IDENTIFYING NEEDS IS TOP PRIORITY FOR DEVELOPING A YMCA

Discussions about developing a YMCA facility in Cape Girardeau so far seem lukewarm and beg the question: Why? Or, to put the question another way: What community needs aren't being met that a YMCA would fill?

The focus so far of a task force looking into a YMCA appears to be on meeting the needs of the underprivileged. One suggestion was to offer daycare programs, even though this hasn't been a major part of YMCA programs elsewhere.

In some communities, the Y is seen as a sort of health club for business and professional people who can afford the fees to maintain the facility and its programs. Discussions here have raised the possibility of augmenting user fees with United Way and government subsidies -- both of which have far more demands for money than they are able to meet.

The basic question about community needs, however, is central to the discussions at this point. At a recent meeting of the task force, a considerable amount of time was spent talking without identifying anything that would provide an impetus for a communitywide campaign to organize a Y here.

This lack of focus might be due to the fact that the community already has addressed several key needs that otherwise might be met by a YMCA. The hospitals here, along with private enterprise, already offer top-rate health-club facilities. The city's Parks and Recreation Department offers an array of programs, and the city's new Community Centre is nearing completion on Kingshighway near the Mt. Auburn/Lexington intersection. The Salvation Army's new facility near the downtown area has quickly become a popular place for dozens of activities and programs. Then there are the many organizations such as Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts that already have flourishing programs. Churches provide yet another outlet for both youths and adults. And the schools, public and private, add another layer of events and programs.

Fortunately, the task force is taking a reasonable and cautious approach to the YMCA topic. It has already agreed that questions about need and purpose must be answered before any all-out effort to pursue a Y begins. This is a sensible way to go about this. If, at some point, a clear need is identified, then the community's support will no doubt be there when it is needed.