Len Goodman’s Y Legacy
Over the years, thousands of children, young people, adults and families have been involved with the Y Canberra Region.
Len Goodman AO has had the privilege, over a lifespan, to work and volunteer at many of the YMCA’s around Australia, across a diverse range of programs and activities, sharing in the Y’s history and stories.
Recently Sam, the Y Canberra Region’s Youth and Community Engagement Manager, was invited to Len and Joyce Goodman’s Canberra home, to chat with Len as he reminisced and shared with Sam about some of the fascinating history and stories of the Y.
Len started by handing Sam a stack of memorabilia – photo slides of Y market stalls, a little book about the YMCA’s founder George Williams, newspaper clippings from the Canberra Times, pamphlets, annual reports – items he has saved from his many years with the Y community. Sam placed her phone on flight mode and with the recorder set to start, settled in for a trip with Len down the Y memory lane.
So Len, tell me about when you first joined the Y
Len sits back and says, “well, I’ll tell you how I joined to start with.”
“I was at tennis one night, walking down a street in Brisbane past the Y there and I thought to myself ‘what’s this all about?’ I eventually joined one of the clubs that they had for young men at the time – the Triangles Club.”
That initial interaction with the YMCA was just the beginning.
Len started his working life as an electrician with a company that picked up a job to rewire the entire YMCA Brisbane, and they put Len in charge. In the meantime, Len’s involvement with the Triangles Club expanded and he became the Charter President of the Wise Men’s Club, who were a group of men working to support the YMCA.
It was while rewiring the YMCA in Brisbane, Len had an epiphany. “Suddenly something struck me. I’d been led through all those things for a reason.”
Len discovered that the Young Men’s Secretary at YMCA Brisbane had left, and so he marched into the General Secretary’s office in his electrician’s overalls, claiming that he thought he could do the job. The General Secretary evidently thought so too because “from there on, that’s what I did.”
Len joined the YMCA Brisbane in 1958 where his time was spent working with the clubs, organizing camps for young people, community events and spreading the name of the Y. He recalls Joyce being involved in this journey, often coming on camps with him and helping out.
Len was with the YMCA Brisbane for 5 years before he ventured north to a little YMCA in Rockhampton for another 5 years. After this, Len was then asked back to Brisbane, and before long headed down to Melbourne (after some self-proclaimed soul searching) to join the National team.
How was the move to Melbourne after being involved with the Y Brisbane and Rockhampton for years?
Len joined the YMCA National team as Associate National Secretary and Director of the Victorian Region to do leadership training, liaising, and Government lobbying. He also represented the YMCA on the Youth Council Victoria, of which he eventually became the chairperson, and where they also formed a taskforce on youth employment. Len says this project was “one of my babies.”
“Moving out of the local scene into a national scene gives you a whole different perspective.”
