The Bridgeport times and evening farmer. (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1918-1924, 1921-06-18
Rest And Study Future Plan OF Retiring NJ CA. Head
After Thirty-two Years
of UnbrOken Service
Mr.. Lacy Will Take
Long Vacation
BY ELIDA BEDELL.

After sixteen years in 7. NJ.
c. A. work in Bridgeport, as
general secretary, w. Seymour
Lacy, a man who has given I'M
sparingly of his time and en-
ergies to the work nearest to
his heart, will resign on July
first.
What am I planning to do?
Why, rest; rest and study. l
expect to stay in Bridgeport,
with the exception of OCCASION
al visits out Of town, but l shall
have my first opportunity in 80
years Of work to call my time
my own, to do with it what |
wish, and l am planning to
make the most of the opportun-
ity," said Mr.. Lacy, recently,
in the first interview accorded
to a newspaper representative
since the news of his resigna-
ton was made public.
Later on, continued Mr..
Lacy, L may decide on Just
what l am going to do. Right
now I can think of nothing else
but rest and study, serious
study, both Of which I feel I
need"
Active in Drives.
It is hardly necessary to write
about Mr. I4acy's activities. Every
body knows of the tremendous work
he has done to make the Bridgeport
Y NJ. G. A one of the leading insti-
buttons of its kind in the country.
Its educational, industrial and recre-
auonal departments-alI of these
have always had the support of Mr.
Lacy, and he has stood firmly behind
any project that would add to the
glory and prestige of this splendid
institution
Nor have his efforts been confined
to this work alone. He has always
given freely of his energies to any
work for public betterment, witness
the various drives during the war,
which held Bridgeport up as a model
to other cities, and larger ones, too.
throughout the country.
Secretary Invented Plan.
An interesting fact about these
drives was given by Mr.. Lacy. The
first person to evolve the idea of an
efficiency drive to take the place of
the Old-fashioned and often long
drawn-out subscription affair was a
Y: M. c. A. secretary named Charles
Ward
His idea was first put into prac-
tee more than % years ago, when a
new 7. NJ. c. A. building was needed
in the city in which he was station
ed. Tt was first timed to run for
so days, and was eminently success |
-ul- With its success, Mr.. Ward be- |
gan to refine the idea, and to shorten |
he time, at first to 80 days, then to |
L week
The plan was so well Thought of
hat financial syndicates adopted it.
md are still using it, charging exor-
'itant fees, in many cases, for the
service.
Mr. Ward handled the campaign
n New York for new Y. NJ. and Y. w.
=. A expenses and succeeded in rails
ng between three and four million
dollars for the project
All this. of course, was before the
var. Henry Dawson, later head of
he National Red Cross, was then
part of Mr.. Wards personnel and
When the war broke out, and Presi-
or funds for the Red Cross, Mr.. Da-
ison naturally turned, to Mr.. Ward,
nd the work was done through the
z. NJ. c. AS all over the country.
Mr.. Lacy was in charge of the Con-
ecticut campaign and came into
plendid prominence through the re-
ord that the state made in this mucn
eeded campaign.
After that, Mr.. Iacy's life was just
ne campaign after another. He was
allied upon from all quarters, and
is aid was never refused.
Helped the x. of C.'s
Particularly notable was the help |
e gave to the knights of Columbus