The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-11-17
"" CONVENTION
AT DETROIT
Delegates Coming From All
Parts Of U. S. and
Canada.

1
convention of the International Young
Mems Christian Associations Of North
| America will be held in Detroit from
| November 18th to November % in
elusive. The sessions will be held in
the Arena Gardens on Woodward
Avenue and will be attended by del
egates representing the hundreds Of
local Associations throughout the
| United States and Canada
The convention will be devoted
| way with large questions OF policy.
Some Indication of the lines of&ac-
ton to be taken is indicated by the
fact that three special commissions
have been appointed, one on the
Conservation of the values of the
War Work" the second on the Re
lation of the Y. M. G. A. to the
Churches" and the other on the Zoe
cupation of the Field"
All of the commissions include in
their membership men prominent in
various lines of business and in the
professions. The first named is
headed by Joseph Y. Alling of Roch-
ester of the firm of Alling and Corey,
paper manufacturers. The second
commission has for its chairman, w.
Douglas Mackenzie of Hartford,
Connecticut, the president of Hart
ford Theological Seminary. The com
mission on the Occupation OF the
Field" is under the Craftsmanship or
l.. A. Crossett, of Boston, the shoe
manufacturer, who served as spe-
cial commissioner Of the War work
Council of the Y. M. G. A. to France
in 1917. Associated with Mr.. Crossett
as vice chairman of the commission
is Cyrus H. Mccormick of Chicago.
the president of the International
Harvester Company.
DR.. John r. Mott, general secretary
of the International Committee OF \.
NJ. c. A. Associations, regards this con-
vention as the most important in the
annals of the Association.
In all the history of the Young
Mems Christian Association, through
out its three quarters Of century.
there never has been held an assem-
bly, presenting SO many issues OF
first-rate and urgent Importance" Dr..
Mott writes in an appeal for the at
tendance of the leading laymen OF
the Evangelical laymen at the con-
vention Nothing short of the best
thought and concerted action Of the
wisest, most trusted and influential
laymen of all the evangelical forces
of North America will suffice"
Some of the questions to be brought
before the convention through the In
ternational Committee and the com
missions already appointed are:
How to assimlate back into all that |
is best in American and Canadian life
the 100000 young men, who recent
ly. served in the American Army |
and Navy and the $1,000 who consti- |
tuted the Canadian Army?
How to stabilize the many millions |
of men in industry now surging with |
discomfort?
How TO satisfy the new aspirations |
of the young men of rural communi- |
ties, who through the war have been |
brought more fully into touch with |
the currents of the life of the world? |
Racial problems Of North America |
will also be considered. Methods will !
be discussed to make the ministry of |
the city Associations more truly com
munity- wide.
The redefinition of the field and the }
reassertion of the distinctive mission |
of the Association in the light OF the |
rise of new agencies both secular and |
religious, so as to avoid friction, I'M
wise duplication of effort and waste
in financial expenditure, will be an
other matter which will claim the !
attention of the convention.
The extension of the work of the
Association. and the methods of meet
ing the unsought, unexpected and I'M
paralleled opportunities in the Allied |
Nations, the recently liberated and |
the newly created nations, especial
ly those in the Near East. will be
planned and discussed together with
the development of the work in virtu-
ally every field of Asia, Africa, and
Latin America, where the Association
is already established.