Y.M.C.A BUILDING.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 201, 19 May 1908, Page 8

Y.M.C.A BUILDING.

YESTERDAY'S OPENING CEREMONY

' SPEECH BY SIR JOSEPH, W'ARD i i Th T'-T aS 8 ' e " sa * crowd of visitors at tho official opening of the now homo of tlie Qung Men's Christian. Association yesterday . afternoon,., most of .whom, fjt once madp , their way to tho fine large hall upstairs, and so. missed tho sight of an- interesting little ceremony on tho doorstep; of the' building. hen -Mrs. 'Williams arrived to t-ako her part in tho afternoon's performance she was fflet by Mr. Aitken, M.P.',' and other members, of tho, committee, -and' Mr. Crichton/, tho v architect, presented .her, with a silver key as., a memento . of tho.- occasion, with this slio unlocked ..the front door'of tho magnificent building v which ■ Wellington owes to her, generosity. ''i® 1 ® W whero tho formal opening took place was fillod ,to. overflowing' witS promment citizens, and Church leaders., and MW w'Tr S ' o-*' 1 ? platform', were, beside MrsgVdhams,. Sir Joseph aiid Lady. Ward, the Hon Geo. Fowlds, Minister, -for.. .Education j.tho Mayor (Mr, T.' W! Hi'slop)^nd t ?v i 'J- A■ Williams, and Mr. J. Cj. W. Aitkcn, M;P. . .. .Mr. Holmes, tho secretary, read: a list of congratulatory messages -from! tho Hon/ W. Hall-Jones and others,, who wore unable to 1)0 present. ■ __Mr. Aitken, .before ..calling upon Mrs. Williams to open tho building, - briefly sketched .the history of tho Y.M.C.A. movement ,in Wellington. , Twonty-fivo or thirty jearsM thero had been a Y.M.C.A.. whicli had tho late Mr. Holdsworth at its head. It did .a fairly vigorous work/during tho time it lived, but died - from lack ' of interest oil tho part , of- the citizens. Ihe new• i.M.C.A., ..which is now housed ..such,a .magnificent building,,/began ; in September, 1902, as the result of a. mission

condiict-ed here by Dr.' Tofrey and Mr / Alexander. .-Tho" visit-of .Mr.fludge, of Mon-f trwlv had begun the campaign for. this new building, and. the first thing that made'such a: building possible, was the magnificent, gift of.-land from Mrs.- - Williams. VtThe contract price for the building .was. £13,038. The actual cost, with; extras and architects' fees, came to . another' £1000. The' wholo of. the money was not ;-yet paid,' and.-£2OOO was required for - the furnishing:', "' Th'o Ladies' Auxiliary. of ; the Y.M:C:A.' had undertaken the, work of-furnishing, and would- be-glad of. contributions - from any friends; ; There wore forty bedrooms. Fifteen of these'rooms were 'furnished; tho ; ! rest-, required t-o be. The cost of 'furnishing a roonv was '£15. There were, still sums amounting, t0,.£3500,

promised ' two years' ago; tb be' collected, and in .addition to this £3-100' bad-'been .promised by . the .-young r men- themselves.' This Association- was going to. do a great., work' for, tho-young-men of W.cllingtoii."',,He called updn.-Mrs.". Williams to declare'the building; open. . : • , "In the name. of-God and to' His Qlory7' said Mrs, Williams,- " I declare ;this, building .iiow .to . bp .opened for '.tho use, of ' the-boys arid yoiing nieii. of' tlib'-.city;" .- . .• • Three : hearty cheers ' Were given.-by .- the audience. V.v--' ■! • : The Premier . - (Sir': '. Joseph. WardV'spbko- of the - great : pleasuro . it , gave' him ' tovsfte the , building completed," arid-to congratulate one and', all; upon the. very,.laudable, purpose, for ; which it .. was: to- be - ; used.." If .he were -'to' mako '.any "distinctions, -.he -' should', say - that- . 'tlio. iiiost .cordial':, thanks : were' ;due,- to- thevladyvwhqse - :dowed- m'oro- th'ani:ono..vinstitutiohi of this■kind;Not' onlyl-the ,tha:» seamen,- who Visited Wellington'-''will ', always ■. have tho most kindly - recollections -of lifer. • He .referred'to the''occasion when'so 'busy : a mari as;' President Roosevelt 'ha'di'travelled' 2000'■ miles' >to open -an-institutiqri of this kind. They'must.not lose sight rif the/fact that this iristitiitiori " would■ : kaVo --'the Vtraiii- '

ing of" those who: would do; tho civic, r political; and commercial: work of the immediate' ■future,,'and'nothing' could be '6f : more'.importarice to tho country ■ than;the;equipping and, qualifying of young' nieri'for such -work. This was' the fourth- YvM.C.'A.- building with which; New • Zealandwas t6:be-pr6Wde>d; ; but' he wished to ' remind- .-his, audience, 'that: Invercargill' Had .started-'a' campaign; for fnndiifor a,'similar building, and had 'alr'eady raised 1 several thousand pounds.There was to. be' proud of in "the fact -that about £25,000 altogether .had' been ''raised for .this, building.' He; wished ;-to'"cndorso what' Mr. Aitkon- had ; said' in . appreciation .of'Mr ..Holmes. ■ it' would .be of "little'use- to 'hayo: the .'most, perfectlycquippfed Yhuilding' ■if they did .'-riot,also'havo:a.livo secretary full 'of'energy and ' devotion;. 'and' WitK' tli'tf power' of, drawing .ytfung '■ men' .to; him, ; with bonds • of-'osteem : 'and friendship/-■ • Ho '• pressed' 'hope that'..their - work would ; ,so increase that. tho. building,, large, as it' was, would shortly prove:inadequate. ' ' ' ; >.| The' Hon. T. W.' Hislnp moVed -a'very hearty.''.vOto. of , , thanks ;tp".';Mrs.:- Williams.' He Regarded this institution; as,an evidence of ; tlio wider arid broader feeling growing up ill -tho-community.;.,, V-' : '. . The - Hon.: 'George. "Fowld-s,' .seconded .tho resolution;-' ]jle said'there. wailit"tlo. heed : f<ir him: to' say .nioro' of Mrs; ' Williams's'gerie--rosity..' . f ' Tho : resohition was "putthe 1 meeting,, aiid carried : with ' three cheers, the audience' 1 all standing.' ... .This 'concluded\tho ; ness, ' and'- the gu'estsrdispers'cd:to:-inspect j tho rooms and, to partako':of :after'n;oon' tea. •■' : EVENING- REGRPTION.- ; . ■ v.f-';

Tho'j?resi'clent (Mr.- J. 'G. : W.' Aitken) -gave | a_.yqung,man's. iri :tHe ovening,rwheii' tho beautiful, interior,. Kloojtfog.j: stiff:, .morebeautiful i whon i I!iiininatcxlj . was .thronged admiring' visitors..ln .the/social 'hall upstairs, an lßritertoiriment;..was :held,;'which was -largely attended.' .'A.'gymriastic. display was - afforded. by a' .small'-squad, i which- had been--hurriedly trained by Mr.-J.'H. Green-' wood, the 'now physical : director • A basket ball match . between ' teams, drawn. from the' football and hockey 'clubs-;cr6atcdi'much interest,; being finally >on .-by ;the ; footbalfe's \v y i s ? JWj? to four,. The - following bobtri\puted' to . .the- nnisicah programme':—lnstrumental /.trio, Messrs;' Jdy y -Macfirlariei >:'and'. ™>' 'Messrs. -Pargetta;'.ahd'Hickman. : ■ iho Hoard of Management is- desirous' that everybody 'who. ls'-jntcrested'in' thd building shall bo-' shown ' over - i,t during ,the -.present