No. 7 -- 24 June 1931

Mr. Noel A. Hughes, (of Melbourne, Australia)
C/o Central Y.M.C.A.,
2200 Prospect Ave.,
CLEVELAND. Ohio. U.S.A.

My dear Noel,

Well, here you are completing another stage in the big adventure. I hope the Conference at Toronto was of great value to you and that you made the most of every opportunity to hear the best of the discussions and to make contacts with the leaders.

Newspaper clippings from
the Melbourne Sun (22 June 1931),
the Melbourne Argus (22 June 1931),
 Melbourne YMCA's Manhood (June 1931).

Flickr

In Cleveland, I would strongly advise you to endeavour to visit most of the branches of the Cleveland Y, look over the educational work in particular and do not forget to go to the Westside Boys' Building to meet Mr. M. D. Crackel. You will find Crackel a splendid man of long experience in our work. Mr. Knebel, the General Secretary at Cleveland, has not been there for very long, but he is regarded as one of the best men in the North American work.

I had a friend on the staff by the name of Merriam. I do not know whether he is still there. You might enquire and if so, remind him of the meeting I had with him in 1917 when I was going to England and France.

The great Conference at Cleveland should set new standards in the work of the Association. The discussions centering around "Youth's search for God" should be very helpful to you in your own life, as well as in your work in the future.

I hope by this time you have been successful in securing an opening in an Association which will fill up the hiatus between now and your entry to the Chicago Y College. Perhaps Clive Glover has been able to find something for you. I know he would do his best to help you.

I am specially anxious that you should write to us immediately you hear anything regarding work, so that we may be able to write to you direct. Always give, if possible, the dates covering your movements and a specific address, so that mail matter may go direct to you.

If you are not successful in securing a job, I would suggest that you make contact with Mr. Ralph W. Cooke, the Assistant Secretary of the Chicago Y.M.  He would have a good deal to do iwth the placing of men in the Chicago branches. He may be able to find a job for you at that time. He will probably be at the World's Conference. You might make enquiries among the delegates and, if possible, locate him.

Another man I would like you to meet is Mr. HarryW. White, who is on the Foreign Department staff, located at Chicago. He is sure to be at Cleveland. I would not be surprised if John W. Cook wrote to you suggesting that you should spend some time with him at Baily Island, Maine.

If you should go to New York, do not fail to look up Eric Nicoll, Personnel Manager, Metropolitan Division, Western Union Telegraph Company, 395 Broadway, New York. Eric, you remember, was Boys' Work Secretary at the Dunedin Y during the time I was away in England and France.

I must close now. All of us are anxious to hear the news regarding your journeyings and are hopeful that you will have a wonderfully happy time. It is a great chance you have, and there  is no doubt it should be of the greatest possible benefit to you as an introduction to your College work. I know you will work hard. I believe you will face all the opportunities with a determination to make them count in your own life and in your future work. You will have many temptations to take the easy road. No success in life comes to the man who does that. There is only one royal road to success, and that is a long uphill climb in which at times you will be almost constrained to give up. That is the time to hang on. It is said that the darkest hour is just before the dawn. You  will find it so in your work.

Our love is yours,
Dad


See related post: The YMCA conferences in Toronto and Cleveland

No. 6 -- 23 June 1931

Mr. Noel A. Hughes, (of Melbourne, Australia)
C/o Mr. Fred. J. Smith,
Executive Secretary,
Y.M.C.A.
College Street,
TORONTO. Canada

My dear Noel,

Well, I suppose you have had a remarkably interesting journey so far. I know the run through the Canadian Rockies will remain a vivid memories for years to come.

Then your contacts with the beauties of Lake Louise and Banff will also please you.

I hope it was possible for you to meet Mr. Archie Kirkpatrick at Winnipeg. He is a New Zealander who did particularly well at Chicago Y College. He would be delighted to talk over Australian conditions with you.

Fred. Smith, the Executive Secretary oat Toronto Central is one of my old friends of the war days. Fred. and I were very intimate in London. He was heading up the Canadian Y.M.C.A. and I the New Zealand, and we frequently met each other on the business of the Association and in a personal way. I am sure you will find him a warm friend and that he will do all he possibly can to be of assistance to you while you are in his centre.

Another good friend of mine is Mr. Ernie Best; you might ask Fred. Smith where he is and perhaps the opportunity may come for you to meet him also.

If you get the opportunity I would suggest that you visit Toronto University and look over Hart House which was the centre where A. J. Edmonds was Physical Director. This might serve as an introduction for you to get permission to go through  the buildings.

I suppose you will have met the boys from Springfield and also Ern. Saunders. Please convey to them all my warmest regards.

Noel's certificate that he is a delegate to
the 1931 World's Conferences of YMCAs.
(click photo to enlarge or view on Flickr)

Now, I hope you will enter into the Conference with the desire to get out of it the absolute limit in the way of help and inspiration. It will be a wonderful chance to meet many of the great leaders of our Movement from practically all countries of the World. You will be glad to make these contacts as they may mean a great deal to you in the future and I would suggest that you cultivate every opportunity in that direction.

Some of the fellows will be attending the Boys' Work Conference, but I suggest that in view of your desire to take up Secretarial work, that the Younger Men's  problems would probably be of more help to you than the Boys' Conference discussions.

Letter from F.D. Trainor of the
National Committee of YMCAs of Australia
certifying Noel is an official delegate.
(click photo to enlarge or view on Flickr)

Seek out the men who were on the New York Headquarters staff, such men as Arthur N. Cotton, Abel Gregg and C.C. Robinson. Don't forget our old friend, E.M. Robinson, who visited Australia in 1925. He is now on the professorial staff of the Springfield College. It is possible that Professor Hartley Cross (an Australian) also on the Faculty at Springfield, will be present.

When you visit Buffalo, look up A.H. Witford, 45 West Mohawk St., who has retired from association service, but is still regarded as one of the great leaders in our Movement.

Ask Mr. Spaeth of Buffalo Y to make the contact for you. Don't forget to pay your registration fee of 15 dollars promptly on arrival.

By this time you may have received one or two suggestions regarding work in between Cleveland and Chicago. Consult Alec. Moodie and Fred. Smith on any offers you may receive. I have written Fred. Smith asking him to see if anything can be done for you. His advice will be sound.

When you go through to Cleveland, don't forget to make contact with Clarence Deeter, Apartment Secretary of the Central Y building. Give him my greetings. Please do not think that I am full of instructions in my letters, I simply desire to remind you of certain things so that you may benefit by your contacts with men of note in our work. It is so easy, in the rush of a Conference with scores of group meetings in progress, to lose one of the big by-products of the Conference which is found in the fellowship with men who are leaders in our work.

This letter goes with you on the "Niagara" and should be awaiting your arrival at Toronto. Capitalise every opportunity.

With our united love,

Dad.


See related post: The YMCA conferences in Toronto and Cleveland