Y.M.C.A. NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 514, 22 May 1909, Page 9

Y.M.C.A. NOTES.

> (Bv 11. N.H.)

Tho Anniversary * Festival of-tho Sydney Y.M.C.A. was celebrated on : Monday, May - 10, when tho largo Sydney' Town Hall , was crammed, by an enthusiastic audience, iomr v/hiclx his Excellency tho Governor-General /. of tile Commonwealth .(Lord ' Dudley), pro* ; sided. No . fewer • than ;1754 persons > sa#'.''" ■ doim to the tea. which: preceded tho meet- • ing. The. speech of the ovoningv: was thai. ; : of Professor David,' who recohtly.-returned• from tho Antarctic expedition. Ho was accorded a splendid receptidu. .His: subjoct, "A Nation's Greatness'': had been chosen., for him, ho said; otherwise Ire might havo •- taken'ono less jambitious./. It" had been sai.l ■ that tho character, of tlie pcoplo' and its success depended very 'largely on'tho climato in which the people wore centred..' Australia had inherited a ; ,comparative'lack.'of rainfall, ./ but, after, all, was that such! a bad "It/is' good for us .to have ..something M - \ do in the way of going out and'conquoriiiß thoso.arid regions of the interior;- All.could help toward national greatnes's. 'by■ doing i ■ well and worthily the noarost duty that Ood had 1 appointed thom to do." V r , Tho Emigration' Department of the Eng.' . lisli • Y:M.C.A.',s has succeeded beyond the highest anticipations. ;.Th© jcsult of five years''.work; 1904-1908 inclusive, is as fol- . lovis I :—Number of applications entered and ■ regibterod, <4646;: number of letters, written,w; . .19208; number of letters of K4U7.1 - . " ' :■'■'■■■ '■ .|■ ' : "'v The abovo applications have bepn received' , from ".233 towns in tho United Kingdom. .Hundreds of Y.M.C.A. men havo boon placed: on farms or in commercial situations amid Christian.surroundings. :\ ■ ■. President Taft. has ' jflr,t; dolivored a remarkable uttcianco before' tho coloured: -Y.M.C.A. in Now Orleans. "I am glad to be hero under the auspices of the Coloured i Association, for . I believe the association, ' coloured and white;,.to, be one of thp. great- ■:.. .V' est instnimentalities in our communities for''', keeping young, men in the path if rectitudo j and virtue,-and those of us wlio hnvo been young-men know, that -wo cannot, have too mauy instrumentalities of that kind, lam glad to otffir my aid whenever occasion pre- ■ sents to ht-'p it in the good .work." . ; The. Gisborne Association/m New; Zealand, : ono' .of the-'younge«t .in Australasia,; has > started on its' athletic career by winning its .first; three Itugby 'football•>matchcs in tho Gisborno Union senior .and junior and thild grade.-