The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-12-29
No Better Y. N. G. A. Organization
in Country.
Long and Earnest Eff
fort for New Building.
History of Movement From
Start in This City.

An Institution that has become world
wi de in its benencent work and that has
made great strides is the Young Mems
Christian Association. Slightly more
than half a century ago it was started,
and since that time it has been increasing
in power and influence. There lie now
hardly a city In the world which is not
represented by an association. 10 be
exact, the organization was effected June
8. 1874, In London, by George Williams,
who was at that time a junior clerk in
large wholesale house of which he Is now
the senior member. Fifty years to day
after the data of this organization when
Its jubilee was celebrated, Queen Victoria
conferred upon Mr.. Williams the title of
knight, SO that now the founder of this
booy is known as Sir George Williams.
This dist n1tlon that was given MIR.
Williams was a most unusual one, 1t be-
ing the tirst time that the rank OF knight
hood has ever bean best owed upon q man
for Christian service. 1t is Int ,restlng
in this ccnnsotlon to state that at tails
jubilee General Secretary Garland OF
Portland was In att sndance. There
were no less than % serarats t-ngues
spoken at this memorable Assembly.
The first first association to be organ
ICED on the American cont nsut was at
Montreal in December, 1851 Two weeks
afterwards, the association at Boston was
organized. The Montreal leaders did |
not know that the Boston leaders were
thinking of Gil Organization, nor did the |
Boston leaders know t at TN organization |
had sprung up only few days before at
Montreal. The association has shown |
a constant growth, the most rapid rate
being during the last thirty years, beth
in the Tn tsd St tss en1 in the old |
countries. Although England is the old
eat to be In TIE field, that country is
net a great deal ahead of Germany In the
advancement tAst has betn made. The
headquarters OF the Worlds Organization
are at Geneva, Switzerland. The civil
war was the cause of retardng to quite
a degrse the progress that had been
hoped for the association throughout the
United States. The war took away from
their homes large number of young
men who would have joinsd the move
become we'll known in its work.
Portland has one of the best organic
lions in the country, ana is the tenth old
est in the United States. 1t was organ.
lied November 2, 1853, in the same year
the associations at Springfield, Mass and
Providence X. l were formed. A few
weeks before the Portland body was il
stitutsd number of gentlemen who had
taken much interest in learn'ng OF the
good work of the Young Mems Christian
Association, met in the vestry OF the
Third Parish Congregational church,
which was afterwards DESTROYED in the
great firs that swept the city in 1866
These gentlemen fully discussed the
situation and decided to do what they
could towards placing local
branch of this great socisty in Portland
Shortly afterwards, another prelim mary
meeting was held in the Federal Street
Baptist church. Mr.. George Lord was
chosen the chairman, and MIR. q. j. Nor
rls was chosen the secretary. A COM
mittee composed of William W. Woodbury.,
DR.. William g. Robinson, 1. +. Carter
and j. g. Tolford was appointed to pre-
PnAO q Aethi Va O1kohAcatAOAs 4no |
meeting took place, November 2. when
the committee submitted report. Then
a committee Co nominate list OF officers
was chosen, 1t was composed of the fol-
lowing gentlemen. G. K. Taylor, NJ. q.
Dow, FL. O. Barnes, Moses Lyford, David
Chandler, George Lord, Charles II.
Carruthers, Ezra Carter, Jr., H. Pack
ard, George II. Wilson. Samuel q. Rich.
One week later this committee met at the
Third Parish church. sixty charter
members signed the constitution and
officers were elected as follows:
Presidsnt--William w. Woodbury..
Vice observation-disclosures q. Barnes.
John g. Tolford, DIR. William q. Robin
son, q. j. Morris.
Corle spending Seoretary-Dr. Israel Il.
Dana.
Recording Secretary-G George L. Small
Trsasurer-George LORD.
Librarian-Geor0e II. Wilson.
Board of ManAgers-Amasa Fitch,
Henry Baker, j. Il. Morse, n. g. Barrows
Ezra Carter, Jr., W. ID. Little, James
erie, Moses Lyford.
OF these first officers of the Portland
association only one of them, DIR. Dana,
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