Y.M.C.A. ANNIVERSARY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 616, 20 September 1909, Page 9

Y.M.C.A. ANNIVERSARY.

MEN'S MEETING AT THE TOWN HALL; '.:.MB. YIHGO ON "SEEING 1,1FE." ...The anniversary celebrations ■ in connection with the local Young Men's' Christian Association were commenced on Saturday evening, when the anniversary prayer meeting was hold. The engagements .. were continued yesterday, when Sir. John J. Virgo, secretary of the Sydney Y.M.C.A., and acting national secretary of the Y.M.G'.A. of Australia and Now Zealand, addressed a largely attended mon'S meeting in the Concert Chamber of, tlio Town Hall. AirB. N. Holmes (secretary of the local assooiation) presided,,and/ in.introducing .Uγ. ;Virgo,/welcomed him as one, who had, , for the past twenty-fivo years,'been in the front rank of .tho Y'.JI.O.A. movement.. : :',',•■'' * ; ',. ■■'■. ■Mr. , ; Virgo, "said.'.that, although. , ho'had riot ;beoh in WeUuigtpn'.for seven years, ho did. not feel a ; stranger.:in tho city, as he had mado many good, friends when tho local ..association, sprang into.being. '•" ■)■!',;.■'"'..',•.'■' .;-■:,.' > .'■-' ■Up to the time'the Visitor "took hold"; of ■the . meeting thore had been an amount. of formality, about: tho gathering that could' bo' felt,.,but:.,this ,was . quickly dispelled by-llr. Virgo.; It was apparent-.'that.'he.: knptf : m6ii, both young and old, aiid within five minutes he had" won:vevoryoue in the hall by a : frank, sharp, crispness and personal magnetism whjch carried his auditors along with him at his own rapid'gait; , -.-After lie had once broken'through i the : chilliness of. the gathering,' ono could al-. Irtost- feel', that'he, was the intimate personal, friend of every man in the room. When several ■hymns >had been sung by thV. meeting,, Mr. Virgo, sang two-; solos, the gathering-joining .in. With''spirit .on , the.cue being given., Mr. Gaudy'also.sang. •":.;.'. ; ■■'•;-.".'"■ ... '-. .\ .■-'.■.■Mγ: Virgo then dealt with the good that could be got ;out"of life,by living as it had been ordained that man should live, and told various .little-'stories, -all;of, which had points like , .needles, and:he-dipVe them home without be-' labouring. , ; The. , man..who .scoffed ,at .'religion and;who wanted to "see life" engaged:tho at-' .tentipii of the''speaker.- If a man could.'hot get a.good deal- of fan out■ of life, -life .would not , mean-a great: deal, But life was a sacred thing, and.man'had not been created to fritter. ; away time, ■ and .then pass away, v There should : .be,agreat purpose in ;life and/being, and each. ■ man should- ast , himself .whether he stood if or anything : .in the .comrauiiity in which he was dwelling, or was''Kβ a', mere .cypher'.'; Eveiy. man : should ".feel; that it was -obligatory'on- hito-ron every maniin the community—to be of use tb that community/.Every man, he urged, should fpel -under ,an .obligation to live the , highest i life.-.it was possible'.to .live. Many young) men ,wantod : .to "see' life, ""and not ho Restricted in; ■any way. 'V This, unfortunately; often meant death to everything: that went,tdinake : a true' ,inan.' A young man 'had no right, to live by any.lower standard than the highest heknow; "After recounting the 6tory of ayouth'whp left his home vinvEnglariil, 'and came to Australia to"see. life;'? and ended by hanging;hirdsel£ in a , police' colli .the Speaker remarked that' there were, murders -committed;-that did, not appear in: the'newspapers/'These were/deaths caused: by..,the- deliberate :of sinful 'son.*.: [Any fool could uo wrong, but it took a , man to do right. The irregular character was'essontially character,:and the life that had ,hot-religion- in', it -was. also defective. , :"There , ' i wb.s.:hotning' more .costly than.sin.' It.'cost'*the body, it cost the reputation, the character and the.soul;:and it cost God, His Son Jesus. The dignity-of: the >life tint: was lived 'by Christ should -be >'sought.Bach man shbuldask him-; self :-'"What. is 'my? life? , ', ..What is the pur-; ■pose of my life?" ■ and ,if he'could answer; •"Christ ,is mf:lif«,"'h-ippy.';was that maa. ; Ho, (tha speaker)'conld, concoive of inogreater farce • ■ th&n:& mtiii who wos aahamed'of Jesus Christ.' No manlwas ashamed;'of'Christ, in'his'heart,., and ; nb' man need ever , be ashained to acknow , - 'ledge himself : 6n.the side.of: Jesus, Christ.: ;v. ; ': .••VAJter. : .'the'''meti'e--.mcpaiSj;;! a/.etraiigers tea. was , held.'at'tne':Y.'M>&A..; rooms, 1 wheroiaccom- , mpdatton■.■ffa,sf:proVided.. : for'^loo. l .gn63ts.■ : '' , ,Tho. 'teaiiwis:followed by.'a'spng feofvice,?which was : led'.by -Mr'. , -Virgo.-:■ This v oyeniflg;a > 'receptvon to; members ,'dhdV friends' will', be >.hold, 'at. , the' -Y.11.C.A-. 'buildinits.'' , -Addresses'' will ,,: bo'-' given ;hy jressrsi' :Virgo and-G. W.' B. B: ■ Hughes, und^'the'."-Wesley: orchestra ...will: play .musical .selections. • The-New..Zealand .Secretarial Conference -will v be : held'oh[Wednesday, .and Mr. Kersley."will entertain the delegates'at dinner. In.the.evening.tho raenViMiniiuefrwill btr'held. $he onsagompnt>f r 'wlU ■b? 5 --cehcl}fdgdTbrt'OThurs-r , day, wifli :the''attnivorsary I festival''ifi'the -Tbvra. Hail. '-■'■':•-'; - : .. 4 ?%? ii _ tS^MJa-ea» iiiosx :

j; ?; p§A$;Tj5E '^sm^chuech^.;^^ V^Bofore , a : 'v#y;k ; ffee' , 'ittendeincfr--a- record ; qn*e, . for ■ tho" chirrch—Mi.' Virgo' delivered / a ; Jjpwer-: ,ful evahgolistio , dddress at' the Wesley Church, .Taraliab Street, lost .evening.' The assomblag'o; was : : c6nspicuou3 ,i6r-the large proportion ■of men.""Takinn, , for .Ws.'subject "The Incomparable iChrist/T/the speaker dwelt ■ niineht aspects—human -and/ .. tho Saviour; , Vwhbm.hei described, -as. '.being ; the :revelatibnibf the Father.-.supreme in His power as; a leitderof m«n, ; 'and snowing, by His.et 'aniples;.and 'preaching,,, the-'ideal .attribute's, spiritual and: human;-to be; striven for. -Mr.. •Virgo'also'sang .'"i'here 'is a, Green; Hill> far away" '.with ..organ accompaniment b,y .Mrt'W. J; ; ?HarlR»di:,;; ; -. ; ■ :.■ i:';:r ■'•'.■.;v.>i , ■:■:•', -'VM''-- ■■':