Fraternity-Testvériség, 1944 (22. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1944-12-01 / 12. szám
8 TESTVÉRISÉG A room was rented over the store, and the “Y” was on its way. Today, 100 years later, the Association just about covers the earth, with nearly two million members in 68 countries. Let’s start at the beginning. The scene is a room over a dry-goods store in London. Big cities were in the making. Young men were leaving the iarms to find newer and better jobs created by the machine age. The cities were not organized: no ball games to attend, few sports for participation and very few gymnasiums. Recreation was unimportant and swimming pools believed unhealthy. Day schools were expensive and night schools unheard of. Social controls were absent and gambling was rampant. In the little room where George Williams and his friends gathered, there were no electric lights... Edison brought it forth thirty-two years later; no telephone ... that came thirty-four years later. Yes, telegraph and trolley-cars, sewing machines and automobiles, airplanes and radios came later. But even more significant to these young men gathered in this “upper room” of one-hundred years ago was the lack of those influences which mean so much to us today: education, opportunities for social contacts, recreation, religious education and vocational guidance. That’s what made the first room so important and the idea of the “Y” so significant. In the original group that met in the first room, there was an idea — not a narrow and fixed idea, but one that could expand and experiment and move with the times. Before it was half-century old, it had landed in Canada, the United States, France, Australia, Norway, Japan, Germany, and South America. A few years later it arrived in China, Ceylon, Italy, Hungary, and the Phillipines. Since then it has kept steadily on its way,...! Thus the “Y”, which “we regard as being its essential genius a world-wide fellowship of men and boys, united by a common loyalty to Jesus Christ, for the purpose of developing Christian personality and building a Christian society” ... has moved forward! It pioneered in physical education, health, and sanitation in India, Egypt, China, Korea, Brazil, and Argentina. It introduced mass education in China. It founded the Boy Scouts in the Orient and South America. Through its policy of sponsoring local “Y”s and other movements on a self-supporting, self-leadership basis, it has helped to develop a sense of individual and group responsibility; through its program, it has encouraged racial and religious tolerance and co-operation. Going places is not as important as doing things, and probably the shortest way to review the growth of the “Y” is to list a few dates: 1844—The “Y” begins. 1851—Founding of the “Y” in America, in Montreal and Boston. 1861—First work for soldiers. 1869—Two buildings with gymnasiums in San Fran- cisko and New York. 1869—Boys’ work begun. 1876—First International secretary for work with Negroes. 1885—First YMCA boys’ camp. 1889—First HiY Club. 1916—Start of prisoner-of-war camp work. 1930—Gra-Y Club for grammar-school boys. 1942—U. S. O. work; prisoner-of-war program in all countries; programs for servicemen throughout the world; War Work Committees. 1944—One-hundredth Birthday. You see, the “Y” is really something BIG! * YOUR BENEFICIARY. Do you remember who you named beneficiary in your Federation policy? You had better check your policy and make sure that the person named therein is still living. We have had cases of death benefits payable to deceased beneficiaries; in such cases the insurance is paid (as prescribed by law) by the Federation to the estates of the Insured — perhaps not always the alternate they would have chosen. Or probably circumstances have changed to such an extent that the naming of another beneficiary would be desirable? Or probably you want to include your Church? or the Bethlen Home? Necessary and desirable changes can be easily made by contacting your local branch manager or the Home Office. Columbus, Ohio Stephen Sziarto. XX. ZSOLTÁR. Szabó László Hallgasson meg téged az Isten A szükség idején, Dicső neve oltalmazzon meg, Ha kéred szent helyén. Küldjön te néked segítséget, Mikor imádkozol, Jótettedről emlékezzék meg, Amikor áldozol. Nemes szíved szándéka szerint Cselekedjék veled, Ne fogyjon ki lakóházadból Italod, kenyered. Bűnből való szabadúlásod Legyen öröm-dalunk, Mikor Istenünk nagy nevének Zászlót lobogtatunk. Teljesitse az Úr kegyelme Minden kérésedet, Mikor hazádban s templomodban Fölkentjét keresed. Meghallgat ő szent egeiből, Elűzi gondodat, Jobbja segítő erejével Híven megtámogat. * I Vannak, akik lovukban bíznak, Mások szekerökben, A mi hitünk kitárúlt szárnya Isten felé röppen. Azok megroskadnak, elesnek, Mi pedig fölkelünk, Megállunk, mert Uraknak Ura A mi hős fegyverünk.
