Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-01-24

L
It's History Secretary Lynch's
Report Shows Splendid Results
Accomplished During the Past
Year and Predicts Success for
the Future Earnest Addresses
Made Yestsrday-The Order Of
Exercise.
The celebration of the thirteenth
anniversary Of the Y NJ. c. A., which
was held yesterday afternoon at the
Opera House, was undoubtedly the
most interesting in the history of the
local institution. The house was filled
both upstairs and downstairs, and the
stage was fully occupied by officers,
directors, clergymen and others. The
meeting was opened at half-past three
O'clock by singing in which the audi
ence joined heartily.
Rev. DR.. Cunningham, pastor OF the
First Presbyterian church, delivered
the invocation, praying with much fer
vor for the continued success and use
fullness of the institution, whose an
niversary was being celebrated and
asked for the Divine watchfulness Of
Providence over it in its future career.
The stirring hymn, Onward, Chris
tian Soldiers" was sung by the large
audience with spirit. Secretary Lynch
read his annual report for the past
year, choosing as the subject of his
address, Does the Y. NJ. G. A. Pay?"
He argued that it did pay, and paid
large dividends, if not in cash in re-
suits which rendered greater return
for the investments than money. 1t
was an interesting report showing
splendid results accomplished in the
past year, and predicting as great a
success in the future. The text Of Sec
rotary Lynch's report was as follows:
The Young Mems Christian Association
mas now entered upon its fourteenth year.
According to custom, the report of the
general secretary is submitted as a part
of the anniversary exercises. 1T will be
the purpose of the present report to un-
dertake to answer a very natural and
practical question, one which any friend
or contributor to the association would
be likely to ask: Does the association
pay? This question was recently asked
of one of our active members by liberal
supporter of the association The active
member of course, said it did, and hap
a short time before been brought to his
attention and cited them as a reason of
the hope that was in him. But the friend
who had asked the question like many
another who gives MONEY be dispensed
by others, had not been often enough
about the association or close enough in
touch with the details of the work to
form an opinion from direct knowledge.
Does the association pay, then? If you
mean in cash, the answer is No; if you
mean in Christian character, the answer
is Yes
The fourfold division of our work is ia
miliar by this time TO almost every one
! interested in Christian work, our depart,
ment being physical. social, intellectual
and religious AS an organization con-
corning the Improvement of young men,
we are not mere imitators of Others IN
anything that contributes to this end;
and we take just pride in the fact that
! in regard to athletics in particular. our
| leaders long ago discerned what enginery
| was here for the pulling down Of strong
| holds of the destroyers of our youth. We
| hold that the authority for true athletics
| is nothing less than the scriptures. "knoW
| We not that your body is the temple of
| the Holy Ghost which is in you?' We
| do not need to discourse on the attrac-
! ton athletics holds out to young men.
| They revel in their physical strength.
which is their glory We provide for
! this in our gymnasium, our swimming
pool. our bowling alleys, our outings and
! bicycle club We seek TO effect not merely
! sound minds in sound bodies but redeem
! souls in sound bodies, SO that the Spirit
| of God shall delight to honor with His
| permanent presence, such bodies.
In our physical work the department for
! the year just closed has been prosecuted
with vigor. In the gymnasium 2lS classes
! were held with a total attendance of
! 574S: 2,66S more having engaged in general
| physical exercises apart from the dlsclp-
| line of the class: all under the direction
| Of a skilled physical director The bowl
! ing alleys have maintained their popu-
( larity to such a degree that it was at
times found difficult TO accommodate, all
with as much Of an opportunity as theyI
wanted. the privileges having been used
! by a total of 1852 members. OF course
| there is less recourse here during the
summer time, when young men naturally
! seek athletic exercise out of doors. At
! that season of the year, our sports take
the direction of bicycling runs and out
! ings. During the summer a camping par
| ~ was held for twelve days and there
were twenty-three excursions and outings.
In our bathing department, within the
building, and distinct from the swimming
| pool the total number of baths taken dur
! i- the year was 7.176. Despite our hopes
! ID efforts the swimming pool during the
/ year was little else than source OF an
4 noyance and disappointment the entire
! time The leak that developed after the
| pool was turned over to be used by the
| association. thwarted every effort TO re-
, pair it until the latter part of November,
/ when the pool was completely Qverhauled
and effectively repaired TO take q COM
! Portable swim in cold weather is luxury
/ indeed, and the pool having been put upon
! a sure basis, sprang into immediate pop
! ularity. use of it having been made by 931
members in the thirty-one days it was
| open.
| Physical exercise in some form is a ne
| cessity To offer opportunities like these
! lust referred to. which are under the dl-
! rection of Christian control and WHICH
sanctifies their use to the bodily health
! ana vigor of enthusiastic young man
! hood is only q part of the dividends de-
! clared by our board of directors. on the
! investments of the good people of the
| citv 1t is safe to leave to the rejecting
! minds of our people whether Christians
| or not to answer for themselves whether
! our work pays. even from the inferior
! point of view of training our young men
! recreation but when the reflection goes
! far enough to include the fact that all
! this outlay is surrounded and fortified
| with the highest influences for good,
/ surely all doubt should be at once re-
! moved. if our people are to esteem char
| acter as worth anything.
But we have so far only referred to the
physical department Of our work. Young
/ men are social by nature and we seek by
! all legitimate means to crafty that very
natural and proper element of their being.
! More snares lie along this way than al
! most any other the feet of our youth
| ever pursue Meeting this demand. we
! have social gatherings and entertain
| ments of which during the year twenty
| eight were held. Most Of them were for
| young men only but in some both young
! The total attendance for the year upon
! our social enterprises was 2,532 For the
| go mo purnose we have room set apart in
which will be found various games Of in