Y.M.C.A. ACTIVITIES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 August 1938, Page 7

Y.M.C.A. ACTIVITIES

BUILDING TO BE COMPLETED. WORK DURING PAST MONTH. As a result of contributions and promises already received or in prospect for the completion of the Y.M.C.A. building, the directors, according to reports presented to them at a meeting held this week, are able to see something in the vicinity of £2OO available for this purpose. As it is anticipated that this sum will go a long way towards completing the additions, the directors have decided to proceed with the work, in the hope that further donations will make it possible to carry out all that is desired free of debt. The report of the General Secretary, Mr A. E. Bate, on the activities of the Y.M.C.A. in July, shows that all sections of the association’s work were increasing. The new hall was proving very popular as a games room. In the senior department, the report stated, the Billiards Cup competition was continued throughout the month, eight matches being played. The Winter Sports Club held four evenings in the new hall during the month, on one occasion entertaining a country team. The average attendance in the Optimist Club for July was 16. The practice of making Wednesday a club night in the billiard room has been continued by the young men, and a ladder has been cjrawn up for individual competition. In the junior department the club groups are steadily growing—mainly because of the interest attaching to the games room facilities. Arrangements are being made to take a group of the senior boys to the Hutt Valley Y.M.C.A. in the term holidays to compete with the Hutt boys in various ways. The work oil the physical department continues to be the main regular activity requiring constant attention. Both the men’s classes have fallen off considerably during the month, and the old difficulty of maintaining interest in gymnasium work among the seniors is still present. Attendances were 560 as compatX?d with 500 in June and 480 last year. The attendances at the senior groups are decreasing, while the junior groups continue to increase encouragingly. Basketball league games have been continued with success. During the month tests were held in the gymnasium in connection with the junior boys and junior girls. These were based on the usual work of the respective classes. The standard on the whole was quite good, about .75 per cent of the boys being either average or above average, and about 60 per cent of the girls. Extra practices have been held for the Juvenile Art Concert, to be held next Wednesday. Early in the month the Christian Youth Council was revived, and towards the end of July a rally of about 100 young men and young women was held in the Parish Hall to hear an address by the Rev. J. Davie on the licensing question in Masterton.