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History The YMCA movement was founded in London on June 6, 1844 by George Williams and a group of like-minded Evangelical Christians. Williams was a draper, typical of the many young men who were being drawn to big cities by the Industrial Revolution. His colleagues were similarly employed, and they were concerned by the lack of healthy activities for young men in cities such as London. The alternatives were often taverns, brothels, and other temptations to sin. The "Y" expanded to Australia in 1850. The first YMCA in North America was opened in Montreal, Quebec by the congregation of Saint James Methodist Church on November 25, 1851, and the first in the United States opened on December 29, 1851 in Boston, Massachusetts. In 1855 delegates from YMCAs convened in Paris, France, where they adopted a common mission for all present and future national YMCAs. The main point of the "Paris Basis" was that no minor disagreement should ever be able to split the movement from its Christian focus. To further enhance this point of view, John 17.21 was adopted as the motto of the organization: "...that they may all be one." The focus of the Paris conference was almost purely individual - to help young men to "build a healthy spirit, mind, and body for all". Throughout the 20th century it became evident in the member countries that YMCA would be an organization of both genders. The name, however, has naturally prevailed, being a strong brand name. In some of the member countries the YMCA was the first national organization to adopt a strict policy of equal gender representation in committees and national boards. An example is Norway in 1880. The YMCA was an early influence upon Scouting, including the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) and German Scouting. Edgar Robinson, a Chicago-area YMCA administrator, briefly left YMCA to become BSA's first director. In 1973 the "Kampala principles" were adopted, reinforcing the policies of the YMCAs, but stating what had become obvious in most national YMCAs, that a global viewpoint was more necessary, and that in doing so, the YMCAs would have to take political stands, especially so in international challenges. At the world conference in Germany in 1998, the "Challenge 21" was adopted, giving even more focus to the global challenges, like gender equality, sustainable development, war and peace, fair distribution and the challenges of globalization, racism and HIV/AIDS. All these topics are viewed as challenges against the will of God. The YMCAs took a firm stand in the global fight against Apartheid and also in the situation in the Middle East. At the world conference in Oaxtepec, Mexico in 2002, a strong call for a peaceful solution to the crisis was adopted. The YMCAs, especially in Western Europe and North America has also used great resources to help build national YMCAs in Eastern Europe with great success. In 2003 a youth convention was arranged in Prague with attendance from almost all countries in Europe to celebrate the healing of the wounds from the "iron curtain". Today, YMCAs are present in 122 countries. The current president is Martin Meissner from Germany, and Bartholomew Shaha of Bangladesh is Secretary General. Activities The activities of the YMCA work to build healthy mind, body and spirit for all. They have a slogan that they use to build strong kids, strong families, and strong communities. They have many activities that work to achieve these goals. Healthy spirit The first YMCA was very much concerned with Bible study, although the organization has generally moved on to a more holistic approach to youth work. Around six years after its birth, an international YMCA conference in Paris decided that the objective of the organization should become "Christian discipleship developed through a programme of religious, educational, social and physical activities" (Binfield 1973:265). More recent objectives as found on the YMCA UK website include no reference to discipleship. Building strong kids and strong families
Healthy body Basketball, volleyball, swimming pools, and racquetball were all developed by YMCA instructors. It is very common for YMCAs to have weight rooms, along with facilities for playing various sports. Up until the YMCA became co-ed in the mid 1970's, men and boys, including the swimming instructors, swam in a state of complete nakedness. Even the lifeguards sat naked beside the pools. One of the original reasons cited for not allowing swimsuits in the pool was that the cotton or even older wool swimsuits would clog up the filtration system. Another reason was dirt and soap would be released into the pool from the fibers of swimwear. Filtration systems used in swimming pools were not as advanced as they are today and far less chlorine was used making it easier, in those days, to degrade the cleanliness of the water thereby promoting the growth of bacteria. Male-segregated nudity was very common in the locker rooms while showering or while swimming in male-only high school swimming classes. It was understood that there was nothing wrong or sexual about males seeing other males naked. Females were never allowed to be present in such a setting. In 2006, the YMCA celebrates the 100th anniversary of the creation of group swimming lessons. Concerned with the rising rates of obesity among adults and children in America, YMCAs around the country are joining with the non-profit America on the Move to help Americans increase their physical fitness by walking more frequently. Building healthy minds and strong community Many colleges and universities owe their creation to the YMCA. Springfield College was founded in 1885 as an international training school for YMCA Professionals, while Sir George Williams University—one of the two schools that eventually became Concordia University—started from night courses offered at the Montreal YMCA. Northeastern University, Boston began out of a YMCA in Boston, and Franklin University began as the YMCA School of Commerce. The YMCA pioneered the concept of night school, providing educational opportunities for people with full-time employment. Many YMCAs offer ESL programs, alternative high school, day care, and summer camp programs. American high school students have a chance to participate in YMCA Youth and Government, wherein clubs of kids representing each YMCA community convene annually in their respective state legislatures to "take over the State Capitol for a day." YMCA Youth and Government helps teens learn about and participate in civics in a real-world setting. The Archive of the British YMCA is housed at the University of Birmingham Special Collections. Residences Until the late 1950s, YMCAs were built with hotel-like rooms called residences or dormitories. These rooms became a significant part of American culture, known as an inexpensive and safe place for a visitor to stay in an unfamiliar city. In 1940 there were about 100,000 rooms at YMCAs, more than any hotel chain. By 2006, YMCAs with residences became relatively rare in the US but many still existed. YMCA Goes To War Starting before the Civil War, YMCA provided nursing, shelter, and other support in wartime. During World War I, Irving Berlin wrote Yip Yip Yaphank, a revue that included a song entitled I Can Always Find a Little Sunshine in the Y.M.C.A. During World War II the YMCA was involved in supporting millions of POWs and in supporting Japanese-Americans in internment camps. See also | ||||||||||||
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