Young Man’s Christian Association (YMCA) is represented by the English alphabet Y. These. The YMCA was founded by George William in London on 6 June 1844. The main goal of the YMCA was to adopt Christian principles to develop body, mind, and spirit. Now its headquarters is in Geneva (Switzerland).
History of YMCA
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The Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) was founded by George Williams and his 11 close friends. Williams was a London draper who was one of the young men attracted to the cities by the Industrial Revolution. They were concerned about the lack of healthy physical activities for young men in major cities. Williams’ idea evolved from meetings he held for prayer and Bible-reading among his fellow employees at a business in the City of London, and on June 6, 1844, he held the first meeting that resulted in the founding of the YMCA. It aims to improve the spiritual condition of the youth engaged in drapery, embroidery, and other professions. Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury served as the first president of the YMCA from 1851 until his death in 1885.
By 1845, the YMCA began a popular series of lectures which began to be held at Exeter Hall, London from 1848 and published the following year, a series that continued until 1865. The YMCA was associated with industrialization and young people moving to cities to work. The YMCA “combined street preaching and the distribution of religious tracts with a social ministry. Philanthropists saw them as places of healthy recreation that would protect youth from the temptations of alcohol, gambling, and prostitution and promote good citizenship. “
YMCA College of Physical Education in India under YMCA was established in Madras city of Tamil Nadu in 1920 AD. The credit for this goes to Harry Crowe Buck, a resident of Pennsylvania, America. HC Buck was its founding principal. HC Buck is called the father of Indian physical education. Dr. A.G. Nohran was its first director.
This school came under the category of Autonomous College in 1986, at that time this college was affiliated to Madras University. Since 2006, this autonomous college is now affiliated with Tamil Nadu Physical Education and Sports University. Here DPEd, BPE, BPEd, and other diploma and certificate courses are being run under physical education.
Contribution of YMCA
- It was the first physical education training college in India.
- It was also the first physical education college in South East Asia.
- The motto of this school is the abundant life.
- Other ecumenical bodies such as the World Student Christian Federation, the World Council of Churches, and the World YWCA have reflected elements of the Paris Basis in their founding mission statements.
- In 1865, the Fourth World Conference of the YMCA, held in Germany, reaffirmed the importance of developing the whole person in spirit, mind, and body.
- The concept of physical exertion through games and sports, which was a new concept for that time, was also recognized as a part of this “Muscular Christianity”.
- The YMCA has also collaborated with camping organizations such as Camp Fire (organization), Girl Scouts of the USA, and Boy Scouts of America. It ran from 1989 to 2015.
Objective of YMCA
- To prepare teaching personnel who can serve the community in the fields of health, physical education, and sports.
- To provide specialized training in the field of sports and physical education with a strong scientific basis.
- To prepare young men and women to be healthy citizens imbued with the zeal and spirit of Christian love.
- To assist, promote, advance, and share scientific knowledge in the field of physical education.
- To prepare students for the challenges of the 21st century by providing them the opportunity to acquire skills and knowledge for a healthy lifestyle.
- To provide social and moral aspects of personal development.
HC Buck
HC Buck was born on 25 November 1884 in Paris, France. HC Buck worked for two years (1914-1915) as a football coach and physical education instructor at Fairmount College in Kansas, United States. He established the YMCA College of Physical Education in 1920 in Madras, India. HC Buck was the first principal of this college. HC Buck is also called the father of Indian physical education. HC Buck, during a sports function at the Deccan Gymkhana, expressed his desire that India should participate in the 1920 Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium, for this he requested the Governor of Bombay, Lloyd George, to send an Indian contingent through the British Olympic Committee. Go to the Olympics to participate. In 1920, the International Olympic Committee gave India membership to participate.
Contributions of HC Buck
The athletes for the 1924 Paris Olympics were trained by HC Buck in collaboration with the YMCA College of Physical Education. Sir Dorab ji Tata had given financial assistance to this group. HC Buck accompanied this team as team manager.
In 1927, the name of the Indian Olympic Committee was changed to the Indian Olympic Association. The Indian Olympic Association was formed in 1927 by Sir Dorab G. Tata, H.C. Buck, and Dr. A.G. Nauharan. To promote physical education and sports, HC Buck, along with Sir Dorabji Tata and Dr. AG Nohran, founded the Olympic Movement in India. HC Buck died on 24 July 1943.