To the Editor of the "Nonmit-Curxa Day News"
Sim—Many thanks for your editorials regarding the Foreign YM.C.A. They have been an inspira tion to those members of the "Y" whose past efforts have met with Tittle success In attempting to remove the fundamental causes of the malaise which has affected the Forelan "Y" for so long. A group of young members have tried " to improve matters by constitutional methods and without any public washing of dirty linen. A forum such as these columns offer has been denied us in the "Y", inasmuch as 'a special general meeting, requested nearly a year ago by members in accordance with the constitution, was never called, and no time for open discussion was made available at the annual general meeting in March. "Tt is helpful to know that we are no longer voices crying in the wilderness.
tis our contention that the Foreign YM.CA. as now conducted ig. definitely not a young men's Christian association. "What it actually ig now is a social organiza tion run as a business by pald off tials who appear to regard it as their own property, and to regard its general and. detailed.control as matter in which only they have vested rights. These same oMicialy appear to consider the members as customers of the business (only In this" ease the customer is not ways Tight") Instead of as members of the Association, entitled to take "apart in running all its activities, The young men feel that they are members on sufferance—that it. Is Association at all—that they may join If they wish, and it considered persona grata by the off ials they may later be appointed to an innocuous sub-committee, and if particularly agreeable and "Chris ian," to a standing main committee, which latter are' myths to most members This careful selection of appointees to the various committees is no way, Mr. Editor, to obtain the co-opera tion of the main body of members. Since it Is laid down in the constitution that the affairs of the "Y" are to be handled by committees, the members want to have the say In. choosing committee members. Not having this say, they naturally feel thwarted, " and' disinclined support whole-heartedly such an autocratic organization, The paid officials say that the members are apathetic, whereas th truth is "that" the members are thoroughly disgusted with he long series of staff incompetencies, and are equally out of patience" with their hazy conception of how to guide and control a mixed body of young men (particularly since they are supposed to have been specially trained jin {hese very matters)—this conception" operating to allow: the members only a carefully minimized part in the running of the "Y", with the officials dominating he situation throughout, instead of Proper places as What we young men want is, fray, some younger active "men:
rs_'of the "Foreign "Y" on the Board of Trustees....oge less. thas 5 (not so very young, Me, Editor!) to neutralize to" some extent the influence of the paid officials and to give first-hand information "a9 to members' view, and. to provide the youthful atmosphere which the Present Trustees cannot - provide, for they are all well over 39. Some fare taipans who are far removed from our way of living, and all are Jong past the time of the youthful hopes, ambitions, fears, and indiscretions of their younger days. Secondly, we want three of the Biresent twelve seats on the Board of Trustees to be reserved as "younger members geal," election to take place annually.
Thirdly, we want all the committees to be filled by elected members, who shall hold office for six months only unless re-elected, except, of course, in the case of seasonal committees, At present, with a few notable exceptions, all the sub-committees are appointed, and all the standing main committees are appointed. Members have no formal means of expressing their wishes, or of protesting except at the annual meeting—and at the annual meeting, time that would be available is fled by an address, a lo Sunday School of our childhood. The appointments fare made by the committees themselves, so that we have a series of in-breedings, which are confirmed by the Board of Trustees. Following this the main body of members is presented with the fait accompl—"presented" is the word for the out-of-date lst of committee men stuck under the glass top of intimation." the Service Counter, "this the only
Fourthly, we want "The Spokes man" to be the magazine of the members. If it were, we should not have to crave the indulgence of
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.