YMCA - development of body, mind and spirit
one of the largest movements for youth in the world
founded by George Williams in 1844 in London
spreads all around the world
today there are 58 million members in 119 countries.
YMCA received first reaction to its idea in the Czech Republic
among the groups of Christian young men,
but the greatest expansion came in 20s of the 20th century.
The first impulse was closely linked with the first Czechoslovak President
Tomas Garrigue Masaryk
and his daughter Alice.
They made an effort to use the greatest YMCA virtues
for building a new state of Czechoslovakia.
Since freedom and democracy are the basic values and building stones of YMCA,
during the Second World War, YMCA was closed.
Many of YMCA members got actively involved in the resistance.
After the war YMCA was restored for a short while,
unfortunately in 1951 YMCA was dissolved
into the only permitted youth organization,
Czechoslovak Youth Union.
In 1968 there was an attempt to restore YMCA,
but it was not before 1990 when it was successful.
And the result is where we are today.
YMCA in the Czech Republic operates in 26 local associations in 11 regions,
has more than 3500 members and offers a wide variety of activities.
We do things like camps,
then different clubs
- different polytechnic, art, dance, sport clubs.
Then we have mothers and family centres
- this programme is rather for the little children with their parents.
Then we also have a lot of specific activities in the programme,
such as marital meetings,
meetings of men and women - married couples,
who want to somehow revive their marriage and improve its quality.
Another activity we have is Ten Sing,
which is singing of teenagers.
It is for teen kids who are trying to cope with life,
and I think this programme is quite good
to lead them through this period of life.
Another specific activity is scouting.
They are a bit of other scouts - YMCA scouts,
they learn how to live in the wild,
to master basic camping skills.
The last activity I would like to mention are open access centres.
These are facilities for street children who need help with their life,
with the school, just sort of put them back in life.