Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-02

The Washington Young Mems Christian
Association is just opening, campaign for
the purpose of securing
Memorial funds with which to build
an addition to its present
KlanAcu. quarters. This extension
is to be known as the Sleman memorial.
after John B. Sleman. jr., for many years
actively connected with the association.
The site, already purchased, is at the
corner of 18th and G streets adjacent to
the central association building. The
structure will be six stories in height and
will contain a large auditorium
1t was just sixty years ago the 9th of
this month THAI the Y. NJ. C. A. was or
Chauncey Langdon, William ]. Rhees and
the Rev. Thomas Duncan. then young
government clerks, met in small bed
room Of a boarding house on between
18th and 18th streets on a spring evening
A clipping from London paper was read
by Mr.. Duncan telling of the Organiza-
ton and success of q body there known
as the Young Mems Christian Assocla.
ton and of it's objects and influence
That item raised the question. why not
Y. NJ. c. A. in America as we'll as Eng
deeply, with the result that the following
notice appeared in the National intel
ligencer June g. 1852:
1.-The young men of the different Protes-
tant denominations in this city and all
those interested in the object proposed
are earnestly requested to meet at the
Masonic Hall. corner of 10th and r
streets. at 8 o'clock this evening. to take
into consideration plan for organizing
Young Mems Christian Association
tive CtyfN
persons answering the call. and each
promising hearty cooperation. Judge T.
J. Johnston was elected chairman and w.
c.. Langdon, secretary, while commlt-
tee was appointed to draft constitution
and bylaws. At a later meeting the
same month the constitution and bylaws
were adopted. while the membership
reached almost 100.
The records of the association were de-
stroyed by fire several years ago. but
memoranda remain showing that the first
twelve members who set their names to
the constitution were Thomas Duncan, w.
c. Langdon. John C. Whitwell. ]. T.
Cochran, A. G. Carothers. Zalmon Rich
William J. Rhees. c. W. Schreiner. A.
B. Johnson and William FIVE. At meet
ing held in July the officers elected were
A. II. Lawrence, president; W. Rhees,
recording secretary: w. c. Langdon, cor
responding secretary, and NJ. II. Miller.
nominated represented the Baptist, Meth
odist and Presbyterian denominations.
During the first six months of the ex-
istence of the Y. M. C. A. the expenses
amounted to only $373.O9
Extension all services being volun-
-. tary In 1853 DIR. c. NJ
0edAsSu. Butler attended the ami
versary celebration of the original Y. NJ
c. A. in London, and returned with valu-
able suggestions for improvement in the
local body. In December the city was
divided into sections. each section being
in charge Of a member of the board OF
managers, while early the following year
plans were made for more detailed divl-
sion of the objects of the association, and
the fifteen different departments which
then constituted the organization were put
under the direction of separate heads and
assistants.
During the civil war tracts were dis
tributed at least once a week to the
soldiers quartered in Washington, while
the Rev. 0. p Pitcher was employed as
q special missionary to visit the soldiers
AS a result Of a conference with the New
York association a Christian commission
tiers in the Post Office Department. Dur
ing the remainder Of the war the work Of
the association here was largely done
through the commission which worked
among the soldiers. In 1862 the associa-
ton distributed nearly 2OOO,OO0 pages of
tracts and religious literature, over d.
coo copies Of the Scriptures in five
languages, made over LOO visits and held
nearly 1900 services in the District OF
Columbia and vicinity
~ t1,A not q a
building at the corner of 9th and D streets,
and the corner stone was laid November
o. with great ceremony The following
year the first general secretary OF the as
ISOLATION. the Rev. George A. Hall. was
employed. On the same date, also, the
first number Of paper named the Young
Mems Christian Association was issued.
In May, 1869, the new building was COM
pleted and was formally opened with ap-
propriate exercises.
Under Mr. Halls term as general secre-
tary. the foundations were laid by the as
ISOLATION for what eventually became the
Associated Charities, the Central Union
Mission and the Young Women's Chris
tan Association. In 1872 the first train
ing class work was commenced. In jan
uary, 1879. the first Of the educational
classes was formed and the first regular
weekly publication of the association was
issued In 1880, becoming involved in
financial difficulties, the association was
evicted from the building it had occupied
for nearly ten years. although through no
fault of its own. In 1881 Theodore A.
Harding then general secretary, entered
upon an active campaign to obtain a
suitable building for the association. and
the following year the organization took
up it's quarters on New York avenue be-
tween 14th and 18th streets: 1884 saw the
opening OF the new gymnasium, which
became one of the most popular and use
full adjuncts of the association work
Seven years later. in 1891, the project for
outdoor athletics was approved by the
board of managers and an athletic park
was leased for four years.
The darkest days of the association
came In 1895. when the building then oc-
cupied by the organization.
Fire of with all it's contents, was
90. burned. Although a great
Ao00. setback, work was Immediate
Nv begun to secure another building, while
the religious meetings. then grown to
great Importance, were held in the Foun-
dry Church, and the athletic work carried
on in the Washington Light Infantry
Corps gymnasium. That same year, too.
the association was again cast into gloom,
this time through the death Of James f.
Pugh. Mr.. Pugh had been the general
secretary. and 1t was he who had car
ried on the energetic campaign following
the fire. His death. also. was largely due
to overwork and anxiety in connection