The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-07-24
QUARTER Of
A CENTURY
a Sketch of the Chinese
Y. M. c. A.
WRITTEN BY Mr.. GOO KIM
H Tells Of the Early Days Of Pros
eIytizing Among HIS Race
Here.

The following is a brief history of the
Chinese Young Mems Christian Asso-
citation Of Honolulu from the date of or
ganization to June 18th. 1900, the 18th
anniversary, by Goo Kim, Chinese Vice
Consul. translated into English by VIM
Y. Kwai Fong:
This Chinese Y. NJ. G. A. was formed
in the year of our Lord 1875, for the
purpose Of spreading the Gospel of
Jesus Christ among the Chinese. AT
that time there We're very few Chinese
residents in these islands who had ever
heard of God and of our Savior Jesus
Christ; but there was a good Chinese
Christian, Seau Hung by name, who
was the first man TO preach the Gospel
to us at Bethel church, and who also
opened a night school for the study of
English. This was the beginning of the
work TO Christianize the Chinese in
these Islands. But not long after Mr..
/ Seau Hung left for China, together with
/ his family. During this period when
/ We had no pastoral aid, we We're as
sisted by certain member of a broth
erhoOd society. whose name l cannot
recall, who sympathiZed with US be-
cause as II flock we We're without
/ shepherd.
He suggested the plan to send to San
! Francisco to secure a Chinese pastor
/ TO aid the Christian work In Honolulu,
and we succeeded in securing a man
named Mr.. Sit Moon. After his arrival
/ in Honolulu, he at once went to work
! and preached the Gospel to the Chinese
at Bethel Church, where Father Damon
! had kindly let us hold our services, and
also helped us TO considerable extent.
Yet there We're very few who came to
hear the Gospel and sometimes none at
all, and it was a pity that the work
progressed so slowly.
One day Mr.. Sit Moon came to my
store on Nuuanu street. There we met
MIR. L. Aseu, the present secretary of
this Y. NJ c. A., and we considered
what steps should be taken to spread
the Gospel in the Hawaiian Islands
among our nationality. Mr.. Sit Moon
said we should open a Young Men
Christian Association, for the benefit of
those who wished to study the gospel,
and this met with our hearty approval
l.. Aseu gave 800. l 500, and Sit Moon
$50 to start a fund. The first Y. NJ C.
A meeting place was in Bethel church
With the assistance of Father Damon
we held an enthusiastic meeting, and
six new members joined at this first
meeting, whose names are as follows:
zap Ten Siau, Chez Fook, Chun FoOk
Lee Sam. Chat zee and Wong Nyen
Tshin. Thereafter the members de-
cided to hold meetings every Tuesday
/
pei. 1t was not until November Is
1917, that we adopted our constitution
and bylaws, drafted by the Hon. S
=. Dole, the President of the Republic
of Hawaii. and soon to be our Cover
nor, who helped us greatly to secure q
charter from the Government. Presi.
dent Dole has been very kind to ns
for he did not charge us anything fol
the work he had done In 1878 the ex.
penses for the maintenance of this as
socation having increased, it was de-
cided to open crockery store on NiIu
anu street for the purpose of using It.
profits TO support the association. TIL,
upper floor we turned into a spacious
hall. and provided with books ant
magazines for the benefit of it's mem
berS. In the same year we bought
burial lot at MaSiki for the intermen
of the bodies of it's members who hil,
gone to the world beyond In 1881 I'll,
, Chinese church was completed, AMI W,
; moved our association to the new Chin
. csc church parlor, and provided a fun,
OF 800 for the support of the pastor an,
$50 for the janitor from the treasury O
the G. Y. NJ. G. A. In 1884 we bought
piece Of land at Palama at the pre-
OF S250O.00. In 1885 the membership in
creased largely and the church paro
was not large enough to accommodate
| the members. We again decided to ,lu,
| a lot and build a Y. NJ. G. A. building
! each member subscribed literally to
wards the building fund and on De
cember of the same year this build
ing was completed. The opening cere
mony was performed with much sing
ing and praises to the Lord, also re
freshments were served at the end Tn
total costs of this building and lot be
ing over 100000. Since we have ha,
this new association we have opened
school for boys, and also provide,
/ rooms for the use of people arriving
from the country. We have a regula
business meeting the first Tuesday O
each month, and have prayer meeting
y every Sunday from 6 to p m.
, -S<te-