Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-02-22
CONVENTION Of IOWA Y.M.C.A.
OPENS IN THIS CITY TODAY

OF opportunity includes the boys ant
young men of all communities of 400
population and less, as we'll as those il
open country There are sixty-fv'
thousand such communities will
twelve million boys and young men il
the United States and Canada, wht
will be greatly benefited by the rura
work. II will be possible to organize
no less than $500 counties
Responsibility Is Unlimited.
The responsibility for the extension
of this work Is not limited to our owT
continent but is already being request
ed in foreign countries. In India
where the first county secretary has
gone recently, and nine-tenths of the
people are in the rural communities
including thirty-seven million boys and
young men in seven hundred and
twenty-eight thousand communities
China, Japan and Corea offer similar
opportunities for service.
! The idea of country federation is in
| creas.ng in Importance. The work
county unity and soliditary which is
frequently so sadly lacking. The
traditions and customs Of a county are
frequently similar, making the counay
a natural division. The geographical
features and transportation lines are,
frequently, contributory to county
unity. The binding together in coun-
ty organization of the resources of
men and money increases strength and
ficiency This is particularly true in
association work, because Of the ex-
IRENE difficulties so frequently en-
countered in smaller towns. 1t has
been practically impossible to organ
ize single associations in the open
country without the close supervision
provided by the unified effort through
a county. BY uniting all the forces,
the strong help to carry the weak.
The larger towns with their greater
financial strength are able to repay In
part. some of the obligation they owe
to the smaller communities who have
constantly been sending the best of
their young manhood into the towns,
thus, making large contributions to the
strength of the town and city churches.
A Laymen's Movement.
The county work is essentially lay
mems movement, insists upon a maxi
mum of volunteer workers and mini
mum of employed supervision. A
score of the leading representative
Christian laymen of a county serve as a
county committee for the organization
and supervision of the work through
out the county. They employ an ex-
ecutive officer or field agent known as
the county secretary who works with
the county committee in the organiza-
ton of associations in each town, vii
lage, hamlet and open country COM
munity where leader cam be enlisted
and small nucleus of boys or young
men interested.
The greatest service rendered by
the county secretary is the discovery,
enlistment, training and cooperation
with the local volunteer leaders. Ere
quently, single county will have from
fifteen to twenty separate associa-
lions reaching in all some six hun
dred to- one thousand young fellows
through their varied activities. Each
association adapts its work through
the different groups, to the needs of
the boys and men of their own locality.
Each organized county has the direct
cooperation and assistance of a state
county work committee and secretary,
who, in addition to the general super
vision in the organized counties, ex-
tend the work throughout the state
county by county as rapidly as the
work can be established. twenty-five
states now have committees which are
promoting the work along these lines.
There are over six hundred associa-
lions in seventy organized counties in
teresting twenty-five thousand boys
and young men in better things
Shumaker Points the Way.
Karl Shumaker, whose sincerity in
the religious side of association work,
seems to exude from every inch of his
six feet of humanity, set out definite
program to follow If good work was to
be done by Y. NJ. G. AS He began
with the basic principle Of the asso-
citation, which he described as follows:
"The Young Mems Christian asso-
citation seeks to- unite those young
men, who regarding Jesus Christ as
their God and savior according to holy
scripture desire to be his disciples in
t. cir doctrine and In their daily life
to associate their efforts for the extern
sion of his kingdom among young
men," @.. -
Mr.. Shumaker then elaborated along
this line, pointing out three depart
ments of work to perform. In refer
ring to the opportunity Of doing def
mite work, Mr.. Shumaker said that the
association was established by the
church to meet the needs that the
church can not reach.
"The association has the equipment"
said he. Eighty million of dollars
have been invested in buildings. 1t
has the contact with men, not only
through it's physical and intellectual
and social side of mans life, but con-
tact with the spiritual side as well. 1t
has contact with more different classes
Of men than any other organization. It
has the confidence of men. Unduoubt-
eddy there is no other organization
commanding the same degree OF
thought and time and money of men,"
Enumerates the Weaknesses.
But Mr.. Shumaker did not overlook
the weaknesses of the association. He
divided these in three sections as
follows:
First-Too much assertion and not
enough demonstration. Too many