Ketieir of Review, 20J2/06. 



The Young Men's Movement. Easter Camp at Lowry Bay, Wellington. N.Z. 



A MODERN YOUNG MEN'S MOVEMENT IN NEW ZEALAND. 



THE SOCIAL SIDE OF ITS WORK. 



By J.P. 



[The Young Men's Movement in New Zealand is SO great that in the very near future it is going to influence 

 its national life. As such — one of the factors in national progress^— it deserves the special notice which "The Review ot 

 Reviews" can give. Very soon the young men who are being trained in t he way indicated in this article will lie making 

 their way into New Zealand's civic and political arenas. It is certain that in a little while the education of 

 young man, with regard to both these aspects of life and activity, will he taken in hand in a comprehensive way. 

 There are indications of it already. A school of preparation for social service this movement may, and will, develop 

 into if the ideals of some of its leaders are realised. No one can measure the ultimate effect upon the State when 

 more of the fine, clean stamp shown in the accompanying photographs, dominated by high ideals and prepared for social 

 work by a stiff course of training, crowd into puhlic life and wrest positions for the sake of reform. The article is 

 written by the man hesl able to appreciate and understand the present and future value of the movement. — EniTOR. j 



A visitor to New Zealand who had travelled 

 widely recently remarked that nowhere, to his know- 

 ledge, in any country of the world was there such 

 a large proportion of young men in attendance at 

 church ordinances or interested and engaged in 

 church life and work as in New Zealand. And this 

 is by no means the unsupported testimony of one 

 individual. It is a matter which has been very gene- 

 rally commented upon. It is no uncommon sight 

 to witness at a Sunday evening service in one of 

 the large city churches a crowded congregation, 

 made up for the most part of young men. 



There are many contributing causes that have 

 brought this about. In the first place, the church 

 has recognised the importance of engaging the ser- 

 vices of her young men in her work, and her minis- 



ters have laid themselves out especially to deal with 

 " the young man problem." 



Another contributing factor has undoubtedly been 

 the influence of the Bible Class Movement, a move- 

 ment which, although under an old name, is, to all 

 intents and purposes, quite new so far as Chin eh 

 life is concerned. 



Started about sixteen years ago in a very small 

 way, this movement has grown to very large pro- 

 portions. It embraces in its membership the flower 

 of the youth of the colony, the men who will make 

 Xew Zealand's future, and outside of its own mem- 

 bership it exercises an influence which has already 

 been far reaching. The time has happily passed 

 in New Zealand when it was fashionable for the 

 young man to pooh pooh Christianity. A new era 



