The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1890-11-13
Youpr Mems, Cbr,,tlan A..OcIa,lOn Notes.

+ Young Mens' Christian Association NO'ei
d The Evangelistic meetings conducte
: by Messrs. HOOple and MilbuTy at tn
rooms of the association, are rapid
growing in interest. The seating capacit
q has nearly reached its limit and tn
|, chances are that tonight or tomorrow
: they will have to move into one of tn
churches. Commencing last Sunda
afternoon each meeting has seen from
: half dozen to fourteen young men an
boys inquiring the way to the Christian
life and many we'believe have found TIL
Saviour.
Each afternoon at the Methods
church woman's meeting for specia
! prayer for young men has been held
and number of the conversions men
toned above we believe are direc
answers to the prayers of those mother,
and sisters. Mothers come to thes,
meetings and make your requests known
to God.
Extract from address delivered by the Genera
Secretary Of the local association at the unioI
meeting at the Methodist church last Sunday
evening
We have come before you tonight ia
speak regarding movement that no
less man than VIM. 4. Gladstone has
stated publicly to be the greatest move
ment of the 10th century. We shall
attempt in the short time at our disposal
to present a chief resume of the whole
movement, and to show how vitality our
own Young Mems Christian Association
is related to those in this country, and
Canada, and in fact throughout the
world.
The Young Mems Christian Associa-
ton in London, generally known as the
parent organization, was organized in
1874 through the efforts of George
Williams, an earnest, Christian young
man, twenty-three years of age, at that
time junior clerk in large dry goods
establishment of which he has since
become the head. A comparison of its
humble beginning less than fifty years
ago with the proportion it has now
attained, as evidenced by the millions of
property dedicated to its uses, fills us
with wonder, and leads to look with
reverence on what God has wrought
There are now over 1000 associations
distributed throughout the world, in
both America and Europe, in Turkey,
Syria, India, Ceylon, China, Japan,
Africa, Australia, New Zealand,
South America, and at other points.
. There are in the United States and
Canada 134l associations, with an aggre-
membership of 10000. These assOcia-
tions own total net property of
$40, 433, 647. Two hundred and five of
them own the buildings they occupy,
and Others are going up at the rate Of
one week: 400 own libraries aggre-
eating 432, 900 volumes; 73l have reading
room; 1923 Bible classes; and over 1900
mr. and E..
men are held regularly. Nine hundred
and seventy-seven general sec r1taries,
assistant, gymnasium instructors, etc.,
give their whole time to the work, and
700 associations report annual current
expenses of $l,5O0,OOO. As the first
association in this country was organized
in Boston in 1851 we can see what
wonderful progress has been ma le in
less than 40 years time. The baby has
become vigorous man. Where can you
show parallel case?
We notice very often that parents have !
children who, when they grow to mans |
and wOman's estate far surpass their |
parents in many ways. The association |
has given birth to just such organizations. |
The Sanitary and Christian Commits
sion" whose work during our late war
challenged the admiration of the world |
was an offspring of the association. The
Society for the Suppression of Vice.
with the NewYork Association
and the Inter Seminary Missionary ALI
ance, indirectly resulted from the college
work, and last but no means least, the
Young Peoples Society of Christian
Endeavor" took its plan of organization
rom the Young Mems Christian Asso-
,iation, and in fact, the founder Mr..
Francis f. Clark, told me that his idea
vas to adopt the Y. NJ. G. A methods
20 the individual church. Can any
,ther organization you know of show
ike progeny? Surely God has blessed
he work of this organization and will Il
continue to do so. ] feel like singing
Praise God from whom all blessings
iow."
You have had presented to you this
morning facts and figures that show that
he young men as a rule, after reaching
certain age, are not found in our
hurches. Young men are, as a class,
argely outside the influence of the Ordi-
lary methods of church work. They
hink the Sunday-schOol is only for
children, the young peoples society for
he girls, the regular church prayer
Meeting something to be avoided at any
ost.
The church has had the problem to
ace and the Young Mems Christian
Association is the result. As the Sunday
choOl is necessity in reaching and
airing for children 50 an organization
With specially adapted means is needed
o reach and care for young men. The
1Oung Mems Christian Association has
proved its worth in this line. 1t is no
Onger an experiment; 1t is an undoubted q,
uccess.
/ wish to reiterate what have already +:
aid in substance as to the relation of ,
he association to the church. The [
foung Mems Christian Association is
lot substitute for the church; is not a
ival of the church; is not an Organiza- ,
ion outside of the church. 1t cannot
,roslyte from the church, as only church
are admitted to its active [
1t has no ordinances, and
men are led into the Christian life
through its agency must seek them in
lie church. 1t is not church in itself [
IL any sense of the word. 1t is however,
he church at work Internationally
or young men. The association holds
he same relation to the church as the
,dnday-schoOl and the missionary
ociety-that is, in every way subsidiary
o it,
The association was for a time re-
'arded by many with feeling of doubt
nd even apprehension: First, because
# ignorance of its real character and
i'm; second, because of ill-adyised acts
# utterances on the part of individuals
in it; third, because immature
'lans and mistaken methods were
ometimes adopted and put into opera
ion.
But now that the association as an
Institution has come to be better known,
las proved the practical and helpful
of its work, and is outgrowing
lnder methods Of supervision, the errors
md cruditieslincident to its earlier and
necessarily experimental period, it is
cordially and generally approved, and /;
prominent ministers Of all evangelical
,odies are among its ardent friends and
upporters. Especially have we to
hank Bishop Potter OF the Episcopal
hurch for his warm support and careful
guidance of the association in this
country during its infancy.
The general object Of the Young Mems
~