New York YMCA Board of Directors records
SCOPE AND CONTENTS OF THE COLLECTION
The collection contains minutes, agendas and supporting documents for meetings of the Board of Directors of the YMCA of Greater New York. Also included are materials for the committees of the Board that include financial reports, correspondence, planning documents, materials related to buildings and branches such as leases and maintenance information, program materials, position papers, governing documents, membership information, and material related to many other aspects of New York YMCA oversight and operation. The names of committees changed over time, with some being absorbed into more comprehensive groups. Others were established as new committees to reflect changes in how the organization was governed. The collection covers the period from the founding of the New York YMCA to the 2000s. In the early years of the New York YMCA, meetings frequently had no agendas and meeting minutes were often-extensive narratives of what occurred. During the 20th century, however, meetings of the Board and its Committees became more formal and agendas were distributed prior to meetings.
The collection also includes materials from important staff committees such as the Branch Chair Council and Executive Cabinet.
Includes digital files in PDF and Microsoft formats.
Dates
- 1852-2017
- Majority of material found within ( 1850s-1980s)
Creator
- YMCA of Greater New York. (Organization)
Language of Materials
English
Conditions Governing Access
Analog (non-digital) material open for use in the Elmer L. Andersen Library reading room. The digital files are available upon request. Please contact the University Archives to arrange access to these materials.
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 GREATER NEW YORK BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The YMCA of Greater New York has had a Board of Directors since its beginning in 1852. Eligibility for service on the Board and the parameters of directors' responsibilities have changed over the years. For example, in order to be eligible for Board service under the 1887 bylaws, a prospective director was required to be a member in good standing of a Protestant evangelical church. Today, directors of the YMCA of Greater New York are prominent community members who support the mission of the Y and who provide oversight and direction to executive staff. Past members of the Board of Directors came from business, industry, finance, government and higher education. Notable board members have included Cornelius Vanderbilt, Cleveland Dodge and Thomas E. Dewey.
Directors were especially important in large-city, multi-branch YMCA associations like New York City in the first half of the 20th century, mirroring the growing role of boards in business corporations. The Board of Directors provided a centralizing influence on an often diverse collection of branches and staff, each with its own Board of Managers that reflected the surrounding community and its particular needs and interests.
Extent
85.9 Cubic Feet (150 boxes)
223.8 Megabytes (54 digital files)
Abstract
Collected records of the YMCA of Greater New York Board of Directors and its subcommittees. The materials cover the period from the 1850s to the 2000s.
ORGANIZATION/ARRANGEMENT OF THE RECORDS
These documents are organized into the following sections:
- Board of Directors
- Advisory Council
- Affirmative Action Committee
- Building Committee
- Branch Chair Council
- Business and Finance Committee
- Capital Steering Committee
- Competitive Sports Council
- Constitution and By-laws Committee
- Executive Cabinet
- Executive Committee
- Finance Committee
- Financial Development Committee
- Fund Development Committee
- Human Resources Committee
- Management Group
- Manhattan Strategy Committee
- Marketing Advisory Council
- Marketing and Membership Committee
- Nominating Committee
- Operations Committee
- Planning Committee
- Program Committee
- Public Affairs Committee
- Public Relations Committee
- Strategic Planning Committee
- World Service Committee
Physical Location
See Detailed Description section for box listing.
Processing Information:
Processed by: Louise Merriam, February, 2014.
Catalog Record ID number: 9973723496501701
- New York (N.Y.) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- YMCA of Greater New York.
- Young Men's Christian Association of the City of New York
- Young Men's Christian associations -- Administration Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Young Men's Christian associations -- New York (State) -- New York Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Title
- YMCA OF GREATER NEW YORK BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
- Subtitle
- An Inventory of Its Records
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by Louise Merriam.
- Date
- 2014.
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- English
Collecting Area Details
Contact The Kautz Family YMCA Archives Collecting Area
