The Wilmington morning star., 1947-03-30

Tho nossibilitv that the Wilmington Young Mems
Christian Association is becoming IN feanty, III wen >
olances at the ratio of adult and %children's memberships
in the local organization.
=" NN BEFORE we give these figures which are available
for anyone who cares 20 take the trouble to look, we
would like to stress the fact that this is not a blast
W. feel that the Wilmington youth organization has
done q fine lob, is doing a fine job, and will continually DO
= fine lob. But, because everything's fine, doesn't mean
there isn't room for Improvement.
Look at the record:
In February 1e47 the total membership in the
YMCA had increased over February, 1916 by a.. Last
February 1910 members were registered ana thls
year 1889 are On the lists. -
Rut. DESPITE this increase, the total membership for
BOYS under II has dropped from 472 in February, 194o to
42O in February, 1947. Loo
has been steady monthly decrease in boys memberships,
although adult memberships have increased; WIN tne
execution Of the boom months OF summer, the increase
and decrease in the respective groups has Deen STEADY
Whether the YMCA directors are catering to older
members because there is more revenue from adults, or
not. is not for this writer to say. 1t seems certain that the
Y would never refuse to admit a boy under the age OF 70
so LONG AS HE HAS THE SIX DOLLARS A YEAR
NECESSARY FOR MEMBERSHIP
But. we respectfully suggest that perhaps there
is more of a concerted drive to gain adult memberships
than there is the younger lads.
For example in the directory, OF Soclai services the
explanation of YMCA services reads something like this:
SERVICES OFFERED FOR BOYS:
Gymnasium, swimming pool, handlcratt room, club
OOuIS. SOC1d dHQ dOI OOhiGs
SERVICES OFFERED FOR MEN:
"Swimming, ~volleyball, basketball, badminton, health
drills, weight lifting, boxing, wrestling"
Now, everyone in the know, realizes the boys also
have basketball, and other facilities than those enuNer-
a:ed, but why doesn't the Y say something about it?
It is of course necessary that older men belong to the
YMCA to augment the source of revenue, and take some
of the burden off the Community Chest. Adults kick IN
with more than twice the money the younger boys must
pay for the membership.
But, and again we suggest for consideration, there
seems to be no reason why the price per boy couldn't
be upped if necessary, and a large scope OF activities
made available to them -. coupled with a little bit less
for the men. This is reasonable because for any boy
under II, the old gent fOOts the bill anyway.
A second idea might be to drop the financial barrier
that, in all honesty, must keep some boys from joining.
Please remember that our one idea here is to stop the de-
crease in children's memberships, and not to level criticism
at the Y.
The importance of this can be fully realized when
the public faces the fact that in North Carolina a boy
is a juvenile when he is under 16, and that any so-called
delinquency that happens over that age cannot be
lawfully called juvenile, although most of today's cases
are termed just that even when the boy is 20 or older.
According to reports now, there is no great fear of
youthful crime wave in New Hanover county, but admitted
ly one of the places to prevent such a thing from occurring
is right in the YMCA.
Therefore, the boys under II are the important
boys. However the YMCA officials decide to handle
the situation is I their business. Whether they cut out
the six dollars annual fee, or raise it along with a drive
for more and more children, is not important.
The important thing is to get more kids into the Y,
and let them take top priority at all times over the elder
brethren. Whether a man pays 800 a year for special
health treatment or not, isn't the reason the YMCA was
organized throughout the nation.
But, what happens to the boys of the community is i'm
portant. And it's the responsibility of the YMCA to make
its halls enclose more boys, and less men, even if the citi-
zens Of Wilmington have to make up the financial differ
ence. They couldn't buy a better commodity.