[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 90 (Tuesday, June 26, 2001)]
[House]
[Pages H3595-H3597]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING AND HONORING YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION ON ITS 150TH 
                    ANNIVERSARY IN THE UNITED STATES

  Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 172) recognizing and honoring 
the Young Men's Christian Association on the occasion of its 150th 
anniversary in the United States, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 172

       Whereas 2001 is the 150th anniversary of the Young Men's 
     Christian Association (commonly referred to as the YMCA) in 
     the United States;
       Whereas YMCAs have touched the lives of virtually all 
     people in the United States by pioneering various activities, 
     including camping, public libraries, night schools, group 
     swimming lessons and lifesaving, and teaching English as a 
     second language;
       Whereas YMCAs are dedicated to building strong youth, 
     strong families, and strong communities;
       Whereas YMCAs serve people of all ages, genders, incomes, 
     and abilities through a wide variety of services designed to 
     meet changing community and societal needs;
       Whereas every day the more than 2,400 YMCAs in the United 
     States live their mission through programs that build healthy 
     spirit, mind, and body for all;
       Whereas the YMCA invented the sport of volleyball;
       Whereas YMCAs are collectively one of the largest providers 
     of social services to the Nation's families and communities, 
     and YMCA programs serve nearly 18,000,000 people, including 
     9,000,000 children, in the United States each year;
       Whereas YMCAs are collectively the Nation's largest child 
     care provider, and YMCA programs serve 1 in 10 teenagers in 
     the United States and incorporate the values of caring, 
     honesty, respect, and responsibility;
       Whereas each YMCA is volunteer-founded, volunteer-based, 
     and volunteer-led;
       Whereas YMCAs have a long history of partnerships with 
     other community organizations, including schools, hospitals, 
     police departments, juvenile courts, and housing authorities;
       Whereas YMCAs have provided war relief services since the 
     Civil War, aiding millions of soldiers at home and abroad;
       Whereas YMCA programs inspire a spirit of adventure and 
     challenge individuals to learn new skills, try new 
     activities, and explore other cultures, while being good 
     citizens of their communities;
       Whereas Father's Day in its present form was created at a 
     YMCA;
       Whereas many organizations began at YMCAs, including the 
     Boy Scouts of America, the Camp Fire Girls, the Negro 
     National Baseball League, the Gideons, and the Toastmasters;
       Whereas YMCAs helped found the United Service Organization; 
     and
       Whereas the Peace Corps was patterned on a YMCA program: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That the Congress--
       (1) honors the Young Men's Christian Association (commonly 
     referred to as the YMCA) for 150 years of building strong 
     youth, strong families, and strong communities in the United 
     States; and
       (2) expresses support for the continued good work of the 
     YMCA during the next 150 years.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Nebraska (Mr. Osborne) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne).


                             General Leave

  Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks on H. Con. Res. 172, as amended.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Nebraska?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to bring House Concurrent Resolution 172 to 
the floor. This concurrent resolution recognizes and honors the Young 
Men's Christian Association, commonly known as the YMCA, on the 150th 
anniversary of its founding in the United States.
  YMCAs are very much a part of the American landscape and history. The 
organization began in London, England, in 1844. And in 1851, the first 
YMCA in America was established in Boston, Massachusetts. The YMCA's 
presence in America has grown steadily to serve nearly 18 million 
individuals, including 9 million children annually.
  I imagine many of us have participated in or benefited from YMCA's 
services. Over time, the YMCA has been associated with programs, 
including youth camping and the creation of volleyball and racquetball. 
Additionally, by the late 1990s, YMCAs were providing daycare for half 
a million children annually. The YMCA has provided learn-to-swim 
programs and has been connected to pools and aquatics for many years.

[[Page H3596]]

  Throughout all of these programs, the YMCA promotes the values of 
caring, honesty, respect and responsibility. Its commitment to these 
values can be seen in its history of wartime service dating back to the 
Civil War, its commitment to the physical and spiritual well-being of 
the poor and unemployed during the Depression, and its current efforts 
to teach and reinforce good character in youth through after-school 
sports and activities.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to congratulate the YMCA on the anniversary 
of their 150 years of existence in America. They have a long history of 
exemplary service, and I believe we all benefit from the YMCA's 
existence.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in celebration also of the 150th anniversary of 
the YMCA's founding in America. The organization has a special place in 
my heart, because I had the privilege to serve as the president of the 
National Council of YMCAs of the USA from 1970 to 1973 and have been 
involved with the organization most of my adult life, beginning with my 
teaching career in the late 1950s. Newark's combined YMCA and YWCA has 
become an integral part of all aspects of our community. In many ways, 
the history of the local YMCA is a perfect example of the support and 
stability that Ys around the globe have provided for 150 years to the 
world.
  It seems appropriate tonight to reflect back on many years of 
successful involvement and rich history this organization has shared 
with individuals through all parts of the world.
  Mr. Speaker, at this point I would like to highlight the route this 
institution has taken to reach this extraordinary anniversary. The YMCA 
was founded in London, England, on June 6, 1844, in response to 
unhealthy social conditions arising in big cities at the end of the 
Industrial Revolution, roughly 1750 to 1850. The Industrial Revolution 
took place in Europe.
  Growth of the railroads and centralization of commerce and industry 
brought many rural young men who needed jobs into cities like London. 
By 1851, there were 24 Ys in Great Britain with a combined membership 
of 2,700. That same year, the Y arrived in North America. It was 
established in Montreal on November 25, and then in Boston on December 
29 of that year.
  The idea proved popular everywhere. In 1853, the first YMCA for 
African Americans was founded right here in Washington, D.C., by 
Anthony Bowen, a freed slave.
  The next year, the First International Convention was held in Paris. 
At that time there were 397 separate YMCAs in 7 Nations with 30,369 
members in total.
  Then by 1866, the influential New York YMCA adopted a fourfold 
purpose: the improvement of the spiritual, mental, social and physical 
conditions of young men.
  In those early days, the YMCAs were run almost entirely by 
volunteers. There were a handful of paid staff members before the Civil 
War who kept the place clean, ran the libraries and served as 
correspondent secretaries. But it was not until the 1880s, when the 
YMCA began putting up buildings in large numbers, that most 
associations thought they needed to have some full-time employees.
  Today's YMCA movement is the largest not-for-profit provider of child 
care, and it is larger than any for-profit chain in the country. In the 
1990s, about half a million children received care at a YMCA each year. 
In 1996, child care became the movement's second largest source of 
revenue after membership dues.
  Tonight we celebrate the many years of positive change the YMCA has 
had on our neighborhoods, townships, States and countries. My local 
YMCA, in Newark, New Jersey, opened its doors in 1881. Since its 
inception in 1881, the Newark Y has been an integral part of the Newark 
community.
  The programs offered by the YMCA and YMWCA assist Newark residents in 
their day-to-day lives. For example, the YMWCA has affordable and safe 
housing options, in addition to state-of-the-art fitness facilities and 
educational programs.
  We must continue our commitment to the YMCA to make it continually 
strong. As my colleagues know, the triangle of the YMCA, the symbol of 
the Y stands for the mind, the body and the spirit. We talk about the 
whole person that must be developed in order for that person to take 
their rightful place in our society.
  And so we would like to acknowledge that the YMCA of the USA in its 
150 years of service has been a tremendous asset to this country, as 
they celebrate this 150-year anniversary this weekend in New Orleans, 
where people from all over the United States and the world will be 
celebrating in this great achievement and activities.
  We have been very fortunate in our local Y, where many local leaders 
today in our city of Newark have come up through the YMCA's programs of 
youth and government and Model United Nations and trips abroad and work 
programs, and so it is with that spirit that I stand here proud to 
commend the YMCA on 150 years.
  We wish them continued success in their work.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Maryland (Mrs. Morella).
  Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. 
Osborne) for yielding the time to me.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.Con.Res. 172, which I 
introduced with the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne), my 
colleague, to honor the YMCA.
  For 150 years, YMCAs have touched the lives of communities across our 
Nation by pioneering so many activities that we value; camping, public 
libraries, night schools, swimming lessons, lifesaving courses and 
teaching English as a second language. Over 2,400 volunteer-based YMCA 
programs across this Nation dedicate themselves to building strong 
youth, strong families and strong communities.
  In fact, YMCAs partner with local schools, hospitals, police 
departments, juvenile courts and housing authorities to incorporate the 
needs of their own communities into the programs that they offer.
  In my district, Montgomery County, Maryland, the YMCAs are invaluable 
to parents through both after-school care and summer camp programs. My 
constituents can avail themselves of programs at the Bethesda-Chevy 
Chase YMCA, Silver Spring YMCA, the Upper Montgomery County YMCA, and 
Camplets, is an exemplary summer camp.
  Horizons is a good example offered at the Bethesda-Chevy Chase YMCA 
of a program that really works. This coed program assists young people 
to develop more self-esteem, self-control and improved relationships 
with people their own age. Youth who take part in Horizons develop 
self-reliance skills and experience what it means to excel.
  Today over a quarter of the Nation's families are headed by single 
parents.

                              {time}  1945

  YMCA is often a helping hand, providing athletic activities, 
substance abuse programs that also deal with prevention and volunteer 
programs to increase the involvement of youth in community service. As 
the country's largest provider of after-school programs, the kids see 
the YMCA as a safe home away from home.
  In addition to providing a supportive and compassionate environment 
for children and adolescents, the YMCA cultivates innovation and new 
ideas. Our most recent holiday, Father's Day, was first commemorated by 
the YMCA. Quite frankly, the Boy Scouts of America, the Campfire Girls, 
and the Association for the Study of Negro Lives and History, those 
organizations began at the YMCA. Few organizations boast such 
creativity and responsiveness to the needs of communities around the 
Nation.
  The YMCA not only charters new programs, but enters into the 
partnerships with other organizations. Schools, hospitals, and housing 
authorities work closely with YMCA programs to coordinate youth 
activities, and millions of soldiers at home and abroad have been aided 
by war relief services. Such innovations and partnerships make the YMCA 
the largest nonprofit community service network in the United States.

[[Page H3597]]

  The YMCA currently makes a difference in the lives of all over 17 
million people. Our support for the continued good work of the Young 
Men's Christian Association is vital as it has provided such a positive 
impact throughout the last 150 years.
  I urge this House to join in honoring the YMCA for its unfailingly 
impressive service to the United States, and I wish the YMCA well in 
their next 150 years of public service.
  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Isakson). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne) that the House 
suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 
172, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution, as 
amended, was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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