MEMORIAL HUT.

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20822, 4 April 1933, Page 8

MEMORIAL HUT.

WORK OF THE Y.M.C.A. IN FRANCE NEW PRESIDENT'S INTEREST. A project which had its beginnings while Mr J. L. Hay was supervising secretary of the Young Men's Christian Association in France will be completed during his term of office as national president of the association in New Zealand. At the end of the Great War, before their demobilisation, the companies of the New Zealand Division, together with other New Zealanders in camp in England, subscribed £I2OO towards the establishment in New Zealand of a memorial to the war work of the association. In this way they hoped to show their appreciation of the association's services during the war years.

It was felt that a fund of £I2OO would hardly be sufficient for the purpose, and accordingly it has been allowed to accumulate during the last 14 years. . The question of a memorial was discussed at a conference of senior officers of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force on their return to New Zealand and they endorsed a suggestion that the fund should be used to establish an association's hut in the capital city to be devoted io the work among boys. Sir Andrew Russell, Mr Hay, and the treasurer of the association's national committee were appointed trustees. The Probable Site. The fund has now accumulated to an amount which it is considered will meet the cost of erecting and equipping the hut. One proposal is that it should be built in Petone in order to serve the boys and young men of the thickly-populated industrial areas of Petone and Lower Hutt. The hut will have certain special features to mark it as a memorial. Work will be started as soon as possible, and it is expected that the opening will take place before the end of Mr Hay's term of office. Mr Hay said yesterday that the building of the hut was one of the principal reasons why he had accepted the office of national president. As supervising secretary of the New Zealand Young Men's Christian Association in France and later, during the demobilisation period, in London, he was naturally interested to see the end of a work of which he had also seen the beginnings.