Daily Kennebec journal., 1896-10-19
The Y. N. C. A.
State Convention Of Associa-
ton Held at Waterville.
Saturdays Sessions Given Up to Some
Very interesting Exercises.
Sunday the Various Churches Were Occupied
by the Delegates.

'
We're particularly struck or impressed
with the remarkable beauty of the city
and in the early part of the forenoon
they strolled about the town, admirinp
us and our ways. Secretary Craig of the
Waterville Association. had his hands
fun entertaining the visitors, but as he
has pretty large hands. no one was ne
elected. AS matter of fact all of the
delegates were of the opinion that 1t
would be good thing Ii a State conyen-
tion was held every month at Waterville.
The services at the Baptist church in
the morning consisted or the Following
programme:
devotional exercises were conducted by
the Rev. A. r. Dunn. ID. D.. of this city,
occupying the half hour before the calling
of the o'clock meeting.
Topic, "rhe Mems Meeting How Made
q q, Success. Responded to by T. I. Car
The Active Member; His Opportunity
and Obligations" Responded to by II. l..
Tappan of Waterville.
Financial Problems; Conversation. :"
Discussed by II. 0. Williams of New
York.
The Woman's Auxiliary" Response
by Mrs. +. N. Bragg of Bangor
A regular business session occupied the
remainder OF the forenoon.
The afternoon session was opened by
devotional exercises at 2.15. The conven-
ton delegates met in the Coburn Classi-
cal institute building for a special college
course. The Educational Work of the
Association was Il subject that was ably
discussed by y. Gratz Jackson of Bath.
An address by Secretary c. N Chase OF
tine Lewiston Association. on The Boy
and the work of the Y. Nj. c. A." was
one of the interesting numbers on the
afternoons 3 programme. Mr. Chase has
had much experience with the boys work
o; the association ard his talk WAS in
every way OF interest. Mr. Chase spoke
in part as follows:
"A visitor TO the lower part of the city
of New York cannot fail TO notice the
office home of the Manhattan Life lnsur-
ance Co. its rich ornamentation. its sol
idity. and above all its enormous height.
call forth exclamations of wonder from
everyone. With such height there must
surely be a GOOD foundation. and so
examine. We find that no pains We're
spared to make it sufficiently strong to
support the millions OF pounds which
weigh upon il. and to attain this the con
tractors spent over ono-third of the entire
time of the building upon the foundation
and went to the bed rock to lay Ii.
The Young Mems Christian Associa
ton in its many branches stands out In
The busy and active life of the world and
seems to say: We build great life
structures. we assist in the laying Of H.
We stand with the school and the church
as the contractors of thought and pur-
pose There are silent years in the lives
of young men. today. just rs in the time
of our Master. We see him but once.
from his infancy to his public appear
ance and then he leaves us but one
Fathers business. We call these silent
years. foundation years when great un
deriving principles are born and devcl-
oped
Our boys work is but foundation
work. built in these silent years. upon
which the success of the future man de-
pends. II seems just as important as the
bed rock foundation of large building.
We take up the material that we have,
today. and what do we iind--thoughtful
boys, bad boys. selfish boys, careless
l.y.,. @t., 1,.~ <sf
reading. of music. in fact. all sorts and
conditions of boys. and the boys depart
ment must do for each an individual
work A boy from u to l6 is a very inn
portant item in the affairs of men. How
ever good his horne may be, he wants TO
get out with other boys. but when you
let him out whore does he go? His idea
of man is and should be- is generally
Incorrect. for too often grown-up people
set unnanly examples.
Just here the boys department comes
in and says: We have a bright room
cheerful associates. a good influence we
give the physical training and spiritual
instruction, so that by and by they will
not need a Young Mems Christian Asso-
citation to go out after them and correct
their lives. they will be the Young Mems
Christian Association going out after
other young men,
You cannot begin building character
too soon in a boy. and the boys depart
ment does not seek to take the place of
the home. 1t only enlarges the area of the
nome ana makes the prODaDll1ty OF Inc
boys welfare more sure. So. then. give
the boys OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES because you
have brought into it the cheer and health
Of home life. theirs because they are its
members-do it's work and gain the in
spiration and courage coming from Il
band of jolly. Christian boys, bent or
fun, working for well developed bodies
and pure. suniit characters. If possible.
give them room by Themselves room
with good pictures and cheerful Then
they need good leader. one gifted with
to God. He is to do Gods work, and
must be tremendously in earnest for Him.
He must be man with singleness OF
heart-boys do not understand the why's
ana wherefores as men do. and SO he
must he willing to give up. be absolutely
unselfish- well stocked with patience and
nerves I say give up yes, give up
gladly. for Christ's sake. A boy will see
no difference between u Harvard cigar
and a cigarette;, it is all smoking to him.
He says it is theater-going, though you
play. but he will not draw line between
that and an immoral play at fourth |
class playhouse. You ask me if men
have not been successful and INDUCED in
these pastimes. and others that We might
mention. Oh, yes. but let me ask you if
with cheerful giving up Of them there is
not possibility of being more success !
ful?
Remember the material OF which the
boy is made. and the hundred fold that is |
given to them. the master says. Who |
SlNtS up IOT MY sake ana the Gospel, /
and. furthermore he must never be too |
busy to see that each boy has a kind |
word, that each boy gets a good book
from the library that will be stimulating, |
that he be directed to d good article in |
the last "Harpcr's Young People or /
Youths Companion To do this he I
must know the boy. and in doing it the !
boy knows him. Happy the leader who /
has never been known to lose his temper (
or fail to keep the highest respect of the !
boys.
The. question is often asked of asso-
cation leaders: What are you doing for
the boys? Sometimes favorable report
Is made. and the story of much secular /
and spiritual work is told. but in still |
larger number of instances the reply /
comes back: We would be glad to do !
something for the boys. but we have no
room for them: When you think of the
noisy boy. OF IA. did it ever occur to you
how quickly he passes into the early
of II or Is, when he is eligible
10 association membership? Suppose the
hflght, active boys of your city desire to
nave something done for them and
would prefer that it came from associa-
t,on .ti,on resources; suppose you tell them
lhat you have no room for them; two or
three years later, when you would like
g nave the same boys join the associa-
lion you may possibly find that some
club has hold of them
ou are sure to find of the numbers
VINO VIII remind you of ,ne fact that they n
wanted to come into the association pre-
Vlousiy; Dut have been told more than n
lnce. that there was no room for them
Admitting that your quarters are limited
admitting that the young men need ali
ne space your association can nav for
sun we believe that there is no secre.
aTy mat would do nothing for the bows