Y.M.C.A.

Evening Star, Issue 17311, 26 March 1920, Page 7

Y.M.C.A.

THE ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting oE the Young Men's Christian Association ■ last evening was we'll attended. The chairman of directors (Mr H. K. Wilkinson) presided. The Chairman, in moving the adoption of the annual report, thanked the staff for their zealous work. He went on to say that the Y.M.C.A. services had contributed very largely to the winning of the war, and since then their association had done considerable work in assisting soldiers to get back to civil life. They had been considerably exercised over the matter of finance for the past four years, and the bulk of this had been used for the military, and not for their work at home. £44,000 had been so spent by them for war purposes. The expenditure for the past year, also, had been exceptionally heavy. They had spent £291 in renovations, and ■other items were £155 for rates, £l5B for lighting, and £3B for water —a total of £-348 which the association paid to the City Corporation. Ho considered it would be an act of grace on the part of the City Corporation if they refunded this amount as a donation to the association. The present membership stood at 1,491 made up of 800 soldiers, 289 seniors, 78 intermediate, 261 boys, and 65 sustaining. The religious work included Sunday afternoon meetings for men, missionary meetings, services among residents, Bible study groups, strangers' teas, meetings foi prayer, after-church services, foreign work, and pulpit supplies. The i< inance Committee's report showed that, -while the general fond had gone back slightly—over £IOO on the year's working, and leaving an overdraft at the bank of £747 l&s Bd—the Soldiers' Hostel account had been further reduced by donations amounting to £454 12s Bd, the total liability of over £1,600 on this venture having almost been completely wiped off over a period of three years. The house' department reported a full house. Seven hundred and twenty menmore than half of whom have been returned soldiers —have been in residence, and 70,788 meals had been served. The report and the financial statement were adopted.

The election of a bdard of directors for the ensuing year resulted as follows: Messrs H. K. Wilkinson, J. B. Waters, N. Paterson, D. Lealie, J. Gray (all reelected), and C. J. Darracott.

Votes of thanks were passed to the president, vice-president, and directors, the ladies and voluntary helpers, and Mesdames Martin and Chapman, who are in charge of the hostel.

Mr Drew then outlined the general policy of ike association for the ensuing year, and was followed by Messrs Nicol (boys'- wotL: secretary} and Hanna, (the newly-appointed physical director), who gave a orief resume of the work of their respective departments and of their plans for the forthcoming year. •Several musical items were contributed later in the evening, and supper was dispensed by the ladies.