ABSTRACT
This chapter is essentially a study of the transformation and molding of organizational character. It attempts to delineate those characteristics that give the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) its distinctive features and shape its mode of response to environmental pressures and change. The chapter focuses on four central factors: the dependence of the YMCA on a paying clientele; its federated structure; the YMCA secretary's lack of a highly developed ideology and his dependence on the local board of director; and the legitimation of a wide range of programs and services by broad character-development goals. From 1860 to about 1900 the emphases on physical development and on general evangelism were both debated issues in many YMCAs, and emphasis on overt or formal religious programs was declining. The transformation of organization goals and criteria for membership has had important consequences for the program and the clientele of the organization. The transformation of membership criteria is another factor in the YMCA's flexibility.
