Y.M.C.A. WORK

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 197, 15 May 1920, Page 8

Y.M.C.A. WORK

EXTENSION OF OPERATIONS

HOSTEL TO BE ACQUIRED

LAUNCHING OF FINANCIAL

CAMPAIGN

For some months past the Wellington Y.M.C.A. lins been experiencing considerable difficulty in providing suitable accommodation for the large number of boys mul young men -who are constantly arriving in the city, mul who turn to the association for help. In order to meet the situation, the Board of Directors of the Y.M.C.A. has decided to (inquire Donbank Bbardinghouse, on Wellington Terrace, to be conducted as -i hostel, where boys and young men with small incomes may obtain accommodation at the lowest possible rates. Don hank is to be taken over on June 7, and "before _ that date the association hopes to raise, by means of public appeal, the wfiole of the purchase money, which will be something between ,£11,001) nnd XI?,,000. To this end a. finnncin) campaign has been arranged between now nnd May 21, and the services of a considerable number of business men have been secured to rniso the full amount of the appeal. With the object of launching the campaign a gathering of workers was held in the Y.M.C.A last night.

Objects of Campaifln Worth While. o Mr. H. W, Kersley. who presided, said J it wns proposed to raise iEls,oflo for the . purchase of Donbank nnd for carrying fi out certain alterations to the present j Y.M.C.A. building. He was sure that all , would agTee that the objects of the cam- , paign were worth while in assisting to j protect the lives of the young men who , came to the city. Jinny telegrams had been received from all parts of the Dominion wishing tho campaign success. He appealed to those present to do their utmost to secure tho object in view. I At present 80 campnignors lind come for- i ward, but it wns hoped that within a « day or two, 100 workers would have been < obtained. The Y.M.C.A. was doing it t wonderful work in the country, nnd < steps had been taken to establish. sta- < t.ion9 in the rural nnd industrial ror- < tions of the Wellington district. Efforts f would bo mnde soon to develop the so- i cial side of the work in the -suburban areas around Wellington, flew r.Mo- I cintions would be started, also, m dif i ferent parts of the country, but, above i nil, it wn9 intended to specialis? on work among; boys. With thnt objeit in view, a specialist would shortly 1)3 brought over from Australia to give instruction to secretaries in the organisn tion of boys' work. Wellington was the first centre that bad set out to provide hostels for the accommodation of young men, and there was urgent i eed for the work. An Acute Position, Mr. J. L. Hay, secretary of the Wellington Y.M.C.A., submitted that _ tho provision of a healthy, uplifting environment was one of tho most important functions of the Y.M.C.A. The, public would, be surprised if they knew the demand there was from parents fer accommodation for their sous at the Y.M.C A. So acute had the position bccomn that it was absolutely imperative that indditJonn) accommodation should be provided. Mr. Hay mentioned tlui), onough bonrders were available to more than fill Donbank when it wns opened on June 1. He stressed tho point that the .Y.M.C.A was catering for tho J eeds of young men who were earning only small salaries, and lie could give the assurance that the. majority of tho boardevs at- the Y.M.C.A. Nt present were youths of from 10 to 18 years of nge. The nssocintion had been approach* ed by the. Professorial Board of Victorm College and. the Government, asking it accommodation could be arranged fof students and cadets. That showed the necessity for some such institution as was proposed. Instances were oa ictord where parents had refused to allow their sons to remain in Wellington simply becnuso suitable accommodation was not available for them. It. was ostipiated that it would cost between JMI.COO and ,£l2,ooft to purchase nnd furnish Donbank, but another ,£3OOO or <C'ttXlo was required to improve the iicooramodation at the main Y.M.C.A. building. It would cost 2Gs. to 275. per week to board young men at Donbank, and an arrangement luuj. been mnde whereby first-year Government cadets coming to Wellington and staying at flie institution would bo charged 225. per week, the Government subsidising this sum by another 4s. Mr. G. W. B. Hughes, campaign see. retary, outlined the plan that had been devised for the raising of funds, and pointed out thnt it would be necessary to avoid duplication of effort. The workers had been divided into teams and lie asked everyone to adhere to tho details arranged in order that the effort would proceed smoothly until the object in view wns attained- Mr. Hughes stated that a clock face would bo placed on a building injlambton Quay, and on this the progress of the campaign would be indicated to the publio day by day.