#Academy ladder stands series#

In 1865, the fourth World Conference of YMCAs, held in Germany, affirmed the importance of developing the whole individual in spirit, mind, and body. Other ecumenical bodies, such as the World YWCA, the World Council of Churches, and the World Student Christian Federation have reflected elements of the Paris Basis in their founding mission statements. Its motto was taken from the Bible, ' That they all may be one' ( John 17:21). The conference adopted the Paris Basis, a common mission for all present and future national YMCAs. This marked the beginning of the World Alliance of YMCAs. They discussed joining in a federation to enhance cooperation amongst individual YMCA societies. The Conference took place in August 1855, bringing together 99 young delegates from nine countries, held before the Exposition Universelle (1855). Dunant successfully convinced YMCA Paris to organise the first YMCA World Conference. The idea of creating a truly global movement with an international headquarters was led by Henry Dunant, Secretary of YMCA Geneva, who would later go on to found the International Committee of the Red Cross and win the first Nobel Peace Prize. Later that year there were YMCAs in Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Hong Kong, and the United States.

#Academy ladder stands series#

The 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. Philanthropists saw them as places for wholesome recreation that would preserve youth from the temptations of alcohol, gambling, and prostitution and that would promote good citizenship.' Movement Tablet at the YMCA in Montreal YMCA 'combined preaching in the streets and the distribution of religious tracts with a social ministry. YMCA was associated with industrialisation and the movement of young people to cities to work. īy 1845, YMCA started a popular series of lectures that from 1848 were held at Exeter Hall, London, and started being published the following year, with the series running until 1865. Williams' idea grew out of meetings he held for prayer and Bible-reading among his fellow workers in a business in the city of London, and on 6 June 1844, he held the first meeting that led to the founding of YMCA with the purpose of 'the improving of the spiritual condition of young men engaged in the drapery, embroidery, and other trades.' Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury served as YMCA's first president from 1851 until his death in 1885. They were concerned about the lack of healthy activities for young men in major cities the options available were usually taverns and brothels. Williams was a London draper who was typical of the young men drawn to the cities by the Industrial Revolution. The Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) was founded by George Williams and 11 friends. In popular culture, the YMCA is the subject of the 1978 song ' Y.M.C.A.' by the Village People, which greatly increased public recognition of the institution.įurther information: George Williams (philanthropist) and Muscular Christianity YMCA founder George Williams Similar organizations include the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA), the Young Men's Hebrew Association (YMHA), and the Young Men's Buddhist Association (YMBA). The YMCA was also considered a parachurch organization based on Protestant values. Consequently, all YMCAs are unique, while following certain shared aims, such as the Paris Basis. The national organizations, in turn, are part of both an Area Alliance (Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, the United States, and Canada) and the World Alliance of YMCAs (World YMCA). YMCA is a non-governmental federation, with each independent local YMCA affiliated with its national organization. Local YMCAs deliver projects and services focused on youth development through a wide variety of youth activities, including providing athletic facilities, holding classes for a wide variety of skills, promoting Christianity, and humanitarian work. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams in London, originally as the Young Men's Christian Association, and aims to put Christian values into practice by developing a healthy 'body, mind, and spirit'.įrom its inception, it grew rapidly and ultimately became a worldwide movement founded on the principles of muscular Christianity. YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries.

Self-defence classes at YMCA in Boise, Idaho, 1936