Evening journal., 1901-06-03
LOCAL Y. NJ. c. A.
IN PRONPHRING
Membership Now Numbers
532 and Is Growing
Constantly

Alfred Gawlhrop, the Rev Hubert
W. Wells, the Rev Robert A. Elwood
and William K Crosby delivered adj
dresses at the anniversary exercises of
The Young Mems Christian Association,
held in Grace Sunday school YESTERDAY
Afternoon. Mr.. Gawthrop, who is rresi
dent OF the association. presided and
after service Of song. which was di
ireoted by Mrs. Thomas Benson. he in-
| troduced Mr. Crosby. who read q state
ment OF the work Of the association for
the past year, as follows:
"ln giving an account of our stew
ardship as directors of the NOungI
Mems Christian Association of this city
for the past year, IL gives me great
pleasure 90 be able Co report progress.
! Improvement and beNerment all along
the line Of cur work. Last year will
pass into history as by far the best. the
most successful year since the organi-
zatiOn of the association eleven years
ago. The membership during the year.
has more than doubled. May ] records
a membership Of A30 seniors and l02
| juniors total 532. against 147 seniors
and 60 juniors. total 207. one year ago.
making the present membership WE'LL
nigh three times as large as Il was
/ twelve months ago. This is a magnih-
cent record for which we are devoutly
thankful to the giver Of all good
/ things. The attendance at the building
/, from September l., 1900. after the i'm
Il pr0yemepis were completed TO May
a 1901 eight months, was i2.203: average
daily attendance 200. showing q very
large increase IN This direction: all go
844IT 20. oil
the association and It's work. The
\ physical department reports total att
tendance S2S5, a large increase: num-
Der Of baths taken by members. 5,76S.
also an increase.
I'VE are also glad TO say that the
business men OF. the city are avaiing
themselves of the advantages of the
gymnasium the bowling alley.
and the game room; so you see
this important department Of our
work is prCspering and doing what It
can TO improve the physique Of the
members. The educational department.
, we think, is still in its infancy. but We
I look for growth and development along
this line. 81 students are enrolled I'm
! the classes, against 20 last year. We
, think there is an opportunity right
- here for the association to do good
helpful work 10 boys and young men
OF our city who need such help, and
who wish TO improve themselves I'm
those educational branches which the
associatiOn has taken up. such asarith-
mctic grammar, spelling. mechanical
drawing and penmanship. with. per
haps, other classes TO follow in other
branches Of study. The religious de-
" partment OF our work has not been
neglected, but good work has been
done In this direction also. Valuable
and important as the physical and in
tellectual features of the work are we
{ believe that the spiritual and religious
are of much greater Importance. and
it is our aim and desire in this secular
y and practical age to keep the spiritual
a and religious work OF the association
well to the front. Number of Gospe
+ meetings held, 80; total attendance al
% these meetings, 5432; average attend
u ance, 1855; against S5 the year before
Ie number of men expressing a desire Il
% lead Christian life at ser
Is vices of the association. 1874
el against II the year before
9s number Of men who have made a pub
lie profession of religion and unitel
ie with the church, 81 against s last year
s- showing that the Divine blessing ha
20 attended the religious effort put forll
" by the association, and right here vi
u would acknowledge cur obligations @
the clergymen and others of oul' cit
and elsewhere who have given us tn
benefit of their time and effort in the re
ligious services of the association dur
~ ing uhe past year. We tender to al
our hearty thanks.
"It is scarcely necessary for me Z
OF say that the object of the association
u to save the boys and young men of ou
M city and TO help them to develop chal
no aCter. and, when we consider the dar
y. gers which beset This class of IN
a community, the snares and pitfal
which abound i'm this city the tremeni
Ite GUS force and influence which is wOrl
his ing against righteousness and trt
OF piety. Is it any wonder that we shOul
ct, earnestly plead for the sympathy an
On support Of the community IN aid OF II
,p- association, whose object 1t is to resci
ln young men and boys from the paths
the great destroyer of character al
immortal souls? We believe This ass
citation has a bright prospect before
its influence and power for good a
on the increase; this influence al
da power we very much desire shall be e
pansive until all Of the young men
old the city shall feel its uplifting pow'
les. There is no reason why we should n
!, have a membership Of $500, and
err this we should strive and labor wi
renewed diligence and zeal. We a
for the cooperation, sympathy a
prayers Of all good citizens, especial
An the business men of our city aud
ila- employers OF young men, for this
ent sociation aims to so improve the you
ela- men employed IN the industrial a
al commercial establishments Of our C
lcesl physically intellectually and spiritu
ant, ly, so as to make Them more int
del gent more conscientious and more G
cient workers. We ask for, but
know we already have, the sympal
and prayers Of the mothers Of our cl
Mothers who have boys they are mi
om- concerned about; we want to b
con- those mothers save those boys ;
or make them useful Christian citizen.
was I'VE want the continued cO-ope