REPORT 
 of the 
 
 Standing Committee on Associations 
 to the 
 Forty-first International Convention 
 
 Atlantic City, N. J. 
 November 14-19, 1922 
 
 THE COMMITTEE 
 
 Dr. J. P. Munn, Chairman, New York City 
 Pror. O. E. Brown, Nashville, Tennessee 
 Rev. C. W. Giixey, Chicago, Illinois 
 
 Rey. Roy B. Guirp, New York City 
 
 G. C. Hupertr, Hartford, Connecticut 
 
 C, R. Joy, Keokuk, Iowa 
 
 H. P. LANspALE, Rochester, N. Y. 
 
 James Locan, Worcester, Massachusetts 
 Dr. W. D. Macxenzik, Hartford, Connecticut 
 Rey. Joun M. Moors, Brooklyn, New York 
 H. L. S—EAMANs, Columbus, Ohio 
 
 E. L. SHury, Dayton, Ohio 
 
 K. A, SHuMAKER, Chicago, Illinois 
 
 H. W. Stone, Portland, Oregon 
 
 S. Wirt Witey, Minneapolis, Minnesota 
 
 > 
 
To the Forty-first International Convention of the Young Men’s Christian 
 Associations of North America: 
 
 Gentlemen: 
 
 The work of the Standing Committee on Associations was defined in 
 the following resolution adopted by the Washington Convention: 
 
 “RESOLVED, That this Convention appoint a Committee to 
 investigate the standing of the North American Associations as to 
 the Portland test, and if the active, voting members (those who 
 hold office) are found not to be on the Portland Basis they shall 
 be warned and given three years to reform said irregularity. 
 Any Association which violates this rule after this notification 
 shall be stricken from the rolls.” 
 
 The International Convention held in Detroit in 1919 authorized the 
 Committee to continue its work and “to increase its membership for the 
 more thorough study of the various problems involved in its work” and 
 requested the Committee “to take into close consultation trusted leaders 
 of the Churches and of the Association”; also to make a special study 
 of the Student Department in all its relations. 
 
 ‘In compliance with the instructions of the Detroit Convention, and 
 for the purpose of making a more thorough study of the practice of 
 local Associations concerning their Basis of Active Membership, the Com- 
 mittee has increased its number by the addition of twelve members, rep- 
 resenting various Association groups and Church bodies. 
 
 The Committee has continued to make inquiry concerning and to 
 study the Basis of Active Membership of the local Associations. In 
 May, 1922, it sent a formal inquiry to all local Associations, requesting 
 a statement from them concerning their Basis of Active Membership, 
 both as to constitutional requirements and as to practice. A summary of 
 the replies received to this inquiry follows: 
 
 SUMMARY OF REPLIES TO INQUIRY SENT BY COMMITTEE 
 ON ASSOCIATIONS 
 
 Total Number 
 
 Reporting Replying Per cent 
 
 in Year Book to Inquiry Replying 
 City cee Aid tee oh 720 684 95 
 Raucdad soe ees 230 207 90 
 County.ings scan 108 38 34 
 Army and Navy.... 32 17 53 
 Colored to sstenc ee 123: 59 48 
 Stident:2i. ae 341 262 76 
 Indiante ie se vane ee 14 7 50 
 
 LOtal ei acqitaet 1568 1274 81 
 
Two hundred and six (sixteen per cent) of the replies indicate irregu- 
 larities with reference to office holding or voting, as follows: 
 
 
 
 City ia. .b tees se 36 5% of replies from City Associations. 
 
 Raitlroad@ess ae 25 W290 ox “Railroad Associations. 
 
 SOUNTY Satake stone 15 40% “ 1 “ County Associations. 
 
 Coloredttaccuaces. 4 7%“ - “ Colored Associations. 
 
 Studente:s: see eee 123 47% “ a “Student Associations. 
 
 hnrdian eee. 3 43% “ 4 “Indian Associations. 
 LP Otal sree es 206 16% of replies from All Associations. 
 
 City Railroad County Colored Student Indian Total 
 Constitution does not 
 limit either office hold- 
 ing or voting to mem- 
 bers of Evangelical 
 Ghurchesaty -euceere By 1] 9 3 72 2 100 
 
 Constitution does not 
 limit office holding to 
 members of Evangeli- 
 caleGhurchestece dest R) 1 2, 1 7 14 
 
 Constitution does not 
 limit voting to mem- 
 bers of Evangelical 
 Churches 547 57iw.-6e' 2 4 16 
 
 Constitution regular but 
 in practice office hold- 
 ing not limited to mem- 
 bers of Evangelical 
 *Ghurches™.'.2esjees ss. 14 8 3 8 1 34 
 
 Constitution regular but 
 in practice voting not 
 limited to members of 
 Evangelical Churches. 14 1 1 20 36 
 
 to 
 im 
 
 Total ona s Sevens peo 25 15 4 123 Ser e200 
 
 The Committee calls attention to the fact that while 1,978 Associations 
 are known to be in existence, only 1,568 submitted reports for the 1922 
 Year Book. It is probable, however, that most of the Associations fail- 
 ing to report to the Year Book are in the smaller places and do not have 
 a large number of active members. The above data shows that the 
 Associations which have replied to the Committee’s inquiry, excepting the 
 Student group to which subsequent reference is made, have seventy-three 
 per cent of the total active membership of all the Associations in their 
 groups. The inquiry also shows that those who reported Bases of Active 
 Membership in conformity with Convention action have seventy-two 
 per cent of the total active membership of the Associations in their 
 groups. Furthermore, careful analysis of the reported irregularities show 
 that they are mostly infractions of the letter of the Convention ruling 
 rather than of its spirit. The Committee is encouraged, therefore, to 
 believe that there is growing conformity on the part of local Associations 
 
 with the Convention’s requirements concerning the Basis of Active Mem- 
 bership. 
 
From various sources, the Committee learned from time to time of 
 the desire of certain local Associations for changes or adjustments in 
 the authorized Basis of Active Membership. At the request of some of 
 these Associations, the Committee provided opportunity for their repre- 
 sentatives to meet with it and to present statements concerning the 
 present practice and reasons supporting a desire for any change in the 
 Basis or definitions thereof. From the replies to its inquiry, and as a 
 result of its extensive correspondence, the Committee also ascertained 
 the views of a large number of other most influential Association leaders 
 in all sections of the country concerning the Basis of Active Membership. 
 It is apparent to the Committee that while there are some who, for 
 historical or other reasons, earnestly prefer that no change be made in 
 the present Basis or in the definitions thereof, there are others who with 
 equal earnestness advocate an alternate Basis providing largest liberty. 
 The Committee’s own conclusions, in the light of all the evidence sub- 
 mitted, leads it to submit recommendations involving no change in the 
 Basis, but permitting alternate definitions of the term “Evangelical.” 
 These are submitted with the unanimous recommendation of the entire 
 Committee, excepting four members who have been unable to meet with 
 the Committee or to advise concerning its work. 
 
 “RESOLVED, That in determining which Churches are 
 Evangelical for purposes affecting the Basis of Active Mem- 
 bership, local Associations may regard as Evangelical 
 churches any of the following: 
 
 “1, Those conforming to the definition adopted by the In- 
 ternational Convention held in Portland, Maine, in 1869, 
 
 “2. Those designated as eligible for membership in the 
 Federal Council of Churches of Christ in America, or 
 the corresponding body of the Dominion of Canada. 
 
 “3. Those which may be so regarded by the local Federa- 
 tion or Council of Churches, or where such Federation 
 or Council does not exist, by a majority of the active 
 pastors of those churches of the community which are 
 eligible for membership in the Federal Council of 
 Churches of Christ in America.” 
 
 In presenting these recommendations, the Committee directs the atten- 
 
 tion of the Convention to the following points involved in the recommen- 
 dations: 
 
 1. That they do not involve any change in the Basis as 
 adopted by the Convention of 1869, but only provide for 
 alternate definitions of the term “Evangelical” as adopted 
 by the Convention of 1869. 
 
 2. No change in the present Basis is mandatory upon any 
 Association. The adoption of either alternate definition 
 is entirely optional with any Association. 
 
 3. Both alternate definitions conform to the principle hereto- 
 fore accepted by the Convention in recognizing the Asso- 
 ciation’s relation and allegiance to the Church, and accept- 
 ing a decision of the recognized “Evangelical” Churches 
 concerning which denominations are, or are not, “Evan- 
 gelical.” 
 
4. In the second alternate definition, there is recognition of the 
 principle of local autonomy, first, in according to local Asso- 
 ciations the right of choice of alternate definitions of the 
 term “Evangelical,” and second, in permitting a majority of 
 the recognized churches of a local Community to determine 
 whether other local churches are or are not “Evangelical.” 
 
 In its studies of the Membership Basis as related to Student Associa- 
 tions, the Committee has found many interesting developments and sig- 
 nificant trends. Out of the 678 Student Associations, including colored 
 and Indian, known to be in existence, 432 submitted reports for the Year 
 Book of 1922. Of those reporting to the Year Book, only 260 replied to 
 the Committee’s inquiry. It seems probable that this low figure may be 
 explained by the fact that the inquiry was issued near the close of the 
 college year and, therefore, may not have been received by many Associa- 
 tions; and by the further fact that fully four-fifths of the Student Asso- 
 ciations have no graduate Secretaries and the work is directed entirely 
 by volunteer student officers. Of those replying to the Committee’s 
 inquiry, 123, or forty-seven per cent, reported irregularities either in 
 practice or in constitutional requirement. A study of these irregularities 
 shows a trend towards the use of a personal statement of purpose. It is 
 noteworthy that only thirty-two reported having found the alternate basis 
 for membership, authorized by the Washington Convention, acceptable as 
 a personal basis. 
 
 Finding this widespread variation and lack of uniformity, the Committee 
 on Associations asked the various Student Councils, National, Regional, 
 and State, to confer and cooperate with it in the endeavor to work out 
 some uniform basis which might be generally accepted by all Student 
 Associations. 
 
 Your Committee desires to acknowledge the splendid cooperation given 
 to it in its study of the Student situation by the various Student Councils 
 and by the Association of Student Secretaries. These representatives of 
 our Student Movement have made an exhaustive study of the question of 
 the Basis of Active Membership as it affects the Student Associations. 
 As a result of these studies, the National Council, composed of two rep- 
 resentatives from each of the several Field Councils, worked out a pro- 
 posal of a Basis of Active Membership which they submitted for con- 
 sideration to local Associations, State and Field Councils, and the State 
 and Summer Student Conferences. This very thorough process of 
 national discussion and study had not been completed at the time when 
 this report was issued. The Committee believes that the progress already 
 made by these Student leaders will result in the unanimous recommenda- 
 tion of a Basis by the National Council of Student Young Men’s Christian 
 Associations prior to the opening of the Convention, so that it may be 
 submitted by this Committee to the Atlantic City Convention for its con- 
 sideration and action. 
 
 Respectfully submitted 
 On behalf of the Standing Committee on Associations, 
 By Jonn P. Munn, Chairman. 
 New York City, 
 October 20, 1922. 
 
Ths) wha 
 foe 
 
 yh etter