New Britain herald., 1917-03-27
Y.M. t. A. INFLUENCE
 REACHES MANY MEN

Year Ending This Week Shows
 Gain in Religious Work
 At the March meeting of the Y. M. c. A. directors held in the associa- ton building last evening the report or General Secretary c. H. Barnes showed that every department had made large oAinA in the number of men reached by its influence. As tho fiscal year ends with this week MT. Barnes gave . short review of tho work done during that time and it IS particularly gratifying to those interested in the work Of thes asso- ciation to note the amount and uual- ity of religious work done. Attend- ance at meetings of q religious na- ture have practically doubled during the year and this fact alone shows the increased interest that is being taken in this branch of work. The complete report for tho month fol- lows:
 A review of our fiscal year, which ends with this week. shows that every department of the association has made gains in the number of young mon reached by its influence. Par ucularly gratifying to all concerned, IS the amount and quality of the re- ieious work done by the Y. M. c. A.. during the past year. Last year at tAls time the past records in physical. social and educational work had been NKNAAAA& >AA the satisfaction of also surpassing the records made in religious work. The attendance at religious meetings reached s.2oo for this year. ss conn- pared with 4.30o last year-the en- rollment in Bible study classes of 2S6 Is the highest we have had, while the number of young men the asso- ciation has sent into the church and the conversions is 77. as compared with 24 last year.
 Physical Department.
 The past month was the most &C., tive of the season in the physical de- partmest. The physical directors and their committee have conducted basketball league, a bowling league all round athletic contests and have started an indoor baseball league. all in addition to leading 66 gymnasium classes, where the attendance ran to nearly 1.600. The rivalry at all times is keen in the contests, yet the com- petition is always friendly. due in a large measure, to the spirit and in- fiuenoe of tho physical directors. Not only have their personalities attracted many more to the activities of their own department than have been there heretofore, but their influence has ben extended to the other activities Of the association, particularly to the religious work, 50 that the large att tendance in the religious meetings is due, in part, to their co-operation. Instead of having group of men in the religious meetings who are not active in other departments we have had. this year, groups of men rep athletic teams regularly at- tending tho meetings.
 Educational Work.
 The most noteworthy educational class the association has ever con- ducted is the Personal Efficiency Course, which enrolled 204 men. In- terest on the part of the students has never Jagged. An average attend ance of 1S4 has been maintained for 13 weeks. The final lecture was given last Thursday, but so great has been the interest that an Efficiency club has been organized by the mem bers of the class. in which 130 of our men have enrolled. This club will also include members of the two- factory classes. This club will invite prominent manufacturer of the city to give talks on efficiency and will hold its meetings in the Y. M. c. A.
 AS an ,outgrowth to the Efficiency classes, Dr. Katherine Blackford, vocational guidance expert, will give a series of three lectures on ''Ck ar acter Analysis in our gymnasium evenings. during April.
 Prominent lawyers of the city are now giving 8 series of lectures on "Citizenship" to men who are seeking papers.
 Judging by the expressions of sat isfaction that come from the men in these classes. good results have been secured in the drawing. Spanish, memory training and salesmanship classes. From time to time students report advances in salary which have come to them because of their in- creased usefulness gained through study m tne I. M. N' A. "'S'A' soA'OO
 Social Work.
 The last entertainment In our course was Siven ,by '"The Pierces," who entertained a full house most This years course proved to be the best we have had, and at- tracted many friends of tho associa- ton to the building every month. Our own orchestra will give it's an- nual concert next month.
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