A YEAR’S WORK

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11693, 4 December 1923, Page 2

A YEAR’S WORK

Y.M.C.A.’S PROGRESS twenty-first ANNUAL MEETING OF MEMBERS. DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS. The twenty-first annual meeting of members of the Wellington Y.M.C.A. Was held last evening, Mr A. P. Smith, president, presiding over an attendance of about forty members. - CO-OPERATION OF CHURCHES. The anmial report stated that the association had continued along the line of close co-operation with the churches and Bible classes. The ministers of the various churches had helped in the programme. The association was also offi- . cially represented at the Anglican Bible Class Camp, held at Carterton, and the Methodist Bible Class Camp, held at Maidstone Park at Easter time. IMMIGRATION. ;f. During tjie year the combined commit/ tee of tne v ’churches dealing with immigration requested the board of directors to allow tli? secretary of the senior department to ’ them in meeting the immigrants as they arrived in Well> ington. This*' request was readily ac- ' ceded to, and th 6 secretary, as representi.ing; the churcheS, each immigrant as it arrived fn the stream and conveyed a welcome 46 all from the church to which they belong. That resulted in haUny- of the immigrants-using the associatiqin foF advicb and 1, service onf their arrival in the ' ’’ Eafly in the Mr Cyril , Bavin/ general secretary of the •Migra‘tion l Deof the English ••Council of Y.M.C.A. a, visited outlined a sqjieme whereby it wag considered k that the best results would be Übtaiped from the nomination'system of immigration. Mr Bavin placed important-pro-posals the'national committee in connection with the nomination of immigrants, and these were being actively ’developed with the churches and other organisations. PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. Mr A. P. Smith, in moving the adop- 1 tion of the annual report, said the association was proving a source of usefulness to the whole, community. Since the last annual meeting a three-table billiard room. had been installed, and their activities had been carried to Khandallah. Young men -who had passed out of the junior division had been going out to the suburbs and working amongst the boys there. The board greatly appreciated the work done by Mr Duffy, as physical director, for the gymnasium had never been more flourishing. During the year the rooms of the association, had been used by over 70 different organisations. EXTENSION OF WORK. The visit of the Governor-General to their rooms was a unique event, and they had in him an earnest friend. A Hobbies Club had been started, a Y.M. magazine had been published monthly since April, and the “Y” luncheon club had come into existence. Splendid work had been done at the hostels, and credit vras due to the matrons, Miss Fraser and Miss fitfurch, for all they had done. The ladies auxiliary had been going stronger than ever, and the financial assistance and their general interest in tho work of the association had been appreciated most deeply. It had been in existence for 21 years, and several of the original members w f ere Still with them. THEY ARE NOT WOWSERS. The speaker remarked that he had been president of the association for two years, v’hich he regarded as an honour, and one thing which had impressed him Was the vast amount of work done by their general secretaries. They were the mainspring of the woik. The citizens of Wellington had responded most generously to appeals on behalf of the association, and the day when the Y.M.C.A. were regarded as ‘'a lot of wowsers" was gone by. ' Especially did theso remarks apply to the business men. He moved the adoption of the report and balance-sheet. WHERE THE) LOSS OCCURRED. Mr J. P. Mason, hon. treasurer, seconded the proposition, and said that although there was a loss of .£899, they had done a great work in the boys* department, which they did not expect to become sel*'*^upporting. He dwelt on the value of the institution to young men coming to the city for the first time, and said that no attempt was made to run the department for profit. There was a profit on tho previous year as the rooms were full all the way through. Reference was made to the educational facilities, which, with the dining-room, were mainly responsible for the deficiency. In view of the value of the work it was a satisfactory position, but they would have to work to raise the money to restore the position. THE INDIAN VISIT. Mr H. D. Grocott spoke of the impetus given to the foreign work of the Y.M.C.A. by the visit oi Dr. Datta, and congratulated the association upon the production of its magazine. Other speakers supported tho motion, which was carried unanimously. At the close of the annual meeting an address on “A Special Correspondent*o Experience in tho Orient" was given.