Y.M.C.A. NATIONS PRESIDENT.

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20862, 23 May 1933, Page 10

Y.M.C.A. NATIONS PRESIDENT.

WELCOME TO MR j^gA J. I. HAt Vy gß| GATHERS LAST .Ev|||l;

In conjunction with the' recent*, held by the president of the {W church Young Men's Christians sociation. Mr D. E. Parton 2 night, a welcome was the National President of the "w! Men's Christian Association. \&T? L. Hay, 0.8. E., and Mrs wi Hearty congratulations were tended to Mr Hay on attaining #?" highest office in the gift ofSlf* sociation in New Zealand, and *L ferences were made to the aaLb tion's valuable w,ork in peaceaE war. Mrs Hay was presented w«2 - a small bouquet by Mi«s nJS-v Pegg at the start of the ■ Christchurch had been flonotnSi < Mr Parton said, in one of «k < • prominent citizens and hardSworkers, and one of the earltatmembers of the Young &m 5 ..' Christian Association, Mr J. H«V being appointed president' of X'"" New Zealand National Cotindl of' the association. (Applause.), st* 1 '" wished to take advantage' of the" presence of so many of the guests*! ' the association tp offer Mr Hay M. *> official welcome, and to tell fife, ■- how proud they were that he Had' risen from the ranks to his present position. Reference was sometinjei.' made to Sir Joseph Ward havnw.. risen from messenger boy to PriSr Minister of New Zealand, and Mr>Hay had started as a lad in - • Young Men's Christian Asso&atkm£ and now had reached, the highest ■ position that could be oifered hanfe the Dominion. (Applause.) jfe" thought that Mr Hay was the only " permanent member of the staffs' the association who had risen to fee >. position of national president."Hesucceeded Mr Stanley Wilkinson, 1 who had left behind him many ijlgi traditions, and he felt sure that Hf Hay was going to live up to tho» traditions. Addressing Mr Hay directly, Mr Parton said that theyfelt very proud of the position lie held, and the board of directors 'extended their sincerest wishes for his success in his high office. (Ap«" plause.) -:'■

An Honour to his Fellow-Work&v Mr Hay, who was received wife/ applause, said that when the &k>J eral secretary, Mr A. J. McEl^i 1 * ney, asked him if he would be uriS;' ( ing to attend the reception, he ooaST assure them that it was with-'«•* great deal of diffidence thafhefcalt; agreed. He had made a btfgiljV: that there was to be only ,-ojteil' speaker and that that one spa&titi.. was not to say too .asodf,y about him. The" first part-of Hjjk, bargain had been kept, but JwA, that he was not worthy of alTffißl. Mr Parton had said about looked upon the position of president as a very great faancffl% conferred on/him, and it was due to the work he had leged to do for the association, ticularly during the war peri(s£gj was a recognition not only <& , '! m* own work, but also of that splendid band of Young VHWgtChristian Association also of the service rendered-hyj||| soldiers of rfew Zealand. "" .'; S 'J|| A Stranger in His mind went back' _SS when .he arrived in He knew no one, and it was building of the association-;lfflft|i|£ came, and was befriended,- '*NJh£ was in the building of thfi.*BMK|s tion that he had the conce P. l^^S J what the work of the BflS©aßg||p could be. Under Mr Gear&lNjgK ing he had done what he.emJßyra 1 lay the foundation of the JS|i' they saw it now. It the faithful work of men IwfcSssß Stening that the work present flourishing condition. £ jgjjsffi War Work of the Aawi^M^K It had been his privilegeJo'l*J£F trusted with the war work **& Sat .association, but his have been of very Ume , w3£jS££ had not been for the s P lead j§lsfil of men who had worked Above all they had had W|-£9|ill dence of the people o£ in a remarkable degree. **-*wf||l wonderful manifestationnoMJWM confidence in the association. *s£p£| in the men who were seas. The greatest him was that wherever one MgHjgJ New Zealand returned imffl| a warm spot in their hearts association. The bulk of subscribed by the people ptjj»M| Zealand.to the association.haft-gBHH spent by the men who it—the men fighting at the msgH| doing so the associations .3fflflH|H were allowed to go as ro-*£*ES| as possible. Most of the J&JIS] tion's workers were men service; he himself was only one fit and on three «*ff3gH|| he had gone to General,Sosgß«S|| asked to be given *FB%*£sßm general had told him to he was. Amongst the asso ™Mgjl men there had been of service as that which 1 men who were serving at Future Possibilities. „;j*^E The high office to which &£WKL been called carried: with»-nm» bilities with regard to theJGggn of work in New the opportunities for greater measure than They had evidence in the *sKS|| of what Mr assistants and helners i«tja| for the city by their ffWmß The association was Bg&rßFSEfa tion, or a sect, but ■y - jMK with the churches in any "gaSf could render. .DenwffiSSß was not known in *e he was proud to beloiiff ""SH, ment that united men ui " V * M^! » : citizenship. . _„„« eh wl*® They had been kind ■*ggjggm sociate Mrs Hay-with Mrs Hay life and was behind■ soul in all his activities. ("Kg* applause.) He tribute to her for ported him in his "T.iJM; (Applause.) cddtwllflf' Mr H. Holland, M.P., JS?^SJ» was delighted to .^ e^JfoM Hay and to jom » WSrS«» ! association that God's bteßgjrggp rest on them during Mr of office. The »«^™%crtP#i SpiSion, was m^^SmßL part in their social ano -V^pgjK;