Skip to main content

Affiliated organization records of the YMCA of Metropolitan Minneapolis

 Collection
Identifier: Y.MPL.002

SCOPE AND CONTENTS OF THE COLLECTION

The collection includes administration, rosters, financial statements, meeting minutes, newsletters, statistics, and other records documenting the various affiliated programs with the Minneapolis YMCA, covering the years of 1895 to 2004. The Ladies Auxiliary materials cover their involvement with the Rail Road Department in 1895, Minneapolis Y Wives, 1955-1975, and 1998, Minneapolis Church Athletic Association (MCAA), from 1925 to 1975, and the Y's Men Clubs International, 1940s to 2004. Records relating to the Y's Men International Clubs, their function and activities, make up the bulk of this collection.

Dates

  • 1895-2004
  • Majority of material found within ( 1960-1979)

Creator

Language of Materials

English

Use of Materials:

This collection is protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S. Code). It is the user's responsibility to verify copyright, ownership, and to obtain all the necessary permissions prior to the reproduction, publication, or other use of any portion of these materials.

HISTORY OF YMCA OF METROPOLITAN MINNEAPOLIS AND ITS AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONS

The YMCA of Metropolitan Minneapolis has a long and established history of forming relationships with other social service-related organizations, to the benefit of the communities they serve. In 1883, the Ladies Furnishing Committee, later known as the Ladies Auxiliary, was an extra-constitutional organization formed to furnish the Minneapolis Y's rented space headquarters in the Syndicate Block of downtown Minneapolis. Beyond fund-raising, participants also served as hostesses for social receptions, coordinated events, and provided "a feminine perspective" for the male-dominated YMCA Minneapolis.

The Sunday School Athletic League, later known as the Minneapolis Church Athletic Association, was organized in 1907, resulting from collaboration between the YMCA Minneapolis and local church councils from each of the six districts. While these were church associations, the YMCA Minneapolis was instrumental in their formation, and several integral YMCA officers served as executives. The organization's goal was to "provide wholesome 'through-the-week' Sunday school-related activities for boys and young men." Clifford T. Booth, the physical director of the YMCA Minneapolis from 1903 to 1912, was instrumental in the day-to-day running of the association, as was his successor, Frank C. Berry.

According to the 1925 Constitution, the Minneapolis Church Athletic Association "recognizes all amateur athletic sports and games, and maintains jurisdiction over the same in the Churches which are members of the Association". The objects of the Association were 1) to develop the Christian character of the boys and young men in the churches and Sunday schools of Minneapolis, 2) to maintain a high standard of honesty, courtesy, and manliness in athletic sports, 30 to encourage systematic physical exercise and education within the Sunday schools and churches, 4) to secure and maintain a uniform amateur basis in inter-church sports 5) to establish and maintain uniform rules for the government of all athletic sports, 6) to institute, regulate and award inter-church athletic championships, 7) to promote recreative activities for the members of the churches and Sunday schools, and 8) to affiliate by allegiance with organizations of special or general jurisdiction, composed of units wholly or partly devoted to physical education.

Minneapolis Y-Wives was a service organization in Minneapolis comprised of the wives of the administrative staff of the YMCA Minneapolis, devoted to stimulating growth and broadening interest among members through fellowship, informal education and service projects for the Minneapolis Y. The Minneapolis organization was one of a wide network of Y-Wives service organizations, as there were such groups all across the Y footprint, both nationally and internationally. The Y-Wives purpose statement was "to unite everywhere in a world wide bond of friendship and service; to provide an opportunity for them to share their thoughts; their talents; their various experiences; to contribute to the YMCA through understanding and spiritual support of Y families."

The Y's Men International/Y Service Clubs International is a nondenominational service club partnering with local YMCAs on an international scale, to serve their local communities. It was founded in 1922 in Toledo, Ohio by Judge Paul William Alexander.

(Information taken from Breaking New Ground, Building Strong Lives: 140 Years of Youth Work with the Minneapolis YMCA by Paul Hillmer, 2006; from Builders of Men: A History of the Minneapolis Young Men's Christian Association: 1866-1936by S. Wirt Wiley and Florence Lehmann; and from the collection).

Extent

2 Cubic Feet (7 boxes)

Abstract

Records documenting the Metropolitan Minneapolis YMCA interactions with various related organizations, including the Ladies Auxiliary, Minneapolis Y Wives, Minneapolis Church Athletic Association (MCAA), and the Y Men's International clubs.

ORGANIZATION/ARRANGEMENT OF THE RECORDS

These documents are organized into the following sections:

  1. Ladies Auxiliary Committee of the Rail Road Department Records
  2. Minneapolis Church Athletic Association (MCAA) Records
  3. Minneapolis Y Wives Records
  4. Y's Men International Clubs Records

Physical Location

See Detailed Description section for box listing.

Related Materials

See also the Y's Men International Records, separately catalogued in the Kautz Family YMCA Archives.

Processing Information:

Processed by: Jesse Harpestad, Kathryn Oosterhuis, and Alex Bentley, March 2014.

Catalog Record ID number: 6381969

Title
YMCA OF METROPOLITAN MINNEAPOLIS:
Subtitle
An Inventory of Its Affiliated Organization Records
Author
Finding aid prepared by Kathryn Oosterhuis and Alex Bentley
Date
2014
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
English

Collecting Area Details

Contact The Kautz Family YMCA Archives Collecting Area

Contact:

612-625-3445