Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

YMCA LEADER JACKET

Date

1952

Materials

CLOTH

No. Pieces

1

Height

82.0

Width

60.5

Description

YELLOW AND BLUE JACKET WITH YELLOW SNAP BUTTONS AND TWO FROM POCKETS. YELLOW SLEEVES WITH BLUE STRIPE ALONG LENGTH, CUFFS AND COLOR STRIPED YELLOW AND BLUE. EMBROIDERED PATCH OF THE LETTER, "Y" IN YELLOW AND OUTLINED IN RED ON FRONT CHEST, RIGHT-SIDE PROPER. EMBROIDERED PATCH READING, "TIM," ON RIGHT PROPER SLEEVE. TAG READS, "SCORE, SPORTING GOODS...TORONTO."

Subjects

CLOTHING-OUTERWEAR

Historical Association

SPORTS

PERSONAL CARE

History

DONOR TIM MYERS ACQUIRED THIS JACKET AT AGE 15/16 DUE TO HIS VOLUNTEER INVOLVEMENT AND SPORTS AFFILIATION WITH LETHBRIDGE’S Y.M.C.A... IN AN INTERVIEW ON 25 MARCH, 2009, MYER’S RECALLED UTILIZING THE “Y’S” FACILITIES BY APPROXIMATELY AGE 14 (1951). AT THE TIME, HE WAS REFERRED TO AS A “JUNIOR”. SOON AFTER, HOWEVER, HE VOLUNTEERED TO BE AN “INTERMEDIATE LEADER”, PROVIDING EXPERTISE AND PRIMARY LEADERSHIP RELATIVE TO HIS SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE IN GYMNASTICS AND SWIMMING. THE VOLUNTEER POSITION GRANTED HIM FREE ACCESS TO THE FACILITY AND PRIVILEGE OF WEARING THE DONATED INTERMEDIATE LEADER JACKET. THE JACKET, ACCORDING TO MYERS, WAS WORN REGULARLY BOTH AT AND OUTSIDE THE “Y”. WHEN WORN AT SPRING-SEASON PROVINCIAL CONFERENCES (ATHLETIC COMPETITIONS), IT SERVED TO IDENTIFY HIM AS A MEMBER OF THE LETHBRIDGE TEAM. ITS COLOURS WERE A MATTER OF PRIDE, HE SAID, DISTINGUISHING HIM, FOR EXAMPLE, FROM AN EDMONTON Y.M.C.A. WHICH WORE A RED AND WHITE COLOURED JACKET. “LETHBRIDGE COMPETED VERY WELL AT THE TIME”, OWED, ACCORDING TO HIM, TO THE INSTRUCTION PROVIDED BY ERA-STAFF DAVE ROXBURG, BURT STRETON (SP?) AND JIM WHITELAW. AT AGE 18 (1955), MYERS WON THE EQUIVALENT TO THE PROVINCIAL CHAMPION IN GYMNASTICS AT A Y.M.C.A. CONFERENCE. THAT YEAR HE WAS ADDITIONALLY RECOGNIZED AS A “SENIOR LEADER”. THIS JACKET, MYERS BELIEVES, WAS THE ONLY ONE OF ITS TYPE OWNED BY HIM. ALSO, HE BELIEVES THAT IT WAS PAID FOR BY HIS PARENTS. AFTER HE MOVED FROM LETHBRIDGE TO EDMONTON, THE JACKET SURVIVED IN HIS PARENTS’ HOME. IT WAS RE-DISCOVERED BY HIM ON THE PASSING OF HIS MOTHER IN 1985. MYERS WAS UNAWARE THAT HIS MOTHER HAD SAVED THE JACKET (AND DONATED PANTS, P20080034002 AND P20080034003). AT THE TIME, HE DECIDED TO HOLD ON TO IT ON ACCOUNT THAT IT HAD THE ABILITY TO “BRING BACK MEMORIES” WHEN IT WAS SHARED WITH FRIENDS FROM THE PERIOD. IT IS, IN HIS OPINION, ONLY SURVIVING EXAMPLE FROM THE ERA. HAIRCUTS IN THOSE DAYS WERE REPRESENTATIVE OF TEENAGERS’ INVOLVEMENT AT THE “Y”. BOYS IN ATHLETICS (AND AT THE “Y”) GENERALLY CUT THEIR HAIR SHORT VERSUS THE REST OF THE POPULATION HAD LONGER HAIR AND WORE IT SLICKED TO THE SIDES. IT CAN NOT BE UNDERSTATED HOW CRITICAL THE “Y” WAS TO THE DONOR AND HIS YOUTH. HE CLOSED BY SAYING THAT HE “ALMOST LIVED AT THE “Y”, SPENDING (IN ADDITION TO OTHER TIME) HIS ENTIRE SATURDAY(S) THERE”. FOR MORE INFORMATION AND DONOR SUPPLIED NARRATIVE, SEE PERMANENT RECORD.

Catalogue Number

P20080034001

Acquisition Date

2008-11

Collection

Museum

Less detail