e Y.M.C.A. does not do trading for trading's
sake, but because through its trading department
it is the better enabled to meet the needs of the
troops, and also because profits on trading mean
further extension. So rapid has been the
development of the war work of the Y.M.C.A., that
not only has every penny of profit been spent on
the maintenance and development of this work for
soldiers and sailors, but it has been necessary to
raise large sums of money in subscriptions to meet
the ever-increasing demand for extension. Every
new centre means, or may mean, an additional
burden on the central fund or on the divisional
funds for which the National Council is ultimately
responsible. First, there is the cost of the hut,
which may mean L750 or may run into thousands--it
all depends upon size and site. The initial cost
may be defrayed by an individual gift to the
central war fund, but usually to make the hut
large enough for its purpose, additional money has
to be spent, whilst the furnishing will probably
cost from one to three hundred pounds, or more.
Also, it must carry stock to the value of a
hundred pounds or possibly much more if it is a
big camp. A very big turnover in a Triangle hut
may represent a very small profit, _e.g._ there
are enormous sales of stamps and postal orders,
and all these are sold for actual cost, and, what
is more, the Association has to bear the loss of
shortages. Then there are the things the Y.M.C.A.
does free of any charges whatever, _e.g._ there
are no club fees and no charges for admission to
concerts, lectures, or entertainments in the
ordinary hut. Free writing paper and envelopes are
at the present time costing more than L90,000 a
year. Thousands of pounds are spent on cricket and
football outfits, games generally, books,
pictures, and literature for free distribution.
Hot drinks and refreshments are given free to the
walking wounded on a very large scale, and
practically every one of the two thousand war
Y.M.C.A.'s keeps 'open house' at Christmas. The
work of the Y.M.C.A.