Founded in Toledo, Ohio, USA in 1922 to support a local YMCA, Y's Men International is now oriented to serving the worldwide YMCA, the largest non-governmental youth organisation, and through it the communities in which it is present throughout the world. Since the YMCA is usually known as "the Y" in the USA, and as the Y's Men movement started there as a club of "men of and for the Y", it was named the "Y's Men's Club". Judge Paul William Alexander (photo) was the founder of the first club together with a group of young men.  (Click on photo to obtain larger one - then "Save As" to download to your computer.)

However, today women can be full members of our movement (and indeed many women are among its members and family participation is encouraged in numerous activities). This is a very important selling point in many communities. Since 1995 local affiliated clubs wishing to emphasize this openness can choose to call themselves "Y's Men and Women's Clubs" or "Y Service Clubs". Members are known as Y's Men or Y's Women.

Today Y's Men International has almost 1,500 clubs with around 28,000 members in 72 countries on all continents.

Click here to see our membership growth since October 1975.