Y.M.C.A. WORK

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30130, 14 May 1963, Page 9

Y.M.C.A. WORK

Target Of £lOOO Set A target of £lOOO was set at tbe Young Men’s Christian Association national convention yesterday for work in under-developed countries. Some of the money will go to Fiji for the establishment of Y.M.C.A. work there, and some to Hong Kong for the maintenance of a Y.M.C.A. feeding camp for undernourished children. Yesterday was the lest day of the three-day conference. It was opened with a devotional session conducted by the Rev. W. Hendrie, a Presbyterian minister. He said that when he came to New Zealand 15 years ago he saw little need of a Y.M.C.A. Now he felt that the organisation’s greatest days lay ahead. A need for expanding to include large and small-scale work in different communities was seen by the meeting. Lack of leaders and finance were two biggest handicaps seen by the Y’s Men’a Club. Mr C. Coates, the assistant general secretary, who returned recently from the United States, gave an address on the parts played by religion and recreation on the development of healthy personalities. The planned international Y.M.C.A. meeting in Japan in 1965 was discussed by. Mr W. M. King, a life member of the National Council. It was hoped that New Zealand could send two laymen and the national secretary to the meeting. Thanks were expressed to Mr G. Skipsworth for his services as president during the last two years.