N. Y. State “ys” Plan to Bolster Lay Leadership of Groups

Plans for strengthening the lay leadership of the Y. M. and Y. W. H. A.’s of New York State by the addition of representative members at large to the executive council were formulated at the fifteenth annual convention of the New York State Federation of Y. M.-Y.W. H. A.’s and kindred organizations held here this week.

Among the resolutions adopted by the convention was one calling upon all constitutent organizations to lend their full support to the Allied Jewish Campaign, and one thanking the Jewish Welfare Board for its assistance and cooperation which had resulted in particular in new building projects in Rochester, Utica and Gloversville.

Harry L. Glucksman, executive director of the Jewish Welfare Board, pointed out the characteristic factors that have brought forth a Jewish center movement in this country, and outlined current developments, particularly in the field of program and administration. He laid special stress upon the present economic situation as it affects the Jewish center movement. “In effecting necessary savings there should be no essential diminution of the benefits of the Jewish center program which has taken years of devoted and intelligent effort to develop,” he declared.

In addition to the annual report by Bernard Given, acting-mayor Isaac Adler of Rochester and Judge Isadore Bookstein of Albany, Republican nominee for attorney-general spoke. Haskell Marks of Rochester was elected president; Judge Bookstein, Albert Rosenthal of Gloversvill, Arthur D. Mann of Schenectady, Jerome Dobin of Binghamton, vice-presidents; Herman Bronstein of Syracuse, treasurer; Mary Scherline of Utica, secretary. Helen Spellman of Binghamton won the oratorical contest.