Text 9. Social Agencies. Young Men’s Christian Association

Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), international community service organization fostering constructive social, physical, and educational activities for youths and adults of both sexes. The association adheres to Christian principles, but imposes no religious qualifications on its members. The World Alliance of YMCAs, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, has more than 40 million members in 125 countries. In the United States the YMCA serves nearly 19 million people a year.

The YMCA serves people of all ages, incomes, abilities, races, and religions. Bound by a common mission, each branch functions independently, responding to the needs of its community. Among the main U.S. programs are swimming and aquatic exercise, aerobics and fitness classes, camping, child care, and youth sports. The current focus is on strengthening families, increasing international understanding, promoting good health, and assisting in community development. The YMCA addresses a diversity of social issues; innovative programs provide substance abuse prevention, job training, refugee settlement, day care for the elderly, and classes for people with disabilities. Long-standing programs in youth work include teen clubs and other youth-based programs, which provide leadership-development activities for high school youth.

Notable YMCA contributions to American life include the invention and development of basketball and volleyball. It introduced the ideas of overnight camping, night school, and junior college, and assisted in the formation of other groups such as the Boy Scouts and Camp Fire.

Each YMCA is governed by local volunteer board members who make program, policy, and financial decisions based on the needs of their community. About 2,400 YMCAs in the United States are supported by membership and program fees, private donations, United Way agencies, and government grants. United States headquarters is in Chicago, Illinois.

The YMCA was founded in London, England, in 1844 in response to unhealthy social conditions arising in large cities at the end of the Industrial Revolution. The centralization of commerce and industry brought many young men from rural areas to work in the cities. Far from home and family, after work these youths were often drawn into gambling houses and other disreputable establishments. In 1844 the British humanitarian Sir George Williams organized the first Young Men's Christian Association, which attempted to combat idleness among young workers by means of Bible studies and prayer meetings. The YMCA idea proved very popular, and by 1851 Britain had 2,700 members in 24 associations.

The YMCA movement spread to industrial centers in North America and Europe in 1851. On December 29 of that year the first YMCA in the United States was founded in Boston, Massachusetts. Similar groups were established in New York City, New York; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and other cities, and by 1854, 26 associations had been formed in the United States and Canada.

In Europe, George Williams and his associates introduced the YMCA movement to Paris, France, and to other major capitals. By 1854, 397 associations had 30,369 members in seven countries. In the same year the first international YMCA convention was held in Paris.

In 1861 the outbreak of the American Civil War virtually paralyzed the YMCA movement in the United States, but the adoption of a new war program soon revitalized the organization. In 1862 the association formed the first civilian volunteer organization dedicated to the welfare of war prisoners and other servicemen.

From 1878 to 1916  the scope and variety of YMCA work in the United States increased steadily. During this period American membership rose from 72,000 to 600,000. Buildings with libraries, gymnasiums, swimming pools, auditoriums, and hotel-type rooms were put up in every major city in the United States. The YMCA opened summer camps, set up colleges, developed body-building techniques, ran exercise classes, organized college students for social action, and served the special needs of railroad workers and military personnel. The association sent thousands of workers across the world to organize YMCAs that eventually were turned over to local control.

During World War I (1914-1918) the YMCA provided extensive war relief and served, particularly, to aid the American Expeditionary Forces. The economic depression of the 1930s forced the YMCA to curtail its program drastically but helped accelerate its partnerships with other social welfare agencies. By 1940 membership in the United States had risen to 1,224,400.

In 1941 the YMCA joined with six other organizations to form the United Service Organizations (USO), which supplied entertainment, social services, and spiritual guidance for the U.S. armed services throughout the course of World War II (1939-1945). The YMCA also worked with prisoners of war, displaced persons, and refugees. After the war it instituted an extensive counseling program for veterans.

By the 1950s most barriers to membership for girls and women were dropped and YMCAs in the United States expanded into suburban areas. The next decade was marked by political turmoil, urban riots, and increasing drug use. Fewer young people were interested in participating in YMCA activities. When severe financial problems arose in the organization, summer camps were sold, buildings and residences shut, and maintenance funds used for daily operating expenses. In the late 1970s, however, a surge of interest in health and fitness sparked renewed interest in the YMCA, which by this time had facilities, equipment, and trained personnel throughout the United States. Child care and camping also became areas of focus during this time. The system soon regained its economic health, and by the 1980s it was again expanding.

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Young Men's Christian Association – Ассоциация молодых христиан;