Arizona republican., 1908-04-08
Y.M.C.A. EXPANSION
 FIGURES THAT TELL
Some Statistical Information That Ev. erybody Should Have in Mind.

erybody Should Have in Mind. C. K. Ober. field secretary of the
 international committee of the Y. NJ
 C.SA.. who spent Sunday and Monday
 in Phoenix. with D. W. Pollard who is
 to remain in this field under the direc-
 ton of \the new territorial committee
 is a more than usually interesting per
 son to meet He Is forceful and clear
 and presents even dry figures in an
 unhesitating and impressive manner
 During the course of an interview he
 gave some facts that may not be new
 to some who read the Y. NJ. C. A. lit-
 erature zealously, but which have
 doubtless never been appreciated by
 many others and that are well worth
 repeating at this time.
 He said that during the past seven
 years an aggregate of S33,00O000 has
 been contributed for Y. NJ. C. A
 buildings at different points ip North
 America. making a total of s54.00O, 900
 net. in property held by the Y M c.
 A. in the United States and Canada.
 Concerning the membership strength of the association he said the combin- ed membership in 1900 was 250.000 and in 1907 it had grown to 32,000, or very nearly double in seven years An other decidedly interesting fact show ing the increased strength of the indi-
 vidual local society. is that in the same period the average membership of each local association had increased from lS0 to 250. Thus it is seen that not only are the associations growing rapidly in number, but the older ones are growing in strength proportiOnate- ly.
 One very interesting recent levelop- ment of the movement has been on the Isthmus of Panama, where the government called in the Y. NJ. C. A. to conduct it's work among the govern ment employees in the canal zone. The government has erected and turned over to the use of the association four large club houses constructed on the Y. NJ. C. A. plan and ten secretaries have been secured to conduct this work whose salaries are pai1 by the government All this was after the government had sought diligently for some other plan of caring for the nor al and intellectual welfare of it's em- ployes in that somewhat foreign land No other institution seemed to have an organization for taking hold of this work promptly and the association. with the aid of the government. did take hold of it and has succeeded mar velously.
 Another fact of marked interest is that the railroad systems of the Unit ed States and Canada are appropriat- ing annually '$500.OO0 for the current expenses of the associations composed of railroad men exclusively and the of which associations over 90,000 in 245 railroad di- vision and terminal points. Another arge group of associations is in the and colleges. More than i0,0O0 students in the higher institu- ions Of the United States and Canada Ire members Of these associations.
 For the organization and supervision ,f this work the international com nittee employs a force of over sixty secretaries and has sent out 6s men | Is missionary secretaries in the great 1 'ities and university centers of Asia, 1 south America, Cuba, Mexico and the ! 
 Another development of the move | nent has been in connection with the | rmy and navy. Buildings have been | erected at the principal naval stations | md army posts and splendid work is | 'eing done, among the soldiers and on ] he battleships. The Y. NJ. C. A. is | LOW well established in $50 of the 1900 | ities in the United States and Canada 1 laving a population of 4e0O or over. ,Ir. Ober told some interesting things n connection with the campaign" ystem that was SO successfully em- loyed in Phoenix. He said it was de- ised by C. $. Ward. a field secretary f the International committee and is alled the short term campaign" nethod. MT. Ward began demOnstrat- ng it's value by personally conduct ng the first campaigns. Tn two years e conducted personally, twenty cam aigns in the larger cities, aggregating n subscriptions. s4.230.0O0. Other nen like Mir. Titus, Mir. Hobbs and thers. took up his plan and raised an dditiOnal $5.000.000 so in two years yer s9.000,000 was raised in this way The virtue df the plan is not in send ng expert men to solicit subscriptions mt in organizing and arousing local and making the local | eople get out and hustle the sub criptiOns. In the raising of this honey probably 9,OOO.O9O men partici- ated. And this he said. could only e done with the almost universal as- istance of the press. Publicity" is he necessary thing in arousing the eople and it can be secured quickly nd thoroughly only with the help of he papers. This, he says, the asso- iatiOn has had wherever it operated, nd attrihutac r,ucb of itc c,,.cae, to l