The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-03-25
CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION
 OF WOMEN IS ORGANIZED
Miss Helen Barnes, National Secretary, Made Earnest Address to Montgomery WOmen--The
 Proposition of MT. Peabody.

One of the most important meetings that has ever called a number of Mont gomery women together was that of yes terday when Young Women's Christian Association was formed.
 The formation of the Association was the primary object of the meeting. But equal in importance with organization was consideration of the proposition of George Foster Peabody of New York, made public recently in the columns of The Advertiser, which, if accepted, would make 1t possible for the young women of Montgomery to purchase handsome home of their own at half its actual value.
 This generous offer of Mir. Peaboy had done much to quicken the ipterest of Montgomery women in the formation of Miss Helen Barnes of Chicago, Secre- tary of the National Association, had been invited to talk in behalf of the As sociation. Miss Barnes is known as an earnest and remarkably successful organ izer, and the announcement that she would be present was an added stimulus to the meeting.
 The pariors of the Y. M. c. A. were fll- ed with an audience of representative wo- men. Mrs. G. w. Patterson, President of the Woman's Auxiliary to the Young Mems Christian Association, called the meeting to order.
 Miss Barnes" she said. 'is here for the purpose of explaining to the women of Montgomery the working of the Young "oIlCn CnTlStldn ASSOClaIlOn, or Set- ting forth the plan of work, of explain ing all that is strange to you but familiar
 10 her, and to organize if the women So desire an association in Montgomery 70
 Rev. G. w. Paterson led in prayer, and Miss Barnes was then introduced.
 Miss Barnes began her talk by quoting the 1Ith verse of the 45th Psalm: "In- stead of thy fathers, thou shalt have chil- in all lands"
 She thought if the word boys" was substituted for fathers and girls for children" 1t would make clear the in duence of women which is now being felt throughout the civilized world. For ages every nation. every people, had looked to their young men and their boys; of late the young women of the world were being looked to as we'll as the men.
 The Young Women's Christian Associa- ton ,she said, was not as old as the Young Mems Christian Association, and the later was only little over fifty years old The Young Women's Christian As soctation had been organized in 1886. The growth had been wonderful. Now there Portland, Me, to Portland, Ore, and from Duluth in the North to Birmingham in the South The Association in Birming- ham, Miss Barnes said, is the youngest in America, and she said she hoped when she spoke again she could say that Mont gomery was the youngest
 She told of the growth of the Associa- ton in other countries, and especially in T eighteen branches.
 "The principles fthe Young women's Christian Association Miss Barnes said, "are the same as those of the men. 1t men the protection and influence in strange cities which has been source of such power fer good for young men.
 There are certain things the AssocIa- ton stand for" continued Miss Barnes. First. to save the members physically The organiZatio is equipped with gym nasiums and good competent trainers Second. to save them socially. Many times a young woman in strange city goes astray for want of companionship and sympathy. The Association stands for social hospitality and personal interest toward its members
 She cited several instances where girls had carried letters from secretaries of their home Association to those of others in far distant lands (one of these being from Damascus to Los Angeles) and was received with kindly cordiality and sym pathetic interest
 The third thing the Association stands for. Miss Barnes said, was to save the young women along intellectual lines, to help in an educational way, and to pro- vide good reading.
 spiritually. Miss Barnes ventured to as sert that there were many women in her audience who had not been to church the preceding Sunday and who had not opened their Bibles Tn many days The Association spiritually is peculiarly fitted to womens lives and women's needs.
 Miss Barnes told of many ways in which the Association was helpful to young women and repeated that 1t did for young women according to their needs and their peculiar temptations what the young mems organization did for them She emphasized the responsibility of one woman to another.
 When Miss Barnes had concluded Mrs. Patterson said there were three minis ters present, and the ladies would be glad to hear from them.
 Rev. Charles A. Stakely. pastor of the First Baptist Church, said that for his part he was always ready to endorse all good movements and he had watched with particular interest the glorious work &C., complished by the Association fin many of the large cities. He was sure If one was formed in Montgomery 1t would have the sympathy. prayers and cooperation of all the ministers in the city.
 Rev. Neal L. Anderson. pastor Nof the Central Presbyterian Church, spoke with enthusiasm of the work that could be ac- complished. He endorsed Miss Barnes's g belief that if the young women were more enlisted in the study of Gods word there would not be such a tendency in the next gene Akion to drift with the tide