From the Executive Directors Desk:
Over a long career I’ve regularly gotten some consistent questions about the YMCA. I often get the “So where is the C in the YMCA anyway?” Usually this question is a gotcha type inquiry on one side or the other of the the suspicion that we’re either a Godless Commercial Health Club or that we’re discriminating against non-Christians with our very name. Folks are generally surprised to learn that I welcome this question especially during this Holiday Season. The principles that guide our YMCA work came straight out of Bible verses and lessons especially in a couple areas.
It may surprise you to learn that the first practical expression of that is, we regularly deal with adult and kid behavior that shall we say “exceeds the norm.” It may surprise you further to learn that we have some Members who cause considerable problems that result in sometimes big conflicts-leaving our staff to work through them on a frequent basis.
Sometimes it is a simple hygiene issue – never fun to discuss with a Member. Sometimes it is a pushing match or fight between adults and kids. Sometimes it is straight up hateful behavior around racial, income, gender or political issues – you name it. The principles that guide us addressing these problems are
fairness
,
people feeling safe and comfortable
,
not being bullied
,
people being accountable for their actions
and above all,
we are here for a reason
– and that reason doesn’t include ducking difficult issues. This is straight out of our Judeo Christian Heritage.
The second area that consistently comes up is advice or commentary along the lines of “you wouldn’t have these problems if you didn’t let these scholarship people in here”. Sometimes there is a racial descriptor along with that in surprisingly direct terms. Our Scholarship Policy is quite deliberate –
we are not a Health Club or a Country Club
–
we are a YMCA
– and
we are for
ALL
. A quick look into our history shows us that in 1878 the World Alliance of YMCAs created a logo for Y’s across the world. It was called the Chi Rho Logo and in the center was the John 17:21 Bible verse as a central organizing principle. The verse reads, “That they may all be one – As we are one”.
That philosophy has driven our organization for the past century. There are no sheep or goats at the Y and we are for all. In this time of division and strife I can’t think of a better reason to double down on putting that verse into action every day. If not us, who would carry this message of hope and civility forward? Next time you stop in, take a look at what happens here through that lens – we’re not just a place with things and activities – we’re here for a more important reason.
-Mike
