WORK AMONG YOUTH

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 176, 25 June 1935, Page 9

WORK AMONG YOUTH

Y.M.C.A. IN THE CRISIS. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, June 24. The veteran world Y.M.C.A. executive, Mr J. J. Virgo, arrived in Wellington to-day by the Monowai from Sydney. He is vice-president of the English National Council of the Y.M.C.A. and honorary representative of the world’s committee of the Y.M.C.A. at Geneva. Ten years ago he retired from the position of national field secretary and world representative. Mr Virgo has come from Australia with enthusiastic impressions of the work being done there by the Y.M.C.A. The work there has developed along different lines from that in Britain. It is carried on under the group system with each group conducting by itself fully fledged spiritual, social, and economic activities, he said. “In all countries in the last few years I have been impressed,” Mr Virgo continued, “with the ability of the Y.M.C.A. to get busy in a crisis such as the economic depression in England.. “Recently the Y.M.C.A. has provided the unemployed with 400 centres —occupational centres, not lounging or loafing places. They are taught there many of the arts and crafts and how to undertake jobs that must come to them at some time. Similar work is being done in Australia. It is the work of reconditioning youth.” Mr Virgo said he is at present asking for strong representations from all countries to the next conference of Y.M.C.A.’s which is to he held, in India, This would be unique, he said, in that it would be tlie first occasion on which a conference had been held outside of Europe. Accompanying Mr Virgo on his tour is Mr Frank Derby, an English Y.M.C.A. leader. They will leave to-morrow for Napier and Rotorua, and then Auckland.