The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-04-21
SPECIALISTS HOLD
Y, ", c, A. POSITIONS
National Association Con-
vened at Indianapolis
Reports Are Made.

indianapolis, April 2l.-The Young
Woman's Christian association con-
vention plunged into the business OF
the week when it met at the First
Baptist church yesterday, and Miss
Grace Dodge. president of the national
board, gave a review of what the gen.
eral association has accomplished
since the convention of two years ago.
The administration. she said, has
developed to the point where forty
secretaries and special workers, thir-
ty-nine territorial secretaries and an
office force of twenty-five at New
York headquarters carry on the work
in the home field and twenty-one are
employed in foreign lands, making a
total of 122.
The city committee has recommend
ed twenty-five associations and twen-
ty- two buildings, valued at $1.664, 900,
have been erected in the last two
years. Four specialists are at work
on problems of city association, deal
ing with religious, educational, physi-
cal and economic questions. There
are twenty-seven association with or
ganiZed religious departments, with a
gain of 2.1s5 members in Bible classes
over the report of the last convention.
In the educational work, 1888 are en-
rolled in association classes, or 81
per cent of the membership. An eff.
fort has been made to standardiZe
physical training and progress has
been made i'm along this line. A course
OF instruction has been prepared in
first aid to the injured with the co.
operation of the American Red Cross
society. and certificate signed by
the Red Cross and the Y. w. c. A.
national board is now granted to those
passing required examinations. The
specialist in economic work has found
there is need for a higher standard of
light, ventilation less expensive con.
struction and upkeep for housing asso
citation work in the large cities. 1t
has been found that the erection of
boarding houses for women who do not
earn a living wage is practical
Other Branches Of Work.
The student committee has recon.
mended 107 associations, making 2
total of $50, with a membership OF
of $500. Five secretaries and one
specialist are employed by the nation.
al board for work among college girls.
A club for professional nurses has
been organized by the national board
in New York, and a home for them
has been opened. The clubhouse now
shelters twenty-three members and has
waiting list of 144. The club has a
membership of Ais among the nurses
over the United States.
Through its secrtaries. the nation
al board has investigated state, pri
vate, colored and Indian schools. For
/ ty Indian boarding schools have beer
| visited and cooperation has been af
fected with the interdenominationa
Indian committee. Both the United
, States government and the missionar
les are having trouble with the ques
ton of helping Indian girls after they
leave school and return to the reser
vations. and both are looking to the Y
w. c. A. for help.
In Economic Efforts
ue udtIUudl DOdIu SHlplOyS lOul
secretaries in economic work. one fol-
promoting the welfare of girls employ
ed in industries and stores, another tC
reach the girls in mill villages, a third
in developing Y. w. &. A. organiza
| tons in rural districts, and one in Civ
ing attention to immigrant work. A
| beginning in the immigration worl
has been made in New York where &
center has been established. and it i:
hoped that this plan will be extended
to other large cities during the mex
two years.
The national board has made ener
getic effort to develop territorial anC
state committe work throughout the
United States, giving these organiza
tons much help through secretarie.
and literature. There are severa
states that have not taken up the ter
ritorial plan. Illinois, Indiana, Mich
igan and Wisconsin are out of the ter
ritorial fold.
The development of the Y. w. G. A
over the United States has brought
u great demand for competent secre
taries. and a school for training them
is maintained by the national board il
New York. These trained worker!
are needed to make up the staffs o
new associations in cities and to de
velop new departments in old associa
tons