YMCA celebrates 150 years

Guest speaker YMCA Canada Development Consultant George Rodger asked the audience to imagine what the Y means.

“It’s not fancy political stuff. It’s simple, little things,” he said.

“How many classes? How many youth-growing moments? How many life lessons were taught? How many people have learned how to swim? How many board meetings? How many debates and arguments of how best to stay afloat? How many dances? How many kisses and first dates? How many kindnesses? How many skills? How many fights were stopped, both in the Y, but because they were stopped in a particular way at the Y or the Y-camp, never took place anywhere else? How many speeches? How many meals?”

Rodger answered his string of questions with one answer – thousands over the past 150 years.

During the AGM that preceded Rodger’s presentation, CEO Barrie MacGregor delivered his report, which included the recognition of Malcolm Patterson’s significant endowment. Patterson, who passed away last year, joined the Yarmouth YMCA while in his 60s.

“Malcolm was a very unassuming guy, very private, he led his own personal life but was always willing to take discussions on equipment and fitness with other members,” said MacGregor.

“Soon he recognized the shortcomings of our weight room. The end result was his convincing then CEO Bill Gay what equipment was needed and when Bill pleaded poverty – some things never seem to change – Malcolm said, no I’ll pay for it if you don’t mind. Thus began a saga of 20 years of giving towards fitness equipment that amounted to at least a quarter of a million dollars,” he said.

Patterson bequeathed shares in a number of utilities, valued at over half a million dollars in January. Close to $100,000 of this has been injected into the Y’s cash flow to address a shortfall carried since the 80’s. The bulk of the shares are being invested. Approximately $200,000 has been earmarked for an endowment fund with limited access.

Rising oil costs will require the YMCA to adjust its costs in the coming year. They will be moving into high gear with their plans for an expansion and will be submitting the final proposal for the project to all levels of government for support next month. Construction may start as early as 2009.