2001.126

Staff, Collected by

Field Collection

Museum Collection.

1943 - 1943

Date(s) Created: 1943 Date(s): 1943

Fair

Notes: 2001.126.1001 Dec. 18, 1943. Hoboken News Hoboken Y.M.C.A. Plans a New Drive as Mortgage Burning Wipes Out All Debt Coincident with the burning last night of a final mortgage of $77,500 on the Hoboken Community Y.M.C.A. building, 13th and Washington streets, Max Z. Hurwitz, whose leadership made such an outstanding success of the "Y's" last appeal for funds, announced plans for a January campaign for $15,000 to underwrite the organization's expanded wartime activities in 1944. The mortgage-burning ceremony featured a dinner meeting of the association's officers, directors and campaign workers, with Mr. Hurwitz who will continue as fund-raising chairman, assisting Dr. Robert B. Nattress, president of the Y", in touching the flame to that document. Guest speaker was George G Heide, administrative secretary of the Far East Y. M. C. A. and former president of the West China Board of Research Society, who told of the "Y" work in China. He traveled extensively in south and Central China before and after Japanese occupation of those regions. TRIBUTE IS PAID TO MAX HURWITZ Dr. Nattress, and others officers of the association, paid striking tribute to the unselfish and energetic leadership shown by Mr. Hurwitz on be half of the Y. M. C. A., pointing-out that it was through his success ful engineering of the 1943 campaign, coupled with a bequest of $25,000 from the late L. W. Wolffe who was a retired local businessman, that the "Y" was able, finally to say it is entirely clear of debt. In his talk, Hurwitz pointed out that the mortgage, when foreclosed in 1941, was $263,612.34. The property was re-purchased for $80,000, a saving of $183,612.34 and, through the subsequent financial drive, sufficient funds were raised to pay accumulated debts of many years. "Let me state it concisely," he said. "The Y, at long last, is now, for the first time in its history, free of all debts, and is the sole owner of its property." As chairman of fund-raising in the most critical period of the association's history, Hurwitz, who warmly praised Fred L. Broad, executive secretary, for his invaluable aid, earned the outspoken gratitude of its membership, speakers said. PERSUADED TO RESUME DRIVE LEADERSHIP Hurwitz said that because the "Y" could not function in that it was accommodating the Coast Guard, no campaign was conducted this year, but that a minimum of $15,000 will be required next year "to do the right kind of work." It should be comparatively easy to raise that amount, he opined, remarking the recent success of the United Jewish Appeal for $10,000, which he also led. and the various other campaigns of recent months. "I have been in many fund-raising campaigns but the hardest one, I believe, was in helping to clean up the 'Y' mess," Hurwitz said. "The dealing's with the Prudential Insurance Company, and then the campaign that followed, took almost a full year of hard work: I felt that I have done my full duty to the 'Y and that it might be better to leave someone else handle the 1944 cam-jpaign, one who did not come to you as frequently and a!so persistently during these past few years but the Board of Directors did not agree with me, and, feeling that our local morale - building institutions are more than ever essential in these trying times, I have again accepted the responsibility. With your help, I have no doubt of the outcome." HIGHLY PRAISES SECRETARY BROAD His closing remarks were in praise of Secretary Broad, to whom it is due more than any other person... "because of his courage and faith in himself in the Y. M. C. A. and the people of Hoboken, that the 'Y' continued open and is now certain to be one of the permanent community institutions of our city," Mr. Broad gave an interesting picture of the struggle the association went through during the past decade. When he took over as secretary on December 20. 1933, the unit's total debt was $280.000. Trades-men refused the association credit and it had no money to pay staff salaries. He recalled that in order Max Z. Hurwitz to meet the mortgator's demand that the building be insured, the association took out a policy for one year, cancelled it after the 90-day credit period then wrote out another policy to get an additional 90-day credit period. It was a constant struggle those ten years, Mr. Broad said, and it was only through the generosity of the people of the city, and the aid and comfort of such men as Mr. Hurwitz, that the "Y" came through successfully. He said the entire building was refurnished during the past year, the lobby, dormitories, rooms, all re-decorated. RECALLS SERVICE TO COAST GUARD Serving 500 Coast Guardsmen who were quartered at the "Y" for a 13-month period, highlighted last year's calendar, Mr. Broad said. Seventeen hundred meals were served daily during that time. Opening with an invocation by Rev. A. Q. Wettstein, the evening closed with the burning of the mortgage. Candles at each dinner place were lit from one at the head table and when the flame had passed from one to the other of the dinner guests and reached Dr. Nattrass, the paper was enkindled and the ceremony confilu.ded. With Dr. Nattress at the head table were Max Z. Hurwitz, campaign chairman; Louis Schelling, vice president; Eugene V.. Magee, treasurer; John B. Applegate, secretary; Louis Meyer, chairman of finance; C. W. Keuffel, chairman of activities, and Directors George G. Raymond, Carl J. Ahrnke. Miss Sadie Leinkauf, and Mrs. Frank B. Crisp; James L. Bethune. executive secretary of the Central Atlantic Area of the Y. M. C. A. [end] Status: OK Status By: dw Status Date: 2011-05-24