Jasper County MO Archives Biographies..... Y. M. C. A., Carthage, Missouri June 5, 1890 - to-date ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mo/mofiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: William (Bill) Samuel BOGGESS http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00024.html#0005917 March 1, 2009, 2:14 pm Author: William (Bill) Samuel BOGGESS YOUNG MEN CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION   George Williams founded the YMCA in London, England in 1844. Thomas Sullivan organized the first U.S. YMCA in Boston in 1851. Upon arrival to the U.S., better known as YMCA, spread rapidly across America and continue to do so today. YMCAs work to teach and demonstrate on a daily basis the four core values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility.     CARTHAGE   MISSOURI  - Y M C A Martin VanGilder's book, "Jasper County, The First Two Hundred Years", on page 194, column two, details the creation and life of the first YMCA in Carthage, Missouri, incorporated 5 June 1890 with Dr L I Matthews president, Hall Warden, secretary, housed in various buildings renting on second floor, which is ignored in the history published by the "NEW" Carthage YMCA.           MATERNAL   GRANDFATHER Additionally my family was very much involved in he successes and operation of the YMCA starting about 1892 when my maternal grandfather, Dr W W Flora, moved to Carthage with his bride in 1892. He had served as the second president of Oswego, Kansas YMCA in 1891 & 1892, and served Carthage until, due to wife's health, they went to Colorado Springs, Colorado where he continued his work with their YMCA. While president here in 1897, the State of Missouri YMCA meeting was held in Carthage. Also from archives of the Mornin' News are the following: 14 February 1901:           L. S. DURHAM Y.M.C.A. President. Unanimously Chosen at Yesterday's Monthly Meeting. At the Y.M.C.A. directors' meeting yesterday at 5 p.m., Lee S. Durham was unanimously elected president in recognition of his services in the recent membership contest, as well as his general fitness for the position. Dr. Flora is the retiring executive. Mr. Durham was not present yesterday and will be inaugurated at the next meeting. Secretary Spencer's monthly report was heard at yesterday's meeting, and Sec'y Spencer and Dr. W. S. Knight were elected delegates to the Moberly convention. Sec'y Spencer left last night, but Dr. Knight will not attend. ---------- 2 April 1901: Dr. W. W. Flora, while in Kansas City Saturday, was near at hand on Ninth street when Bud Taylor shot his sweetheart, Miss Nollard, and saw the crowd that attempted to lynch the murderer. ---------- 14 October 1901:           Y.M.C.A. ELECTION FRIDAY. Retiring Directors and Nominees for the Vacant Positions. Four directors for the Y.M.C.A. are to be chosen Friday evening at the regular election from 7 to 9 o'clock. The retiring directors are Jas. S. Ross, T. C. Hodson and Dr. Flora, with Robt. Orchard's place yet to fill. The candidates named by the committee for the four vacancies are Mayor Ross, Dr. Flora, H. L. Bright, R. J. Clatlin, H. A. Montague, Will D. Blake and W. A. Kennedy. ---------- 11 December 1902:           MISSIONARY FUND DIVIDED. Goes to Aid King's Daughters Hospital and the Y.M.C.A. The Union Missionary Society of Carthage has found a way to dispose of its surplus funds in a laudable home work. It was decided to divide the funds on hand between the local Y.M.C.A. and the hospital fund of the King's Daughters. Mrs. Byron Morgan treasurer of the Union Missionary Society yesterday presented President Flora of the Y.M.C.A. a check for a substantial sum, and it is understood that the King's Daughters also received their portion of the fund yesterday. The latter will apply their money to the hospital, which is eventually to be built and for which they have on hand over $2,000, while the Y.M.C.A. fund will be applied to the general work. ---------- 1902        NEW FEATURES AT THE Y.M.C.A. The Y.M.C.A. is to inaugurate several new features in the very near future. A bible class, to meet weekly, will be organized next week, under charge of Judge W. H. Waters. The social committees met this afternoon to arrange a regular monthly social, the first to be held Friday night of next week at the rooms. Secretary Spencer is arranging for a course of his weekly evening lectures, to be given at the rooms by business and professional men of Carthage. James Luke, who owns the Y.M.C.A. building, put a plasterer at work today repairing and repapering the gymnasium, which has been more or less damaged by basketball, Indian clubs, etc. It is the intention of Physical Director Wood to organize four gymnastic classes at once. ------------- 18 September 1902:           REARICK GOES TO GALESBURG. Successor to Y.M.C.A. Secretary to be a Local Man. H. C. Rearick, the retiring secretary of the Carthage Y.M.C.A. announces that he will sever his connection here a week from tomorrow, and will then go to Galesburg, Ill., where he will embark in the hardware business for the next year at least. He goes, he says, because he has not met with the encouragement expected here, and because he was not accomplishing what he wanted to. It is said Mr. Rearick's successor as secretary here is to be a local man, and that the board of managers now have his appointment under consideration. President Flora is in Kansas City today, however, and the name of the new man will not be ready to announce for several days yet.            PARENTAL   GRANDFATHER My paternal grandfather, S C Boggess, too was much involved with Carthage YMCA, his June 1946 obituary read:             "Mr S C Boggess was a member of the original board of directors of the present Y M C A. organized in 1909, and served continuously in that capacity until his resignation a few years ago. He was president of the Y M C A board 20 years. Mr Boggess also served many years on the Missouri state committee of the Y M C A and was active in acquisition of the Y M C A camp at Hollister for the association." He and wife Kate allowed their country place, Coolbrook, eight miles east of town, to be used two months a year as a camp during the mid-1920s for four or more years, before Camp Hollister was purchased. In 1909 the YMCA built its own structure at northeast corner of Sixth and Main Streets on a 75 by 138 foot piece of land donated by G A Casill, one block north of the 1904 newly built high school, near downtown.This a three story YMCA structure, with basement and swim pool. I well remember swimming and diving, everyone nude, in the basement pool, We were split up age wise into groups of about twenty, assigned an hour period. There were diving and swim contests with winners names painted on a board across from Mr Lawhead's area on first floor, with my name up there for diving. Also pool tables, and reading room were on the first floor with sleeping rooms on the two upper floors. Showers and swim pool in the basement. Later, the YWCA built a block south, also on northeast corner, across from the high school and First Methodist church. Our YMCA structure served the citizens from 1909 until 1966 when it closed and later in 1971 was torn down.    In 1991, new efforts were set forth and a new YMCA organization was created with facilities at 2600 Grand Avenue. The land used was originally the County Poor Farm, built after the Civil War, expanded about 1880 and in mid-20th century converted to a nursing home later abandoned. The new facility opened in 1993 is operating today. One reading their history and you would think the YMCA started in 1909 at Carthage where in fact it was nineteen years earlier, 5 June 1890. <~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~> Compiled by grandson whose name is from BOTH grandfathers, William (Bill) Samuel Boggess, this first day of March 2009 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mo/jasper/bios/ymca17bs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/mofiles/ File size: 8.1 Kb