Y.M.C.A.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 139, 13 May 1940, Page 5

Y.M.C.A.

BENEFIT IN WARTIME. LOCAL ACTIVITIES. “The responsibilities of the Y.M.C.A. have never beforo been so marked as to-day and never in its history has the opportunity to serve youth been so great, nor the need so vital,” states the annual report of the Palmerston North Y.M.C.A. “To-day we have two main duties to perform, one the fulfillment of our part in ensuring that the youth of the country is not deprived of any of its normal life, and secondly, we have a major task to play amongst the troops both at home and overseas. What the men on military service do in their leisure time is of great importance to us all, and here it is that the Y.M.C.A. is serving these men and providing them with many of the comforts which they would otherwise be without, and thus help to lighten the burden of those who are giving all they have in the cause of their country. Thus the task of the Y.M.C.A. to-day is greater than ever before in its history and the opportunity to serve our fellow men is one that cannot be over emphasised. “The dominant characteristics of the life of the next generation are being settled now as present-day youth responds to the formative influences exerted upon it. ' Our boys’ work is planned with the object of not only providing-a constructive programme for leisure hours but also of helping to mould thoughts and actions during tho plastic years of boyhood and youth so that a desire for responsibility is inculcated, initiative developed and latent leadership encouraged, with the high objective of developing men of balance and Christian ideals as future leaders. Two hundred and thirty-four boys participated iu the programme throughout the year.

“There can be no question hut that the future of the’Church is wrapped up in tho life of the youth of to-day. If they are won in early life to allegiance to the Church and all that it stands for, and that allegiance is intensified and developed with the passing years, great advances in future can be expected in those realms of spiritual life and high purpose which form the bases of our national character. The association endeavours through all its activities to place emphasis upon the application of the programme of Christ to the everyday experience of young men and boys, at the same time keeping a definite link with the Church and Church work by way of encouraging young people to attend the Church of their choice. A fact well worth here recording is that 13S boys between 12 and 18 years of age in 12 separate groups are regularly engaged in weekly Bible study, with their thoughts turned toward the Christian conception of life as lived by the Master. “In the facilities of the physical department, the association possesses attractive features which strongly appeal to young men and boys. The objective of this department is to promote by means of exercise, recreation and education the highest physical, mental and moral efficiency of young men and boys, and by healthy activity to overcome those subtle and vicious tendencies of modern life developed through idle drifting. In times of emergency such as to-day there is a cry lor fit men and women and figures show that this association is fully doing its part in organised physical recreation.

“The association in developing the social and educational side of its activities feels and endeavours to meet its responsibility to the youth of the city. The opportunities afforded our members to foregather amongst congcnTai company through well organised dances, banquets, socials, etc., have done much to meet the social needs of the • community. “In the young men’s department there has been built up the most valuable links the association lias in its membership chain. Here we find the youth between the ages of 15 and 19 who, having just left school, finds himself in an entirely new and strange world. It is here that the Y.M.C.A. lias a definite obligation to these young men, to help fit them for the future and train them to think and live along right lines, and above all to train them in the beneficial use of their leisure, and thus solve for them one of the major problems of those days of shortened working hours. The work amongst the lads lias steadily grown over the past five years, till to-day we find ourselves faced with the problem of accommodating all those who are taking part in. this phase of the association’s work.

“The Y.M.C.A. is an organisation of civic and national importance for quite apart from tho regular work in its own field, extra services are rendered by staff and members alike to community enterprise. No boy is denied membership in the association through inability to pay a fee. For finance the associaton depends on the goodwill and support of tho citizens of Palmerston North and the ability of its executives to carry on the work economically without sacrificing efficiency and with a due regard to the development of all the revenue producing agencies. The board of directors has been greatly encouraged by the response of friends and members for continued ..support during the past vear, and it is with pleasure that they are able to report a balanced budget. The board of directors records keen appreciation of the loyal services of the Ladies’ Auxiliary. The ladies have rendered valuable assistance to the social life of the association.”