Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-05-11

tiiooS NhO lCcllHC that lllCy .icifG "
deal with a worth while, business
like proposition, which can be easily
sold on it's merits and which requires
no rushing" tactics to be carried
through to a successful finish, the
workers in the $4,000 Development
Campaign of the Augusta Y. nj. c. A.
got away to an official start last eve
| ming at final organization banquet
which was held at the "Y" gym
nasium, although actual work will
| not commence until this morning.
Walter S. Wyman, chairman of
| the executive committee in charge Of
the campaign, who was unable to be
present, sent a telegram to the as
semblage, which was read by vice
| chairman Blaine S. Viles. presiding,
and in which he expressed his belief
that the campaign would be most
successful.
Mr.. Viles in presenting the speak
ers declared that until he and other
! men connected with this campaign
had really gotten into 1t they had not
realized that the Augusta Y. NJ c.
A. was the headquarters for 38 diff
ferent organizations, that it has 1900
! members which is a record through
out the United States for a city of
! the size of Augusta, that it costs less
per member to maintain the local Or
ganization than in any. other "Y' in
Maine, that it's efficient staff has
since 1922 raised its receipts from
$1,000 to $500 a year, or that bowl
ing has taken such an increase that
the receipts which in 1922 amounted
to but $500 have increased to APP
proXimately $4,000 or that the three
alleys now in use are most made
quate to meet the demands made
upon them and three more should be
added to accommodate those who de-
sire to bowl.
| y He then introduced President Mil
| ton o. Dean Of the local organization,
| who declared that the Y. NJ. c. A.
| is one of the most important insti-
| tutionS of the State. He pointed out
! that the boys and girls of the State
! are far more valuable than are the
| biggest crops raised here and that
| the "Y" makes better boys and girls
! by building character Under the
! supervision maintained at the Y NJ
| c. A. the boys and girls as well as
| the men and women have the advan-
! tage of good, wholesome recreation,
| of which bowling is a part and the
graf demand upon the alleys means
! that the addition of three new ones
| will result in additional revenue to
| the institution while the members
have better facilities for enjoying
| themselves.
| Arthur A. Head of Waterville. as
! sociate field secretary of the State
| Y. NJ. G. A., declared that he could
not conceive how any thinking man
| could possibly hold to the idea that
! these things are not necessary or
not good business when he finds that
the proposition has the "okay" of
such men as Walter S. Wyman,
Blaine S. Viles, George Z Macomber
and many others of known business
acumen. He impressed upon the
workers that it is a good business
proposition and that they need not
| feel at all backward in putting it up
| to the public. He stated that with
such an argument as this he had no
need to speak further in justification
| of the campaign, and then went on
| to tell of the great growth of the
| Y. M. C. a. which has been noted in
| the past few years.
| Mr.. Heal said that in the past five
years Bangor has been forced to re-
model their building to accommodate
| the great increase in membership,
Portland is building a new structure,
| Auburn, which when it was built
| was thought to be a. white ele-
plant" has been obliged to build a
| $4,000 addition and throughout the
country this same increase has been
noted. Augusta especially has made
wonderful progress in the past five
years, in increasing it's membership
and increasing it's activities while
reducing the cost of maintenance per
member.
He declared that the work Of the
publicity committee in the present
campaign has been such that it will
make the work of the team members
much easier and that only in the
| $4,000, 600 campaign which was stag
ed in the city of Detroit. Michigan,
did he see anything as good in the
line of advertising.
In concluding he stated that in his
opinion, barring all these other
things, the real acid test of an asso-'
citation is What does the Y. M. c. A.
deliver to the boys This he found
| well answered on the back page of
the folder which has been mailed TO
| many people in this city and in which
several of the boys who are members
of the "Y" have told what 1t mas
done for them. The reason for its
success he said is that the Y. M. Z.
A.. has certain definite Chrlstlan
ideals which it lives up TO ana Whlci,
it inculcates into the minds and
hearts of it's youthful members.
Alton Littlefield, one of the team
captains, and a member of the force
of the Central Maine Power Company
was then called upon to give the
workers a little sales talk. He eX-
planned to them that they must hrst
be "sold" on the project themselves
and then their own conviction would
help them to sell the other fellow.
He impressed upon them that II they
| were not really sold upon it themselves
they would be doing the Y. M. c. A.
favor by withdrawing before the
campaign began. No one withdrew.
He then distributed to the workers
a sales pamphlet which he felt woulo
be of assistance to them in talking
the proposition over with the ones
which they should select to approach.
Secretary Thomas S. Smith ex-
planned to the team members that the
campaign would cover today, We'd
nesday and Thursday and that II
would close Thursday evening. lie
distributed cards from which the
workers chose the cards which bore
the names of those whom they
thought they could best approach and
impressed upon them that they must
only talk with the ones whose names
they hold. thus avoiding duplication