THE Y.M.C.A.

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 119, 16 November 1937, Page 5

THE Y.M.C.A.

VALUABLE WORK

APPEALS TO THE PUBLIC

While expressing satisfaction at the financial position, the annual report of the Young Men's Christian Association of: Wellington states that the directors feel that an early effort must be made to reduce the overhead indebtedness on the Willis Street building and provide an endowment fund for expanding and unhampered work for boys.

"The financial statements disclose a surplus of £58 for the year, compared with £224 for the previous year," the report states. "The association was able to maintain interest payments on the Willis Street mortgage at the rate of £9 3s 4d weekly, as well as paying all municipal rates when due. The trading accounts were pairj" strictly when due, and at the end of the period the bank overdraft, as shown in our I books, stood at £762. Compared with the previous year, the mortgage position, namely, £4389 on the two properties, represents a reduction of nearly £200 in the Willis Sreet mortgage. The Donbank property continued to be let as a private boardinghouse, and the rental derived from it during the year was sufficient to meet all necessary outgoings in connection with the property. The association's property and working equipment were maintained in good order. The exterior woodwork and metalwork of the building was painted at a cost of £81 12s. A contribution of £25 was made to the national committee of New Zealand Y.M.C.A.s.

"Ths V.M.C.A. must depend on the good. will of citizens for the support of its services. During the year £1199 was contributed by way of donations, compared with £709 for the previous year. The grant from the T. G. Macarthy Trust was £140. The first payment from the George Winder Estate, £250, was received. The annual citizens' appeal collection produced £262.

■ ".Many of the religious, educational, and boys' activities would never be available at all if these were not provided for from funds outside of the membership, and the justification for expecting other people to meet the cost of these privileges, especially in the boys' department, is the undoubted value of this work to the general community. Some of those who receive the benefits are unable to pay any fees at all. Furthermore, the V.M.C.A. is not a charity in the generally accepted 'sense, hence it has not figured very promently in the benefactions of those who are charitably disposed towards the needy folk of the community.

"The association, therefore, cannot make an appeal mainly based on emotion. It can, however, find a reasonable basis for its appeal on the grounds of moral urgency and the necessity for every large centre of population to provide such a place as the V.M.C.A. It should be emphasised that if there were no V.M.C.A. to serve the youth of the city, then some other agency would need to be found to provide the amenities which the association gives. It is under the pressure of these obligations that the Wellington association goes to the public once in-the year for at least 10 per cent v .of its financial need, Surely, this is little enough when compared with the services rendered. This 10 per cent, represents an annual need of approximately £1000, nearly one-half of which already comes from regularly recurring donations."