NELSON Y.M.C.A.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 14 July 1938, Page 3

NELSON Y.M.C.A.

LOCAL BOARD RESUMES CONTROL

POSITION STATED AT ANNUAL MEETING In his opening remarks, Dr J. 1\ S. Jamieson, who occupied the chair at the annual meeting of the Young Men's Christian Association., referred lo the position of the association in 1935, when the c ntrolling board of directors decided to lii.nd over the assets and liabilities to the National Council of Y.M.C.A. s, lo be held in trust lor Hie people of Nelson. This step was considered necessary because of fbe serious financial difficulties that the association had had to face almost, since its inception, but particularly during the years of the depression. Since that time, the affairs of the association bad been controlled by the National Council, without a local directorate. In March r/ the present year, a sale of a portion of tin- association's property brought about a considerable improvement in the financial position. Prior to the sale of the property the total indebtedness amounted to £1772, representing sundry outstanding accounts and a substantial shortage under which unfortunately the association had laboured for years. The association had now freed itself of the mortgage, and satisfied the claims of as many creditors as possible. Prior to the sale of the property the National Council of Y.M.C.A.’s had set. up an advisory board to consider whether or not the activities of the Young Men’s Christian Association should be continued i i Nelson. This board, after careful consideration of the position, was unanimously of the opinion that, at whatever cost, the work should go on. With the sound financial position referred to above, the National Council decided that the i time had arrived to return the control of ilu> association’s affairs to the people of Nelson, under a local board of directors. The new board was elected at the annual meeting, the following being the officers for the current year : —President, The Right Reverend \Y./ G. Hilliard, Bishop of Nelson; vcie-presidents, Messrs K. E. Knapp, and F. W. Huggins; lion, secretary, Mr W. R. P. Jacques; lion, treasurer, Mr E. E. B. Mabin; directors, Messrs R. W. Martin, W. H. Parr , G. Trathen, R. Messsop, D. McKee Wright, A. Nightingale, J. Harris, G. A. Francis. The advisory board of the National Council is as follows: —Chairman, The Bishop of Nelson; members, Dr J. P. S. Jamieson, Messrs E. A. Bone, H. Hurst, F. Mitchell, R. W. Martin, D. McKee Wright, R. M. Blasted, (national seere-

Thc annual report presented by the general secretary, Mr C. L. Cato, referred t • the numerous activities of the association and showed the following interesting analysis of membership figures:— Membership, sustaining, men 76, ladies 5. Gmynasium: Men’s senior, men 39; secondary school and employed hoys, 24; primary school boys, 47 ; ladies’ class, 19; girls’ classes 21. Total 150. Tennis club membership, men 31, ladies 33. Badminton membership, men 11, ladies 8. Basketball league, men 80. ladies 88. Cricket club, men 15, employed boys 11. Soccer club, men 9, employed boys 4. Grand total, 526. These figures are without duplication in any activity. There arc two Bible class groups with a total membership ol 29 boys. Although the physical activities of the association are at presept splendidly organised (states the report), it is fairly obvious that there has been What is perhaps a rather unfortunate bias towards this side of the work. This has been largely inevitable ou account of financial stringency and limited facilities.

The general secretary at the annual meeting outlined a programme for the extension of the work to cover more effectively the spiritual, educational and cutiural life ol me young people ol the community. Sucli an extension would be possiole only with th*i co-operation and continued bacKing ol the citizens ol Nelson us a whole. In order to enable the new board to push ahead with the extension programme unhampered, the immediate need of the association is a sum of approximately £SOO. In reduction of this amount the following donations have already been received and gratefully acknowledged :—Anchor Shipping Uoinpany, £5, Mr H. Cock, £10; 'Evening Mail,” £2O; Anonymous, £1 Is; Messrs Stiles and Soil, £5; J. D. and L. Robertson, £1 Is; Buxton’s Ltd., £9 9s; Fell and liarley (on behalf of mol tgagees) £SO. It will thus be seen that the balance still required is about £2OO, and at the annual meeting a committee was set up to place the position before the citizens of Nelson. Confidence was expressed that sufficient people of goodwill

would be found to see the association firmly established, free of debt, and able in extend its programme to the utmost benefit of the youth of Nelson.

The balance sheet shows accumulated funds at £5749 19s 7d, after writing off £SOO from te building and £ll7 off fittings, etc. and the loss on the income and

expenditure account amounting to £62 is largely clue to the payment of arrears of

saiary to the previous secretary which has been treated as current expenditure in this year’s statement.