Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-06
GROWTH FTHEY. MICA.
MEMBERSHIP IN NORTH AMER
ICA IS NOW 415,OOO.

A remarkable development during the
| first six years of the twentieth century is
shown in the annual reports of the North
American Young Mems Christian -lssocia-
tons, just issued.
In this period the membership has in
creased to 415,0OO, a gain of 10000 The
property of the associations, with 50 900 600
given for new buildings in the past year,
has risen from 500, 600 to s42O0O,OoO.
In the several distinct departments of the
associations exceptional progress has been
aShown. The 160 railroad departments In
Greased to go. and their "A buildings, worth
$4,000, to 262 buildings, valued at s., 15O-
600. The membership passed from Al 794 to
S,452 The attendance at meetings, Bible
ana educational classes more than doubled.
The sleeping rooms We're used 1.472, $40
| times, as compared to 4J4, S62 the previous
| year. The railroad corporations appropri-
ated $3Jo,0O0 for the maintenance of build
| lngs and nearly as much was given by the
! employees. The new street railway depart
ment was organized since 1900, and the
| street railway companies are seeking the
| help of the interna tional committee to es-
tablish associations among their employees.
X
! The industrial department, organized six
| years ago, is now doing its work in forty
| mining, lumber, quarry, iron cotton and
| industrial centers, and has buildings worth
100000. The colored department increased
! its property in this time from $23 500 TO
$l36.0Go, and is doing more for the benefit
| of the man for whom the least has been
| dOne-the colored man of the civ The
county associations, which did work in six
teen county centers six years ago are now
established in POI and the membership has
increased from go to CSC.
The student associations have made a
gain of from $4,000 TO $1,000 in membership:
from 1913 in Bible classes to So 900 and
their buildings from S5O5 900 in yalue n
$9oI 900 Large numbers of college athletes
and fraternity men are in associa ton
leadership and more than 200 Bible classes
are held in fraternity houses.
In the Cities.
The growth of associations in city centers
IL Is stated, has also been unparalleled
Buildings which were adequate for the mem
bershlp few years ago have been outgrown
and have given way to larger structures
| ana branches have been added, so that in one
city, Greater New York alone there are
forty associations owning property wort h
SJNo,OO0 and having u 900 members The
physical leaders have increased to over
9Uo trained directors, with over D. I65 yolun-
teer leaders, the gymnasium membership
from $1,000 to 16l 900. In its distinctivelv
religious work the association shows the
largest gains. The weekly attendance at
men meetings rose from -, 600 in 1900 to
l"NVpt III ljUb, ana the students in Bible
classes from 2t,4S9 to 81 900. Six years ago
only 70 associations were conducting Bible
class meetings in shops and factories and
other Ccnters where many men and bows
are employed; last year 221 ASSOCIATIONS
| held such meetings, attended by nearly
l.oh,ooo The boys department member
| ship Increased from - 4G5 to G5OoO and
! ITS qualified secretaries from thirty-one to
| 40. the number of students in educa-
| tional classes has reached IS s26. bur the
| fees paid have increased from SSH TO
| S236 1913
| Foreign Association.
| The growth of the foreign associations
| whose work is promoted from America has
| been even more remarkable The increa 60
of money secured has been from $40 o0O
| to $4,000, and the value of buildings from
$32s,000 to S1,55SO00. The secretaries.
| drawn from the cleverest college leaders
| have increased from twenty-five to sixty-
| seven. Campaigns for association build
| ings have been successfully launched in
| Buenos Ayres, City of Mexico Seoul Ko-
| rea; Shanghai, China, and Kyoto, japan.
| The governments of Japan. Korea and In
| dla not only contribute many thousands
| of dollars 10 the support of the associa-
| tons, but now recognize them as factors
| for good government.
! The supervising departments and the
| state provincial and international COM
mittees are greatly responsible, it is stated
| for the advance. Great numbers of able
| business men. as well as young men, stu
| dents and boys, have, as members of the
| association. taken large part in its prog
| ress. In efficiency the associations may be
| said to have far more than doubled They
| do more for man and do it better and
| make him factor in the betterment OF
| others The multitude of attractions offered
| in many association buildings bring into
| the membership large varieties of men, SO
| that in not few organizations twenty-five
| nationalities and 100 occupations are rep
| resented. The general secretaryship of the
| association, which has become a recognized
| profession. now engages 2,400 men, and is
| increasing at the rate of nearly 300 a
| year.