46 Facts About YMCA

1.

YMCA is a non-governmental federation, with each independent local YMCA affiliated with its national organization.

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2.

YMCA was considered a parachurch organization based on Protestant values.

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3.

YMCA was associated with Industrialisation and the movement of young people to cities to work.

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4.

YMCA spread outside the United Kingdom in part thanks to the Great Exhibition of 1851, the first in a series of World's Fairs which was held in Hyde Park, London.

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5.

YMCA has cooperated with camping organizations such as Camp Fire, and Girl Scouts of the USA, and Boy Scouts of America.

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6.

In 1878, the World YMCA offices were established in Geneva, Switzerland by Dunant.

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7.

In 1880, in Norway, YMCA became the first national organization to adopt a strict policy of equal gender representation in committees and national boards.

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8.

YMCA was an early influence on scouting that began in the UK in 1907.

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9.

Edgar M Robinson, a Chicago-area YMCA administrator, worked at YMCA while becoming the BSA's first director.

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10.

YMCA coined the term "rural reconstruction", and many of the principles he developed were later incorporated into the Indian's government nationwide community development programs.

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11.

In 1923, Y C James Yen, of YMCA China, devised the "thousand character system", based on pilot projects in education.

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12.

In 1878, YMCA was organized near the Jaffa Gate of the Old City of Jerusalem and the current landmark building was dedicated by General Lord Allenby in 1933 during the British Mandate of Palestine.

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13.

Frances Gulick was a YMCA worker stationed in France during World War I who received a United States Army citation for valour and courage on the field.

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14.

Donald Lowrie of the YMCA took the helm of the Committee of Nimes, a group that gathered leaders from over twenty humanitarian organizations coordinate advocacy for people in the internment camps, including helping children leave these camps to live in children's colonies or eventually escape to freedom.

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15.

In 1947 the World YMCA gained special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council.

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16.

Each member YMCA is therefore called to focus on certain challenges which will be prioritized according to its own context.

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17.

YMCA globally operates on a federation model, with each independent local YMCA affiliated with its national organization, known as a National Council.

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18.

Each local, national and regional YMCA is independent of each other, but local, regional and international cooperation, partnerships and collaborations are part of the organizations work.

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19.

Ever since the first World Conference in August 1855, in Paris, the World YMCA has convened a World Conference every three to four years and is YMCA's highest decision making forum.

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20.

The World Council is "responsible for setting the policies and direction of the World YMCA, electing its Officers and Executive Committee, evaluating the work of the last four years, and deliberating on priorities for the next quadrennium".

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21.

YMCA pioneered the concept of night school, providing educational opportunities for people with full-time employment.

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22.

International Coalition of YMCA Universities brings together universities from all over the world, including Brazil, England, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Mexico, Uruguay, United States, and Venezuela.

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23.

Luther Gulick, the head of Springfield YMCA gave Naismith two weeks to come up with a game to occupy a particularly incorrigible group.

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24.

YMCA borrowed a tennis net, raised it 6 feet, 6 inches above the floor, and invented the game of "mintonette", which could be played by a group of any number and involved volleying a large ball over the net.

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25.

Salem State had recently dropped their college team and the youth director at the YMCA went to see about expanding their program by renting the colleges space.

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26.

YMCA camping began in 1885 when Camp Baldhead was established by G A Sanford and Sumner F Dudley on Orange Lake in New Jersey as the first residential camp in North America in operation today.

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27.

The Montreal YMCA organization opened a summer camp named Kamp Kanawana nearby in 1894.

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28.

The archive of YMCA Scotland is available at the National Archives of Scotland.

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29.

In Germany YMCA is called CVJM, which stands for Christlicher Verein junger Menschen .

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30.

Arts and humanities at the YMCA is lessons for the members or non-members of the Y to take.

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31.

Sports at the YMCA that are offered range from baseball, basketball, gymnastics, football, wrestling, karate, volleyball, soccer, and racquetball.

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32.

YMCA Canada was established over 160 years ago as a charity.

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33.

Mexico's first YMCA branch opened in Mexico City in 1902 for the American community.

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34.

In Mexico, YMCA organized physical activity, individual development, and national progress.

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35.

Although, YMCA had very little influence on rural Mexico until after the Mexican Revolution.

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36.

YMCA Panama continues its work for the betterment of today's society.

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37.

In 2005, YMCA Panama inaugurated the new YMCA Panama School located on Colinas del Sol, in the Nuevo Chorrillo District of Arraijan.

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38.

YMCA developed in 1902 in Argentina, where it provided support for physical education teachers.

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39.

YMCA was most notable in encouraging women's sports in South America, and during the early 1900s, YMCA in Argentina highly promoted basketball, swimming, and track and field.

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40.

YMCA developed in 1893 in Brazil and volleyball was deemed appropriate for women from the beginning.

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41.

YMCA Peru has a team of 200 employees and a voluntary body of more than 700 people.

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42.

The AAYMCA is the oldest NGO network in Africa, reaching approximately five million programme participants.

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43.

In 1924, Archibald Clinton Harte, General Secretary of the International YMCA, raised the sum of one million dollars towards the construction of the building.

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44.

The Jerusalem YMCA was dedicated in 1933 with the words “Here is a place whose atmosphere is peace, where political and religious jealousies can be forgotten and international unity be fostered and developed.

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45.

The Jerusalem YMCA housed the city's first heated swimming pool and first gymnasium with a wooden floor.

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46.

In 1947, the YMCA was the venue of the UNSCOP talks leading up to the UN Partition Plan.

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