WORLD Y.M.C.A.’S TO MEET

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27402, 15 July 1954, Page 14

WORLD Y.M.C.A.’S TO MEET

Conference In Paris Next Year REPRESENTATIVES FROM NEW ZEALAND To represent New Zealand at the twenty-second world conference of the Young Men’s Christian Associations, it is expected that 12 delegates will be appointed by the New Zealand Y.M.C.A. The conference, to be held in August next year in Paris, will include the celebration of the centennial of the founding of the World Alliance of Y.M.C.A.’s. The exact number of New Zealand delegates who would attend the conference had not yet been decided, said the national secretary of the Y.M.C.A. of New Zealand (Mr George F. Briggs), in an article about the gathering. It had been decided, however, that there would be a substantial representation including' members of boards of directors of several associations, representatives of various group activities and of employed activities. The Y.M.C.A. was founded in London by George Williams in 1844 and the movement spread rapidly through Europe and America so that by 1855 a convention was held in Paris at which the World Alliance of Y.M.C.A.’s was founded. At that convention 98 men representing 38 Y.M.C.A.’s from nine countries founded the alliance. Next year it is expected some 10,000 members of associations from nearly 80 countries will meet in Paris. There will be a series of five conferences dealing with various aspects of work of the organisation and a world boys’ camp will be held near Paris. As well as these separate conferences there will be joint sessions and all the delegates will unite in a centennial celebration rally on August 22, the anniversary of the date on which the original Paris Basis was signed. Though the representation in Paris is necessarily limited, wherever there is an association in any way linked to the alliance, it is expected there will at the same time be some observation in honour of this important event in the history of the Y.M.C.A.