The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1891-11-05
ANNUAL REPORT.
Young Mems Christian Association for Year
Ending Sept. 16, 1891
GENERAL sECRETARY's REPORT.

The Young Mems Christian AS
ISOLATION is organized by the church
to do a work which it was not doing
before. Organized by the church, /
repeat, then the work to be done is
still to be done by the church, as
there is no such thing as a Young
Mems Christian Association apart
from the church. What is the work
the church proposes to do with this
organization? Just the work it has
been doing? That would be foolish:
better organize another church. The
organization presupposes different
kind of work to a certain degree.
What is it? To benefit young men
socially, mentally, physically and
spiritually through means not wholly
heretofore used; and for this reason
the Young Mems Christian Associa-
ton has right to live because of a
work to do which cannot be done by
the church in any better way as far
as has yet been demonstrated. |
have heard it said this work ought to
be done by the church. ! mention
this because it is not uncommon.
What does it mean? If it means
anything at all different from pres
ent arrangements, it means that each
church separately ought to do the
work of the association. If it doesn't
mean this then it means the same as
to say that the work of the Sunday
school or prayer meeting ought to be
done by the church. Because the
prayer meeting is usually led by the
pastor does not make it part of the
church. Because the superintendent
of the Sunday school is member of
the church does not make the school
a part of the church, but because
these are organized and controlled
by the church are they part. Is
the association any less a part be-
cause it is organized and controlled
by number of churches? How do
the difficulties and hinderances in
the work compare with those in
other lines of church work. Not
entirely, but largely the same as
those Of travelling salesman COM
pare with those of salesman who
stands behind the counter. A drum
mer we often call the former because
he has gone out to drum up trade,
the latter has no use for drum be-
cause his customers come to him in
want.
Would the number in our Sunday
school, our prayer meetings, our
Sunday services, be as large as they
are did they depend upon the num-
Der we went out and brought in
Therefore, will you kindly allow me
to suggest two things when you con-
slider the association work, namely,
the kind of work it is organized to
do to supply need rather than a
demand. Second, the number of
young men we furnish from our
churches to do it, why is the number
small? Because of the small number
who declare that their purpose in life
above and excluding everything else
is to save the souls of other young
men as far as God can use them to
that end. Such man will in some
form or other make successful
worker in the Young Mems Christian
Association The physical work of
your association has been carried on
as we'll as the appointments provided
will allow. There were Sc classes
taught during the winter beside the
privilege the members had of exer-
cising when they chose. The lack
of space both in latitude and longi-
tude, the lack of ventilation. the lack
of baths, an indispensable feature for
good work, the lack of apparatus,
the lack of solid floor to avoid an
noyance to those below, are some of
the hinderances of the physical de-
partment.
The intellectual privileges are not
an unimportant part. The reading
room has small library of about
325 volumes, also set of Britannica
Encyclopedia given by the Ladies
auxiliary; 2I of the best papers and
periodicals constantly on hand,
correspondence table with writing
material. These may seem of little
value to many, but when we remem-
Der it is the only place free from
evil associations where such things
are provided, and when we find them
constantly used by young men living
here as we'll as strangers coming in
for few minutes or hours, | con-
slider this feature an open, welcome
plan and one that is used of inesti-
mable value. The spiritual work of
the association has consisted of
Sunday meeting in the afternoon and
two bible classes part of the time
and one all the time once week.
Believing the bible to be what it
claims to be, namely, the word of
God, we have studied it: First, his
toricalIy in a general outline way
Second, by books to get a general