The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1907-09-06
FUTURE OF
THE Y. M. c. A.
A Question for the Public
to Decide.
INTEREST is WANING

q Directors Of Association Will Prob
: ably Call Meeting of Business Men
Next Week to Consider the Ques.
e tion Of Money.
{ Can sufficient interest be aroused
}. among the people of Brattleboro to
warrant the continuance of the local
, Young Men 5 Christian association
2 This is question that is facing the
directors of the organization and one
, that in all probability will be put to
business men of the town at u meet
ing to be held some time next week.
. While the association directors are a
unit in believing that it would be a
sad commentary on the spirit of a
hustling, growing community like
; Brattleboro to have it said that its
Y. NJ. G. a. had gone out of existence
for lack of support, they are obliged
nevertheless to take note of the fact
that interest in the association has
been on the decline for a considerable
period and are undecided as to what
course shall be taken in the future.
A meeting of the directors was held
in the Y. NJ. C. A. rooms Wednesday
evening for the purpose of taking ac-
tion i'll regard to successor to Gen
eral Secretary G. L. w. Cunningham,
who recently resigned to accept a po-
sition as assistant secretary in Provi-
dence, II. l., and the needs of the as.
sOciation were discussed at length at
that time. 1t was finally decided to
appoint a committee of three to inves-
tigate the matter thoroughly and re-
port at a later gathering as to what
would better be done. This committee
is composed of E. G. Crosby, W. A. Gill
bert and 5. W. Edgett and will prob
ably call a meeting of the business
men of the town some time next week
for the purpose of determining public
sentiment in regard to the question.
The local association is really in no
worse condition financially than it has
been for several years past. Money
enough is available to continue the
organization along the lines it has
been conducted, and if this plan were
considered advisable it is probable
that the debt could be decreased slow
ly rather than increased. The prob
lem that is puzzling the directors,
however, is whether it is wise to do
this in face of the steadily decreasing
interest in the association. An organ
ization of this character in order to
accomplish successfully the work for
which it is intended must have back
of it the cordial support of the COM
nn1,y bn
gained through the efforts of a thor
oughly competent man in the office of
general secretary. That the local Y.
NJ. C. A. has been unable of late to
raise sufficient funds to secure the SER
vices of such an official is a fact that
cannot be denied. With due respect
to Mr.. Cunningham and his predeces-
sOr, Mr. Reed, it may be said that they
were not fitted either by temperament
or training to carry along this work
successfully, and yet the funds at the
command of the local association are
not sufficient to pay the salary of a
secretary of greater ability or wider
experience.
Then, too, the athletic side. of the
association has been perforce neg
1ected of late, and without money to
develop this all important feature of
the work no association can hope to
accomplish all that it should accom-
plish to be success. 1t has been a
number of years since a trained physi-,
cal director was kept to devote his en-
tire time to gymnasium work and car
ing for the physical welfare of the
in other ways, and the inev-
liable result is that the youth of the
town-the boys and young men who
would naturally come within the in
fuence of the association through this
particular side--are no longer interest
ed. In former years the local Y. M.
G. A. generously supported various
athletic teams, and the interest arous-
ed through their triumphs served to
emphasize the work the organization
was doing as well as its needs and re-
1uirements; in former years the as
offered the opportunity for
scientific physical training by means
If gymnasium classes under the SUI
1ervision of men educated in this par
icular line of work, and the benefit
which members derived from these
lasses was an important factor in
leeping them in friendly relations
With the association from year to
ear; in former years the association
ooms were a headquarters for scores
f young men desirous Of a congenial
lace in which to spend their spare
ime, and the social activity thus en-
rendered was of vast assistance in
Prosecuting successfully the religious
york. In recent years things have
cen radically different. Through
ick of a supervisor the athletic teams
ave disbanded, the gymnasium has
ONE into disuse and the number of
ctive, interested members consequent
: has dwindled.
These are few things with which
le directors of the local Y. M. G. A.
re confronted, and it is not surpris-
g that they are in quandary as to
hat the future course of the organiz-
ion shall be- There is a strong SEN
ment among them that unless the re-
urces at the command of the asso-
alton can be increased to an extent
at will warrant carrying on the
ork along broader lines it may as
ell be dropped entirely, but they
tie to take such step without first
ling attention to the situation in the
pe that enthusiasm and money will
10 o11nu ,aw ctort