THE Y.M.C.A. MOVEMENT.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12506, 19 May 1906, Page 2

THE V.M.C.A. MOVEMENT.

VISIT OF MR D. A. BUDGE. ■••

Mr D. A. Budge, secretary of the Montreal V.M.C.A., arrived in Christchurch yesterday. Mr Budge is making a tour of these colonies in the interest! of the V.M.C.A. movement, and in conversation with a 'Trees" reporter yesterday explained the object of his visit. He said, "I was here about three years ego. when I sought to raise a fund in Australasia for placing a man in charge of the V.M.C.A. work in these colonies. We were successful in raising the fund, hat not in getting the man. The Association work in Canada and the United Statre has made remarkable progress in the pas* twenty-five years, and vro are anxious that Australasia should ishflro in that progress. The one thing that would help to bring that about would be the supervision of these fields. But there is such a demand for men in our country that we have not been able to get anyone to come out hero, and that is why I have come back again en a ehort visit. Then? sails from Snn Francisco on the 31st a man named Lyman Pearco who -will bo located in Melbourne. He is secretary of tho Association in Washington, and one of the most eucoessful secretaries in (he whole continent." Asked if the V.M.C.A. movement was actually controlled from America, Mr Budge replied: "Every Association is a unit, but we have an Agency of Supervision for the American continent in New York city. The American continent is the foremost in the extension of the movement throughout India, China. Japan, and South Africa. Yon have had a movement hero for nearly «s long as wo havo had it in Amerioa, but you have not made the fame headway. Wo are anxious to give you any c o-openanon end assietanoo which our experience in America enables us to give. Amerioa contains five times as much property in the Association interest as the othor forty-five countries in the world put together. Thirty-eix years ago we started with a single building; now we have 5K9 buildings valued at. aomo £6,000.000. Last year we opened sixty new buildings, averaging more than one a week. I mention these figures to show yon that the commerciel and mechanical interests of our cities have confidence in the movemont, as an adjunct to business life, (otherwise the? would not put money into it. The'total number of associations in some forty-six countries ■where the movement has got- a footing, is about 8000, and the total membership is about 870,000. "1 arrived in New Zealand about a month ago, and stayed in Auckland for a fow days. I spent about three weeks in Wellington, wheTe they are raising money for a building. They have a site in W'illis street which was given by a Mrs Williams, and steps are being taken to raise £10,000 for the building. We started about two weeks ago, and expect to complete the fund about June 7th." "Do you really expect to get £10,000 out of Wellington in a month for n V.M.C.A. buildingP" asked the 'Trees" representative. "Yes," replied Mr Budge confidently. "Wβ have eet up an organisation there during tlie last fortnight, which I think will get it. There are ten teams of ten young men each, representing one hundred altogether, canvassing.the city, and they have the co-operatiort of a citizen's committee. "And what do you intend doing in Chri-etchurch?" "Well, I don't quite know what can bo done here, end am hero more to cqopcrato and take counsel with your committees and advise as to the best methods of going to work. I think Christchiirch needs a building as much as Wellington, From nere leo to Dunedin, and then to Hobart, Melbourne, and other Australian towns. The Associations in Hobart and Brisbane are both engaged on building enterprises of their owti. Speaking of the physical side of V.M.C.A. work, Mr Budge said:—"We h>avo more men on the floor of onr gymnasia than all the other athletic organisations put together. Last year we had 168,000 men registered in classes. The educational sido of the work ie growling es well as all the other classes." Mr Budge showed our reporter plans of V.M.C.A. buildings in America, containing residential quarters, halls, swimming baths, class-rooms, bowling alleys, and rooms for all kinds of games, etc. Some of the buildings ran up eight or nine stories, and appeared to resemble large dubs more than anything else. Itis a building of this nature that ie being put up in Wellington.