The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1918-08-01
COUNTY Y.M.C.A. ENTERS SOUTH
BY John r. Smith

BY John r. Smith
In the latter part Of last Feb
ruary, an international secretary
of the Y.MC.A. entered the Office at
Nashville and began laying plans
to launch the county Y.M.C.A. work
in every state in the South. BY
the first of December, next, il is
expected that eight states will have
general secretaries at work organ
ling the entire states, county by
county.
10 is all part of a great program
which the American YMC.A. has
planned which is being extended to
include. not only the South and the
United states, but Canada. Hawaii
Russia, Australia, New Zealand.
India. the South American re-
publics and other countries of the
world. It is a part Of a great vision
of the Kingdom upon the earth,
which John r. Mott and his scores
of able co-workers are transform
ing into a reality.
The plan of the county work is
very simple. An experienced man
is put in charge Of a state. He
spots a good man here and there.
who takes charge of county. This
man works with the churches. the
farmers clubs. the civic and edu-
cational groups, with all the other
worthy social organizations, works
among the people to bring the King
dom a little nearer. His entire
program is based upon the funda-
mental principles Of the social gos-
pei of Jesus. He is non-sectarian
in his habits. and looks with equal
favor upon all worthy Christian |
bodies. He applies the spiritual
cement that brings into closer re-
lationship, many organizations that
from their nature are not funda-
mentally religious.
But to come back to the South.
The first training school fer county |
men ever held in the South has
just closed. People came together
at Blue Ridge from Virginia. the
Carolinas, Kentucky, Florida, Ten
nessee, Ohio. Kansas. Mississippi and |
Arkansas. The technical organiza-
ton of the work and the social and
economic conditions of the South /
were discussed by leaders familiar
with their subjects. An hour Of
each day was spent in special Bible /
study with expert teachers. Every /
effort was made to give the new !
men the proper point of view. From
the school, they went out to take |
charge of the work on the field, !
where they will be heard from in
more definite fashion, later on.
The work in the South will grow.
Men are needed for this as for every
other branch of social service.
Only strong. capable men are wanted +
men with strong faith in Jesus
Christ and their fellow men, men
with spiritual horizon as broad as
the entire land. Special depart
ments will doubtless be organized
in the near future. Sooner or later,
a man will perhaps be in charge of
the mountain field, another of the
Negro work, another will have to
hunt among the faculties and class
rooms Of Southern colleges for
county and state secretaries. In
stitutes must be held at various
places TO train workers, and n
special training school, running
much of the year, is not far distant
The time is ripe, the field is ready,
the International Committee is be-
hind the work, workers are taking
hold rapidly and results will come.
II is all for bringing the Kingdom
little earlier in the Southern
states, and every man and woman
in the Southland should rejoice i'm
the coming of this new force for
social righteousness and should sup
port it in every possible way.