The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-12-06
BY OrviIle Brunson.

There are six fundamental and very
necessary institutions in every COM
munity-home, school, church, bust
ness, government and society. And
these institutions are maintained to
meet the needs of the people of the
community. In a city, however there
are certain we'll defined and very i'm
portant needs which these institutions
cannot or do not supply. The Y. NJ.
c. A. is an institution which endeav-
ors to fit into the life of the city as a
supplement to all these other institu-
tons 1t does not wish to oppose or
TO compete with them but rather to
supply to the young men and boys
whatever these other agencies do not
give. In accordance with this princi-
ple-"me citing the needs"-all the
many activities of the association
have come into existance. They have
not been thought up and forced upon
the people by some inventive genius
for the purpose of making his name
great or few people rich; but, on
the other hand. the growing complex
ity of our modern city life has fore
ed certain problems upon the associa-
ton and ii has tried to solve them
For instance, there are many things
that every boy ought to have, which
neither the church, the home, not the
school can furnish.
The association is naturally and fun
| damentally a part of the church. 1t
does for the churches of the city COL
WI IF
| individually 1t conducts Bible class
es, Mission study classes and meet
| ings for men and boys in a way that
| churches could not do. The boys and
men themselves have share in the
! promotion and the management of
these activities. 1t is work for men
| by men, and work for boys by boys.
The association night school is the
answer to the call of ambitious young
men for a chance to advance in eff
cheney in his chosen line of work or
| to increase in general culture. even
while compelled to work during the
| day. The association will conduct ev-
ening classes in any subject for which
there is demand. If eight or ten
boys or men wish to study any parti-
cular subject, the opportunity will be
provided them in the association night
school.
| For many reasons boys in city
are deprived of the requisite amount
plete their development. Long hours
| at school and little or no exercise at
home before and after school or long
hours spent in store, office or factory
makes it important that suitable
place for exercise be provided The
gymnasium with all it's varied activit-
les is established to meet this condi-
ton. The aim of the Y. NJ. c. A. gym
| nasium is to offer corrective and re-
creative exercises and games to as
large a number of boys and men as
| possible. 1t differs from an ordinary
athletic association in this: it does
! not try to develope few fine athletes
or star athletic team that can defeat
every other team in it's class. But it
seeks to encourage the masses to de-
velope latent abilities and to interest
every man in the welfare of his own
body
Every boy should know how to
swim, not only for the recreation that
attends 1t but for the sake of his own
safety. Therefore the City boys
| swimming hole has a very useful and
attractive place in the list of associa-
ton privileges. To be able to swim
the year round in large, sanitary
pool, with an instructor always near
in case of accident or to teach the
graceful art-this makes the city boys
blessings far ahead of anything that
the country boy may boast Of from
"The Old Swimmin' Hole?'
Perhaps the most recent develop
ment in association work is the dor
mitories. Twenty years ago the idea
of a home for young men in connec-
ton with the Y. NJ. c. A. was I'M
thought of. Even ten years ago there
were but few places that advocated
such thing. But not a new building
goes up now that does not make am
pie provision for dormitory rooms
This is one of the most practical ways
that the association can serve the
young men of the community.
Business Side of Work.
And now word about the business
side of the Y NJ. c. A. work. Per-
haps the most difficult problem that