City in Sound; Ymca

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and believes that together they can conquer the world in the name of all good things. Along with that, the YMCA is an encyclopedia of great stories. These are a few. The story is we start with $50, $100, $300, $500, $1000, $3000, $3000, $3000, $5000, and we have just about hit the jackpot here at the Central YMCA. And standing here with me is Mr. L. L. McClough,

who's General Secretary of the YMCA here in Metropolitan Chicago, who will explain just what this supersonic pinball machine has meant to us. As each branch comes in to make their report, they indicate on this these system of buttons here what the amount is and you'll know what it is by the kind of noise is made. And the general idea behind it, Mr. McClough, is that this is the 100th anniversary of the YMCA here in Chicago and that this is a vital fund -raising device. That's right. This is toward our $7 ,000 ,000 ,000 goal that we report about every 10 days now as to the results toward our objective. How much does it take to run the YMCA here in town for one year? Our current budget is a little over $14 million for all our 39 different operating units in the Chicago area. I understand that they comprise the largest metropolitan unit in all the world for the

YMCA. That is true. We are larger than both New York and Brooklyn who have recently merged and the largest in the world. Do you have 40 ,000 boys and girls that are served different boys and girls each year? What type of work do you do with those leads? Well, in addition to the program that we have in the building, we have what we term the youth gangs where we go out and try to work with them independent of any of our operations. We try to attach workers to the gangs where the idea that they might be led into more constructive activities as a result. I suppose that this being the 100th year of the Y here in Chicago that you can sort of harken back somewhat in history and remember yourself much more modest beginnings. Yes, we started a hundred years ago. I think we had probably four or five hundred members

during the first year of our operation. That was on a second floor of a store building. You're here in the central. What kind of a plant do you have here? Well, this plant has served several purposes. It has a central branch in it on the lower floors and that it has three floors which are for the general offices of all the YMCA is in metropolitan Chicago and the balance is with the university downtown college of Chicago and then there are other floors here for various other agencies who had quarter here including a gymnasium. We only have a small gymnasium now. We've had all of that program in order to meet the new needs. We are now strengthening utilizing it for informal education and they have a downtown high school here for what we call the second chance high school. So that in this building we have

offices, a complete YMCA program, a small gymnasium for middle -aged business men, a college in a university and let's move around and see some of it. Thank you. Thank you. We were saying that this building housed a full city high school and we're standing now in the corridors of that high school and here is Mary O'Malley who teaches English to foreign -born students here at Central High School. That's right, Jack. How long have you been doing it? Well, this is my first year of teaching English to the foreign -born. I've been teaching English about eight years old. How do you find this compares with teaching English to Americans? Well, I find that the foreign -born students are very enthusiastic about learning English and they're very good students, they're very conscientious. You know, they work quite hard, study their spelling, do all their homework. They're very interested in school. Well, where do these people come from? We have students from about 15 different countries. I have students from China, from Japan, from Africa, from Greece, from Italy, from Jordan,

Spain, and all the South American countries. Well, specifically though, why do they come here to the Central IMCA? Well, we have a program designed to teach them English in about a year. Most of these students are high school graduates in their own country and they come here to get their English in order to go on to college. Most of them have a high school diploma already, but they need an American diploma in order to enter an American university. Well, I see. Well, we'd certainly like to meet a few of these. Could we do that? Surely. I'll get some of my students for you. Thank you. Here with me now is the president of the senior class here at the Central Y High School. And your name, sir? Albert Salah. And your home? I'm from Jerusalem, Jordan. What brings you here? Well, I came for further education and so I find myself that any of the education I came to the state. Well, you certainly must be popular for your classmates to name your president. May I ask how you got a name like

Albert over in an Arab state? Well, it's the same name, but they call me Albert, which is the same. I mean, like in French, they call him Albert, but here they call me Albert. I mean, in English language. And it's the same. I mean, the names doesn't change in that country. How long have you been here? Eight months. Eight months? Yeah. Well, there aren't a great many Arabs over here. How do you find it? Do you find the people friendly? Do you like it here? Yeah, sure. The people are very friendly here. And I mean, you can find all over the world. I mean, there are friendly, there are I'm friendly. You can find in our country too. I can't say I mean that all of them, they are friendly. Fairly. What do you hope to do when you leave here? I mean, after leaving this school or this school here? Well, I hope to enroll into college. And I'm taking business administration after college. And then do you hope to go back to Jordan? Yeah, sure. Well, I don't know where to go actually. I mean, any place that I can find a job in the Middle East or any place. I mean, I go any place. I see. In other words, the world

is your field. Yeah. All right. Albert, congratulations on your election. And it's nice to talk to you. Thank you very much. Here now is Mrs. Salome Openda, who's a student here at the Central Y from Kenya in Africa. And it's certainly nice to be here with her. How long have you been here? I have been here now for two months. Two months and you speak very good English for two months. You must have known how to speak it before. Yes, I have landed at home. I see that you're married. Is your husband with you? Yes, my husband is with me. I see in a university of Chicago. Oh, he's at the University of Chicago. Yes. And you're here at the Central Y High School. Yes. How do you like it over here? I don't like it a little much for it. It's very cold for me. Since I was born, I did not see the snow. This was my first time. Oh, you mean the weather's a little rough for you? Well, we feel the same way about that, Salome. I mean, there's certainly no question there. This is not, this is a great city, but the

weather is not the greatest. I see. But I think you'll find the people very warm. Yes. What do you hope to do then? Just finish here and return to Kenya with your husband? Yes, after my husband finished his degree, then we go back to my country. He's going to help him. He was a teacher at high school and he's going to continue with the teaching. And I may be also helping women in my country to show them the new things I have seen in America. Thank you very much and good luck to you. I hope you find a great deal of happiness. Thank you. The story here, the pageant of the YMCA for its 100th anniversary. And here the producer of the pageant, Mr. George Elias. George, a bit about it, please sir. Well, the YMCA pageant wise up will be presented on March 22nd at the International Amphitheater and the program will be the history of the Chicago YMCA. And you know the surprising thing about it, Jack, is that it parallels

Chicago's history. For example, one of the big things, Firewell Hall, which was quite prominent in why work. I mean, a building that the Y had burned down three times. So in the pageant proper, we're going to show one of the burnings in the great Chicago Fire 1871. You're just going to burn it down once. That's right. Just once. We just have one opportunity. Once every show or having one performance. We're going to have one try stab at it. You know this fire, the Chicago Fire 1871 was quite a catastrophe. And of course, we're going to have Mrs. O 'Leary and Mrs. O 'Leary's cow. So you see our cast is 2000 persons and a cow. The idea behind this, George, is basically what? Well, it commemorates the 100th day of the Chicago YMCA in connection with it. The highlight is going to be the pageant wise up. And of course, we're going to crown a king and queen. And these two people, I really envy them because they're going to

take a trip on Pan Am to Europe. And this has been arranged through the continental travel bureau. And I wish I were going along because it's really going to be wonderful. But these people will be crowned as a prologue to the big pageant. Well, and George, would you introduce us to some of the stars of your show here? Well, we have several people here, Jack, and the people that I think you'd like to meet. One person that was quite prominent in why history was Barrett or Billy Sundy, played by Barrett O 'Hare, beginning the name's confused there. And Billy Sundy, of course, turned to be one of America's greatest evangelist. Barrett, are you looking forward to the part? Very definitely. So I'm looking forward to the experiencer. Do you know very much about Billy Sundy? Have you gone into some research? I know that. I see that in your hand at this time, you have a book and you've turned to the page of Billy Sundy. Do you think that you look a little like him? Well, as far as the short hair, sir, and is more or less wide shoulders and more or less tall slender body in that respect, the physical respect I do fit Mr. Sundy

fairly well, sir. Now, something else I wanted to ask you, did you know what team Billy Sundy played on when he was in the baseball field? Be careful when we're Cub fans. We go ahead, Billy. Well, I believe he was on the white stocking team, sir, which I presume is now turned into the white socks. He was, however, sold to the Pittsburgh ball team and later on to Philadelphia, Mr. Elias. I'm glad that you mentioned that because you see I'm from Pittsburgh and I want to give my own hometown of booze. Now, one of the other people that we have here, Jack, is Less Epperson and he plays a very, very important part called the man's name was Mr. Messer. Mr. Messer was one of the really leaders during the 100 -year growth of the YMCA here in Chicago. Less Epperson is his name and could you tell us a little bit about it, Less? I understand Mr. Messer came from the east and was

very prominent in why it worked. In fact, he was the general secretary for many years in Chicago. That's right. In going through the history of the Chicago YMCA, I was surprised at how many great men that are known throughout, not only in the country, but throughout the world have come from the Chicago YMCA or have been associated with it. For example, we have Dwight Moody, Cyrus Bentley. Well, I think another phase that is not covered often in publicity is that women played such a prominent part clear back in 1861 and that's the thing that surprised me. They had two life members in 1862 and today, of course, there are thousands of women connected with the YMCA work and this is not the YMCA. One of the attractions of the YMCA. Oh, definitely so. Yeah. Well, Mr. Elias, thank you very much for filling us in here. I certainly hope that the community wisest up to wise up and that you have a full house. I'm sure that you will. Well, thank you very much. And good luck on the second hundred years.

Well, thank you. I don't know if I'll be around. Here's a story of the Y from Raleigh Brissard, who is physical director here at the central Y. And I'd like to know from him just how the physical program fits into the activities. Well, of course, our program exists throughout the 39 different departments in the YMCA of Chicago. Down here, our main responsibility is to coordinate all our physical programs to help devise new physical activities, which might interest the various age groups and, of course, both men and women throughout the city of Chicago. Thereby, our physical program extends all the way from dancing

through roller skating, judo for women and so forth. Well, Riley, one of the things that's impressed me here with the YMCA, which stands for men, of course, is the amount of women that I've seen here. How do they fit into this program? Well, they're fitting in more every year. I believe they came into the YMCA all back in the 1930s and some small to some small degree. And during the war, the Second World War, of course, they really came in heavy. Now, they're active in so many various sports, as well as conditioning for women, married women, business girls, and, of course, the small girls. I don't know the exact number, but there's a terrific number of active women and girls in the YMCA present time. I gather that one of the standbys, looking around here at the LaSalle Street Club, are these members who have been here for years and have come in off LaSalle Street. Oh, sure. These are the old stalwarts of the Y. They're the foundation of the Y. There's really the fellas

that put the Chicago YMCA on the map. They've got an old -timers club here, fellas that date back and can tell you the history of the YMCA and their physical program right down to the nth degree. They're the fellas that really made the history, as far as the YMCA is concerned, in physical. Fine, let's talk to a few up. Yes, sir, your name is George Han, H -A -N -D. And how long have you been coming here? Since 1913. 1913, is it polite to ask your age? 70 years old. Well, sir, you certainly don't look at. What do you really like to do around here? Well, I like to go through the Caliph's sunny class of 1215 to 20 minutes to one. No, you in business here on LaSalle Street. No, I'm not. I work at the County Treasures Office. I see. And let's see, this is... How long did you say you've been coming? 45 years. 40, you must like it. I do. All right, sure, John Gilbert, and they tell me you play a fast game of handball here. Well, I play handball. We'll put it that way. And one of the remarkable things about your game is that you're 71. Is that right?

That's exaggerated a little. Well, how old are you? I'll be 70 in June. Well, I'm sorry that I took a 12 -month advantage of you there. How long have you been coming here? Since 1913. 45 years. You must mean a lot to you. It does. Has it helped you with the physical conditioning? That's a prime object. I keep at it. And has it helped you thinking? Yes. Well, how long do you think you'll be coming down here from now on? Who knows, I don't. I'm in favor of it for a long time to come. All right, thank you very much. Excuse me, sir. Pardon me, just a moment. Your name is Bob Mann. Bob Mann, and you punch a bag pretty good, as they say. You get this way driving in Chicago traffic, or do you like to do this? For a amateur, I've been at it about 30 years. I want to be getting somewhere near the

bag when I punch at it. How old are you, sir? 54. How long have you been coming here? 30 years. You like it pretty well. Yeah, it's a wonderful, wonderful chance to get some exercise and relax in the middle of the day. Do you come in off Los Alescrito? Yes. Broker? I'm in the insurance business. I see, when you look like a pretty good risk. Could we get a little of that fancy business there with the elbows? All right. A wonderful pattern. All kinds of people in the YMCA. I'm seated here with Jack Hall of the wall bash, why who learned to swim there when he was eight years old, and now performs one of the most amazing tricks in the world, I guess. And Jack, would you describe exactly what you do do? Well, it is called the Mummy Escape. It is a trick design to demonstrate

that the possibility of not knowing how to swim does not mean that a person drowned. Well, let me envision this. You are swathed up like old King Tutankhaminer somebody. Well, the mummy. And in somebody pushes you into a swimming pool and down you go, I dive into the swimming pool actually. In fact, I do a summershot into the pool. And that, of course, takes constant time and is very, very dangerous. But the elite little things slip or anything could almost be quite disastrous. But accurate time and makes it quite simple. Well, how do you get out of this? Wiggle. Just wiggle it. Well, no, actually, it is a phenomenon that occurs that enables me to work my way out of it with the help of

water. But that is the trick of the whole thing is the mental control. Mental, you say? That's right. That I have to avoid that fright from overtaking me. That remember what I said it first? It is not the fact that I am not able to swim that causes me to drown. It is really fear that causes all people to drown in circumstances. Because you can actually remain afloat almost indefinitely if you could control the fear. Jack, that is a very interesting point here that I think demonstrates and symbolizes what the YMCA wants to get across that our lives and our well -being are as much a part of mind as they are of muscle. And I think the greatest swimming

authorities we have have a verified your maneuver. And it is just an amazing thing. So I started at the War Bash YMCA, what, 20 years ago? Well, this, you know, I am 35 now, and I was eight years old then. So you can follow back how far that was. And I was put in by Dr. Smith in the YMCA, not in the pool, not in the pool, but he was, he was one of the fainting persons I have ever met. And he started me in the way I used to go. Well, Jack, so are you. And may you always climb out of that harness and come back to tell us about it. Thank you. We are 160 million, mostly of organizations, of schools and churches, of unions and associations. There are groups, among us, to protest cruelly the animal, to preserve barbershop singing and a thousand more. To be a welfare

organization is something else again. It takes money to serve, but something more for the good that comes to man cannot be bought, but must be believed. The YMCA believes. This is Jack Angel with George Wilson, an engineer whose recordings here have imprinted city and sound.