On the fourth of December, 1914, an anniversary banquet was held in the gymnasium, celebrating the first year of the association in its new building, and the reports of the work accomplished at that time dispelled any feeling there may have been on the part of some that such an institution could not be successfully maintained in Atchison. This banquet was attended by 200 enthusiastic friends and members of the association, and Governor Arthur Capper was a guest of honor. Membership in the Young Men’s Christian Association is open to any boy or man of good character who is over ten years of age. Membership in the Atchison association is accepted and honored in all other Young Men’s Christian associations throughout the country. The dominant purpose of the association is the building up of Christian character. STATE ORPHANS’ HOME. The legislature of the State of Kansas at the session of 1885 enacted the first law for the establishing of a Soldiers’ Orphans’ Home at Atchison, Kan. For the purpose of erecting the first building the legislature appropriated the sum of $24,300 on condition that the land should be donated to the State. The act of the legislature provided that said Soldiers’ Orphans’ Home “shall be an institution for the nurture, education and maintenance, without charge, for all indigent children of soldiers who served in the army and navy of the Union during the late rebellion, and who have been disabled from wounds or disease, or who have since died in indigent circumstances, and other indigent orphan children of the State.” The institution was located at Atchison, Kan., on the present site which was purchased from the late J. P. Brown and donated to the State. In pursuance of the act of the legislature a portion of what is now the main building was erected and by a subsequent appropriation was finished, and the first children were admitted on July 1, 1887. The original building was a four-story brick building with a basement. The fourth story was made into a dormitory, with five rooms for employes. The third story consisted of a smaller dormitory, lavatories, rooms for employes and sleeping room for the superintendent. The second story had school rooms, superintendent’s office, parlor, lavatories and rooms for employes. The first floor rooms were dining room, kitchen, store room, school rooms. The basement was used for boilers, store rooms, laundry and boys’ lavatory. The laws regulating the home were amended and enlarged by the legislature at its session of 1889, so that all children sound in mind and body and over two years of age and under fourteen years, belonging to any one of the following named classes shall be eligible for admission to the home: “First, any child dependent upon the public for support; any dependent, neglected and ill-treated child who is an object of public concern, and whom the State may have power to exercise and extend its protection and control.”