The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-01-07
THE YOUNG MEMS CHRISTIAN
ASSOCIATION.

in making itself a power in America,
and, we may add, in the world. In
every city, almost in every town, in
the United States, it erects it's costly
buildings and gathers to itself crowds
of patrons and of clients. 1t reaches
into our colonial dependencies-the
Philippine Islands, Porto Rico, the
Panama Canal Zone. Far beyond
lands over which futters the Ameri-
can flag, it has it's social centers, it's
edifices, it's groups of workers. 1t is
in Cuba, in several large cities of
South America; it is in Europe, in
Asia. Immense sums of money are
needed to sustain it in this wonderful
expansion; but those scarcely await
an invitation to rush into it's treas
uries. In rapid diffusion of its agen-
cies, in ambitious plannings, and, we
must add, in efficiency of methods in
practical work, the Young Mems
| Christian Association stands without
parallel among American social in
situations of present times.
An interesting study it were, to ex-
anime in detail the Young Mems
Christian Association in it's opportuni-
ties and in it's methods, and read out
the causes, remote and proximate, of
it's growth and power. Credit would
at once be attributed to America it.
self-frst, to it's genius of organiza-
ton and it's management of projects,
and, next, to it's lavish generosity in
aiding movements believed to be phil
anthropic and humanitarian. In no
other country could the Young Mems
Christian Association have waxed so
rich and strong, as today it looms up
in America. And, then, we should
have to note the opportunity set before
the Association by circumstances in
our modern social organisms. In
cities and industrial centers, the young
men are legion, whom no well-consti-
tuted home, no immediate parental
control, guards from peril or guides to
safety along the pathway of sound
morals and good citizenship. To har-
Dor young men, bring them within
reach of wise counsel, procure to them
innocent recreation seasoned with en-
couragement to Christian manhood,
must be taken as a most needed, a
most praise-worthy work. To work
of this kind thousands of well-meaning
people will contribute promptly and
literally; and thousands of young men
will readily put themselves more or
less under it's protecting wing.
Caring for unprotected youth is a
blessed benevolence, to which none
object, to which many are strongly
drawn. Right here, however, enters
the criticism we feel bound to make
with regard to the Young Mems
Christian Associations criticism
from which in it's present form of or.
ganization and methods it cannot
escape. The Association in organiza
: ton and methods is sectarian-
Protestant. 1t is, in essence and in
fact, what it's authorized sponsors call
it, Evangelical Professionalism. This is
why it is not patronized yet more ex
tensively than it is-why large mum
bers of young men hold themselves
aloof from it's class-rooms and recrea
ton halls; why many, as deeply con
: cerned in the welfare of young meI
as any of their fellow citizens car
ever be, refuse it encouragement anG
pecuniary aid. Worse yet-the Asso
Z citation because of this sectarianism is
, compelled, in the carrying out of its
work, to mis-state before the public
. it's character and calling-let us speaI
: plain words-to mislead and deceive
, In appeals for contributions, in invi
! tations to young men to take advan
; tage of it's Inequalities, the Youns
i, Mems Christian Association is a large
a minded, unsectarian, philanthropic, sc
I cial notwithstanding to affort
! homes to homeless young men, tt
Q guard them from evil, to uplift then
e in morals and good citizenship. T.
:, put it's Evangelical Professionalism int
G the foreground would wondrously re
9 strict the power of the appeals; ant
Il so, for the time being, Evangelical
J. Professionalism is hidden into obscurity
t. This is what happens in continenta
c America; this is what happens, to
yet greater degree, in our colonial de
tendencies and the republics of Sout
America, where Catholicism is dom
nant, where an institution avoWedl
Protestant would be doomed to quic
n failure. To insist only on few recen
q instances: In the Philippine Island!
c in the Panama Zone, in Cuba an
IL Porto Rico, in South America, til
e Association proclaims in loudest tone
,e it's utter unsectarianism, and expresse
le surprise when the single-mindedne
is of it's benevolence is brought int
a. question, when Catholics make oppos
" ton to it on the ground of it's oppos
r. ton to their Catholic faith. In Port
$. Rico, where the Association is col
r fronted by special difficulties on a
T. count of it's sectarianism, it has gon
farther than elsewhere in it's profe
10 sions of large-minded unsectarianisI
as and actually, we are told, has a.
3. mitted Catholics into it's local directo
v ship. But in those professions of u
~ sectarianism is the Association hone
as and truthful? Are not those profe
1e sions as the ruses of olden-time Or
IS clan perfidy before the walls of b
or sieged Troy?
is A strict ruling in the constitute
be of the General Board of Governmel
of the Association is that only Evang
of lical Professionals may be permitted
ill hold Office of any kind in it's directo
nj ships. A few years ago few we
nd intentioned delegates to a Gener
ar Convention StrOVe for the eliminate