organization has proved its
resilience once again. Proudly, there are now seventeen
nationalities represented amongst the members and it is hoped that
with the increasing diversity of Hong Kong the Helena May will be
able to offer itself as a haven to women from all over the world
who come to experience life here. The gracious old building
fulfills many needs, it is a residential club, a quiet,
comfortable and convenient gathering place in which to dine,
socialize, learn, relax and be entertained, it also houses a first
class and much appreciated library. In this new Millenium the huge
double doors onto Garden Road are wide open and the business of
the Helena May continues.
Adapted from "MarchArt" at the Helena May--A
Celebration of Women and the Arts in Hong Kong 2000 and the
Helena May information booklet.
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