YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION

In the office of the mayor of Flint on May 9, 1913, there was held a meeting of a few men to consider the advisability of raising a fund in Flint for the erection and equipping of a Young Men's Christian Association. building. This meeting was called at the suggestion of L. E. Buell, state secretary of the Young Men's Christian Association of Michigan. Present besides Mr. Buell were D. D. Aitken, C. S. Mott, C. M. Greenway, L. H. Bridgman, C. H. Bonbright and J. A. Van Dis, the latter being at that time boys' work secretary of the associations of Michigan. A further suggestion by Mr. Buell was that the men mentioned herewith should act as an executive committee to take up preliminary work of organizing a campaign and to present to the people of Flint for their approval the matter of raising a fund for the purpose already stated. C. S. Mott was elected chairman, C. H. Bonbright, secretary, and D. D. Aitken, treasurer of the committee.

The committee spent much time in preliminary study and it was decided to formulate an organization for the campaign and to arrange for a banquet to be attended by men of the city and to present the proposition of inaugurating a campaign of the business men's committee, Floyd A. Allen, chairman of the factory men's committee, F. A. Aldrich, D. T. Stone and F. G. Evatt, members of committee on banquet. A. E. Raab, J. H. Bamberg and Nelson Webster were appointed a committee to have charge of the presentation of the subject in the churches, and John L. Pierce was made chairman of the committee on headquarters.

The banquet was held on the Masonic Temple on June 17, 1913, and was attended by about three hundred business men who agreed to adopt the suggestion of the executive committee that one hundred thousand dollars be raised. These men, for the most part , were divided into teams under the general committee already mentioned, and in the seven-day campaign about one hundred and eleven thousand dollars was subscribed.

On July 19, 1913, a meeting of the executive committee was held and, at the suggestion of the state organization of the Young Men's Christian Association, a resolution was adopted that application should be made to the secretary of state for an organization to be known as the Young Men's Christina Association of Flint, and that the executive committee act as directors for the first year. It was also adopted that the purpose of the new association would be to develop character and usefulness of its members and to improve spiritual, moral, mental and physical conditions of young men.

After the funds had been raised for the building, plans were secured for the structure and a site at Nos. 218-20 East Kearsley street was selected for the building. On the recommendation of the state committee, Shattuck & Hussey, of Chicago, were employed as architects for the building.

When the campaign was inaugurated the plan was to erect a building three stories in height, but the committee, after very careful consideration, foreseeing the great growth of the city and the demand for homes for young men, decided to build an additional story, and thus provide thirty-five more rooms than originally planned. This was done at an additional expense of fourteen thousand dollars, but it has proved an excellent investment which aids substantially in paying the operating cost of the association. the building, as already mentioned, has four stories in addition to a very fine basement, and is one of the most attractive structures of the city. It has all of the appointments of a modern association building.

On account of the usual shrinking in the pledges and the expense of the additional story of the building, a second campaign was held in June, 1915, when a fund of more than ten thousand dollars was subscribed. The entire indebtedness on all the property, valued at one hundred and twenty thousand dollars, is now about seven thousand dollars.

The building was opened on December 16, 1914, with a series of receptions covering four days and during this opening week about eleven thousand persons visited the building.

It is of interest to quote from the report of Hon. C. S. Mott, president of the association, given at a meeting of the membership on May 25, 1916, which report covered the period of time from the opening of the building up to April 30, 1916, a period of one year and four and one-half months. O. R. Largent, the first general secretary of the association, presented to the finance committee and the board of directors, prior to the opening of the building a suggested budget for operating expenses during the first year and one-half. This budget was adopted and shows that the operating cost of the association was kept within the budget allowances and that all expenses for the budget period had been promptly paid; also that, on May 1, 1916, the association started on its second fiscal year with no open accounts and with a surplus of $1,098.54, representing a cash balance of $600.42 and prepaid insurance of $498.12. It is believed that in this first year of the work of association a substantial start was made in the various departments. The regular work was divided up into different departments, headed by committees responsible for the activities of their respective departments. These committees are the executive, financial, religious work, educational, physical, social, boys, house, membership and industrial. Mention may be made very briefly of the work of these committees as given in the president's report.

In addition to conducting a number of excellent meetings for men and Bible classes for both boys and men, the religious work committee has striven at all times to promote a wholesome atmosphere about the building and throughout all the activities of the association, the underlying purpose being so to conduct the work of the association that it will have the character-building influence in the lives of boys and men. The educational committee for the first year purposely did not plan any extensive work fro this department further than organizing clubs and arranging for educational talks.

In the physical department there were held fourteen gymnasium classes weekly, with a total attendance of 12,976. The attendance at all indoor privileges, not including baths and individual use of the gymnasium, and swimming pool, was 20, 970. Thirty-six men and one hundred and one boys learned to swim in the swimming pool of the association building. In addition to athletic contests and match games, the physical department is used often in extension work, which includes swimming classes for younger boys, factory gymnasium meets on Saturday afternoons, church league games, high school games, and Vehicle Workers' Club basket-ball.

Some of the most interesting social events of the city, especially for young people of Flint, have been held in the Y. M. C. A. building, and in some of these the Young women's Christian Association has co-operated.

The boys' division is divided into three groups, known as younger students, older students and employed boys. Various activities along lines especially planned for boys have been conducted for those various groups, with leaders composed of leading men of the city. space does not permit going into detail about this work with boys, but it includes competition in games, swimming, Bible study, etc; High School club, employed Boys' Study Club, Newsboys' club activities, which means that on Saturday for three hours newsboys have use of the gymnasium and swimming pool; camping and older boys' state and county conferences, father and son banquet, courses in boy-life, nature study, vacation trips and "hikes," and social gatherings.

One of the most interesting features of work under the direction of the house committee is that which pertains to the dormitory. There are seventy rooms with accommodations for ninety men. The plan of the membership committee is to establish in a substantial way a minimum membership of one thousand members.