The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1918-12-20

Gle already know there has recently
been established in Shiawassee Coun-
ty an organization known as the Shia-
wassee County Committee Young
Mems Christian Associations, for the
purpose of developing the boy and
young man life of the county into well
rounded manhood. The new organiza-
ton has engaged secretary to set
the program to work and to see that
at the earliest possible date, it shall
reach every community in the county
and in some measure influence the
lives of most if not all the boys and
young men with whom it comes in con-
tact.
Everybody knows of the splendid
work, the Y. M. C. A. has done since it
was first organized in London years
ago. They know that of all the or
CARNATIONS dealing exclusively with
men and boys, it has reached and in
fluenced a far larger number than any
other the world has ever known. They
know also that it has spread over the
world until today it is decided fac
tor in the life of practically every
civilized country on the globe. And
better than these things, do they know
of the splendid service that has been
by the Y. during the last
four. years among millions of men,
and that it will go down in history as
one of the big factors in the winning
- L. ptt{ fkAna 20 fhfc fhaf
most people do not know, or at least
have not thought about, and that is
that the Y. M. C. A. is not a building
and that it does not depend for its life
on building. In fact in certain re-
spects experience of late years tends
to show that a building is not only
not necessary but is detriment to
the best and most extensive work.
One large city in michigan that has
q Y. M. C. A. building that cost $780,
300, and in which one of the most sue
,essful constructive programs in the
is being promoted, is quite
seriously regretting that so much mon
~ is tied up in one large building in
stead Of being spread over more ter
.itory, because under the present ar
it is possible to reach only
! very small proportion of the boys
ind young men of the city, whereas
hey could, had the money been ap-
,ortioned differently, have reached so
many more.
A Young Mems Christian Associa-
ion is an association of men or boys
,r both, organized for the betterment
# themselves and of the community
n which they live, and they can best
accomplish this result by putting into
notion program especially adapted
o their particular needs.
The first Y. M. c.. A. work along
'ural or district lines was purely ex-
detrimental in nature and was begun
n Illinois about forty years ago. For
several years the international and
'arious State Committees doubted it's
feasibility and refused to back it with
heir O.. X. The most its promoter
'ould get from them was liberation.
rs time went on however, and methods
we're improven on, it became apparent
hat the program contained several
elements that more centralized work
could not have. Moreover, because of
is ability to thrive without equipment
If any kind the Y. M. C. A. program
vas for the first time being success
fully carried into the rural district,
village, town and small city. From
hen on the rural, or as it is better
known in Y. M. C. A. circles, the
County Work Department has held an
Increasingly prominent place in Inter-
national and State Committee plans.
1t is not the intention to deal at this
lime with more than very brief out
inc of the beginnings of the County
Z. M. c. A. work and to just touch on
is structure. Future articles will give
more in detail the organization, aims,
of operation, agencies used,
together with some of the problems in
The boy life of every community that
t will be the privilege of the new COM
mittee TO try to solve