The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-10-20
HIGHER EDUCATION
THAT IS THE pUaPosE oF, THE Y.
 N. c. A.
Internationn1 Cenference Likely to Have Figures Before It For Consider4tien of phe Recent
 Astonfsnfnw pronress.

---oome astounding facts relative 10 the educational york of the Young Mems Christion Associations in the United States will be laid before the international conference to be held in this city. In no other country has this feature been brought to as near per- lection as in the great centres sof America.
 Pounded primarily with the thought of caring for the religious and moral welfare of men, the most advanced as- sociations have to a considerable ex- tent made religion secondary cons sideration with the thought in mind that the young man of today can be handled in better ways than through an appeal >solely to his church-loving instinct.
 in interesting men and boys by show ing them the advantages to be gained through the possession of up-to-date Knowledge has been the best proof of the wisdom of the departure Men who have been brought into the as- sociatfon rooms first through the educational classes, have become firm friends of the organization in thousands of cases. Once member and imbued with the spirit of the work, the religious lever may be work ed easily and naturally.
 It should not be supposed for a moment that the high moral Influence of the Y. M. c. A. has been depreciat- ing. Such is not the fact The truth probably is that taken all in all, the associations in the large cities are bet ter in every May than they were ten years ago, when the educational side of the work was not SO much Of a factor as at present.
 The possibilities of class work are, Jusy being learned. More and more space is being devoted to the student life with fine gymnasiums as the secondary feature of the work. The best instructors are secured and the classes as rule all being held at night makes 1t feasible to get the ser vices of men whose daylight hours could not be had under any considera- tions, as they are then busy with the work that means bread and butter to them.
 The association work is largely labor of love. Men high in the profess sions teach patiently and even fondiy men as old as themselves side by side with the youngsters who hope to make their mark through study in the hours that many give to recreation.
 Association buildings, become hives of industry after dark. No sooner has the evening meal been disposed of than al steady stream of earnest men appear for instruction. The number runs into thousands in New York, into the hundreds in a dozen other cities, not ably Chicago, Philadelphia. Brooklyn and Boston.
 The New York course of study Is we'll planned, but 1t is to Boston that one must tdrn to find the highest develop-. ment of the educational side of the work. That city has a real evening university with six schools, each with its dean and faculty. ..
 The Institute is unique among Ameri- can educational enterprises. It offers collectively 120 courses and the set- vices of over 100 teachers. A prepara- tory school fits for civil service and higher institutions of learning.
 The educational department of the New York Association is every year turning out approximately 5000 gradu- ates. The same Institution finds jobs 2 for practically every one of Its gr;tdu- ates and could provide joba for many nnores if 1t. had the graduates. Eivefy year in a quiet gay the institution gees hundreds of its yoang men placed in positions that pay them well and that hold glowing promises for advance ment. . Some idea of the vastness of the work may be had from the fact that last year the Educational Department turned out 4.200 graduates and found jobs for 5000 persons. There not being graduates enough to supply the demand, members of the association who had not taken any course were sent, out on probation. Most of them stayed
 l. .eI s,.g z work by lack of room. The new build ing will obviate that. Already there are nearly 1000 students in the class rooms, and with better facilities the courses will be enlarged untff-the work in the Quaker City will nc second to none.
 Besides this, at the central building Of the Philadelphia Association there is a novel work being done in teaching advertising, salesmanship and sign painting, three classes that have en- tered upon their work with tke keenest E 'FsThe Rehford branch of the Brooklyn Association has courses in newspaper work the lecturers being the best men in the New York field, and in real es- tate dealing, where again the tnstruc- |. tors are the men who have made a success of their work. An automobile school is another feature, this line of work also having been taken up suc- cessfully.
 Cleveland has a class for the instruc- tion of office boys as to the proper per formance of their duties and many a boy hopes to better himself through this class. It is an immensely practical line of work, as is the business class at Omaha, which gets right down. to the,heart of commercial work. leaving out all the frills. .ssN 4
 Altogether there are probably 50,00O men and boys studying four nights week in the Association buildings throughout the United States, record That ruiIl oman the eYas of some of the