Y.M.C.A. FOUNDERS' DAY

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 213, 3 June 1919, Page 8

Y.M.C.A. FOUNDERS' DAY

On June 6, 1814, the Young Men's Christian Association was formed in a small room of a drapery establishment in St. Paul's Churchyard in London, George Williams, a country boy from a farm in Somersetshire, who had served an apprenticeship in Bridgewater before coming to London, was tho moving spirit of <1 group of twelve young men, who met ami organised under the name of tho Young Men's Christian Association. June G is now annually observed by the association throughout the world. The germ of this national, international, world-wido organisation, planted in London ill 18(4, was carried,, with tho name, to North America, where it fell into more congenial soil than in Europe. On this new continent it developed into an agency and organisation with a -.staff of workers and equipment, tho strong, contagious, shaping influence of which hits been felt in Europe, where tho original germ wos planted, and throughout the world, In Sydney in. 1853, and ut Aiucklajid in 1855 associations wore formed by members' from the London association. Tho Young Men's Christian' .Association of 1919 may be -described (is a world brotherhood of over 1,000,000 young men and boys, resident in over 50 countries on nil continents. speaking 50 languages and dialects, banded together in some 30(H) cities, towns and smaller communities, at a finnnciol 1 cost of ,£2.400,000 annually. Proper equipment to the value of over „C 40,000,000 has been secured, and this has been invested chiefly in association building?. On Thursday next, in the Town Hull, flic local branch is to celebrate "Founders' Day." Speeches are to be delivered by Sir James Allen and General Richardson, and 4000 feet of pictures stem-in? "our boys" in English enmps, will be displayed. There will be no charge for admission.

A public meeting, according to . our Grevtown correspondent, endorsed, tho sub-committee's action in procuring O'Connor's Bush as a- memorial park. Tho meeting decided to purchase tile whole of the section, some 35 acres, ill. stead of only the bush portion.