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YOUNG

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Originally appearing in Volume V28, Page 941 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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YOUNG MEN'S See also:

CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION,1 an organization for social and religious See also:work among young men, founded in See also:England by See also:Sir See also:George See also:Williams (1821-1905), a See also:merchant of See also:London. Williams's organization See also:grew out of meetings ' he held for See also:prayer and See also:Bible-See also:reading among his See also:fellow-workers in a dry goods business in the See also:city of London, and was founded in 1844; on the occasion of its See also:jubilee its originator was knighted. Similar associations, indeed, had been in existence in See also:Scotland at a much earlier date. In 1824 See also:David Naismith, who also founded city See also:missions in London and See also:Glasgow, started the Glasgow Young Men's Society for Religious Improvement, a See also:movement which spread to various parts of the See also:United See also:Kingdom, See also:France and See also:America: later the name was changed to the Glasgow Young Men's Christian Association. The See also:object of such associations is to provide in large towns a See also:rendezvous for young men who are compelled to live in lodgings or in the apartments provided by the See also:great business houses. An See also:associate of the Y.M.C.A. must not only be of See also:good moral See also:character, but must also See also:express his adherence to the See also:objects and principles of the association. To be a member means a definite See also:acceptance of the doctrines of the Evangelical Christian faith. In 1910 there were about 400 associations in England, See also:Ireland and See also:Wales, and 226 in Scotland—besides various soldiers' and other auxiliaries. The See also:total membership was about 146,000. Some of the buildings, notably in the Midlands and the See also:north of England, are very See also:fine. The London Association, which from 188o until shortly before demolition in 1908 used See also:Exeter See also:Hall, Strand, has erected a 1 Commonly abbreviated Y.M.C.A. handsome See also:block of buildings in See also:Tottenham See also:Court Road, de-signed to provide, in addition to the usual features, bedrooms at a reasonable See also:rent.

The Young Men's Christian Association is seen at its best in the United States. It is true that See also:

Germany has more associations than any other See also:country, but of its 2129 branches only 142 have their own buildings, and the total member-See also:ship is only 125,000. In America, however, the associations have been built on a broad basis and worked with enterprise and business skill. Thus they have been able to secure the generous support of many of the leaders of See also:commerce. America has over 1900 associations, and the total membership is 456,000. In Greater See also:Britain the associations are numerous and flourishing, and See also:Canada has 35,000 members. There are many active associations in See also:Switzerland, See also:Norway, See also:Denmark and the Nether-lands, and indeed the Y.M.C.A. is now well known all over the See also:world. Even in See also:Japan, See also:China and See also:Korea there are 15o branches with a membership of nearly 12,000. The value of association buildings all over the world is £11,940,000 (America, £8,9oo,coo; Greater Britain, £1,912,000; United Kingdom, £1,128,000). The Young See also:Women's Christian Association was founded in 1855, by two ladies simultaneously. In the See also:south of England See also:Miss Robarts started a Prayer See also:Union with a purely spiritual aim; in London See also:Lady Kinnaird commenced the See also:practical work of opening homes and institutes for young women in business, In 1877 the two branches united in the Young Women's Christian Association, which seeks to promote the all-See also:round welfare of young women by means of residential and See also:holiday homes, See also:club rooms, restaurants, See also:noon See also:rest rooms, classes and lectures, and other useful departments. The Young Women's Christian Association has spread all over the world, and the total membership is about See also:half a million.

End of Article: YOUNG

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