The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1877-05-10
ANNUAL MEETING OF THE Y. M. c. A.

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ANNUAL MEETING OF THE Y. M. C. A.
WHAT HAS BEEN DONE DURING THE PAST
YEAR-CHRIsTIAN WORK AMONG THE
coA1lUNITY-REPoRT OF OFFICERS, &C.
The annual meeting of the Young Mems
Christian Association OF this city was held
on last Tuesday night, at the Rooms. or
Augusta street. The attendance was mod
erately large, and the meeting most harmo-
Nous.
The President, DR.. Il. S. Hamilton, opened
the services by reading the 9Th chapter O.
Thessalonians, after which prayer was Offered
by Rev. McDuff Simpson. DIR. Hamilton
then read his annual report.
REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT.
The report says that whilst the year la!
not been prominently marked either by sue
cess or failure, but checkered all along witt
events, some encouraging, others depress
ing some calculated to advance the cause
others interposing barriers, if not threaten
ing its existence, still, in the main, there il
just grounds for congratulation and thank
fulness to God for some evidence of substan
tial progress in the work, both upon the As
ISOLATION and the community at large.
Besides the obvious reasons why the mem.
bership would not be likely to increase az
during the first and second years, another il
found in the fact that the Directors revised
and cut down the list so as to present the
number of actually paying members only
However, number of good, active, and in.
fuential members have been added during
the year. One associate member only has
been removed by death since the last report
The number Of members now on the roll is
1876. of whom IL are life members.
FINANCIAL.
The unavoidable current expenses of the
year have been somewhat in excess of those
of previous years, in consideration of which,
together with the causes alluded to, of nc
increase OF paying membership, and in view
OF the further fact, which had to be regret
ted, also, last year, Of a failure of some to
meet their dues, that there should be def
cheney of funds would not be surprising.
This, however, is not absolutely the case.
A portion OF the expenses referred to, cam
not, strictly speaking, be called current ex-
penses, which last, actually, by the vigilance
and rigid economy OF the Treasurer, have
been reduced considerably below that OF
previous years. A large number of old &C.
counts have been paid, and yet the Associa-
ton now owes for nothing, except its rents,
which can easily be met by the semi-annual
fees now due. Upon the whole, therefore,
the condition Of the Association, even in {.
financial point of view, cannot be regarded
as discouraging.
SUFFERING RELIEVED.
The members have responded nobly to the
calls that have been made upon them for
means, not only to advance measures, at
home and abroad, in the way of their own
peculiar work, but to relieve suffering and
extend helping hand to their afflicted fell
low-men in distant places. With the aid of
the citizens of the place, they raised and
sent $lS2 in money to Savannah during the
prevalence of the yellow fever there. And,
besides the funds placed in the hands of the
Relief Committee and distributed by them
to the needy of the city, they contributed, in
no small degree, by labor and energy and
money and provisions and encouraging
words, to the successful operation of the
Soup and Snack House, which, in the hands
OF the good women, was made benson to
the poor, suffering neighbors who were in
reach of it. And it has been but month
since they have pledged themselves to con-
tribute. exclusive of any outside aid, 500
towards the employment of State Secre-
tary for the Y. M. c. A. work.
AID RECEIVED.
This, too, has been effected without call
ing to their aid any entertainments. Prof.
Scharf gave one reading, but owing to in
clement weather, &C., it was sparsely at
tended, and the net yield was small.
The Association has not been aided this
year by the ladies, except by a :ew dona-
tons to the library. This is mentioned in
no spirit of complaint or fault-finding. On
the contrary, the female friends deserve
great credit, and will doubtless receive the
lasting gratitude of the Association, not only
for what they have done in the past, but be-
cause OF the efforts they are now making.
These last, however, consisting of series of
at the Grange Building, have
necessitated such expenditures as that little,
If any profits, have thus far been realized.
The contributions to the library fund have
been liberal, and the Association now has
library which no country organization need
be ashamed Of.
But whilst the library is an important fea-
ture, it is but one of the many features or
elements of the Association. And whilst it
is in more direct contact with, and under
the constant observation Of the general pub
Lie, and is, therefore, more likely to be aided
and kept thrifty by its friction with the peo-
pie, there are other less obvious, but equally
important features that demand constant
vigilance and endeavor to be kept in eff
Gent working order.
Partly because of the reasons mentioned,
some of the friends have seemed to lose sight
of everything but the Li6rary-forgetting
that ats oacn existence depends primarily
upon the condition OF the Association. 1t is
true, that to be able to provide new books
for those who may have had the industry
and leisure to have read all the old ones, is
desirable, but it is matter of pressing i'm
portance, especially in these times and in
view OF the class to be benefited, that the
Association keep in good running order those
features which furnish "bread to the hum
cry whether considered in the light of
physical necessity, or of that "spiritual
food" which, in pursuance of the main OBJ
ject Of the organization, it is its legitimate
duty to provide.
REPRESENTATION.
The Association, though unfettered by any
authority superior to its own officers and
but recognizing the propriety and
advantage of establishing and maintaining
definite relations of duty and courtesy to the
State and International authorities, has been
represented by properly consti-
tinted dalnUafas ar fhair conventions rncpaof