AS YOU WILL IMAGINE,an
organisation which is almost 150 years old has more than its
fair bit of history!
We have cited here on this page
some important highlights and milestones of our Association's
history in addition to providing access to some of our
historical documents online at the foot of this page.
You will require Adobe Acrobat Reader to open the documents.
1858
On the Tuesday evening of 6th
July, 1858, a small company
of young men met in the Session
House of Bon-Accord Free Church
(then in Union Terrace, “to endeavour to form a Young
Men’s Christian Association in
this town."
Two months later, on 14th
September 1858, a satisfactory arrangement was made for using
the "Circular Room" of the Music Hall Buildings on Union
Street”
1859
- 1872
In the early years of
its existence the Association had the credit of bringing to
Aberdeen many of the most noted preachers and lecturers of the
day. The most outstanding name of all was that of Rev
Charles Spurgeon who visited Aberdeen in 1861 and preached in
the Music Hall to immense audiences gathered not only from the
city alone, but from nearly every district in the north.
On the following morning he breakfasted with the members of
the YMCA.
1873
- 1874
In 1873 the Association
moved from the Music Hall Buildings to premises rented at 183a
Union Street where rooms solely for YMCA use could be used. In
1874, Messrs. Moody and Sankey paid their first visit to
Aberdeen, and the city was stirred by a mighty revival.
Mr Moody directed attention to the importance of the YMCA and
pleaded for its receiving a far greater measure of public
support. With this a movement was started for the
purchase of a suitable building in a prominent position, with
ample accommodation for the headquarters of the Association.
It wasn't long before the YMCA purchased 198 Union Street
(pictured right) which it occupied and maintained a building
on that site until the 1980s.
1874
- 1895
In 1874, the advocate Gray C
Fraser (pictured left) was called to the position of Chairman,
following in the footsteps of several others. For the
next quarter of a century he was more prominently identified
with the YMCA and its work
than any other man in Aberdeen.
Mr Fraser was the YMCA's
chairman continuously from 1874 to 1889, and again from 1894
to 1898. His election as Chairman was complemented by
the appointment, in 1875, of Charles Shirreffs (pictured
right) as Aberdeen YMCA's first paid secretary. He held
the office for 20 years and retired in 1895. The YMCA
with a permanent official to direct its operations, may be
said to have then entered into a new era in its existence.
Immediate
significance of their partnership can be seen in the 'success'
of the
YMCA's now well established
biblical tract distribution. In 1876 it had grown in
excess of 500 distributors with a circulation of 228,000.
Distribution and house-to-house visitations included areas of
Torry, Banchory-Devenick, Cove, and Cults.
1895
- 1905
Features of the
Association's spiritual work by this time included a Sunday
Morning Bible Class and Evening Evangelistic Service, Foreign
Missionary Union, Bible Reading Union, Bible Class for
Juniors, and Saturday Night Fellowship Meeting. Whilst
on the physical, and social side there was the Literary and
Debating Society, Gymnastic, Cricket, and Cycling Clubs, Boys'
Brigade, etc. Outreach work had also grown to include
The Causewayend Mission (pictured left) and a branch in the Bucksburn area of Aberdeen.
1908
JUBILEE YEAR
The Jubilee Celebrations of the Aberdeen YMCA were held in
September 1908 and linked with the first British Conference of
YMCAs held here in Aberdeen. John Montgomery, Aberdeen's
General Secretary at the time (appointed in 1900) was the
Conference Secretary. The annual meeting of the
Conference was delayed to ensure that it coincided with the
occasion of the YMCA's jubilee. Events held to celebrate
the Jubilee Year included a Civic Reception at the Art Gallery
(pictured left), a Garden Party at Rubislaw Den House, a
Re-union of past and present members, a Luncheon by an
anonymous member of Aberdeen YMCA, a Conference Luncheon in
Albert Hall and an excursion to Fyvie Castle. John
Montgomery continued as General Secretary until 1912.
1912 - 1918
Robert Duncan, a member of Aberdeen YMCA himself, succeeded
John Montgomery as General Secretary of the Association.
Mr Duncan was a forward thinking man who successfully led the
YMCA throughout World War 1. With the outbreak of war in
1914, Aberdeen YMCA interrupted its usual programme to meet
the needs of the large number of Armed Service men stationed
in the city.
So successful was Mr Duncan's leadership that by the end of
World War 1, Mr Duncan received an invite from YMCA Scotland
to become their Field Secretary. He was succeeded by the
Secretary of the Bucksburn branch Mr John MacDonald who would
go on to be General Secretary until 1937.
1918 - 1923
The war time programme was continued for a considerable time
after the declaration of peace. During the period of
demobilisation and the visitation to the City of many men from
overseas, the adaptation of the programme became necessary to
meet changing needs. Hospitality was the chief problem
and it soon became obvious that Hostel accommodation had to be
provided. With such an urgency for a YMCA Hostel, the
YMCA faced the necessity of inaugurating a Forward Movement
including the provision of a Hostel for young men, a Club for
boys, a gymnasium, the building of a hall and rooms for our
Mission at Causewayend, and reconstruction and improvements at
the Institute. Further amenities were in view but the
public response to our financial appeal was insufficient to
cover the entire scheme and certain modifcations had to be
adopted.
After inspection of premises 4
Golden Square was purchasedon 1 August 1918 and
opened 20 days later.
CLICK on any of the
documents below to read about our history in more detail:
1858
1859
- 1872
In the early years of
its existence the Association had the credit of bringing to
Aberdeen many of the most noted preachers and lecturers of the
day. The most outstanding name of all was that of Rev
Charles Spurgeon who visited Aberdeen in 1861 and preached in
the Music Hall to immense audiences gathered not only from the
city alone, but from nearly every district in the north.
On the following morning he breakfasted with the members of
the YMCA.
1873
- 1874
In 1873 the Association
moved from the Music Hall Buildings to premises rented at 183a
Union Street where rooms solely for YMCA use could be used. In
1874, Messrs. Moody and Sankey paid their first visit to
Aberdeen, and the city was stirred by a mighty revival.
Mr Moody directed attention to the importance of the YMCA and
pleaded for its receiving a far greater measure of public
support. With this a movement was started for the
purchase of a suitable building in a prominent position, with
ample accommodation for the headquarters of the Association.
It wasn't long before the YMCA purchased 198 Union Street
(pictured right) which it occupied and maintained a building
on that site until the 1980s. 
1874
- 1895
1895
- 1905
Features of the
Association's spiritual work by this time included a Sunday
Morning Bible Class and Evening Evangelistic Service, Foreign
Missionary Union, Bible Reading Union, Bible Class for
Juniors, and Saturday Night Fellowship Meeting. Whilst
on the physical, and social side there was the Literary and
Debating Society, Gymnastic, Cricket, and Cycling Clubs, Boys'
Brigade, etc. Outreach work had also grown to include
The Causewayend Mission (pictured left) and a branch in the Bucksburn area of Aberdeen.
1908
JUBILEE YEAR
The Jubilee Celebrations of the Aberdeen YMCA were held in
September 1908 and linked with the first British Conference of
YMCAs held here in Aberdeen. John Montgomery, Aberdeen's
General Secretary at the time (appointed in 1900) was the
Conference Secretary. The annual meeting of the
Conference was delayed to ensure that it coincided with the
occasion of the YMCA's jubilee. Events held to celebrate
the Jubilee Year included a Civic Reception at the Art Gallery
(pictured left), a Garden Party at Rubislaw Den House, a
Re-union of past and present members, a Luncheon by an
anonymous member of Aberdeen YMCA, a Conference Luncheon in
Albert Hall and an excursion to Fyvie Castle. John
Montgomery continued as General Secretary until 1912.
