SERVICE FOR YOUTH

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21122, 24 March 1934, Page 14

SERVICE FOR YOUTH

* WORK OF THE Y.M.C.A. NATIONA I. I' R KSID K NT'S ADDRESS tcrsciAt to the rs:si.. TIM ARC. Marvh 23. The vahio C the work of ihc Young i.lcn .i Christian Association fcr it,employed youths was diffused by Mr

J. T. Hr.y. o£ Christc.'v.ii rh, national president of the association. in an address at a parents' banquet g.ven bv the Timaru branch cf the association ycrferdav. The association was iitted to give true service, he said, because ° £ lne moral and spiritual basis oi the movement, which was the great j ce thai cahed out such a vast amcimt of voluntary service. 'lhe present time was a turning point • in human history, he said. To the -a} a*)?.n limn itiated in the mvstcrics in'ciH-f. currencies and economics, nie woiJd was in its present dilemma pr.mariiy because all had. to a large dsgree. lost their sense cf stewardship and responsibility to their fellowmcn ■i-ian had been quick to avail himself of i:io colossal powers thai science a"d invcni.cn had placed within hi; reich anci animated by the pursuit of per-' cor.ai gain and power, had forged I ahead, uncontrolled and unmindful of I nie h-jap of rrcuble he was storing' up icr himself ana manv others The Young Men's Christian AssociaV WI : as n gi'cat international ovgavJsaticn. thought in terms of human vames. Founded on a Christian basic hs special responsibility was the training of youth in ideals of Christian citizenship. If the fullest expression i.-l that citizenship was being thwarted and cienied to a large section of the >cuth. then it surely became a dutv on tiie part of the association to aliv ii;cli with thooe agencies that were seeking to g lV e youth i:s rightful opportunity in life. Prince of Wales's Interest In the whole of the Empire there •tvas no one who had the cause of the unemployed youth more at heart than the Prince of Wales, who had said, j Perhaps the hardest class of the un- ! employed to reach are the voung m »n v ho have grown up without an occupation They have not learnt re- i sponsibility. They have not known 'he discipline cf wcrk: thev are a~ m h ed t0 and idle wars. ■They have suffered neglect and have X e ne ß]sctful even of their own r lr ,,^ re ' lo arouse the manhood in 1S a D!fficul t- task which not ?,Vn onc com Petent to undertake" . i he great ec °"omic crisis of It® , , few >" ears - we Pt over the v crld, bringing with it its tragic storv of unemployment and distress, the \oung Mens Christian Association in ■nd ni 3 C 0 Promptly took action "' 4 d ., pla " d the u ' hole of "s resources disposal of the community to «rapple with that aspect of uiiemployment which concerned it most. namci>, the problem of unemploved Jeutn. said Mr Hay. 'lhe world was in distress because it had ruled God out of its reckoning and showed anti-Christian forces to get control. The association stood for V;e supreme worth of the individual. t a, special responsibility in these challenging days to give youth its opportunity and provided a common meeting ground for men on good intent and goodwill. Only by co-operative effort could problems be graDp'ed v.-nh by the sinking of all difference? and tne pooling of brains and effort in really d..--interested service. !Xo cne organisation was strong enough to attempt it alone.