The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-05-10
IIIisfonlI l7olps|
|Exfensiue Scope b lloErF
|ii1 Eaii1171onf and EzseUhere
Club Rooms and Circulating
Library Here Proving
Popular.

8& Fifty years ago LueHSsl i" DIS Lid q
gurated a prayer circle movement
among young women which adopt
ed the name Of Young Woman s
Christian, Association and which
had. a Membership Of less than
100. Today its mem bership Is
$4,000 and the sun never sets on
its branches.
When women and girls began to
leave their homes in large NUM-
bers to seek employment. the Y.
w. C. "A. made its first real effort
outside religious education in pro-
viding these women and girls with
the protection of a good home and
proper food Its homemekinS
facilities will always be important
features Of Y. w. G. A. work. AT
present homes are provided in
practically every large city in the
United States and additional
rooms are recommended after in
vestigation. AS for food supplying
facilities. they have grown beyond
the widest dreams of the first
cafeteria directors-16 900 meals
were served in the ESQ Y. w. c. A.
cafeterias last year.
With the enormous growth of
industry and the consequently
increasing number of young en-
ployed girls, the Y. w c. A has
opened an educational department
to supplement .educations that
have of necessity been all too
meagre in many instances. And
the need of being physically fit
required the extension of it's ac-
tivities to gymnasium, swimming
pool and summer camps for a
''healthy mind in healthy body
is a well known truth.
With the increase in immigra-
ton from foreign countries to our
shores the Wv. C. a. realizing its
responsibility toward these timid
strangers, has organized branches
in the big foreign centers of our
country as we'll as in the lands
from which they come, to care for.
them and to teach them American
ways of living and thinking. Now
girl coming from any one of
twenty-four countries which have
their own national organizations,
can receive advice before she
leaves home, can be met and help
ed at various stages of her journey.
and can be sure of welcome
when she lands here. More and
more work is developing among
students in colleges and among
negro and Indian girls.
During this same time foreign
work was in the process of devel-
opment, following the lines of
growth in the United States. In
the first place, the Y. ~ G. "A.
went into China. Japan and India
to supplement the work of the.
churches and missionaries, in in
terpreting their teachings in terms
Of practical everyday living OF the
girls and women. Now there are
over two hundred secretaries,
American, British and native.
Such progress has been made that
recently a physical training school
was opened in China, the country
of those pitiful bound-up feet.
Conferences similar to Oberlin and
Geneva are held in all three of
those countries and it would seem
good start toward achieving a
world fellowship of girls.
The local Y. w. c. a., which has
only. Deen In existence uVeH months,
has already made many contribu-
tons toward the welfare of the
community:
The rooms registry bureau has
found rooms for twenty-sewen
girls.
There are sixty juniors and
thirty seniors enrolled in the re-
creation classes.
The $50 books in the circulating
library are being used by los
people, and 4,775 people have
used the club rooms
Fifteen committees and club
organizations meet in the building
regularly.
To continue this work. a mem
bership drive will be waged the
latter part of this week, beginning
Thursday, and the board of direc-
tors feels confiden that the public
spirited people of the city will
meet the appeal generously and
promptly.