Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1912-10-17
Y. N. c. A. BANQUET
Reld%edneSday, Oct. 9, at St. Johns
Church

evening OF last week, and sat at the
y. NJ. c. A. banquet. The occasion OF
the gathering was to meet with leaders
in the y. NJ. {. A. work of this country
and listen to their discussion OF the
work From that meeting all went away
with an incite into the work that is
being left undone in this county, the
great possibilities of the work and de-
termination to lend their efforts and
time that county Y. NJ. {. A. work be
Instituted in Gratiot.
At 90 the gentlemen, among whom
were a number of young men from the
college and high school, sat down to
delightful three course banquet. Rev.
J. Frank Jackson invoked the blessing
OF God and His aid. When the tables
had been cleared, E. {. Moore, as toast
master. arose and explained the pur-
pose of the gathering. The history OF
events leading up to the occasion were
briefly told A few days before, State
Secretary of County y. NJ. {. A. work
met with few of the business men OF
this city in the Office of Francis King
The work OF the County Y. M. {. A.
was outlined at this meeting by Mr.
Rowe and as a result the citizens were
SO strongly impressed that the BAN
Duet was arranged that more might hear
the plans. Mr. Moore said, Shall we
unite in the movement for the benefit
of the boys? That is the great ques-
ton which we are to decide within the
next few days" Q. A. Stanchfeld,
Associate Secretary of the County Y.
NJ. G. A WORK was then introduced.
Mr.. Stanchfeld went directly into his
subject He took the life of the boy
and young man and compared it to the
Niagara river, which flows quietly for
many miles from Lake Ontario, then
comes to the turbulent falls and rapids
and flowing finally again powerfully,
vet quietly, on its way TO the waters
Of Lake Erie The period of mans
life between the years of ~ and %, he
characterized as the turbulent period
fofniStf6H ,;is,s ts.. ans. the process OF the
ing on Then speaking of the county
work Mr. Stanchield said, This is a
movement which aims To supplement the
home, the school and the church in
helping boys during the twelve to TWEEN
ty-hve period. i We combine
the financial resources and the Chris
tian leadership OF the different COM
munites into a county committee which
acts as a supervisory agency" lie eX-
planned that a budget of from $500
TO $4,000 was needed TO carry on the
work and to pay an experienced county
secretary. Leaders are picked in each
community to direct the work and to
help solve the problems. Mr.. Stanch-
field concluded his remarks by telling
of the success of the work in counties
where the organization had been es-
tablshed.
The next speaker to be introduced
was G. L. Rowe State Secretary of
County Work. He gave short his
tory of the department, told of the man
agement over the state and the COM
mittee of the states representative bust
ness men who act as a board of direc-
tors. He said that the many years of
experience in V NJ c. A. work had
taught the leaders that the gymnasium
did not meet the demands to hold the
boys and young men, that through this
period there was needed something to
afford proper expression to their many
activities. The right surroundings were
needed and more emphatically the strong
personalities and trained leadership of
men.
The speaker explained that the boys
and young men Of different ages were
divided into different groups and that
the years of twelve to eighteen were
the most vital He dwelt long upon the
point that the proper way was the form
alton of right character in boys rather
than reformation later. The county or
ganization in Sanilac he said had been
organized only recently, that Charlie
voix county would be visited by the
gentlemen in the near future at the
request of the citizens of that county.
He told briefly of the banquet at Ithaca
on the preceding night and as a result
500 was pledged the following day
with the prospect of raising 81 900
very bright John c. Hicks of St.
Johns was present at the Ithaca ban
quet and enthusiastically endorsed the
plan because of the great success of
the work in Clinton county
When Mr.. Rowe had finished, all
present were deeply impressed with the
work but it was left to +. Z Roberts,
of New York, International Secretary
of the County Y NJ. C. A. Work in
America, to bring out the enthusiasm
>and stir the many present TO action.
He opened his address by stating that