Records of YMCA international work in Latvia

In 1920 the Premier of Latvia asked the International Committee to undertake work in the Latvian army. Two secretaries were sent. The army work was conducted in Dvinsk and Rjeshitsa. The program in physical education and children's playgrounds was so popular that it was extended among civilians. In 1923 a constitution was registered for an association in Riga and in 1924 a board of directors was elected. For the civilian associations the North American staff was never large. In 1923 it was B. G. Mitchell and H. D. Anderson, and in 1925 it was J. Brackett Lewis and J. C. Greiner. In 1927 O. J. Frederiksen succeeded Lewis, who transferred to Czechoslovakia, and by 1930 only Greiner was left. Greiner remained until 1934.

For a short time the Latvians thought of the association as not belonging to them. This was due to the non-North American staff being largely made up of Russians. By 1925 however the non-North American staff was purely Latvian and the membership was also predominantly of the Latvian nationality. At first the Latvians regarded the YMCA as simply an athletic club but the YMCA began to introduce programs like educational classes, lectures, student groups and social events. The Riga association rapidly developed its program and was the only Latvian Association where all nationalities existing in Latvia; Latvian, Russian and German predominantly, met in joint activities. Volleyball and basketball were introduced and became quite popular. The boys' department and boys' camp were very successful. Various subjects were covered in the educational classes and a trade school was begun which became a precedent for similar schools. Vocational guidance for highschool students was introduced. Religious meetings were held for boys, group study of the life and teachings of Christ was promoted, and a religious-emphasis week on a nationwide scale was organized. By the end of 1932 there were four organizations outside of Riga.

In 1934 Greiner was demobilized and turned his post over to Zarrins, a Latvian trained in Geneva. By the end of 1935 four of the five men that had trained as YMCA secretaries in North America had resigned and a fifth accepted a post with the League of Nations, mainly for financial reasons. The Latvian YMCA had a hard time without a North American secretary. Despite the deteriorating financial state of the United States combined with the effects of the depression in Latvia, some financial assistance was still given by the North American association to support the programs for students and secondary boys, the national organization, a program for training secretaries, and a project for the unemployed. Occasional visits by Davis of the World's Committee and Lewis from Czechoslovakia helped to maintain contacts.

In 1937 the Latvian YMCA combined with the Latvian YWCA and the two formed the Youth Christian Association. This step was urged by the Latvian government to reduce the number of organizations in a small country. However, by 1939 the union was terminated as it did not prove to be a happy one.

In 1940 Latvia was occupied by the USSR. Under the Soviet occupation the YMCA was officially dissolved and the Riga building was taken over by the local authorities. However most of the YMCAs activities were carried on secretly and illegally. Numerous Latvian citizens disappeared during that time due to the discovery of these secret practices. During World War II, YMCAs sprang up spontaneously in camps for displaced persons in Germany. These YMCAs became rallying points for displaced Latvians. The Latvian YMCA in exile also carried on in Sweden where there was a large population of Latvian refugees. In May 1945, the first board of directors, in exile, was elected. The Latvian YMCA in exile focused on religious work, intellectual work, social work, physical education and boys' activities. The Latvian YMCA in Sweden held religious services, cycles of lectures and bible study groups. They organized an office for publishing school books in the Latvian language and set up a reading room for Latvian YMCA members in Stockholm. The Latvian YMCA in Sweden set up a mutual relief fund based on contributions from members. This was for those Latvian citizens who could not stand the hardships of the physical labor job market that they were forced into because of their displacement. This fund was on urgent need basis only due to the severe shortage of earnings among YMCA members as a whole. Among these other things, the Latvian YMCA in Sweden carried with them volleyball and basketball for entertainment and health purposes, and also organized within the boy scout movement.

The Latvian YMCA began to openly serve again in Latvia post occupation and became member of YMCA Europe in 1991.

The following is a list of individuals who served as YMCA secretaries in Latvia along with their dates of service: