Young Men's Christian Association Research Articles

Understanding diabetes risk in the Y Community of Greater Brisbane: Findings from a cross-sectional survey.

This cross-sectional study aimed to understand the need and desire for a diabetes prevention program within the Y (formerly YMCA: Young Men's Christian Association) of the Greater Brisbane region, Queensland, Australia. An anonymous online survey was distributed (March-April 2023) by The Y Queensland targeting adults within the Greater Brisbane Y community. Data were collected on Y membership and branch attended, postcode, diabetes risk in the next 5 years (low, medium, or high), and interest in participation in a diabetes prevention program. Data were analysed via descriptives and cross tabulation with statistical significance considered at p < .05. Respondents (n = 575) were primarily female (65%), attending a Y branch located in the outer city (51%), and aged under 55 years (68%). Twenty Y sites were represented, with a mix of inner-city, outer-city, and regional areas. Overall, 46% (n = 241/530) of respondents were at high diabetes risk, with those living in relatively socio-economically disadvantaged areas more likely (p < .001) to be at high-risk (57%) than intermediate (26%) or low-risk (18%). Most (68%) respondents were interested/potentially interested in program participation; those at high risk of developing diabetes in the next 5 years were most interested (55%). The Y in Greater Brisbane may provide a suitable setting to host a community-based diabetes prevention program. Locations outside the inner city should be prioritised to target those who are relatively socio-economically disadvantaged to align with higher need and demand. SO WHAT?: Findings inform the implementation and prioritisation of a community-delivered diabetes prevention program.

Medals, Rings, and Olympic Dreams: A Review Essay of Antonio Sotomayor and Cesar R. Torres, eds., Olimpismo

Medals, Rings, and Olympic Dreams: A Review Essay of Antonio Sotomayor and Cesar R. Torres, eds., <i>Olimpismo</i>

‘Correct provision can be made for their wants’: the reading rooms of the Santa Fe Railroad

Private libraries for the use of the working man were established throughout the United States in the nineteenth century, beginning in 1820 in large Eastern cities. These libraries were often part of institutes which included museums, schools, and exhibits of mechanical inventions, and were intended to ‘promote orderly and virtuous habits, diffuse knowledge and the desire for knowledge, improve the scientific skills of mechanics and manufacturers’. With the rise of organised labor movements in the 1870s, the purpose of such libraries shifted to serve as ‘antidotes of strikes and communism’. At this time, the work of the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) with railroad and industrial workers began to focus on promoting loyalty to the corporation and rejection of unionisation and political unrest through the Railroad YMCA and Industrial YMCA divisions. Multiple railroads both partnered with the YMCA and opened their own libraries and reading rooms to achieve similar goals. One of these was the Santa Fe Railroad, which established reading rooms throughout the Southwestern United States in large part to serve as a ‘civilising’ influence on railroad employees and towns. Initially restricted to Santa Fe Railroad employees and their families, these reading rooms soon became the social and intellectual centres of the communities in which they were established. The vast majority of reading rooms closed between 1929 and 1940, owing in part to the Great Depression, but also as victims of their own success, as the communities in which they were located grew and expanded and provided alternatives such as churches, schools, and public libraries. Their history mirrors the history of the establishment of public libraries during the same period – they were even being called ‘quasi-universities’ – and reveals much about the greater social and cultural climate in which both institutions developed. Like those of public libraries, the users of these reading rooms utilised them for their own purposes, regardless of the intentions of the founders, and turned them into public places and spaces.

‘For Men Only:’ Sexual Health Education, Neurasthenia and the Modern YMCA in the Gilded Age

Summary In the late-nineteenth century, Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) presented medical lectures designated ‘For Men Only’. This article argues that YMCA lectures about sexual health relied on the discourse of neurasthenia to address sexual health and morality in medical terms. By demonstrating that sexual licentiousness could be both a cause and consequence of this common nervous disease, lecturers at the YMCA invited young men to understand themselves as victims of circumstance, corrupted by modern society. While this period in YMCA history is often considered part of the social hygiene movement of the early twentieth century, this article shows that the efforts of health reform in the 1880s and 1890s mobilised an approach unique to Gilded-Age America, one which served the to bolster the legitimacy of physicians and to attract men into YMCA Halls.

Mobilizing the Spiritual Resources of the Nation: The 1918 United War Work Campaign

On September 3, 1918, President Woodrow Wilson released a letter praising organizations that had provided services for soldiers, including the Young Men's Christian Association, the National Catholic War Council, and the Jewish Welfare Board. Through the work of these groups, the president declared, “the moral and spiritual resources of the nation have been mobilized.” Wilson then asked that, instead of the individual fundraising drives they were planning, the groups instead have single drive during the week of November 11, 1918, what he called a “united war work campaign.”The United War Work Campaign provides a window into understanding how a more pluralistic United States emerged through a process that involved competition and sacrifice as well as cooperation. The YMCA leadership fought to have a separate campaign, but they were forced into accommodating the changing religious dynamics of the nation. The Catholic and Jewish groups confronted Protestant establishment assumptions as they offered their own takes on how to appeal to a diverse American public. All the religious groups found themselves in situations where they had to downplay their faith commitments to ensure the campaign's success, and this led to tensions within the organizations and struggles with their co-religionists. Overall, the United War Work revealed the challenges of church-state collaboration and the compromises that were necessary for the emergence of a tri-faith nation.

The American Effect on Physical Education and Sports in Turkey during the Early Republican Period

The establishment of the new Turkish state was accompanied by a new governmental system, modernization efforts, and reforms in all fields of life. Education, acknowledged as a phenomenon that prepares new generations for the future, became one of the main concerns among the republican reform programs. The lack of specialists to implement new educational programs required inviting professionals of the relevant fields from abroad, and the first to arrive was the American educational scientist John Dewey, only 9 months after the establishment of the republic. Thus, Turkish-American relations, which had begun with commercial and missionary activities during the Ottoman period, entered a new era. Dewey, who emphasized both mental and physical aspects of education as a whole, fostered the emergence of many new services in physical education and sports thanks to his reports. In addition to Dewey’s work, other American reports presented information and suggestions for physical education. The Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), which played an essential role in the spread of recreational sports activities, launched many new sports branches and endeavors. This study addresses the effects of those reports and American experts’ suggestions, observations, and approaches for physical education and sports in Turkey.

EFFECT OF A NITRIC OXIDE PRE-WORKOUT SUPPLEMENT ON MUSCULAR ENDURANCE

Introduction: Multi-ingredient dietary supplements have been developed to increase nitric oxide (NO) production, with the expectation of improving resistance training performance. Many of these supplements contain ingredients and/ or ingredient amounts that have yet to be studied for their synergy or efficacy in increasing NO production and thus, resistance training performance. Purpose of the study: A randomized crossover design was used to investigate the effect of a citrulline malate (CM) based non-stimulant nitric oxide pre-workout supplement (NOPWS) blend or placebo on Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) bench press performance. Applied Methodology: Thirty minutes were provided between NOPWS or placebo ingestion and YMCA bench press assessment. Pre/post heart rate was taken following each condition. Two- and one-way repeated measures ANOVAs (α = 0.05) were run to determine the effect of each condition on heart rate (HR) and the number of repetitions performed (respectively) during the bench press test. Achieved major results: There was a significant two-way interaction between the treatment and time for HR, F(1, 20) = 6.82, p = .017. Resting HR was significantly higher during the supplement session (M = 74.67, SE = 2.54 bpm) than during the placebo session (M = 69.14, SE = 2.31 bpm), F(1, 20) = 8.19, p = .010, ηp2 = .290. No significant difference was found between conditions for number of repetitions performed. Leads: A specific CM-containing NOPWS blend had no significant effect on a standardized assessment of upper body muscular endurance. Practical implications: These findings highlight the need for consideration of the minimum effective dosage and assimilation timing of each respective ingredient when developing or researching pre-workout supplement blends. Originality/Value: This is the first known research to study the effectiveness of this specific blend of ingredients on resistance training performance. Thus, this study provides necessary foundational knowledge for future research in this area.

«...Принять меры для воспрепятствования этой разлагающей работы»: Христианский союз молодых людей в восприятии Правительства А.В. Колчака

«...Принять меры для воспрепятствования этой разлагающей работы»: Христианский союз молодых людей в восприятии Правительства А.В. Колчака

Financial professionals and the formation of proprietarian ideology

Financial professionals and the formation of proprietarian ideology

The Use of an Incentive to Improve Breastfeeding Outcomes: The Effectiveness of Offering a Free Family YMCA Membership to Increase Support Group Participation.

Suboptimal breastfeeding can result in negative health consequences for mother and infant and economic consequences for families and communities. Breastfeeding outcomes improve when multifaceted interventions spanning the perinatal period are implemented. Incentives to increase participation in effective, existing community-based breastfeeding support programs have the potential to create behavioral change and improve breastfeeding outcomes but results to date are inconclusive. The aim of this pilot study was to investigate the effectiveness of offering a Young Men's Christian Association membership as an incentive to increase attendance at an existing breastfeeding support program to improve breastfeeding duration and exclusivity. This was a two-group, quasi-experimental study using demographic information and pre- and post-intervention participant surveys. Attendance at a breastfeeding support program was incentivized with an offer of a free family Young Men's Christian Association membership. Surveys and demographic information were used to compare attendance, maternal interest, and perceived significant other and family support for attendance with a non-incentivized control group in an adjacent city. The groups differed demographically and socioeconomically. Significantly more at-risk participants both attended the incentivized group and perceived support from their families to attend. There was a significant increase in the incentivized group's attendance: 62% (n = 26) of participants in the incentivized group attended three or more times compared to 36% (n = 50) of participants in the control group (p = .03). Both groups exceeded national breastfeeding averages for exclusive breastfeeding at six months. Offering an incentive increased breastfeeding support group attendance by participants at risk for suboptimal breastfeeding and improved their breastfeeding outcomes, thus closing the breastfeeding disparity gap in this population.

Artificial Neural Network-Based Model for Evaluating Maximum Oxygen Uptake from the Incremental Squatting Test in Young People

Background: Currently, there are two methods for testing maximal oxygen uptake: the direct and indirect methods, but both have certain requirements for testing equipment, site, and personnel. There is a lack of a convenient and effective method for testing maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max). With the development of artificial neural network (ANN), a solution to this gap is provided. Objective: The goal of this study was to design a method to evaluate the cardiopulmonary function of young people and verify its feasibility and reliability. Methods: The incremental squat test (IST) and Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) test were designed with 196 subjects (97 males and 99 females). The back propagation (BP) neural network was used to construct the model of VO2max by recording and analyzing squatting times, height, weight, gender, age, leg length, Manou Riers Skelic index (MRSI), and VO2max. Results: Three hidden layers and 65 nodes were employed in the BP neural network. Each hidden layer contained 19 nodes. Other parameters of this network were 0.01, 0.9, and 2000 for the learning rate, momentum, and iterations, respectively. The difference between the measurements and predictions was not significant (p &gt; 0.05), and the correlation between them was extremely strong (r = 0.98, p &lt; 0.01). Conclusions: We conclude that the model constructed using the BP neural network is accurate, and the IST is feasible for predicting VO2max. This method can be used as a substitute for other cardiopulmonary fitness test protocols in cases of insufficient venues and equipment. thereby preventing health complications. In subsequent studies, the sample size should be expanded, and separate prediction models should be developed for different genders.

Fitness Fights Fires: Exploring the Relationship between Physical Fitness and Firefighter Ability.

Background: Regular exercise in firefighters may be effective in preventing or attenuating ill health (e.g., hypertension, diabetes, and obesity), as well as improving their firefighting ability. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between physical fitness and firefighting ability. Methods: Male firefighter recruits’ (n = 89; age = 27.1 ± 4.2 yrs) physical fitness and firefighting ability were assessed at Week 1 and Week 7 during a basic firefighting training academy. Physical fitness was assessed via 1.5 mile run time, sit-up and push-up repetitions, the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) bench press test, vertical jump height, and sit-and-reach flexibility, while firefighting ability was assessed via completion time on a firefighting skills test. Results: Fitness predicted significant variance in firefighting ability at Week 1 (R2 = 0.46; p < 0.01) and Week 7 (R2 = 0.46; p < 0.01), after accounting for age and body mass index. Cardiovascular endurance accounted for 22.4% (FΔ (1, 85) = 25.75) and 39.3% (FΔ (1, 85) = 55.53) while muscular endurance accounted for an additional 19.0% (FΔ (3, 82) = 10.34) and 6.3% (FΔ (3, 82) = 3.2) unique variance in firefighting ability at Week 1 and Week 7, respectively. Conclusions: Given the strong association between fitness and firefighting performance, municipal departments may want to focus on increasing fitness levels among firefighters.

Validity of the 6-Minute Walk Test and YMCA Submaximal Cycle Test During Midpregnancy.

Tinius, RA, Blankenship, M, Maples, JM, Pitts, BC, Furgal, K, Norris, ES, Hoover, DL, Olenick, A, Lambert, J, and Cade, WT. Validity of the 6-minute walk test and Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) submaximal cycle test during midpregnancy. J Strength Cond Res 35(11): 3236-3242, 2021-Submaximal exercise testing can be a feasible alternative to maximal testing within special populations to safely predict fitness levels; however, submaximal exercise testing has not been well-validated for use during pregnancy. The purpose of this study was to determine the concurrent validity of the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) and the YMCA submaximal cycle test (YMCAT) to predict V̇o2max in physically active women during midpregnancy. Thirty-seven (n = 37) pregnant women (22.1 ± 1.4 weeks' gestation) and 10 (n = 10) nonpregnant women participated in the study. Subjects completed a graded maximal treadmill test at 1 visit to measure maximal oxygen consumption (V̇o2max), and then subjects completed the 6MWT and YMCAT in randomized order during a separate visit. The predicted V̇o2max from each submaximal test were compared with the measured V̇o2max from the treadmill test to assess the validity of these tests during pregnancy. Among pregnant women, predicted V̇o2max from the YMCAT was not correlated to the measured V̇o2max (r = 0.14, p = 0.42), and the predicted V̇o2max from the 6MWT was only moderately correlated (r = 0.40, p = 0.016) to the measured V̇o2max. Among nonpregnant women, the predicted V̇o2max values from both the YMCAT and the 6MWT had strong correlations with the measured V̇o2max values (YMCAT: r = 0.71, p = 0.02; 6MWT: r = 0.80, p = 0.006). Neither test demonstrated concurrent validity among the pregnant sample. The main finding is that the YMCAT is not a valid method to estimate V̇o2max during midpregnancy (likely due to physiological changes in heart rate [HR] during pregnancy). The 6MWT has potential to be used clinically for estimating fitness as actual and predicted values did positively correlate, and it is not dependent on HR responses to exercise. However, if a precise measure of fitness is needed, then neither test appears to have strong validity for use during midpregnancy.

Building the Transnational “Body Beautiful”—K.V. Iyer and the Circulation of Bodybuilding Practices between India and the United States

This article examines the career of the Indian physical culturist, K.V. Iyer, and situates his writings from the 1920s and 1930s within a transnational community between India and the United States. Iyer ran several gymnasiums, offered health advice, and sold books and mail-order courses across India and internationally. Previous studies have focused on his yogic practices and anti-colonial thinking, with less attention given to his place in the global bodybuilding community. While his writings were sometimes suffused with political rhetoric, his vision of the ideal citizen was derived from his immersion in Western scientific ideas around physiology and anatomy and his ongoing communication with American physical culturists. Studying a global health community between India and the United States, which first found expression through yoga and the Young Men Christian Association, this article positions Iyer as a leading figure in a global exchange of Indian and American ideas concerning the muscular body.

Secularization, Modernity, and Belief Shaping: Night School and Livelihood Education at the Chinese YMCA in the Early Twentieth Century

In the early 20th century, influenced by evangelicals in the United States, the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) launched the “Four Movements” in response to the “Four Maladies” of Chinese society. Among the four movements, “livelihood education” is used to help raise productivity and save people from poverty. Research on the YMCA in modern China rarely focuses on livelihood education, and even when it does, it does not focus on educated adult civilians or explore how the YMCA has changed the course of their lives. Based on fieldwork and detailed analysis of historical documents, this paper traces the formation of three night schools that have adopted various forms of “Christianized” and “secularization” practices and sheds light on the lives of two typical students whose experiences in YMCA night school were still less known. This study will demonstrate and analyze the role of livelihood education in introducing Western civilization and Christian ideas to China’s labor class. YMCA night schools not only helped ordinary Chinese working people acquire basic livelihood skills on a secular level, which enables them to enter a higher class in society and exert influence, but also reshaped their beliefs.

Effect of the roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) calyces drink on the physiological parameters of healthy adult subjects.

The calyx of roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) has been the focus of attention of several studies, and although earlier studies on this plant showed it to possess antilipidemic and antidiabetic activities, none of these studies have assessed the effects of this plant on the physiological parameters of healthy subjects. The present study determined the effects of roselle calyx beverages on blood pressure, abdominal circumference, body mass index (BMI), hematological and urinary parameters, and the lipid profile of healthy subjects. Healthy subjects (n=30) were treated with a 200 ml roselle calyx beverage each morning and evening for 30 consecutive days. Every week the subjects were asked to perform some physical activity by following the Young Men's Christian Association step test. This study used a pre-post quasi-experimental design. Blood samples were taken before (day-0) and after the intervention (day-30). There was an increase in the levels of high-density lipoproteins (from 47.0 to 49.5 mg/dl; P=0.015), and a significant decrease in both systolic and diastolic (P=0.036 and P=0.030, respectively), and the abdominal circumference of the subjects (P=0.005). However, total cholesterol levels (191.2 to 191.9 mg/dl; P=0.821) and low-density lipoprotein levels (129.8 to 133.5 mg/dl; P=0.249) were slightly increased, although not significantly. A lower level of triglycerides (114.3 to 107.4 mg/dl; P=0.269) and very-low-density lipoprotein levels (22.8 to 21.4 mg/dl; P=0.681) was observed. No significant differences were detected in the BMI or the urinalysis parameters were identified. Based on these results, roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) may be used as a supplement to prospectively improve the health status of subjects. No serious adverse effects were observed during this trial.

Effect of acute submaximal physical exercise before decompression dive on tumor necrosis factor alpha concentration among male trained divers

The increase of inflammatory biomarkers due to decompression dive is one of the factors that could cause decompression sickness (DCS), one of them is tumor necrosis alpha (TNFα). According to the preconditioning theory, exercise before dive can reduce amount of gas bubble to prevent DCS. This study aimed to prove that exercise before diving can prevent increase of TNFα. This study employed quasi-experimental design with trained male divers. The subject divided into two groups, treatment and control. The treatment group got submaximal exercise with 70% heart rate intensity, using cycle ergometer with young men's Christian association (YMCA) procedure modify by Guritno, 24 hours before decompression dive 280 kPa bottom time 80 minute with US-NAVY table, whereas the control group only do decompression dive. TNFα expression was checked three times, at beginning of study, before dive and after dive. In treatment group there was insignificant decrease TNFα, from 7.06±1.85pg./ml to 6.75±1.81pg./ml, whereas the control group showed a significant increased TNFα, from 8.22 (1.45 to 13.11)pg./ml to 8.39 (1.73 to 12.18)pg/ml, and significant difference was found between the mean difference for two groups p&amp;lt;0.05. It can be concluded that acute submaximal exercise prevents an increase of TNFα after single dive decompression to prevent possibility occurring DCS).

Physical Activity, Mental Health, and Technology Preferences to Support Cancer Survivors During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Cross-sectional Study.

BackgroundCOVID-19 has had significant health-related and behavioral impacts worldwide. Cancer survivors (hereafter referred to as “survivors”) are particularly prone to behavioral changes and are encouraged to be more vigilant and observe stricter social distancing measures.ObjectiveWe explored (1) changes in physical activity and sedentary behaviors since the onset of COVID-19, along with changes in mental health status, and (2) alternative strategies to support survivors’ physical activity and social health during and after COVID-19, along with the role of digital health in such strategies.MethodsA questionnaire was distributed among survivors participating (currently or previously) in the community-based physical activity program LIVESTRONG at the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), from 3 sites outside an urban area in Massachusetts. Questions addressed pre–COVID-19 vs current changes in physical activity and sedentary behavior. Anxiety and depression were assessed using the 2-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-2) and 2-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2), and scores ≥3 indicated a clinical diagnosis of anxiety or depression, respectively. Digital health preferences were assessed through closed-ended questions. Open-ended responses addressing other preferences for physical activity programs and social support were analyzed, coded, and categorized into themes.ResultsAmong 61 participants (mean age 62 [SD 10.4] years; females: 51/61 [83.6%]), 67.2% (n=41) reported decreased physical activity and 67.2% (n=41) reported prolonged sitting times since the onset of COVID-19. Further, 24.6% (n=15) and 26.2% (n=16) met the GAD-2 and PHQ-2 criteria for clinical anxiety and depression, respectively. All participants owned a cellphone; 90% (n=54) owned a smartphone. Preferences for physical activity programs (n=28) included three themes: (1) use of digital or remote platforms (Zoom, other online platforms, and video platforms), (2) specific activities and locations (eg, outdoor activities, walking, gardening, biking, and physical activities at the YMCA and at senior centers), and (3) importance of social support regardless of activity type (eg, time spent with family, friends, peers, or coaches). The survey revealed a mean score of 71.8 (SD 21.4; scale 0-100) for the importance of social support during physical activity programs. Social support preferences (n=15) revealed three themes: (1) support through remote platforms (eg, texting, Zoom, phone calls, emails, and Facebook), (2) tangible in-person support (YMCA and senior centers), and (3) social support with no specific platform (eg, small gatherings and family or friend visits).ConclusionsPhysical activity and mental health are critical factors for the quality of life of survivors, and interventions tailored to their activity preferences are necessary. Digital or remote physical activity programs with added social support may help address the ongoing needs of survivors during and after the pandemic.

Lively Roots: How the Grand Rapids Public Library Found Its Footing in the Early Years

Lively Roots:How the Grand Rapids Public Library Found Its Footing in the Early Years Colleen Alles A few days before Christmas, on December 21, 2021, the Grand Rapids Public Library will celebrate a big birthday: its sesquicentennial—150 years of providing a library free to all. Few things can last a century and a half without being open to change. This public library, established in a city that, in the 1870s, was in some ways a rival to Detroit, survived in part due to the inclusion of one key idea: a willingness to grow—changing and adjusting its operations to fit whatever the community needed at the time, and in how it could best serve its patrons in the face of logistical constraints and realities.1 Founded in 1871, the Grand Rapids Public Library (GRPL) has been a beacon in a west Michigan city with its own rich history and place as the second largest city in the state. The idea for the GRPL began several years after the end of the Civil War, when members of the Grand Rapids Board of Education agreed to combine their book holdings with those of two other organizations—the Ladies Literary Association (known then as the Ladies Library Association) and the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA).2 A library committee hired the first librarian, Miss Frances Holcomb, at an annual salary of $500, and the library was born.3 The history of the GRPL involves a number of evolutions—everything from introducing the Dewey Decimal System and eschewing traditional card catalogs for online platforms, to streaming audiobooks directly to patrons' devices. Julie Tabberer, the current head of the GRPL History & Special Collections department, notes how "the things that [End Page 127] Click for larger view View full resolution An entry from the 1872-73 Grand Rapids city directory shows the first appearance of the Grand Rapids Public Library, humbly listed among residents and businesses in the "L" section. Source: J. D. Dillenback, ed., Godfrey's Annual City Directory of Grand Rapids, Mich, 1872-3 (Grand Rapids: Daily Eagle Steam Printing House, 1872), 157. we've provided access to have changed over the years, but [access is] a constant."4 The story of the GRPL as told through its branches makes it clear that above all—and despite many types of circumstances—the library has demonstrated a commitment to growing and changing along with its city. What began above a dry goods store downtown evolved into a large institution that serves thousands of patrons annually. The library piloted branches early in the twentieth century when the idea of branches was new. It embraced traveling branches and bookmobiles when budget concerns made operating hours tricky in the 1950s. Through two world wars, the Great Depression, pandemics, economic hardships, and tumultuous social change—hallmarks of the twentieth century—the GRPL opened new branches, closed branches when circumstances dictated, and, overall, ensured its citizens access to a free library, guaranteeing a legacy of inclusion that the city hopes will endure for years to come. Impermanent Spaces In the early years, the GRPL called several downtown spaces home, changing locations every few years. Those spots included a room above a dry goods store, space in the prominent Ledyard Building, and several rooms inside city hall. [End Page 128] Click for larger view View full resolution This was the first home of the Grand Rapids Public Library. The library was on the second floor of H. Leonard and Sons dry goods store, seen here as the second building from the left. Source: Collection 18, George E. Fitch Collection, box 3, folder 3, image 248, Grand Rapids Public Library History & Special Collections, Grand Rapids Public Library (hereafter GRPL). The population of Grand Rapids when the library opened its doors in 1871 was approximately 16,000. "Like other cities across the nation, Grand Rapids had a hodgepodge of libraries and book collections, but the system stood in unconnected pieces, awaiting the glue that would fit them together," noted former city historian Gordon L. Olson.5 Print books were, of course, in addition to being more precious than perhaps they are today, available via school libraries and through the Grand...

Development of the Young Men’s and Women’s Christian Associations (YMCA and YWCA) in Czechoslovakia

The Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) and its later sister organization, focusing on care of girls (YWCA), have a long tradition dating back to 1844. They were targeted at young people aged between 12 and 18 years, trying to provide conditions for their overall development. In the Czech lands, the first organization was founded in 1886 as part of the Evangelical Church. In 1919, its American offshoot came to Bohemia along with returning legionnaires, and soon, a local association was formed, which was generously subsidized mainly from American sources. Many of these organizations then operated here mainly with their social and sports activities. Above all, American affiliates brought new methods of training and sports. YMCA and YWCA were abolished twice in 1943 and 1951.