The Wilmington morning star., 1947-05-04
1889 MEMBERS
NOW USING ~
BY ADAM SMITH
Y Physical Ed. Director

(I1t Jo1AAo 4ACu :
christian Association. An appli.
oation blank is filled in, fees are
aaid and membership cards are
Issued. There are enrolled in the
vNCA 1889 members. There are
roombers 10 years of age and a
fow in the sixties. That's what
roioht be called the membership
range of the organization.
breakdown Of the membership
elbows that there are boys between
the ages of 10 and 17-young men
between the ages of II and "a,
snd-men over "a years of age in
the membership. Boys and young
men do predominate.
Some join to use tn various
,rivileges of the association; some
ioin because they believe in the
n,rpose and program of the
yMCA; some continue in member
chin because they want to con-
4inue a relationship with the DR.
a.nization that meant So much to
t1om in days that are passed.
Crhers Join because they want to
W. . part of an institution that
is serving the community so well
md believe it or not, there are
hose who join that they might
serve; give of their time and
talents and help carry the load Of
the association.
Membership in the YMCA is
basic. 1t gives a good foundation
fo. the association structure. Some
n,ioht argue that the YMCA is a
christian fellowship before it is a
membership organization. It is
both Certainly when the Whining
ton YMCA was organized, it was
Christian fellowship that drew
Tho organizers together and from
that day, back in 1883, until to-
dav the fellowship, the purpose,
The spirit of the organization make
nossible an institution whose or
s~anizational set-up swings about a
n.id membership. There are
1497, 1893 members in. the YMCA's
in the United States.
Some years ago h Common
,naal+h established an Resistance
fund to help mothers maintain a
home and family unit when the
father, through death or other
cause. was removed as a support
ing factor in that home. The "Y'
earlv discovered that the use of
worth boy memberships by the
hovs of these families was a help
mi supplement- to this family sltu-
alton. Two brother came to the
Y A a result of the cooperative
arrangement between tn "Y"
ard the mothers assistance fund.
They found the ''Y" u "secona
home" Camp to them was not
onlv a place of many activities,
but also the place where you had
something different to eat every
meal. A trip to another town, with
a "Y' athletic team a their
first time to see the mountains.
But greater than any experience
was the discovery and develop
ment in one of the boys, of a
great physical skill. The skill was
to open a world OF opportunities,
which might have forever re-
NAMED locked or unknown to this
bow. 1t meant recognition; it
meant an opportunity for edu-
cation in one of the nations lead
ing universities.
This young man will yet have
To prove himself, but the oppor-
tunitv for training, education and
service have been opened in a ma
jestic way, all because there I
organizations and community
agencies quietly cooperating in be-
half of boys and young men VINO
need to be helped.
Youth today moulds tomorroW's
world.
The Wilmington YMCA have
more than 60 young men and BUSH
ness men, who are interested IN
the purpose and program of the
YMCA who are giving up some
Of their time to enroll their friends
and associates, in the YMCA
membership.