Arizona republican., 1913-02-02
WHAT IS THE WORK
 OF THE wv. C. X?
Some Features of Its Work in the
 United States.

The Y w C. A. is not a church, | but is the representative of all de- nominations and is organized and equipped to do the institutional work of the churches.
 It is not a reformatory or a rescue mission. though it cOOperates with organizations which do that work. 1t is not a social club though the SO cial feature of its work is one of it's principal activities.
 Then what is the Y. w. C. A? As the name indicates it is young women associating with one another for mu- tual benefit.
 That every girl needs help and can give help was illustrated last year in one association. The girls in a cer- tain fashionable boarding scnOoi de cided to give a days outing in the country to a group of factory girls Invitations were issued and when the day came the factory girls demon strated to the entire satisfaction of their hostesses what d day away from the noisy city and the monotony of the factory mean to them The boarding school girls were surprised.
 
 invitation from these women in in- dustry'' to be their guests at the factory and it is the testimony of the principal of that school that her girls received more real pleasure and benefit than thoy gave.
 The Y. w C. A is constructive and preventive agency which minis ters to the needs of girls along the line of their four-rold nature. To i the girl who says: "I want safe 1 place to board" the association an 1 swers that 150,000 self supporting 1 girls were housed last year in self l supporting homes. Another girl says: 1 Fl can't pay much for my lunch, but l want a restful place" The records | for last year show nearly 100000 1 lunches were served in association i cafetcrias. Some one else pleads for 1 exercise and says she can't leave the city to get it. Nearly 39O0O girls used the gymnasiums and swimming pools last year But there are other things which q girl craves aside from the physical comforts. She says, for | example ''I had to stop school too soon. where can I study in the even | ings? There were more than l5,OOO enrolled last year in general educa- tional classes A young husband of- fered one associati q contribution for the department of domestic science. explaining that his wife had been q member of the brides class in cooking and he appreciated the re- suits.
 Does the association do anything for it's members socially, is asked More than 36o,O00 girls attended , wholesome association frolics last year, not to mention hiking trips weekend visits to the vacation homes out of the city, and the 10.00' who spent two weeks in the summel camps
 But another girl says. T want tC know what Christianity can do foI me seven days in the week. oV@I 3OOOO were registered in Bible stud! last year, attempting 10 appE ! Christianity to their daily lives. These various activities are pro noted by two groups of helpers; tn volunteer workers and the salarle' ] officers. The volunteer worker is tn ! so-called woman of leisure who T l q resident in the city and is there ! fore the permanent factor She hold ] office and is the final authority. m { salared officer is the secretary W' has been especially trained for tn
 kind of work by reason of which sh can give expert advice and Is tn 1 leader the association. Her rela
 ton to the board of directors i somewhat the same as that of su perintendent of schools to his schoo J board or q minister to his offlcla
 board
 In the United states, according |
 the last annual report there were S'
 associations in the national organlZl
 tion. Of this number over 200 ar
 in cities. The others are in college
 and universities.
 The money to finance this Wor
 comes largely from the women. 1he
 do not consider it charity any mor
 than q gift to q church. college D
 T public library is charity. StatiS
 tics show that for the first year tn
 Y. w. c. A. is usually fifty per cen
 self supporting. increasing to seven
 ty-five per cent or more as the as
 soclation grows.
 Does Phoenix need such an asso
 citation? Can this city afford to q
 less for it's young Womanhood tha
 other cities are doing?
 If you are interested come to IT
 mass meeting for girls at the w.
 IT T.. Tuesday evening, February
 at 7:3O to hear what the girls then
 selves think about it. Then alter
 the mass meeting for women at tt
 city hall Thursday afternoon. Febr'
 ary 6. at 2:3O. Though both the
 meetings are intended especially f
 girls and women. men will be ma' | aithar