The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1918-02-21
BARNES COUNTY Y. M. C. A.

The Young Mems Christian Asso-
citation in recent years has enlarged
it's scope of work to include the
small towns and rural communities.
This part of the plan is known as the
Country Y work and is an entirely
different plan from that of the city
organization where emphasis is put
on buildings and equipment.
In the county work the develop.
ment of leadership the ideals and
benefits Of the Y. NJ. C. A. are brought
to the smallest of rural centers. This
work is new project in this part
Of the west but has been thoroughly
tried and proven elsewhere and the
testimony Of these districts is that it
is Of immeasurable benefit, especially
to the small towns and country points
which were previously overlooked by
the Y. n. C. A.
Barnes county is logical one for
this field of endeavor on account OF
it's intelligent and progressive peo-
pie, it's many small towns and it's
many consolidated schools which are
fast becoming real community Gen.
tiers.
! At meeting held early in the year
an organization was perfected for the
establishment of this work in Barnes
county (the pioneer county of North
Dakota in this field).
This organization, known as the
county committee, has representa-
tives on it's membership list from
many of the country districts and
small towns and it is hoped that even
tually every part of the county will
be reached in this good work.
There is to be an administrative
board whose duty it is to supervise
the activities and one or more secre-
taries will be secured who will visit
all centers entered, help establish the
movement and train the local leaders
in the furnishing of this great project
Throughout the year the secretary
will frequently visit these points es-
tablished, help them in their local
meetings and bring to them the high
ideals and inspiration for which the
Y. M. c.. A. stands.
The officers elected at the organiza-
ton meeting are: Chairman, DR.. F..
L. Wicks; first vice chairman, Mr..
Jesse Taylor of Oriska; second vice
chairman, M. C. James; secretary,
Prof. R. L. Brown; treasurer, Mr.. F.
w. Heidel. The above mentioned off,
GERS together with Mr.. Geo. Butler, Of
Uxbridge, and Mr.. C. o. LANCER, Of
Sanborn, constitute the executive
committee.
The County Y. NJ. C. A., through
the county committee, county secre-
tary and volunteer leaders of group
organizations of young men and boys,
conducts a definite program of ply
steal, educational, religious and serv-
ice activities with regular weekly
meetings.
DR.. Everhard believes in the eff
cheney of county work as shown in his
letter.
Wadsworth, Ohio.
My Dear Mr.. Read: Your letter of
November 26th is just received and
I would be glad to reply at length if
my health and circumstances permit
ted. The weather is bad and l am
away from the Office and think you
will have difficulty in reading what
l do write.
l am convinced that the county
work is the most effective pertaining
to the Y. NJ. c. A. insofar as religious
influence is concerned. If we wish to
cultivate in the minds of young men
the ideals which will lift them higher
and higher and put down the things
that are corrupting, lower and lower,
so as to make the gulf between wider
and wider, you can do t-better in
the rural districts where there are not
so many things to divide the atten-
ton and you know many of the "big
men" in the cities are born and part
ly educated in the village or on farms.
When we organized our county socie-
ty, some of the committees said that
if we proposed Bible study, the boys
would go out through the windows,
but we found it very different. Num-
erous Bible classes were organized
and were we'll attended. I was sur
prised to see how cheerfully boys en-
gagged in Bible study when company
of boys are together for the same
purpose. They are embarrassed in
the presence of their parents or in
church or even in Sabbath schools,
but will be active in an organization
which they manage themselves.
The great difficulty is to have eff
Gent leadership. You have a new set
of young fellows each year; as the
older boys go to college, the city, or
perchance to war. There is no rea-
son why young healthy boys should
not have happy lives, and sports if
they are clean, and develop more ef-
fective lives. The young men in the
rural districts do not need Y. NJ. C.
A. building comfortable hall for
nkk1o<;no ~,,n,,1I kn ho1v%,,1
have written more now than I
thought I would be able to do. Let
me assure you, believe in county Y.
IN. C.. A. work. $3.50
| Very sincerely,
DIR. N. S. Everhard.
FEBRUARY IS THE MONTH
| To start tho innlAho tor