The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-05-16
MIR. S|MONDS RET|RES; MADE
 FINE RECORD
His Successor Has Not as Yet
 Been Decided Upon
Work of One Year in Y. M. C. A. Circles Shows COlnmendable
 Results

Within a week or two the newly elected directors of the Y. M. c. A. will meet and choose a president to succeed Henry D. Simonds who has filled the office with rare fidelity dur ing the five years passed. The new directors chosen at the annual meet ing held recently are: H. M. Knapp, L. T. Warner, w. A. Smith, Henry w. Hincks and Dr. R. HI. w. Strang. These men serve for one year. For their excellent work as president and recording secretary respectively votes of thanks were extended to MT. Sa- monds and Arthur M. Marsh. MT. Simonds succeeded Dr. I. DeVer War ner five years ago and he has made a record in office that it will be diff cult to equal. Suggestions of his have been crystalized into tangible form and are now in vogue in many other cities where the association has shown progress.
 The membership of the association on May 1, 1910, was 871 gain of Is per cent. over the preceding year. When MT. Simonds assumed office the membership was 600 and jumped as high as 1,450, but the panic raised havoc with the numbers and there was g. great falling off not uncommon to this city. There was a gain in the |. ship fees and the association is now in fair way to again take the lead as the largest association from the view point of numbers in the State.
 Socially the year was most success ful. all of the entertainments having secured for 116 men and boys and the savings department showed a substan- tial increase in deposits.
 The physical department as usual ex- celled, the many meets being most successful and the attendance of the various physical classes showed 13.743 as against 10.453 the year preceding.
 The House committee expended S3.-. 800 in putting the interior of the build ing in serviceable condition and in each instance the expenditure was jus tified. The building is now in the best shape it has been in for years.
 The religious side of the association was well looked after. the various meetings having been attended in manner to give satisfaction. Renewed interest was shown in Bible study and $500 was contributed to the work in foreign fields. More than 10000 people attended the religious meetings during the year. The branch at the Locomo- bile factory has proved profitable and successful, there being held there once week a religious service at noon day.
 The Boys department has a mem bership of over BOO It is intensely interesting to see these boys in the cabinet meetings discuss and plan the work for their fellows. and it is a re- markable agency for their own per- sonal development. This department has I'll boys in systematic Bible study and an attendance of nearly 4,00O at religious meetings. They conducted during the year 113 Socials. banquets and teas. One hundred and nine of them followed systematic study in the night and day trade school. There were g practical and science talks or lectures given them during the year.
 During the past years the asSocia- ton is indebted very largely to the women's auxiliary for the splendid ap- pearance of the suite of social rooms, both as regards decorations and fur niture. During the present year they added several handsome Craftsman's leather mission chairs to the equip ment they had recently put in these rooms.
 During the year there wer enrolled in the educational department 109 boys and 104 men, a total of 213, as against 1S2 vas year. There are fourteen classes which include business prep aration, carpentry. plumbing, electric ity, and various phases of mechanical subjects.
 Some measure of the increased in- terest in the work of the association among the young men of the city may be gained from the figures which show that nearly $3,0O0 more was paid into the association by the members, in various fees, than last year.