Y.M.C.A. ANNIVERSARY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 619, 23 September 1909, Page 8

Y.M.C.A. ANNIVERSARY.

SECRETARIES IN CONFERENCE. PHASES OF THEIP. WORK. ' Every branch of the Young Men's Christian Association in New Zealand was represented yesterday, when the first conference of general secretaries was begun in Wellington. The delegates were welcomed briefly by Mr. J. G. W..Aitken, the president of the Wellington Association. The .chair was occupied by Mr. C. E. Salter, of Ghristchurch, there being alsD present: Messrs. J. J. Virgo (general, secretary of the Sydney Association and acting-national secretary for Australia and New Zealand), H. N." Holmes, G. W. Adair and J. H. Greenwood (Wellington),' G. W. W. B. Hughes (Dunedin!> W. 6. Edmunds (Auckland), C. E. Webster (Gis borne), A. Snowball (Masterton), J. B. M'Kinney (Invercargill), M. Gould (Timaru), P. E. Parker (Levin), W. Moore (Milton), W. H. Babcock (Christchurch), with tho Kev. W. E. Tuck, M.A., and the Eev, J. Mackiinzie'H.A. ,-.-'• "ni-. Wanted: Business Methods. The session was opened with devotional exercise, conducted by Mr. W. G. Edmunds (Auckland), following which an address was given on "The Necessity, of Business Methods in Administration of the Association," by MrG. S., Barton, PXA., N.Z. The speaker emphasised .the advantages of a properly kept set of books for each department. It should be.the business of the secretary to get a sufficient knowledge of book-keeping ana accounts to carry on the work of the association. ■ A secretary should be able to place before the Board of Management tho, cost of running each department of the association, showing what money was required, where it was •' to go to, and in what way proportioned. Neglect of pro per method always meant loss, and in many instances served to cover .up loss. The average bad bankruptcy was very oft6'a the result of a man dabbling in too many things, and generally messing things up, by having half a dozen avenues that needed attention, and did not get it. Distinct' from proper book-keepiiig theri> should be careful organisation. _ Promptitude and regularity in holding meetings, esDecially business meetings, a proper division of .labour, tho exact location of responsibility, and, the final centralisation in one man. The position of general secretary was very ■ difficult to fill, embodying as it did the spiritualism of tho cleric and the business method of the business man. Progress on "the Other Side."

Mr. J. J. Virgo dealt with "National Work in Australasia," taking a retrospective view to the time of the first intercolonial council meeting in Hobart of IBSS. The first national council meeting took place at Ballarat in 1906. The council had been instrumental in raising large sums of money all over the Australian States and the Dominion for building and secretarial funds. The pressing needs of local associations, had prevented-them giving-the necessary ■ support, and at the present time the national work ; was suffering in consequence, in fact, there was . now a big deficit to meet. . It would, he'considered, be very helpful if one administrating officer could be found to work from a centre , -with two travelling officers—one for organising, the other for handling the, finances of local associations. The national council was a body of twenty-one Christian'laymen chosen by the Young - Men's Christian Associations of Australia and New Zealand at their biennial conventions to act as their agents in extending the bonefits of the association among all olasses tod conditions of men and boys. It organised new associations in cities, groups and towns. It strengthened eaoh association by the experience of all going' to the aid of each. ■ It conducted, conferences, it tided assp; ciations over periods of crisis, it aided them in eeouring permanent equipment, and suggested advanced policies and Better methods of work. Further, it united the Y.M.C.A.'s in their effort to conserve, to strengthen, and to extend organised Christian work; among young men. .The field of/effort was large, covering 1,100,000 yonng men arid boys. Daring the past two years £170.000: had been secured for new and better buildings. Three cities now were needing associations, and buildinp should be. set up in seven places, at least within the ne.xt two yenrs. He urged those present to consider seriously the support of the national council, for in .America • the lofty position . of the Y.M.C.A. movement was entirely due' to tho work of the international council. Our Own National Work, ( /- Mr. H. S. Hart also' gave a paper on "National Work in New Zealand." He spoke ;of the visitsfroin time to time of national officers, such as Messrs. Mott, Budge, ; Pierce, and Virgo. The help received , was'' considerable, but he ventured to <express the' opinion that those fleeting visits did not serve' such a;.useful_ purpose as they ought to. A day or two filled with meetings was of no help to the society, and he emphasised the need of a week or more 6pent by national officers in close contact with association secretaries, for in this way the secretary and the association would got just • the '■ help, they required most. Ho guggested a sectional committee for New, Zealand, and a man appointed for advisory work. Tho first charge nn association should placo upon its budget should be its donation to the national council. : Considerable discussion followed these -two papers, mostly centring. round tho point, of inoreased visitation and consultation. This was taken part in by Messrs. Virgo, Holmes, Edmunds, Webster, Parker, and Snowball, . and resulted in' the following " resolution being passed:— , / v ■■.-.-"".. , ' That this conference recommends to the national council the appointment of a New Zealand sectional council of the national council of Australia, and Now Zealand." ( Roli'gious . An address on "The Compensation of Eeligious Leadership" was given by tho K«v. \\. 1! Tuck, M.A. He was especially pleased at the selection of the subject. By this choico it would <.show that they as general secretaries were called of God. Tho greatness qf the word implied difficulty. It was in this greatncssani tho character of the callmg-that the compensation lay. It was a work that aclleo for concentration. There would, of course, be disappointments; yet there was much inspiration, especially that which cama from comradeship. The comradeship represented in the conference was that of the noblest.kind. Everything would depend \upon, tho ' leadership, of tho men present, especially their 'religious leadership. '.-,',' . • . After tho morning sitting, th«_ secretaries were entertained at'(inner by Mr. H. W. Itersley, in the Main, Hal at the Y.l .C.A. Rooms. On behalf of his fellow guests, Mr. C. E. Saltor, president of the confeiynce, conveyed to their'host. the thanks of tlio conference tor his kindly hospitality... ■

■ " For the Boys. After a short praise service, in which every delegate, too* part, the afternoon session begun by a discussion on. boys', work, iy which Air W. B. Babcock, of Christchurcn, took tho leading part, lie raid there was no need to speak'of tho importance of the-work-it was understood. Whereas work for boys used to bo tho primary object of its establishment, now it was work for boys by boys. This indeed should be-the motive of every association had a boys' department. ' Sonio associations took up the work without proper, consideration, some took' it. up simply, because others did, and with disastrous results. ; One danger had to be avoided-that of crowding into tho Ufa of the boy what he could not well carry. The question of supervision was important, .and nothing could be done unless a general secretary gave up certain specified -time to the work. A boy was best reached through his natural interests. After considerable discussion, it was resolved that, all the secretaries present should endeavour to organise a camp conference of old boys in,some central'point at Christmas: • The General Secretary. The afternoon session was closed by an excellent : address by the Kev. J.-■Mackenzie, M.A., on "The Personal Religious Life of the General Secretary." It was, he thought, fitting that a minister should give this topic. The Christian life should be a strenuous althletic life. First of all, last of all, and most of all, they were Christian men dedicated to bring men to their Lord' and- Saviour. They should live straight, courageous, and cheerful lives—lives that would make men declare that tho secretary had. something that they had not, and they must-have it. Most of tho men present were young men; men whothad had office thrust upon them, and men for tho most part who had not had the advantage of training. A. secretary must have continually before him a vision of heights not yet attained, and let thorn remember that there was much to be overcome. A resolution of thanks and appreciation of tho, work of • tho retiring secretary of the' National Council (Mr. W. Gillanders) was passed. , After the conclusion of the afternoon session, the visitors wero afforded an opportunity of witnessing nn exciting gamo of 'basket-ball: MEN'S BANQUET, VARIOUS ADDRESSES. A banquet was held last evening in the, Assembly Hall, and was attended by about eighty people. Mr. \Y. Allan presided, and read apologies from tho Hon. Geo. Fowlds (Minister jjpr Education), Messrs. C, H, Poole; M.P., and

J. G. W. Aitken, president of' the local Y.M.C.A. In welcoming the visiting delegates, he referred briefly to the prosperous work 01 the Y.M.C.A., and expressed the hope that the present conference would bring great good to the movoment right through the Dominion. (Applause.) Dr. Buck. . , Dr. Buck, M.P., in a brief address on "Now Zealand, Our Home," commenced by relating the legend of Maui, who was supposed to have fished Now Zealand out of the sea, and went on to tell of subsequent and more credible Maori history, and'tho customs of his race. Young'men of the Y.M.C.A. had considerable influence on their fellows, and ho hoped that in years to come they would all realise that Now Zealand- was the home, not only of the brownskinned Maori, but also of the white-skinned pakeha. It should be the aim of all young men to do what was best for the improvement of the country as the home of both races. (Applause.) Mr. W. Gray. In speaking of "The Physical Basis of Charactor," Mr. W. Gray, M.A. (Principal of Wellington Training College)* ; recommended that the young men.. connected with the Y.M.CA. should strive to train themselves for a supreme life, which had three .well-doveloped sides, the physical, the mental, and the moral. The present ideal of manhood was based on service and social efficiency. The men who were wanted to-day wore those possessing clear brains, and erect bodies,, able to fight battles'in' commerce, in oducotion, and in politics, besides being trained to do service in philanthrophy, and in 'all the other departments which the State did not touch* (Applause.) As an ideal of character, he .conceived a man, who, grasping hold of the spiritual idea,;as the main end of life, consecrated his life, to that end, and, with the powers of body ana mind fully equipped, went forth to servo the community. He would help forward the community, and develop his own life. ' In the Ispeaker'6 opinion, this was the.ideal of character which the Y.M.C.A. stood for, and which appealed to all. (Applause.)

Rov. J. J. North and Mr. H.'N. Holmes. The Kev. J. J. North said that his subject, I "The Supremacy of the Spiritual," had suffered many things at the hands of many speakers. One : had a universe without a key until he held the spiritual in his fingers. Mr. H. . N. Holmes (local secretary) spoke of the ■ twentieth century call to the young men.'. The most powerful force in the world, he said, was a man who was sound in body and in judgment, and who was prepared and able to answer every call that cam* to him. And the most noble call was "Follow the Highest." The. twentieth century, had need ,of men who would obey this call. There was an emphatio call to service, which meant sacrifioe and individual responsibility. The Y.M.C.A. movement had'eoine upon the land, and he hoped that a unanimous response to its call would be forthcoming. (Applause.) , . \ .. ■ Mr. J. J, Virgo.

The association's contribution to "Australasian Life" was the subject of an address by Mr. J., J. Virgo (general, secretary.of tho Sydney Y.M.C.A., and national secretary for 'Australasia).. One of tho most important' contributions made by the nineteenth to the twentieth century was the Young Men's Christian Association, and - the association had made a valuable contribution to Australasia, ,in fact, to the world. It had fostered a spirit of patriotism, and had fitted men for'tho highest positions in life. The'association had created a class of optimists, had safeguarded•, the • interests of strangers, had ' influenced sport'' and made it clean, and had established an auxiliary to the home. (Applause.) A hearty vote of thanks was passed to Mr. W. Goudie, who ' had arranged themusicol. programme. •• ■ "\,