Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-15

In the gymnasium hall Of the central
branch of the local Young Mems Chris
tian Association, public meeting was
held yesterday afternoon to pay tribute to
the founders of the association. S. w.
Woodward, chairman of the association
trustees. was the presiding officer. Ad-
dresses commemorative of the services of
Thomas Duncan, William Chauncey Lang
don and William Jones Rhees, who or
ganized the association in 1859, were pre-
scented by w. H. H. Smith and Henry B.
F. Mcfarland. DR.. Duncan. the only sur
viving member of the group of founders,
made a speech on the early history of the
organization. Patriotic decorations and a
setting of the yelled portraits of the three
founders amid profusion of plants and
flowers added to the beauty of the occa-
sion. Rev. DIR. Greene, pastor of the Cal
vary Baptist Church, conducted the de-
votional exercises, and the Colgate Cleo
Club rendered several selections.
w. H. H. Smith presented the historical
sketch. the events connected with the
founding of the association and some OF
it's subsequent history. and gave short
biographical account of the founders. He
paid tribute to William j. Rhees. the
first secretary of the association, who
decease occurred three years ago. Mr..
Rhees interest in the association extend
ed throughout his lifetime it was stated.
He deposited in the Congressional Lii
brary before his death many valuable
documents relative to the association $
early history, both in Washington and
throughout the world. A pleasing incl
dent at the conclusion of Mr.. Smith S
paper was the presentation of Rhees
Burket, lad of thirteen years, the grand
son of Mr.. Rnees, who was introduced
to the audience. Young Burket attends
the sixth grade at the Pullman School
Work of the Association.
Speaking of 1.-The Association Today"
Mr.. Macfarland said: Nothing we can
say about our association today is dis
paraging to the association of yesterday.
We realize that the association is not liv-
ing up to its opportunities. We recog-
niZe that we are not doing all we can.
However, If not perfect We are justly
proud of our achievements and use this
occasion not as a cause merely of pride,
but as an additional reason for the deep
ening Of our own sense of obligation to
make the most of what we have inherited
from the noble men who have preceded
US.
Il think the National Capital has moth
ing better to present to it's visitors than
its Y. NJ. G. A. Members of Congress,
newspaper men and diplomats from for
eign countries here get their impressions
of what the Y. NJ G. A. stands for. To-
day the sun never sets upon the work
of the Washington association because of
its Twenty urhour-a-day Club
Mr.. Mcfarland cited statistics which
indicated the present strength of the as
ISOLATION to be a central membership of
300. besides a large and growing work
among the men of the car barns, engine
houses and other places where services
are held during the week, and at time
when workers are able to assemble for
fifteen minutes to hear an instructive
talk. Two hundred men are serving on
the volunteer committees of every kind,
and 100 boys were taught to swim in the
boys department. Six hundred and
twenty-eight students have been pursuing
regular courses of study in association
institute during the current year while
nearly IA COO volumes have been circulat-
ed by the branch station of the Public
Library.