The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1893-02-21

! The growth of the Y. M. Q. A. dnrini
the past twenty-six years, has indee,
, been remarkable, as the following
! com PARSONS VIII STOW:
In 1866, there were less than 10I
, Associations, with membership o
not more than $4,000; now there ar
|, 424 Associations, with total mem
bership OF $4,000.
Then, there was one Association
Building, valued at $1,000; now
there are 26S, worth S1l, 902,520.
Then, the total net property amour
ted to $4,000; now il amounts to$12,
SIS, 595.
Then, there were less than a dozer
young men giving their entire time t.
the work now, there are l, 1872 secre
taries and assistants.
Then, there was less than $4,000
contributed annually for local, and
only 1922 for general (International
Statc) work now, there is 100000
given yearly for the former purpose,
and 1874, 900 for the latter purpose.
Then, there was nothing done for
special classes of young men, such Ms
college students. railroad employees,
etc now, there are 400 College Asso-
Citations, 81 Railroad Associations, II
German Associations, 80 Colored As
sociations, and % Indian Associations.
The following additional statistics
show the present condition of Assoc
citation work along other lines, being
in every instance very large increase
since 1866.
There are 1,l00 Bible and Bible
training classes for young men only,
l ,496 weekly prayer, gospel and praise
meetings for young men only; 5,425
lectures and entertainments, aud 4,076
sociables given annually; l9,47S diff
ferent students in the educational
classes; 734 libraries, with 447,259
volumes; S79 reading rooms; over
$4,000 visits to the rooms daily; 462
gymnasiums; 1872 literary societies;
IL, 1914 situations secured annually;
22S boys Departments.
The entire cost of the extended
work of the Committee Gncluding
salaries, travelling expenses, publica-
tions. ETC., but excluding the expense
of the foreign works. was, during
1891, 500, 446. The Convention at
Kansas City authorized and directed
an enlargement of this work calling
for $4,000 annually. For this amount
the Committee is dependent upon
contributions.
"These words, of a young man,
are worth hearing. The great crying
needs, of all men, of all classes,
whether consciously realized or not,
is Personal Saviour; the need of an
earnest, bright, manly religion to give
purpose and tone to their lives"
''The curse of young men in this
and the cause of nine-tenths
Of the immortality, is the lack of
proper chance to get exercise-whole-
some in every respect" "Our chief
end and aim i'm this Y. M. G. A.
work, is to meet this need and to lift
he young men out of their selfishness
% give them higher aspirations and
lobler ambitions, and above all, to
lraw them to a knowledge of Him
who loves them and died for them"
Religion means, right feelings to
Iod. rightly known" Why should
We not have those feelings and show
benz too, in the gymnasium or class
Dom, as we'll as in the prayer meet
ng? Out on all set forms of conduct {
nd speech, and all "goodyishness,"
which though perhaps sincere, still
las the appearance Of insincerity,
nd repels the manly fellows, we want I
0 get hold of. Given the right sort {
f workers, and the success of an As a
ociation is secured. President Gar I
ED, once, said: "Give me plank, G
With Mark Hopkins at one end and
lyself at the other, and that is all the t
College, 1 want" C
"The best rooms count for nothing, a
Mess the workers have the right grit e
nd CHEEKY religion" 81 believe
rmly in a strong, manly, vigorous, p
christianity" / claim that v
he Young Mems Christian Associa- a
on III any community, with its or c
and equipment, has s,
nance to meet these wants, and sup n
Nv this lack such &c M nthar nrUani- n