The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-01-28
ANNUAL MEETING OF Y. M. (. A;
 sGOODREPORT OF SECRETARY
The Membership is Growing and Plans are Making for a New Building --Old Officers
 Were Reelected

10 thelr untirlng tnou&ht anu energy hhaS enjoyed by the membership.
 Perhaps In no other department or our work has more interest been manifested than in the physical work. Under the leadership of our capable Director, MT. Fry, the gymnasium work has been made source of real benefit and enjoyment to over 50 per cent of the entire mSm- bership. q
 have been held, an average of ten a week, with total attendance of 6.111. Individual work outside of classes makes the total gymnasium attendance s,67s The class enrolment was as fol- lows: Business men, 45; young men,
 There were i3.ooo baths taken. The swimming pool an additional gift from Mir. Peabody has been in operation since September 18th. and, though the heating arrangements have not been completed. 1t Is c source of delight to the members The Boys Department has a membership of 70 and all of them take advantage of the Physical Department privileges. One hundred and eighty-eight classes ,ss averaging F. A Boys Club. the Coming Men of America, meet weekly, having a membership of fifteen and an average atttendance of nine.
 Looking to Future.
 For the year upon which we have en-
  expectation of achieving larger results than have yet been accomplished. Our membership should number 700 on Janua- ry 1st. 1904. This means net increase of 2n, and it can only be accomplished by faithful work on the part of the members. According to the twelfth cen sus. there are 4.662 men and boys in the incorporate limits of Montgomery. who. in respect to age and color, are eligible to membership. Our present mem9ersnip P much to ask for 15 per cent of what lies within our reach?
 '"The religious meetings and the Bible Study department demand a larger pro- portion of our thought, time. and money While every line of Association effort is definitely religious, these agencies for the uplifting of the spiritual man must be kept abreast with the work in the social. intellectual, and physical departments. Let us insist upon keeping our spiritual work in its proper place In the growth of our Association.
 Our educational work is growing every year, but we have only begun to see the possibilities of the future. Our night school should be recognized as the leading factor for the education of employed men in the community. At least 100 young | men should be enrolled next season, and | separate classes conducted for employed boys.
 ''The Senate should resume it's labors. and become of great value to young men In the cultivation of the art of public | speaking and of the knowledge of litera- | ture and current events.
 "The Association Building should be the social rendezvous for the young men of Montgomery. Members meetings should be held more frequently and a stronger bond of unity developed.
 l The physical work should continue to grow and still more interest be developed in athletic games. We should and will have teams that can successfully com. | pete with any amateur teams in our sec | tion.
 "A strong and symmetrical Association work Is imperative in the present crisis will have reached the point ii our history when we shall be perma | nently established and beyond the possi bility of failure, or we shall go to pieces
 The building we now occupy must b. l vacated in 1905, as 1t has been pledge' for the use of another Christian enter selves. Our generous friend gives us, il addition to the free use of this buildini for three years, 5000 with which to star our building fund. We will need 5000 erect an adequate building We shoult have building which will meet the need | of the young men of our growing city We should build 1t and pay for it so as t. own It free from debt. Now is $S0.Oo0 tot large a sum to ask our citizens to inves in behalf of young men? What have oth CT cities in our own section done abou this matter? Note the value of the asso ciation buildings and lots in the follow ing ten cities in relation to their popula tion in 1900:
 Mobile, SS, 469 population, value of build ing and lot $75,OOO; Selma s,713 population value of building and lot S21,OO0; Athens 10,45 population, value of building anC lot $15,OOO; Augusta Al population. valu' of building and lot $21 600; Columbus IT. 614 population, value of building and To $63, 900; Macon 23.272 population; value O | building and lot $1S,0O0; Galveston ST. population. value of building and lo $65, 900; Nashville S65 population, valu' | of building and lot $41 ,500 Atlanta S, ,ST population, value of building and lot $126. coo; Columbia ?, ,ios population value Oi
 These cities have given an average Oi N.A per capita. If Montgomery does al we'll with her population of 30,346 (twelftf census) she will give $SS, ,5S9.42.
 than these other cities? Is she less pros l porous? The facts do not indicate that | She Is. Are her citizens less liberal? That mhas yet to be proven. Have our citizens | had to contribute more largely to other sources than our neighbors? These other cities have as many new churches to build | and benevolent enterprises to support as we have. Does the standard of the serv- | ice rendered to the community by th< | association fall below the work done 'in | the other cities? On the contrary it com. pares very favorably with any of them Do our people fail to recognize the value of this work for young men? They have never failed to give literally for its sup l port when the cause was presented.
 Are we not justified then in the as | sumption that when the people of Mont. | gomery are appealed to in the Interest of the young men of this and future gen. | erations they will respond as readily as our neighboring cities have done? | Let us then take up this great move. 1 ment with faith in our cause, faith ir our city, above all, faith in our God for His is the earth and the fullness 1 thereof"