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Founded in Toledo, Ohio, USA in 1922 to support a local YMCA, Y's Men International is now oriented to serving the worldwide YMCA, the largest non-governmental youth organisation, and through it the communities in which it is present throughout the world. Since the YMCA is usually known as "the Y" in the USA, and as the Y's Men movement started there as a club of "men of and for the Y", it was named the "Y's Men's Club".

Judge Paul William Alexander (photo) was the founder of the first club together with a group of young men. (Click on photo to obtain larger one - then "Save As" to download to your computer.)

However, today women can be full members of our movement (and indeed many women are among its members and family participation is encouraged in numerous activities). This is a very important selling point in many communities. Since 1995 local affiliated clubs wishing to emphasize this openness can choose to call themselves "Y's Men and Women's Clubs" or "Y Service Clubs". Members are known as Y's Men or Y's Women.

Today Y's Men International has over 1,700 clubs with around 31,000 members in 74 countries on all continents.

This motto was adopted by Y's Men because of the tendency of most people to insist upon full enjoyment of all rights while remaining oblivious to the corresponding duties giving validity to such rights.

Just as the green light giving right of way to traffic on one street must have a corresponding red light to warn traffic on the cross-street of its duty to stop, so every right we enjoy is founded upon a corresponding duty.

Our motto is a constant challenge to us to pay less heed to our rights, and more to the discovery and discharge of their corresponding duties - to transfer the emphasis from rights to duties.

Y's Men International will be recognised globally as a service organisation promoting cultural awareness leading to brotherhood and world peace.

... or, paraphrased for a local club:

The Y's Men's Club of ............. will be recognized in ............ as a Service Club promoting cultural awareness leading to brotherhood and world peace.

Our Mission

As Y's Men International is a worldwide fellowship of persons of all faiths working constructively together, based on the teachings of Jesus Christ, in partnership with and supporting the YMCA, its mission is to strive through active service to develop, encourage and provide leadership to build a better world for all humankind.

Our Emblem

The Y's Men emblem consists first of a red triangle, the symbol long employed by the YMCA to denote its three-fold programme of spirit, mind and body building.

In the upper border of the triangle appears the word INTERNATIONAL, indicative of the scope of our purposes.

Within the triangle a golden star sheds rays of light on the name, "Y'S MEN'S CLUB".

This star symbolises the Star of Bethlehem. Just as that star served as a guide to the Wise Men of the East, so shall this golden star, which also represents the ideals of our club, serve as a constant guide to the Y's Men of today and lead them to a true realisation of the nobility of unselfish service.
Download the Y's Men emblem.

ysmenemblem2.jpg (68040 bytes)

Members enjoy singing at local club meetings as well as at conferences and conventions. Many special songs have been written and the one entitled "Once more we stand" with the lyrics written by our founder, Judge Paul William Alexander, to the music (slightly adapted) of "Finlandia" by Jean Sibelius is regarded as the "Official Y's Men's Hymn". You can download it by "right-clicking" the file oncemore.htm, selecting "Save Target As" and then selecting the folder in your computer where you wish to save it. Repeat the process for the file oncemore.mid and save it in the same folder.

Y's Men Club Activities and Programmes

About 90% of local club support stays in the local community - either through support to the local YMCA or through direct community support (most often a combination of the two). Annually, such support is estimated at close to US$ 4 million - plus numerous hours of volunteer service work.

But local clubs also support international programmes, such as:

Alexander Scholarship Fund to support training of YMCA Staff persons. Named in honour of our founder, Judge Paul William Alexander. Every year, local clubs support training of YMCA Secretaries with about US$ 120,000. About US$ 12,000 (10% of the local support) is sent to the International Headquarters and is used to support leadership training programmes mainly in Africa, Latin America and India, but in recent years also in Eastern/Central Europe.

Brotherhood Fund to allow travel of members to visit members in other countries. Every year, about US$ 200,000 is contributed through the sale of used stamps (about 15%) and from cash contributions (about 85%). This programme helps to increase understanding of different cultures - both for those travelling ("BF Delegates") and for those hosting them.

International Brother Clubs to enhance international understanding. Links between Y's Men's Clubs in different countries through the exchange of letters, bulletins, photos, cassettes, videos, etc - and visits whenever possible.

Time of Fast. Money is raised through Y's Men "skipping" a meal or two and paying what the meal would have cost into the TOF programme. The funds thus contributed are used to support YMCA projects all over the world. The programme started about 20 years ago and shows a dramatic increase in contributions - and hence support to YMCAs.

Year	Type of projects supported	Average support per year (US$)
1973 - 82	Various relief and development projects	40,000
1982 - 85	World coordination of leadership and development programme	67,000
1985 - 91	Underprivileged children	88,000
1991 - 99	Community development and family involvement	197,000
1999 - 02	Building peoples' futures	154,000
2002 - 05	Building a peaceful future	232'000

This is your opportunity!

Where are there Y's Men's Clubs and how can I become a Member?

Y's Men work is going on in 74 countries and territories around the world (click here to see the summary of Affiliated Clubs). To become a member, contact your local or nearest Y's Men Club (click here to see "Other Y's Men's Websites"). If there is no Y's Men's Club in your area and you would like to start one, contact the International Headquarters for an information kit on "How to Start a Y's Men's Club".

Come with us.....

	We the Y's Men are a group of men and women dedicated to serving the community and we have fun doing it.
	We can promise you the personal pleasure of fellowship and shared ideals plus the satisfaction you get from helping make your community a better place to live in.
	The Y's Men's Club in your area is part of a worldwide organisation that works with YMCAs for community betterment in 72 countries on all continents, offering international opportunities for contacts and projects.

	We are a mixed group that thrives on the variety of qualities that each one of us contributes to the whole.
	We are male and female of all ages, races, religions and socio-economic levels. But in common, as Y's Men, we enjoy our shared service and accomplishments.

And while we render all these services to others, we have fun and enjoy fellowship. And being active in a Y's Men's Club provides many opportunities for personal development. Through taking on responsibilities at Club, District, Region and higher levels, we develop various skills which are beneficial to us - also outside club life.