Tema, Nov 23, GNA - The Harbour City's branch of the Young Men Christian Association (YMCA) has been inaugurated with a call on members to hold steadfast to the ideals of the Association to ensure its growth and development.

Mr Charles Habiah, Greater-Accra Regional Chairman of the YMCA, who made the call at the inauguration in Tema, charged the executives to create opportunities for the development of the potentials of young people in and around Tema.

The seven-member executive of the branch has Felicia Nai as acting Chairman with Betty de Bordes as Secretary.

The other officers are Emmanuel Yankson (Assistant Secretary); Emmanuel Dakorah (Organizer); Lucy French (Assistant Organizer); Eugenia Acquah (Treasurer) and Prince Baah (Assistant Treasurer. Mr Habiah further urged the executives to render services that would enhance the development of the minds, bodies and spirits of the youth within the Metropolis to improve their quality of life, strengthen their faith, and make them responsible and productive citizens of their various communities. He urged them to do their best to justify the confidence reposed in them by stepping up the branch's membership drive in order to bring more people on board.

Mr Habiah reminded the executives that their mandate was enshrined in the rules and regulations of the YMCA, and for that matter, they should not do anything that would be contrary to the laid down regulations. Mr Kingsley Kwame Appiah, Presiding Member of the Tema Metropolitan Assembly, urged the Youth to have respect for the elderly. Mr Appiah expressed concern about the indecent way of dressing among most of the youth of today and asked them to encourage decent dressing. The Acting branch Chairman, Felicia Nai, said under the thematic goals on which the Harbour City branch of the Association was established, the executives would strive to militate against the prevalence of moral decadence in and around Tema, and build a social YMCA with the people, for the people, and by the people, through social work, youth empowerment and effective publicity. She pledged the executives' determination to live up to expectation.