YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN AS SOCIATIONS, organizations of young men in the different cities, demanding a profession of Christianity in their associate members, and working by methods in harmony with Christianity for the physical, social, mental, and spiritual improvement of their members, and of young men in general. An organization called Young Men's Christian Associa tion, was first formed in London, Eng land, by George Williams in 1844. The movement extended to the United States and Canada in December, 1851, when so cieties were formed at Montreal and Boston, Mass. About 24 associations were added during the next two years, and during the next 10 years the number reached 200. At the first convention, held in Buffalo, N. Y., June 7, 1854, a confederation was formed with a central committee, and a yearly convention. This form of affiliation continued till the Civil War. During the war the United States Christian Commission, formed in New York, November, 1861, sent 5,000 Chris tian helpers to the field and the hospitals, and distributed over $5,000,000 in money and stores. Guided by the experience gained at this period, the reorganized movement grew rapidly after the war on the following lines: The evangelical test of active membership, a definite and comprehensive plan of work, the owner ship of well-adapted buildings, the em ployment of trained and paid officers, a committee of supervision for each State or Province, with a central committee for general oversight, systematic effort directed to special classes of men (e. g., merchants' clerks, college students, rail road men, German speakers, colored men, Indians, lumbermen, sailors, sol diers, etc.), and great prominence given to the Bible and personal work. A typ ical Young Men's Association building contains a reception room, reading room, library, parlor, recreation room, offices, class rooms, lecture and entertainment room, gymnasium, including bowling alley, bath and dressing rooms, rooms for boys, kitchen, and janitor's den. Reli gious and moral instruction, work in be half of personal purity, temperance, etc.,
instruction in various branches of knowl edge, practical and theoretical, social gatherings, entertainments and games, an employment bureau, boarding house register, savings fund, medical club, and visitation of the sick, are features.
The association took a notable part in war work during the World War, both in the United States and France, and in other countries. In the spring of 1919, when this work reached its culminating point, there were nearly 1,000 establish ments in the United States, and nearly 3,000 with the American Expeditionary Forces overseas and fully 2,000 among the army of the Allies and in prison camps, or in all over 6,000 centers. This made it necessary to enlist a staff of about 20,000 secretaries at home and overseas. The association distributed over 5,500,000 copies of the New Testa ment, the Bible, and other scripture por tions, and at least 20,000 000 copies of religious pamphlets and booklets. 45 periodicals were published and over 400, 000 sheets of letter paper and almost half as many envelopes were given away to the American soldiers overseas. The post exchanges for the A. E. F. were ad ministered by the Y. M. C. A., and the operations were carried on on a vast scale. During 1919 over 11,000 men and women were sent to Europe to assist in the conduct of the work. The entertain ment of the A. E. F. was in the hands of the Y. M. C. A., and there were at one time 95 entertainment troupes in France, furnishing about 4,350 performances a month. Educational facilities were pro vided for the troops abroad, including university courses at Beaune. Elemen tary courses were conducted in the United States, as well as high school and agricultural courses. The Y. M. C. A. carried on work in every part of the world affected by the war. See RELIEF, WAR. There were in 1919 557,782 men and 181,656 boys enrolled in member ship. There were 2,077 fully enrolled associations, and the property in funds amounted to nearly $125,000,000. The income for the year amounted to almost $30,000,000.