70TH BIRTHDAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 33, 7 August 1936, Page 16

70TH BIRTHDAY

WELLINGTON Y.M:C.A.

RECEPTION TO CELEBRATE

FINE WORK REVIEWED

To commemorate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the V.M.C.A. in Wellington, several hundred members of the association met in the gymnasium of the association last night. The president, Mr. R. H. Nimmo, occupied the chair, and the guests included Dr. and Mrs. Doggett, of the Springfield V.M.C.A. College, U.SA.

The president, .in his opening address, referred to the founding of the association by Mr. James Smith in 1865. The population of Wellington was then only 10,000, and the initial membership of the association was only thirty. At that time the annual budget was £10. Today the membership was approximately 1000, the annual budget was in the vicinity of £10,000, an dthe property of the association approached £40,000. There had never been a greater opportunity than at the present time for the training of young men to become good citizens and to help them to build up character.

Mr. L. J. Greenberg gave an interesting resume of the history of the association, and particularly of its third phase, since 1902, when,the Earl of Ranfurfy became the first honorary president. Fifty years ago, said Mr Greenberg, the V.M.C.A. pioneered Wellington technical education in the old Athenaeum building. Recently its greatest achievement lay in securing over 5000 placements of boys in work. Under the title of a "Cavalcade of Departments," twenty-three officers of the association gave brief outlines of the work being done-by the association.

The congratulations of the board of directors to the association in attaining its 70th anniversary and on the wonderful work it was doing were conveyed by Mr. G. H. Scott.

Mr. G. I. B. Thomas outlined the work of the boys' division which now had a membership of 250 boys between the ages of 9 and 15. The boys' division was doing very fine work both in educating the younger boys and in giving them the benefits of gymnastic training.

Some of the activities of the boys' employment department were explained by Mr.'H. ¥ Palmer, who emphasised the value of .vocational guidance in the placement of youth.

Other speakers who described the service to the association, and to society of the' work of the V.M.C.A., were Mrs. L. J. Greenberg (ladies' auxiliary). Mr. R. Newton (older boys and graduates), Mr. Frank Vernon (senior gymnasium classes and basketball league), Mr.,H; E. Brooker (business men's gymnasium class), Miss Leila Young (ladies' and girls' gymnasium classes), Mr. R. H. D. Hall (Optimists "Club), Mr. J. Y. Dean ("70" Club), Mr. M. A. Tremewan (Round Table .Fellowship), Mrs. H. E. Brooker (boys' division ladies' auxiliary), Mr. J. G. Oliver (residents), Mr. Lan Gow (holiday tourists), Mr. D. L. Gibson (Christian fellowship), Mr. G. D. Hall (Social Club), Mr. R. P. Staples (Swimming Club), Mr. W. F. Ponder (business efficiency group); Mr. J. F. Johnson (Travel Club), Mr. S. Keruse (Debating Club), Mr. H. J. Steptoe (Triangle.Forum), Mr. C. Spratt (Play Reading Club), and Mr. A. H. Eaton (billiards). Mr. J. White in a very amusing speech conveyed the greetings of the staff to the association.

The greetings of the National Council of the N.Z.Y.M.C.A. to the Wellington Association were conveyed by the Chairman, Mr. Gl S. Falconer, who praised highly the co-operation that the National Council had already received from Wellington.

Members of the "70" Club in costume gave a stirring haka' of welcome to Dr. and Mrs. Doggett.

Dr. Doggett thanked the association for its hearty and enthusiastic welcome. He described the foundation of the V.M.C.A. 92 years ago* and the subsequent spread of the organisation to every part of the world. He referred in eulogistic terms to the success of Owens and the other negroes in»the Olympic Games* and cited several noted achievements of coloured men at his college at Springfield, U.S.A. The V.M.C.A. stood for Christian amity, irrespective of race or colour. He congratulated the Wellington Association on its fine achievements.

The president praised very highly the work of the retirjng boys' work secretary, .Mr. H. J. Steptoe, who was presented by Mr. Nimmo, on behalf of the board of directors, with a cheque and a handsome gold watch. Mr. Steptoe suitably replied. Mr. Steptoe's successor, Mr. A. L. Rounthwaite, was welcomed by the president, and Mr. J. White, the new assistant general secretary, was introduced.

During the evening items were given by Mr. J. Hanna, Mr. W. J. McKeon, and Miss W. Aitken, and by an instrumental trio consisting of Messrs. K. Burnett, E. Webley, and G. Hall. The pianist was Mr. W. H. Hindle.