YMCA Secretary Leaves After Eight Years Of Active Work

YMCA Secretary Leaves After Eight Years Of Active Work

Several thousand Ann Arbor area boys and young men are saying “Farewell and God speed!” this week to a friend who was responsible for many happy and profitable hours of fun for them.

The object of these "so-longs” is A. L. Stickney who, for almost eight years, guided the activities of the Ann Arbor YMCA as general secretary. He leaves now to step up a notch in YMCA work. He will become general secretary of the Hackensack YMCA in New Jersey where he will direct the activities of an organization having more than 4,000 members and a paid staff of nine professional workers. He will also be executive secretary of the "Y for all” movement in the community of 600,000.

That Stickney's influence, generously and wholeheartedly given always, has been felt is an understatement. The warmest praise that can probably be given him probably lies in cold statistics: In 1950, the YMCA here enjoyed a record registration of 9,403 in the biggest summer program ever attempted. It included swimming lessons, camping, movies, gymnasium classes, boys’ “adventuring,” and a host of other fun activities.

Stickney also leaves behind him a record of community service that can be matched by few Ann Arborites. Among his “extracurricular” activities have been these: member of the board of directors of the Council of Social Agencies, and a president of its executive group; president and committee chairman of the Kiwanis Club; member of Mack School PTA; member of the Dads’ Committee of Boy Scout Troop 11; member of the board of trustees and an elder of the First Presbyterian Church; president of his church's Men's Club and a Sunday School teacher; and president of the State Association of YMCA Secretaries and board member of the National Association of YMCA Secretaries.

He will be missed.