The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1906-11-16

CHARACTER is the great thing in
life. Character makes the man; a
mans character decides his des-
tiny. Character building is the
pivot around which all other
social problems revolve. What.
ever tends to the proper development
of Character, tends to the uplifting Of
fallen humanity and the glory of God.
The Christian conscience of the
world is studying as it never has be-
fore the great problem of Character
building; and whereas there formerly
were but few, in more recent years
the wisdom Of man has devised thous-
ands of ways for the development of
Character.
Club life is one Of those woys. Club
life has 1t abuses: and like many an
other good thing, for long time was
given over TO the devil. that he might
prey upon the character OF young men
and old. But now the Club is not what
It used to be- The devil still has pos.
session of some Of them. but not all
of them; and Club life on the whole,
has improved wonderfully In the last
decade.
Columbia is fortunate in its clubs.
Twenty years ago the homeless man
in Columbia, or the young man who
did not care to spend his evenings at
home, had no where to go but to the
saloon, the billiard hall or the pool
room; and It was there that most OF
them spent their evenings. In those
days there were six or eight public
billiard halls in Columbia, all with
saloon attachments, and how many
lives they destroyed God only knows
Now there is no longer any excuse for
any man or boy loafing about these
places; II he does, 1t is his own fault,
and he does so at his peril. For while
in those days it did not effect his
standing so much, now 1t virtually os-
tracises him from the business mar
ket and from the best social stand
ing; for few business men now will
employ any young man who spends
his evenings at these places and
those whom Society tolerate at all,
do 1t merely for family" sake; and
they are merely tolerated, not re-
spected.
The Century Club was the first to
start the Club life in Columbia, and
next to the church no institution has
done more practical good. Then came !
the Elks, and whatever may be said
of the Elks in some of the larger cit |
les, the Elks in Columbia have a high !
standard and code of morals, and have |
exerted an influence for good. But |
the latest and best of them all is the |
Young Mems Christian Association,
which is simply another club, run not |
on narrow, but on stricter Christian
lines than other clubs. The Elks'
Club is for the Elks, the Century Club
is for it's members; the Y. M. G. A.
is for the men and boys of the town.
Young Mems Christian Association.
There has been an impression
abroad that the Y. NJ. G. A. was not
In healthy financial condition; and
that is true; Associations and Clubs
rarely ever are at the close of their
first year. We remember how the
Century Club, strong and fiourishing
as it now Is, came near starving out
and going to pieces the first few years
Of its life. But it did not die; neither
will the Y. M. C. A. It was not born
to die But there h another impress
sion out about the 2. M. C. A. which
Is not true; and that is that it is
failure; that 1t is not doing any good;
that nobody goes there" How that
started, we do not know;
It was accentuated by some remarks
made at the closing exercises of the
State Y. M. c. A. Convention but it
Is entirely a mistake. And We wish
now, not only upon our own knowl
edge and belief, but upon authority of
he governing board of the local Y.
VI. C. A. to announce to the public that
he Association has not the lightest
lotion or intention Of dying, and that
I is doing more and better work now
han 1t has ever done; giving more
pleasure to its members and satisfac- r
ion to its promoters. 1t is here, and I
lere to stay; here to develop Char |
Icter and to do good. IL
At a well attended meeting Of the t
directors in the Association parlors IC