Our History
Judge Paul William Alexander
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 was the founder of the first club together with a group of young men.
However, today women can be full members of our movement. 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.
Our Motto
"To acknowledge the duty that accompanies every right."
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.
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.
Songs
Once more we stand, new zeal our hearts im-bu-ing;
We raise our hand, our service pledge re-new-ing.
Ne'er to de-ny - our - mot-to's claim.
Y's men in fact as well as name.
Al-ways our ob - jects to pur - sue
We con-se-crate our-selves a - new.
We raise our hand, our service pledge re-new-ing.
Ne'er to de-ny - our - mot-to's claim.
Y's men in fact as well as name.
Al-ways our ob - jects to pur - sue
We con-se-crate our-selves a - new.
As now we sing, in com-rade-ship more bind-ing;
Our love we bring, re-ward in friend-ship find-ing.
To ev-'ry Y'-s man far and near
we pledge de-vo - tion most sin - cere!
Glo-ry and pride Y'-s men to be,
Fill ev'ry heart with loy-al-ty!
Our love we bring, re-ward in friend-ship find-ing.
To ev-'ry Y'-s man far and near
we pledge de-vo - tion most sin - cere!
Glo-ry and pride Y'-s men to be,
Fill ev'ry heart with loy-al-ty!
Text by Judge Paul William Alexander ca. 1925
Theme from 'Finlandia' by Sibelius
Played by Trygve Bröske 1997
Theme from 'Finlandia' by Sibelius
Played by Trygve Bröske 1997
Structure of the Movement
International
The movement is governed by a 21-member International Council which meets annually. The International Executive Officers are the International President (IP), the Immediate Past International President (PIP), the International President Elect (IPE) and the International Treasurer (IT). The International Headquarters (IHQ) is based in Geneva, Switzerland.
Area
The Y's Men world is divided into eight Areas: Africa, Asia, Canada/Caribbean, Europe, India, Latin America, South Pacific and United States of America. Each Area is led by an Area President (AP), elected in a mail ballot by the clubs in the Area. The Area Service Directors (ASDs) are appointed by the AP to coordinate the work of the respective Regional Service Directors (RSDs). They report to the respective ISD.
Region
Each Area is divided into Regions, each of which is led by a Regional Director (RD) elected at the Regional Conference. Helping the RD are: the immediate past RD (IPRD), the successor (RD Elect), a Regional Treasurer and a Regional Secretary, as well as a number of Regional Service Directors (RSDs) promoting the different programmes and projects.
District
Each Region is divided into Districts. A District is led by a District Governor (DG), elected at the District Conference.
Club
The membership of each local club may consist of men or women or both. The club is led by a Board of Directors consisting of the President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer as well as Immediate Past President and when necessary the Chairperson of different committees. The officers begin their term of office on 1 July and are elected for one year. To give as many club members as possible responsible tasks and to make the work more efficient, the different service tasks very often are delegated to various committees.
