gcls_WFP_963

Y.M.C.A. Meeting in Charleston.

There is an interesting program in our walls stating that the Charleston, S.C., Y.M.C.A. was having a Sunday afternoon meeting, February 20th, 1859.

The Y.M.C.A. began in England. George Williams, who was later knighted and became Sir George Williams, was a devout Christian young man who wanted to win his fellow workers to Christ. He gathered some of his Christian friends together and they met each day at noon for prayer and study in order to win the other employees, in the places where they worked, to Christ. The Y.M.C.A. began just as a personal workers groupe. Christ was the center of its effort.

The movement spread over England. Each group would find a meeting place and try to win oters to Christ.

When the Y.M.C.A. came to the United States, Richard C. Morse, Robert McBurny and some others added the idea of a building containing a gymnasium, auditorium, reading room, game room, entertainment and service facilities. The building sometimes had stores on the first floor which brought in revenue and the "Y" activities began on the second floor.

Then the "Y" branched out and began to build great buildings, but instead of the stores, dormitories were added and the slogan adopted that the Y.M.C.A. was to be "A Home For Young Men Aways From Home."

Sometiems the entire amount necessary to complete the building was not raised and a mortgage was placed on the property. It was also found that there was much expense in running dorminories and, in some places the law required a membership in the "Y" in order to rent a room. Otherwise the "Y" would have to pay property taxes.

[handwritten note]
continued on next page.

[two photograph of a multi-story brick building]

[handwritten caption] Y.M.C.A. Building, Charleston
1953.