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KOHEI YAMADA
FROM THE CHAIR
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WFYR is a voluntary association for those who have retired from YMCAs worldwide. Not only do we enjoy the fellowship in our own countries but we also try to help each other when necessary. The projects we have as our mission are gatherings that several volunteers of WFYR programs have actively conducted.
Another project is the World YMCA Emergency Assistance Fund called Secours Speciaux, which offers financial grants to support retirees who have faced a personal crisis. One more program is called the Global Retirement Initiative, which supports creating a retirement pension system in a country without such a system in the YMCA.
In addition to our newsletter called Bridges, we have created a new scheme to maintain our relationships regardless of distances regularly. At the WFYR Conference held in Denmark in 2022, Franco Savoia Canada proposed holding virtual gatherings through Zoom twice a year to keep our kinships.
So far, we have conducted the virtual gatherings four times with themes on Europe, Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Asia Pacific areas. The next one will focus on the Middle East. The organizers have met many times to prepare for successful virtual meetings.
I want to thank those members and many participants for their willingness to keep our bond and communication together between the WFYR Conferences. The next virtual gatherings, focusing on the Middle East, will be held on May 21 and June 18, 2025. We hope many of you will join us for both sessions. The format for the meetings was the result of many conferences with our Committee, the World Alliance, and representatives from YMCAs serving areas of the Middle East.
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LEN AND JOYCE WILSON
FROM THE EDITORS
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Your editors are fortunate to live in a diverse community in South Philadelphia, where we ride buses, shop, and dine with neighbors from South and Central America, Mexico, Europe, Africa, China, Vietnam, and India. We are close to the historic “Italian Market” - an open-air produce market including meat and specialty shops. Perhaps our market is more international these days, but that is a bonus to visitors and residents.
We look forward to visiting Toronto next year and enjoying an even more diverse experience with YMCA staff members, volunteers, and retirees gathering to share ideas and goals. This will be WFYR’s eighth World Council gathering, and as we all grow older and retire, we admire the energy and creativity of professionals and volunteers worldwide.
Approximately 80 WFYR retirees are registered for the event, and that number is expected to grow in the coming months. This edition of Bridges features more current information on the upcoming event. In this issue, you’ll also see a joyous photo of volunteers of mixed ages participating in a World Service phone-a-thon and charts illustrating a disturbing trend of diminishing funds in our chosen charity, Secours Speciaux. This fund helps us serve our YMCA colleagues in need around the world.
You’ll read about the growing excitement around preserving and displaying the local history of our great movement, you will be given opportunities to learn more about events impacting our association in the Middle East, and you will note a retiree group who so enjoy sharing each other’s company that they have increased their annual luncheons from two to four.
Despite differences in ethnicity and geography, we remain one in our shared values. Through our continuing connection with the YMCA in various activities, we have “become one,” unified in the YMCA tradition of serving others.
May God continue to bless you,
Photo: Len and Joyce enjoy dinner at the Captain's Table during the U.S. YMCA Alumni Reunion-at-Sea in January.
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CANADA YMCA ALUMNI
FRANCO SAVOIA ON RE-CONNECTING
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I was privileged to attend the 2022 World Alliance of YMCA conference in Aarhus as a member of the YMCA Canada. In that capacity, I was thrilled to attend my first World Fellowship of YMCA Retirees conference. Little did I know that I would be able to reconnect with Alicia Sanjurjo.
Alice and I had originally met at a YMCA youth conference in Mexico City in 1972. As young and energetic Y leaders we were going to take over the world. With my Italian and Alicia’s Spanish we served in a role of simultaneous translators in our small group discussions.
We left Mexico charged with a resolution to change the world for better in our respective countries. Alicia and I would reconnect in Toronto several years later in our Y staff roles. And more than 4 decades later, older and hopefully wiser, here we were in Aarhus as retired Y staff under the WFYR banner.
That reconnection has continued as we now serve together on a WFYR planning committee. The Y fosters lifetime relationships. Thank you WFYR.
(Photo: Franco and Alicia)
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TORONTO, CANADA 2026:
8th WFYR WORLD CONFERENCE
Your registration fee entitles you to full participation as an official delegate to the 21st YMCA World Council Meeting and the 8th WFYR World Conference July 19-25, 2026. It includes access to all plenary sessions, workshops, special events, airport transfers, conference packages, all meals and more.
Accommodations: The event will be held at the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel. More details on the location will be available after September 2025. Retirees and their spouses are encouraged to stay at the Sheraton Centre Toronto, in double occupancy, to facilitate logistics and ensure availability.
The total cost for a single room will be from approximately $1,260 / $1,470.
Subsidies: Partial subsidies will be available for WFYR participants from Africa, South Asia, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean. Due to limited funds available, subsidies will be awarded based on need. Applications must be submitted by email to Kohei Yamada, WFYR President, by Dec. 15, 2025.
About the City of Toronto:Toronto is the capital of the province of Ontario, located in southeastern Canada. With nearly 3.2 million residents, it is the most populous city in the country. A multicultural metropolis and the country’s financial and commercial hub, Toronto is well known for fine arts, sports and culture. It boasts iconic landmarks such as the CN Tower, Royal Ontario Museum and the historic Casa Loma, among others.
The city’s vibrant arts scene, diverse culinary offerings and thriving entertainment venues contribute to its cosmopolitan charm. Set in a picturesque landscape, Toronto features a mix of skyscrapers, parks and waterfront areas. The Scarborough Bluffs along Lake Ontario offer stunning views. Toronto’s urban forest and green spaces provide a refreshing contrast to its busy streets. Toronto is a dynamic city where tradition meets modernity and where people from diverse backgrounds come together to create a vibrant tapestry of culture and opportunity.
Staying in Touch: As always, please don’t hesitate to contact your WFYR leaders with any questions you may have. Let’s look to the future with faith, hope and unbridled joy, thanking God for all His blessings and asking that He continue to grant us opportunities to serve others. We look forward to seeing you at the 8th WFYR World Conference!
(Spanish language poster provided by Arca de Noe.)
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CANADA'S JANET GILES
HISTORY PROJECT ROLLS OUT
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I must admit I’m optimistic and excited about what this year will bring. I hope you also have goals you look forward to accomplishing in 2025. A major focus of our work led by the Executive Committee this year will be our History Project.
I know many of you have been one of the more than 70 former volunteers and staff involved n one of Franco Savoia’s virtual visits and we heard this summer from our check-in calls that people were wondering what was happening. When we first started to collect these stories, we always shared them in a format that future leaders might find helpful.
Well, I want to assure you that we are moving forward with this project and will share much more information with you in the coming months. To bring everyone up to date, here is the current status of the project: 1) YMCA Canada and the Alumni have agreed to partner in this project, with the Alumni taking the lead. 2) The goal is to develop a book that will be ready for distribution for World Council in 2026. 3) A working committee has been struck, composed of Franco Savoia as chair, Scott Haldane, Marilyn Kapitany, John Haddock, Bryan Webber (former Y staffer with Fundraising expertise), Angela de Burger (former Y Canada staffer in Communications), Franca D’Angelo (from YMCA Canada), Liam Dynes (from STIFF Communications) and myself. 4) We’re working to confirm the details regarding project timelines and costing.
Our goal is that this book will be much more than a typical history book full of dates, people, and events. Instead, we intend it to be similar to the history panel presentation I had the privilege of presenting in May as part of the lead-up to the National Conference in Halifax. Stay tuned for more information about this extremely exciting project in the upcoming year. We will need everyone’s support and participation to make this a success.
Pay it Forward: our Learning and Experience as Alumni
Two projects are underway, providing Canada YMCA Alumni with an opportunity to “Pay it Forward”: the publication of a book and eBook by June 1, 2026, and the documentation of history.
The publication of a book and eBook is a joint Canadian YMCA Alumni and YMCA Canada initiative. It will be released for the World Alliance YMCA Conference and the World Fellowship of YMCA Retirees conference in Toronto in July 2026. This major initiative has engaged STIFF Strategic Communications and a ghostwriter to carry out the project. A campaign will raise the necessary funds to make the project a reality. Current Y leaders will be consulted to ensure the project will be useful to them.
The second project is qualitative research that began in February 2023. To date, 72 virtual visits have been recorded where former Y leaders outlined their experiences and lessons on their Y journey. Many more visits are planned.
| This great group of happy Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada YMCA Alumni members enjoyed their annual Christmas party. As is the tradition, a delicious and generous potluck was the afternoon's highlight. Stories of earlier years at the Y produced great gales of laughter and “do you remember when…” moments. | |
WFYR ZOOMS INTERNATIONALLY
MAY 21 AND JUNE 18
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WFYR’s next virtual gatherings will be on May 21 and June 18, 2025 at 9 a.m. ET time. The focus of these gatherings will be YMCA work in the Middle East.
Issam Bshara (Lebanese YMCA), Samy Armya (YMCA Egypt), Peter Nasir
East Jerusalem YMCA), and Fadi Suidan (Jerusalem International YMCA) will be sharing their work, aspirations and challenges.
The planning committee is finalizing who will present at which gathering. Regardless, attendees will hear firsthand account on YMCA work in communities in which there continue to be many challenges driven by ever changing geo-political relationships. The gatherings will have multi-lingual captioning and opportunities for questions.
Bonnie Mairs, Guenter Ozdyk, Alicia Sanjurjo and Franco Savoia, WFYR’s gathering planning committee, will be forwarding a formal invitation with more details. These will be the fifth and sixth virtual WFYR gatherings.
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PHILL MORGAN, USA YMCA ALUMNI
REUNION-AT-SEA GETS GREAT REVIEWS
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I bring you greetings from the United States.as well as several updates of activities and opportunities from YMCA Alumni.
YMCA Alumni Reunion-at-Sea: January’s YMCA Alumni Reunion-at-Sea got high marks from participants. An evaluation survey by participants on the Royal Caribbean “Harmony of the Seas” 7-night Caribbean cruise rated it 4.5 out of 5. Traveling members rated all aspects of the gathering.
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A highlight was the presentation of YMCA Alumni’s highest honor – The F. William Stahl Award – to Nancy Reece. The award is presented about every three years. It was presented during the General Session of the cruise by former Stahl Award recipient Len Wilson (Photo left; See collage top photo of reunion snapshots.)
National Service Project: More than 300 volunteers have helped construct our National Service Project since 2022. We have built four tiny homes for the YMCA of the Seven Council Fires in Dupree, SD. These homes make up the new YMCA Morning Star Community and will serve single mothers with transitional housing on the Cheyenne River Reservation. YMCA Alumni members and others recently went over the $1 million dollar mark in donations for this project. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned for Sept. 19 – 21, 2025 in Dupree, SD. Construction on a “Twig” (small program center) will begin in 2026 in La Plant, SD, an outlying community as the second phase of the project.
International Service Corps: ISC is offering two YMCA Alumni members an opportunity to teach English at day camp for 9- to 14-year-olds at a Czech Republic YMCA Day Camp Aug. 25 – 29, 2025. The camp is in Stary Plzenec, a historic and charming village dating back to 976.
Two International Service Corps committee members recently joined the Border Coalition Group, including the YMCA of Mexico, the YMCA of San Diego County, the YMCA of Los Angeles, and several other YMCAs located at or near border communities in the Southwest U.S. The coalition's purpose is to raise awareness of and educate people about the transformational work occurring at the border and to connect migrant youth who successfully claim asylum.
Global Retirement Initiative: Three countries (Kenya, Sri Lanka, and Sierra Leone) currently receive Global Retirement Initiative (GRI) grant funding. We hope to have an update later in the year regarding another country that would be working its way through the Program and Investment Committees of the World Brotherhood Fund.
Click the button below to visit the YMCA Alumni website.
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The YMCA Alumni Lyon chapter in So. California will host a Zoom video conference April 24, to provide an update for its members on the Jerusalem International YMCA. Fadi Suidan, CEO, Mike Bussey, former General Secretary of the JIY and Mary Tikalsky, YMCA USA International Service Division, will provide additional information on the current situation.
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PHIL DWYER
SECOURS SPECIAUX
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Phil Dwyer, past WFYR chair, has been actively promoting fundraising for Secours Speciaux and provides current information on the Fund which is designated to helping retirees in difficulty around the world. Charts recently prepared by the YMCA World Alliance, the administrative center for the Fund, illustrate the following:
• More money was spent than donated in years 2021 and 2022.
• The fund's balance starting 2021 was 340,000 Swiss francs and 299,000 francs starting this year.
• Most contributions come from Germany, Canada, USA and YMCA Alumni of the USA.
• Overall, the fund's balance is shrinking and needs more countries to supply support. Increased publicity has led to more applications from those in need. Ten people benefited in 2024, with the support exceeding 39,303 francs. Recipients were from Columbia, Peru, Kenya, Honduras, Venezuela, Nigeria, Europe, and Poland.
Three cases are described by Phil:
• A Georgian colleague had a life-threatening brain tumor, requiring an urgent operation not available in Georgia. YMCA Europe, friends and family raised 20,000 USD, leaving him 5,000 USD short. Running out of time, he applied to Secours. Within a week of his application he had a successful operation in Turkey, thanks to the Secours’ rapid 5,000 USD response.
• A Honduran staff member was in a horrendous car accident. Rushed to hospital in a critical condition with massive injuries, his life was saved. Secours assisted with hospital bills.
• A Kenyan widow received support following the death from Covid of her YMCA staff husband, so her children were able to continue their education.
Phil continues, “Fortunately, contributions for the four donor Movements (U.S, Canada, Germany and UK) were 50% more than last year enabling the fund to show a surplus (12,857 Swiss francs) for the first time in four years. However, the general trend is reducing funds, so it is vital donations continue. It is a rewarding task to be part of the grant process for retirees around the world.”
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A WORLD SERVICE PHONE-A-THON
World Service Director Mary Tikalsky and Mary Beth Cooper (Springfield College President) on left., then Evan Page from left in rear and Phil and Debby Dwyer center plus 10 Springfield College students called all YMCAs in Maine, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York Tri-State and New Jersey asking for gifts to YMCA World Service.
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GRAHAM CLARK: UK Y'S RETIRED
WHEN ONE BECAME FOUR
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It is said that an army marches on it’s stomach and so the same can be said of Y’s Retired UK!
For many years we have had an annual reunion lunch in July at Girton Golf Club in Cambridge . From this, two years ago this was extended to a second lunch at the Great Western Hotel In Taunton Somerset. This particular venue was chosen partly because the Hotel is YMCA-owned and is a training base for young people seeking to work in the hospitality industry and, being part of the Taunton Railway Station site, proved to be easy for friends to travel to from the far South West of England and Wales.
One became two and now in 2025, two are becoming four! Two further lunch gatherings have been planned in Edinburgh and London. The Edinburgh gathering will be generously hosted by YMCA Scotland. The London Lunch will be held at the Indian YMCA Students Hostel in central London reminding us very much of the International Nature of the YMCA Movement. Maybe four will become 6?
Top Photo: Y's Retired members gather in Taunton Somerset; Photo in story: Rev. Graham Clark
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As we prepare for the World Council in 2026, we encourage readers to send photographs of past YMCA memories and friendships made and continued to your Bridges editors. Please include ID's with your photographs.
Photo: Len Wilson and former WFYR Chair, Don Anderson, with new acquaintance during a visit to Thailand for the 6th WFYR World Council.
| | | | BRIDGES is produced for all who wish to receive it. Just click the button below. | BRIDGES is published with the support of YMCA Alumni of the USA. Editors: Len and Joyce Wilson. Mailing lists by Ken White. Production by Craig Altschul + Associates, Tucson, Arizona, USA | | | | |
