YMCA-related web archives

Collection

Identifier: Y.USA.91

Staff Only

SCOPE AND CONTENTS OF THE COLLECTION

YMCA-related web archives comprise the public web presences of the main YMCA entities that are in the collecting scope of the Kautz Family YMCA Archives, including the YMCA of the USA, the YMCA of the North (YMCA Twin Cities), the YMCA of Greater New York, and Y's Men Interational, as well as the Association of YMCA Professionals. YMCA of the USA website archives comprise the public web presence of the national YMCA movement, documenting its main strategic aims, program areas, and news dating back to 2014. In addition it includes information on training resources provided for volunteer youth sport coaches.

Captures of websites are ongoing unless the websites ceases updating or has been moved to a new web address.

Dates

Creation: 2014-ongoing

Creator

YMCA of the USA (Organization)
Young Men's Christian Association of the Greater Twin Cities. (Organization)
YMCA of Greater New York. (Organization)
International Association of Y's Men's Clubs (Organization)

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research. Access content online through Archive-It. https://archive-it.org/collections/4858

Conditions Governing Use

This collection may be 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 necessary permissions prior to the reproduction, publication, or other use of any portion of these materials. Researchers may quote from the collection under the fair use provision of the copyright law.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

The YMCA of the USA is the national body of the U.S. American arm of the Young Men's Christian Association. Organized June 6, 1844 in London, England, the YMCA was initially intended to be a young businessmen's organization dedicated to evangelism, social welfare, and relief services. Originally this evangelizing took the form of libraries, lecture courses, and social activities. The first North American chapters were established in 1851 in Montreal and Boston. The idea quickly took root and by the time the first "Annual Convention of Young Men's Christian Associations of the United States and British Provinces" was held in 1854 there were fourteen American associations present.

Local associations have always maintained administrative and financial autonomy. Starting in 1854, annual national conventions, held under the auspices of the Executive Committee, were in charge of coordination on the national level. In 1879 the Executive Committee changed its name to the International Committee and in 1883 was incorporated as the permanent, centralized agency for the American YMCA movement. This was possible due to the many programs established and the number of associations established in the United States and Canada.

In 1912 the Canadian associations split from the International Committee and formed their own organization. In 1923 the domestic work of the International Committee was taken over by the newly formed General Board (later National Board). The International Committee continued until 1936 when it was absorbed by the National Council. In 1981, following the move of the headquarters from New York to Chicago, the organization incorporated under the name YMCA of the USA. The various name changes reflect the complexity and growth of this national organization. Each time a new initiative was begun or an national crisis was faced the YMCA in America reflected these changes within its national structure.

The YMCA of the USA began publishing a web site as early as 1996. However web captures by the Kautz Family YMCA Archives via the Internet Archive's Archive-It service date back only to 2014. Similarly, the Twin Cities and New York YMCAs had a web presence dating back to at least 2000 and 1996 repsectively, and the Y's Men International to 1998.