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).

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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. 3 -- 18 June 1931

Mr. N. A. Hughes
Passenger, R.M.S. "Niagara",
C/o Union Steamship Company
S U V A.

My dear Noel,

Well you have been to Suva. I hope your impressions of the Island are as vivid as mine were on my first visit, as you make the acquaintance of Mr. Barker.

We are naturally anxious for you to let us know just exactly what occurred and hope you will not fail to write regularly, so that we can be kept advised of each stage of your journey.

Remember that apart from your mother and myself, the two little ones at home will be full of eager interest to know how you are faring.

R.M.S. Niagara (source: Wikipedia)

I want you to be specially careful that you maintain the high standard of personal conduct with the folk you are mixing with. The tendency is, on holiday "to let down the bars" a little, and "when in Rome do as Rome does". I know shipboard life well enough to know how easy it is to "slip" on some of the seemingly small things in personal conduct. Don't forget you have two standards to maintain. First, that of a Christian man and secondly, that of an Association Officer. Throw yourself heart and soul into the life of the ship as far as you are able, but do not compromise your position in either of the relationships I have referred to.

Don't forget also that you should put in at least two to four hours a day in definite preparation for Conference and for your future work at the College. You will be expected by the Faculty to pass certain examinations, so that you may get your entrance status fixed early in your College life. Prepare for that work on the basis set out in the College catalogue. Make each day count in preparation for that period and don't fritter away all the hours of the day and night on the unimportant things generally associated with shipboard life.

R.M.S. Niagara (source: Ancestry.com)

I hope both Alec. and yourself will feel that you have a fine opportunity to think through some of the problems associated with the Conferences, so that you may be able to make your own contributions to the discussions.

Also, I would suggest that you get Alec.'s help in preparing a few short talks on Australia and on the Australian Y.M.C.As, so that you may be in a position to speak when called upon at some of the gatherings you attend.

The time spent on shipboard will give you a splendid chance to prepare material which you will afterwards use at the Conference or at College.

I think you should set out to uphold the standards attained by other Australian students in America. This cannot be done without concentration of purpose and hard work. You would be wise to cultivate the Habit of study, and even if the attractive sides of life on shipboard are very appealing, I hope you will maintain a daily habit of study in preparation for the future.

I want you also to take a daily study in the text material you have on "The Life of Christ", so that you will be able to follow in something like consecutive order the great events in His life. Such a study will help you to understand the great ideals of the Kingdom of God, and will fit you to more effectively serve your fellows because you can appreciate the scheme God has for their lives.

We will be anxiously awaiting news from you. You will, of course, write from every port of call. I found it a very great help to write a short portion of my letter every day, while the events were fresh in my mind, and in this way I was able to advise your mother and my friends just what was happening of interest each day. You might perhaps find it wise to adopt a similar method.

All of use unite in affectionate regards,
Dad

See related post: The RMS Niagara

No. 1 -- 19 June 1931

Mr. N. A. Hughes
Passenger, R.M.S. "Niagara",
SYDNEY. N.S.W.

My dear Noel,

You are now starting out on the great adventure. I know quite well the sense of adventure is likely to be uppermost in your mind just now. There are many new experiences awaiting you and I can understand the thrill you will feel as you face them.

Noel's passport photo

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You know quite well that the folk at home are naturally anxious that you should "make good" in every sense of the word. You have your opportunity, and it will largely depend upon yourself just how far you will capitalise it and make it of real value in your life. All that we can do is to help provide that opportunity. The responsibility is now upon your own shoulders and you will have to measure up to the possibilities which lie ahead of you.

On shipboard there will be many new experiences, some of which may not be as pleasant as you would have them. You will be in the company of all kinds of folk and will need to be exceptionally careful in your choice of friendships. Scores of young fellows who have set out upon similar journeys have palled up with folk that they felt were companionable and safe, to find that they are simply looking for the opportunity to prey upon the confidence people repose in them. Every company of people has a section which lives by its wits. On shipboard you find that proportion greater than in normal life.

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The fact that you have Alec. Moodie with you should make it unnecessary for you to extend your friendships too widely. Be careful of the fellow who is short of money and who wants to borrow as he comes to the port, or, who at the port, discovers that he has only a few shillings and would like the loan of a pound or two, and will return it when you get back to the ship. There are plenty of that kind around, but they seldom pay up.

Be careful of your bags. Leave nothing lying around or it will disappear. Keep your bags locked and see that the first thing that you do is place your papers, wallet, etc. in the care of the Purser. Don't delay in doing this. There are some folk who clean up several cabins shortly after the boat starts. Be specially careful that your stuff is properly secured before you leave the ship at any of the ports of call. When you get to Suva, I expect Mr. A. Barker of the Methodist Mission may have some little courtesy to extend to you. If he should not put in an appearance at the ship, please look  him up, because you will find him a good friend. I have written him advising him of your arrival.

Old business cards from his Melbourne days
that my grandfather saved.

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And now, my boy, I have just this word for you in closing. If your service in the Young Men's Christian Association is going to be anything in the future, it will be largely determined by the depth of your own religious experience and your determination to make it of large account in the service of others.

Life has two major aspects, one in relation to God and one in relation to one's fellows. You cannot expect your service to your fellows to be of the greatest value unless you cultivate a deep and abiding fellowship with the living Christ.

Our love is yours as you go,

Dad

See related post: About the Sydney letters