Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-08
CANVASS FOR FUNDS
DIRECTORS OF z. n. G. A ENTER
UPON PERSONAL WORK.
Earnest Effort to Complete the Sum
Needed for Associations New
Building.

Inc directors OI the - <a's ~ eiAS
number Of twenty-five. started today upon
the second and final campaign to complete
the 100000 building fund by raising the
$50, 600 balance still unpledged The work
begun this morning will be finished within
thirty days, the directors believe, and then
the work on the big building will begin.
The architects. after making a tour Of in
spection of the best modern association
buildings of the country, have submitted
plans. which have the approval both of the
directors and of the leading experts of the
country, and everything, except the COM
pletion of the fund, is ready for the build
erS.
The canvass is conducted by the two
dozen directors in pairs. Each Of the dozen
pairs has its territory and it's list of ell
gibles. Half of the Board of Trade and
Business Mems Association members are
already listed as subscribers, and the other
half will be given equal opportunity to con-
tribute. AS the directors themselves are
largely business men. and, what is more
nave shown the proof of their faith by sub
scrlbing $4,000 from their own pockets, lit
tie fear is entertained of their making
speedy end of the remaining $4,000.
Need in Educational Department.
Urgent need of the new building is par
tfcularly shown in the educational depart
ment. There are 455 young men and boys
taking the night studies in lines of practi-
cal education and they are deprived of the
use of the association building for their
work because of lack of room. The young
army of night students is driven to made
quate rented quarters nearly a half mile
distant from the center of association life
and activity. The school thereby lacks in
proper space and equipment, in spirit and
interest and in organization and numbers
Instead of being one of the central and
most prominently supported departments
of association work, the educational de-
partment has thus been forced by lack of
space and equipment into sort of subor-
dinate side issue That the enrolment
during the month of January reached 49,
with an average attendance of 81 per cent
is due to exceptionally hard work in spite
of unfortunate conditions With the
proper space and equipment in the big new
building, where 1t will have the entire
third floor, the educational department
will be one of the strong features and
easily take care Of 1000 students.
The practical and comprehensive charac-
ter of the class work undertaken in the
Y. M. c. A. night school is shown in the
following resume: In mathematics there
are "a taking arithmetic, % in algebra and
SO in geometry and trigonometry. Book
keeping is taught to %, and shorthand to
6S. There are 81 taking mechanical draw
ing, and 81 freehand drawing. There are
% in typewriting and II in penmanship.
Business law is taken by IA and electricity
by 10. There are 10 in rhetoric, % in the
orchestra work. Languages claim total
of 90, of which 80 take English, II French.
II German, IA Latin and Is Spanish
The Practical Work.
The practical educational curriculum thus
established appeals to mechanics, clerks
and to young men preparing either for COM
mercial or professional work, for indus
trial life or clerical activity Of any kind.
1t gives an opportunity to the young man
who has to earn his way or help support
some one dependent upon him. and VINO
is therefore compelled to put in his days
at work for living and can give only his
evenings to getting a schooling. If the
new building can give a practical educa
ton and start in life to 1850 such young
men, the 100000 will be well invesi ed
There are few $3o0.O0O college institutions
that give a practical start in educa tional
life to 1000 young men a year; and yet
this is only one of many features of assoc
citation work.
The Benefits Derived
There is probably not store, office, fac
tory, railway shop or other business in
stitution in the city that will not be bene
fitted in a practical and direct way by the
added technical, professional and mechani-
cal skill that is brought into business work
from the Y. NJ. c. A night classes. The
19i railroad associations in the United
States supported by railroad companies
show how the practical railway world looks
upon association influence as a business
factor. The $50 associations with 5000
students taking evening class-work point
to the prominent place which educ ltion
holds in association life; and the new e.lu-
cational department, with its fine equip
ment in the big building, will be one of the
most notable in the country. There is prob
ably not an employer in the city who VII
not get heavy interest from the educa-
tional department alone on a good-sized
investment in the new building