Y.M.C.A DAY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 181, 2 July 1936, Page 8

Y.M.C.A DAY

To the citizens who may be wondering why the local Y.M.C.A. is deserving of a universal and generous response to its appeal for funds on Red Triangle Day next Saturday, the following few facts will prove of interest. In flic membership are 546 young men and boys under the age of 25 years, 220 of whom are hoys under the age of 18 years. 'Jims it will be seen that, the association makes a delinite impact upon the youth and boy life of this city. Thero are also many boys who, through poor home conditions, attend regularly but pay no membership fee. The association is in close contact with the child welfare department, and hoys who have passed through the juvenile courts have a special care in the association programme. The boys’ division in their several groups have regular weekly devotional periods. It. is the aim of the Y.M.C.A. to develop a perfectly natural attitude towards religion, and these boys go quite naturally irom their games and fun to the more serious side of the:r programme. No boy is turned away through fnability to pay membership fees. The Y.M.C.A., through its organised activities occupies the leisure hours of hundreds of young men and boys, and ;s an for that energy that would in all probability find expression in less worthy channels. Over the past sixteen years the Y.M.C.A. has demonstrated most ably to the public of Palmerston North that it is un institution well qualified for the moulding of the character of our youth and boyhood. An added burden lias been added to the findiciill load this year owing to the disastrous storm of February 2. The roof over the front portion of the Y.M.C.A. was entirely destroyed; rain added to tile dam-ao-c and the whole of the electric light installation had to bo renewed. In consequence of this visitation the Y.M.C.A bos been faced with an expenditure of £l2O.