The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1913-03-18
Y. M. G. A. NOTES
AND EDUCATION

In the first items of this column
mention was made OF the Y NJ c. A.
educational department. its organiza-
ton, equipment for work. and It's gen.
eral lines Of educational endeavor To-
day 1t Is our desire to point out some
OF thes pecifc things the school stands
for and what 1t Is actually accom-
plishing.
1t is generally conceded that the
Young Mems Christian association as
an institution. was the first In the field
in this country with a scheme of In
dustrial training that at once met with
public response. Young men were en-
rolled by the thousands in the insti-
tuition throughout the length and
breadth Of the land who were perfect
ly willing to work. In fact who want
ed to work. but who found Che doors
closed to them in everything except
common. unskilled toilers. Now.
neither the Y. NJ. C. A. or any other
self-respecting institution has word
to say against the unskilled. Such
men are an absolute necessity today
more than at any other period of his
tory, but the Y NJ. c. A. shares the
opinion and conscience of every other
human agency that has the making of
a better manhood In it's keeping, viz
to assist ambitious men to go ahead
in wages and opportunity rapidly as
| possible. The reason for this rests pri-
marily upon a materialistic basis. for
| 1t is quite generally the opinion that
| the means whereby a better living is
made mer-s better life as result
| The Y. NJ. c. A. entered the voca-
| tional field. therefore. several years
ago. and the remarkable record 1t made
4 NJ
/ c. A. that ample provision should be
made for giving the right kind of edu-
cational work to the men of the COM
| munity-men who are coming into the
Calumet region by the thousands ev
cry year, the rank and file of whom
| are not prepared for anything except
unskilled occupation. 1t is the belief
OF those having the work in charge in
| the Y. VI. c. A. in Gary that by work
/ ing in conjunction with other educa-
j tional agencies. experimenting their
work and assisting in guiding 1t along
right lines that the sum total of the
| educational efficiency will be greatly
increased.
This ts the reason that the Y. NJ c.
/ A. In Gary is purely a technical school
II a man wants the cultural studies
he can go to the public schools at night
4 for them, as he can for technical train
ing also. But because most men pre-
fer to keep away from children. the
i NJ c. A. technical classes appeal tc
4 them In a peculiar way. Every one
j who enrolls In the Y NJ. C. A classes
therefore is Just an additional stu
dent who is receiving help. for hi
would not go to the public school un-
der conditions such as must necessari
ly exist there.
The tuition rates are put at figure
that will not shut out any man WHIT
is really DESTROYS of Improving hi,
condition. The cost for entire
years work is not as much as thu
writer had to pay in street car fare II
! going to and from the university dur
ing the time he was there. The bis
} advantage. however. is the provision
for permitting the man to continue al
a wage Garner, while at the same TIM
receiving the very best instruction
during such hours as he may cleo
when of duty. To be sure 1t some
times works little hardship. bu
! what pray, does not that is worth hav
ing? Thousands of young men are en-
during hardships OF the most aggra
waited character today in working thei
: way through high school or college
They will be all the better men late
on In life because OF 1t. That is fact
The man has but little appreciation o
those things that are given to him.
is the things we work for and strug
gle to attain that develop appreciation
solid manhood and self-respect Henc
1t is that the Y. NJ. c. A. closes it
ears to the merely sentimental or,