THE Y.M.C.A.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 826, 3 October 1916, Page 10

THE Y.M.C.A.

TRIBUTE TO ITS WORK. CITIZENS WELCOME NATIONAL SECRETARY. This morning a civic welcome was extended to Mr J. J. Virgo, British National Field Secretary of the Y.M.C.A. Mr Virgo was only passing through the city on his way southward, but he expects to spend some days in Christchurch on his return journey. There was a representative attendance of citizens. The Mayor (Mr 11. Holland) presided, the other speakers being Colonel the Hon. R. H. Rhodes, Colonel Chaffey, and Mr G. T. Booth, representing the Defence Department and the C.D.C. respectively. Mr Holland said that for two reasons he took pleasure in extending to Mr Virgo a hearty civic welcome. One had to do with Mr Virgo's own personal worth; the other surrounded his representation of an organisation which had risen to a great occasion. At one time a section of the community had looked upon the Y.M.C.A. as one of those "goodygoody" institutions which are intended well but mean little. But the war had offered an opportunity for dissipating that opinion; and the Y.M.C.A. bad risen to it. He, and almost every member of the community, had abundance of testimony to show the great work that the Y.M.C.A. had accomplished and was accomplishing. Its field of operation was so vast that, even now, few people were aware of its magnitude. In stationery alone something like £IOOO a week was being spent. By this hundreds of thousands of letters, which otherwise could not have been written, were being sent to friends and relatives of soldiers. He hoped that the organisation would be enabled to pursue its magnificent mission until the great struggle had been brought to an end.

Colonel the Hon. R. H. Rhodes said he was glad of an opportunity to tell Mr Yirgo how much he appreciated the splendid work which was being done at the front by the organisation which he represented. Of that work he (Colonel Rhodes) could speak on the strength of firsthand knowledge. He went on to refer to the wonderful establishment at Cairo and to the little hutment at Anzac which, though constantly under fire, had proved such a boon to the soldiers. He had a great opinion of the value of the Y.M.C.A. hutments, and he thought that Christchurch should take upon itself to provide several. Akaroa, he understood, had already provided one, whilst Tai Tapu had, last Friday, completed the collection of £GOO to provide another. It was only in some such tangible way that the proper appreciation of the Y.M.C.A.'s great work could be expressed. Colonel Chaffey also expressed his pleasure, on behalf of the Defence Department, to assist in welcoming the representative of an organisation which, both before and during the war, had proved of such benefit to

soldiers. Even before the outbreak of hostilities the Y.M.C.A. had done work in Territorial camps of a value of which nobody could form a proper estimate. At tbe front the spirits of the boys were kept up by the Y.M.C.A. people. No soldier would ever forget what had been done for him by the Y.M.C.A.

Mr G. T. Booth said he was glad to add to what the other speakers had said regarding the work done on behalf of our boys by the Y.M.C.A. Fathers and mothers, knowing as they did, from the letters of their sons, of the benefits which the organisation had distributed so liberally, found it impossible to speak without sympathy and enthusiasm of the work that was being performed. Mr Virgo, in thanking the Mayor, citizens, and speakers for their warm welcome, and kindly references, said that the Y.M.C.A. had certainly begun a new era in its existence. It, however, had many fields of operations before 1914. People sometimes overlooked the fact that the Y.M.C.A. was in the 72nd year of its existence. Its branches numbered 9500, its members totalled Is millions, while £20,000,000 was invested in real estate. It had specialised in its work, and on that account had been ready to seize its war opportunity in 1911. For years before—in the Rus-so-Japanese, American-Spanish, and Boer wars, and in the territorial camps throughout the Empire—the association had been at work; therefore, it was not surprising that, within ten days after the outbreak of war, 250 camps were established. To these 1250 had since been added. He was proud to say that 80 per cent, of the English members of the association had enlisted for war service—every eligible man had gone without compulsion. The organisation to carry on its work had to enlist the services of women. Mr Virgo then went on to pay a magnificent tribute to the work accomplished by the women members of the association. He had had, in the firing line, an experience which he would not readily forget; he had visited the Grand Fleet; he had received messages from our boys, King George, Mr Asquith, and General Birdwood to the people of New Zealand. These he would deliver as he went through the country. There was nothing surer in the world, that if the British prestige were to be maintained, Britain had to see the war through to the bitter end. He concluded by again thanking the citizens for their cordial welcome.