YEAR OF PROGRESS

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 123, 20 November 1935, Page 13

YEAR OF PROGRESS

V.M.C.A. WORK

ACTIVITIES MULTIPLIED

ANNUAL REPORT

"As evidence of the progress of tha V.M.C.A. in Wellington during the past year it should be noted that despite the setback of the three preceding years of depression, the association has been able to multiply its activities, increase the membership and also the enrolments and attendances in the various departments, extend the patronage in its hostel and partially rehabilitate the finances," states the report of the association to be presented to the annual meeting next Monday night. "It is felt also that chiefly because of it's services for boys, its prestige in the community has been further enhanced as indicated by the success of the financiaL. appeals. Nowhere has the progress been more in evidence than in the Boys' Division, and at times the accommodation has been hardly spacious enough to provide for all the boys attending the rooms. The association's financial membership is revealed in the following figures, those for 1934 being shown in parentheses:— Senior, 371 (370); younger men, 81 (75); boys, 331 (280); total, 783 (725). "These figures do not include the many who, in one way or another, participated in the benefits of the V.M.C.A. as non-members, or those whose subscriptions were outstanding tor more than three months. Neither do these figures include the large number o£ unemployed boys dealt with, or . the young women who attended the gymnasium, the Round Table, or social functions. "The financial statements disclose a surplus of £399 for the year, as compared with £199 for the previous year. As compared with the previous- twelve months, the income of the association was exceeded by £1007 and the expenditure by £606 (total income £10,151, total expenditure £9752). "Despite the economic stress of the preceding years, the influence of which still remains on all phases of community life, the association in Wellington has made real progress during the past year," continues the report. "This applies not only to its finances, but also to the quality and extent of its work and the impact of the association on the life of the community. Tendencies under which young people deteriorate are not absent from life in the city of Wellington, and it is to the task of counteracting these tendencies that the association has dedicated its services. Encouraging enrolments and attendances have been recorded in the various departments and through the helpful agency of the association, hundreds of boys, youths, and men, have been shown the way to health, learning, companionship, employment, recreation, usefulness, and character. The activities have been made available at a nominal membership charge according to the age of the members, and in addition the work was extended to a large number who have not been included in the regular membership of the association." WHAT FIGURES SHOW. As an indication of the comprehensiveness of the association's programme during the past year, the following summary of attendances and enrolments was submitted (last year's comparisons in parentheses):— 1231 (1013) men and boys were in regular membership for the whole or part of the year. 4G60 (5300) attended 100 educational and cultural talks, lectures, and demonstrations. 456 (398) enrolled in gymnasium, total attendance, 12,270. 250 (276) boys enrolled in the allround programme in the boys' division, including supplementary educational features and religious instruction. Aggregate attendances, 5710. 7883 (4573) attended 35 senior and junior social functions (excluding optimists' luncheons and teas, which are shown under educational and cultural talks). 90 per cent (75* per cent.) patronage of the available accommodation in the association's boarding establishment; an average number of 63 young men resided continuously in the association for periods ranging from a few weeks' stay, during adjustment to the city, to permanent residence; and in addition there was an average number of 10 transient visitors nightly. 340 (.250) participated in camps, tramps, and organised tours. 1916 (1209) different boys were on the rolls for employment; 1167 (1166) positions (city, permanent, and temporary 1069, farm, 98) were found; 302 on roll awaiting employment at the beginning of the year, and 152 at the end of the year. 100 (115) men and youths in the two Optimists' Clubs. 175 (103) enrolments in the indoor and outdoor sports clubs, including cricket, Rugby, swimming, and basketball. 168 (147) enrolments in the Round Table, the association's chief religious feature, with an average attendance of 112. 300 individual persons on the average (including residents, but excluding non-association persons using hired meeting-rooms, etc.), used the rooms daily for some definite association purpose. 7569 (6573) players on the association's billiard tables. 135 (125) lecturers and speakers addressed the association groups and gatherings during the year. .2430 (3030) attendances at distinctly religious meetings (excluding Dr. Kagawa's meetings and boys' religious instruction groups). 3835 attended the distinctly V.M.C.A. meetings organised by the association for Dr. T. Kagawa, the distinguished Japanese Christian leader. 175 attended the Father and Son Banquet (held in expression of the association's desire to strengthen home relationships) at which the speaker was the distinguished V.M.C.A. leader, Mr. J. J. Virgo. 210 (220) members used the two libraries, in which there are 830 books. 150 enrolments in cultural activities, including debating club, dramatic club, business knowledge and personal efficiency group. 152 (114) ladies serving on three ladies' auxiliaries. 120 members engaged in the association's committee service. WELLINGTON'S FUTURE CITIZENS. "The most interesting and possibly the most helpful phase of V.M.C.A. work is that undertaken for boys," says the report. "Earlier Y.M.C.A.s did not include the younger adolescents in their membership, but now, very largely as the result of its specialised experience in handling boys, and its belief in the importance of 'winning the boy in order to influence the man,' the V.M.C.A. movement has become one of the largest and most important boys' organisations in the world. The Wellington association h;is an excellent boys' department under the chairmanship of Mr. G. I. B. Thomas, and the leadership of Messrs. H. J. Steptoe and D. E. Duncan. Rc;il progress has been made and invalu;ible service rendered in this department during Ihc past year. Tiio ,ns:;<> firtion in Wellington, in its service

for boys, does not favour the more spectacular lines of appeal; rather do the leaders believe that the true development of the boy lies in the quieter, unobtrusive, and more conservative methods, where a boy is enlisted in an all-round programme of personal culture, supplementing his home and school activities, and strictly with no incentive other than the attraction and the value of that culture itself. This does not prevent the association from making its avenues of appeal to the boy attractive and worthy enough to hold his attention, me various boys' groups held weekly meetings and in the course of their curriculum, training was given in gymnastics and indoor sports, and, in addition, the life of the members was influenced educationally and religiously through the various lectures and classes. An excellently equipped social and games room, and a splendid gymnasium were kept in good order and condition. There were groups, clubs, talks, tramps, camps, tours, all of which were intended to interest the boy, to keep him busy, to put him in training, and touch his inclinations, ideals, and aspirations. There were a Scout's tro»:', library lunch-hour buffet, magazines" and periodicals, summer *nd winter sports, socials, and a host of other attractions. The annual holiday camp was an outstanding feature in the summer curriculum and there was an enrolment in the camp of 120 boys. FOR UNEMPLOYED BOYS. "Not the least among the boys' activities is that undertaken on behalf of unemployed boys. Over three years ago the association accepted the additional responsibility of initiating the scheme for finding work for boys who had become victims of the depression, and who in most cases had little or no opportunity of finding work for themselves. During the past year the association, assisted by men attached from the Government Unemployment Bureau, under Mr. H. Palmer, carried on the work with outstanding success. The association continued to be the recognised agency and clearing house for the Citizens' Boy Employment Committee (chairman, Mr. R. H. Nimmo; secretary, Mr. Len. J. Greenberg), which is representative of various sections of the community. With the assistance of the Press, a helpful public sentiment was created, as the result of which the plight of unemployed boys was greatly relieved by the provision of 1167 placements in remunerative employment. There has been a noticeable improvement also in the conditions under which boys are employed."