Evening star., 1925-10-25
"Y MEMBERSHIP
/. RULE BROADENED
Non-Church AffiIiates to Get
Voting Privi|ege-Taft, Jr.,
Elected President.

who would subscribe TO stipulated
declaration of faith.
The action was interpreted by prom
inent association men as one of the
most forward steps taken in years,
and predicted that it would broaden
the basi Of active membership so as
to enable many able and upright
leaders TO lend the power of their In
fiuence to the organization, who pre-
viously had been prevented from so
doing by the old membership rules.
The change was effected. however,
only after considerable debate.
The sessions of the convention
We're opened yesterday mcrning with
an address by President Coolidge in
the ballroom of the New Willard Ho-
tel and Will last through today and
tomorrow. Beginning Tuesday. Ses-
Sions of the Nationa! Council Of
Young Mems Christian Associations
Of the United States wi take up ma
tional problems. continuing through
the remainder Of this week.
Taft Elected President.
record was broken by the conven-
tion in electing for its permanent
president the youngest man, 2S years
Of age, ever TO hold the office--Charles
p Taft, ID, attorney. of Cincinnati,
son of former President. now Chief
u
Today there will be no session of the
convention during the forenoon. Sew
eral Y. NJ. c. A. leaders will occupy
pulpits A session this afternoon at
o'clock will include short addresses by
leaders among young men and boys.
Speakers tonight will he Charles P.
Taft, I'd: Francis s. Harmon. assist
ant attorney general Of Mississippi:
f. Wight Bake of Northwestern Uni
= a Pif~h ard
Cleveland of Baltimore
Secretary of Commerce Hoover will
address the convention tomorrow
morning.
Extent of Concession.
Letting down the bars" would be
the wrong term to apply 70 what the
convention did. according to some
leaders. The convention authorized
voting membership to be allowed
any male at least 16 years of age"
who would pay the required fees. who
either belonged to an evangelical
church or who would subscribe TO a
personal declaration of faith.
Action of the convention does not
make it obligatory for all local asso-
Citations to so open their memberships.
hut authorizes them TO do so, if they
desire.
The declaration OF faith. which non
church members may now sign. and
become eligible for membership in the
Y. NJ. e. A. reads as follows: II hereby
declare my faith in God. and my ac-
Ceptance of Jesus Christ as Saviour
and Lord. desire 10 serve Him and
to be His disciple in accordance with
the teachings of the New Testament
and to unite with others in the exten-
sion of the kingdom of Cod The
signatory also declares he is in ac
cord with the purpose of the YIN.
G. A. as outlined in the following:
To lead young men to faith i'll God
through Jesus Christ to promote their
growth into fullness of Christian char
acter. to lead them into active mem
bership in the church of their choice
and to make the extension of the
kingdom of God throughout the world
the governing purpose of their lives"
Limits Upon Membership.
Under the program adopted yester-
day the non-Church voting member
would he given full rights a voting
member. and could hold any office ex-
cept that nt delegate to the interna-
tional convention.
The committees report was sub
ntted by Clyde r. Joy. chairman of
the committee on membership. OPP
position to the report was led by r.
r. Wolf of Kansas City and r. H.
Buck of Dallas, Tex.
The convention was called to order
by Judson G.. Rosebush of Appleton
Wis, and devotional exercises were
conducted by Bishop William F. Nc
Dewell of the Methodist Episcopal
Church. The temporary chairman in
troduced President Coolidge as 1.-The
honorary moderator of the National
council of the Congregational
Churches. the first citizen of the Re
public, the Christian President of the
United States" President Coolidge
praised the motives. purposes and
achievements of the orga nization
avoided controversial political topics.
and declared that the International
work of such organizations was an
effective answer to critics who con
stantly reprove our people and our
Government for an alleged failure to
assist other peoples"
Canadian Is Speaker.
r. F. McWillams of Winnipeg,
chairman of the National Council of
the Y. NJ. c. A. of Canada, explained
the spirit of cooperation between
the "Y' organizations of the two
countries.
- DIR. S. Parkes Cadman. president of
the Federal Council of Churches of
Christ in America, spoke from the
subject The Challenge of Today to
Young Men, He criticized the sup
preston of idellism. which he said
was rampant in the land.
Criticizing the Young women of to-
day, DIR. Cadman said there was more
Of temptation in the way of a young
man now than before. The opposite
sex" said the speaker. has not been
so helpful to him in the last 10 years
az the boys mother was to the young
man of her day" The speaker, how
ever, congratulated the youth of to-
day for its candor.
Elections Are Unanimous.
Following DR.. Cadman, the com
nittee on nominations brought in the
names of Mr.. Taft for president and
J. d. Sutherland of Philadelphia for
secretary of the convention. William
Knowles Cooper of this city reported
for the committee. The elections were
unanimous.
Election of other officers later in the
day resulted as follows: Vice presi-
dents: r. F. McWilliams of Winni-
peg, Canada: W. F. Robertson. Nor
folk; c. Philip Ross. University of
West Virginia; f. +. Malone. ST.
LOUIS arthur JDH1Spn tSOSlon. AS
sistant secretaries, William Gilland-
ers, Oakland, Cafif.; J. r. Thompson
St Paul.
DIR. John r. Mott. general secretary
of the international Committee and
the National Council of the Y NJ. c.
A. S of the United States, reported for
the International Committee to the
convention. DR.. Motifs report con-
tained, in brief. the following recon-
do I he Int