THE Y.M.C.A.

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10324, 5 July 1919, Page 8

THE Y.M.C.A.

AFTER-WAR WORK PLANS OF NEW ZEALAND NATIONAL COUNCIL. Mr H. W. Kersley, chairman of tho National Council of "New Zealand Y.M.C.A’s, was interviewed by a “Times” representative yesterday as to the after-war work of the Y.M.C.A. The policy of the National Council, said Mr Kersley, is to establish an association in jtffcry town throughout the Dominion that has a population of 5000 or over. We have already made a start with Timaru. Napier has just about; decided to plan lor a building. Hamilton is already out for a building. Cambridge has decided upon a memorial hut scheme under which the Y.M.C.A. is to tako charge 4o'f the building. Palmerston North has also requested that a building scheme be started. Waipukruau has secured tho ground and promises towards a building; while requests have come in from two or three districts round about Nelson, and these will be dealt with from tho Nelson centre. Money was left at-Nelson over 20 years ago for Y.M.C.A. purposes, and this will form tho nucleus of a fund for the Nelson Association. Our intention is to develop for peace work the hut idea which proved such a great success, both at the front, at tho base camps, and in England and tho Dominions, during tho war, and to cater for the whole recreation; and ior the mental, moral, spiritual, and other educational work of the localities who-e tho huts are established. “COMMUNITY WORK.”

In some centres we are anxious to start what we call ‘‘community work.” Under this scheme a building would be put up for both sexes —men and wo-, men, ijoys and girls. Two days a week would bo set aside exclusively for meetings and other activities for hoys and men two days a week exclusively for girls and young women; and the balance of the week for mixed meetings, etc. We hope that a scheme of this description will at no distant date be tried at Petone. Then in the rural districts, our plan is to have in each centre a man at a central place who will operate and develop the other towns near by. For instance, we have placed a man at Levin, and he is also working Shannon, Otaki and Foxton. Then, another centre will be Bulls, where £SOO or £6IXI has already been promised to establish a hut to work round that district. At Milton, again, in the South Island, where an association has been in existence for some considerable time, a building will be started and the towns or villages nearby will be worked from that centre. People in several other districts have spoken of erecting memorial buildings, and asking tho Y.M.C.A. to run them. One or two of these may show themselves in the Hawke’s Bay district at no distant date. Hundreds of men have written out to us saying that we must put tp huts in their towns, so that they can keep in touch with tho work that was done at tho front; and, as men are available who have been serving at tho front, we will put them in these positions, to occupy these buildings and carry on tho work. CHRISTIAN STUDENT MOVEMENT. It is proposed to appoint a man to tho National Committee who will identify himself entirely with the Christian student movement connected with the various universities, tho form of work that Dr Mott started in America; and a university man who has been serving with the forces has decided to accept tho position. 1 am not at liberty, however, to mention his name at present. He will also work in connection wth tho various Bible-class movements connected with tho different churches. As the British Young Men’s Christian associations have identified themselves more closely with the churches of Great Britain, so tho New Zealand associations will seek to cooperate more closely with all the churches in New Zealand, while still retaining their own undenominational character. ,

Sir Arthur Yapp said that if the British public would give him one day's cost - of the war, he would practically change the outlook of the whole of the rural districts in England; and we say here that if the public will stand beside tlie New Zealand National Co uni cil and its branches in tho different centres, the council will seek to improve tho conditions of life of the men and boys, not only in tho cities and towns, hut in tho whole of tho rural districts of the Dominion. Wo aro planning the scheme out, and as we got tho men returned, wo put them into the positions right away. Our aim is to make a general advance all along the line.