A 1953 Spokesman-Review article about women playing badminton at the YMCA began: “Grandpa might turn over in his grave to hear it, but the fair sex is romping away nightly at the Young Men’s Christian Association.”

Ten years later, the newspaper reported on a slight controversy over at the YWCA. A federal office building was being built at the intersection of Monroe Street and Main Avenue in downtown Spokane, forcing the women’s organization to relocate. The organization’s president assured the community that the YWCA’s new location would be a good thing and allow for the “broad expansion of the mental, moral and physical development of young women.”

History gives this reminder that the YMCA and YWCA have always adapted their missions, goals and physical locations to best serve their members and the greater community. The two nonprofits face major changes once more.

Both do their work out of outdated, overcrowded buildings sitting on prime downtown property overlooking the Spokane River. They have brainstormed a plan to sell both buildings, then build together facilities on a joint campus in downtown Spokane.

On this new campus, the two, separate nonprofits would build on their strengths. The YMCA’s fitness and health programs would benefit from more room for equipment and education. And the YWCA’s social service programs — counseling, domestic violence prevention and child advocacy — would benefit from additional space and increased resources.

The prime property vacated by these two institutions could be used for downtown housing or offices or a combination of the two uses, adding much-needed property tax revenue to the city’s coffers.

The idea is a win-win for almost everyone.

Some members of the YWCA, however, oppose the plan. Though more than 50 percent of the voting members gave it a thumbs up last week, the vote fell short of the needed two-thirds majority. Some members oppose the sale because it means closing a pool that holds fond memories for recreational swimmers and healing memories for those who need warm-water aquatics.

Change in any organization disrupts traditions, routines and expectations. It’s unsettling. And often those who defend the status quo help fine tune this process of change. Their dissenting voices allow those who are leading the change to ask — and answer — important questions, such as “What of the past must we let go? What must we keep?” Members of both organizations also deserve to know how services will change once the two nonprofits share the same campus.

The plan to sell the downtown buildings owned by the YWCA and YMCA is a sound one for the future of both organizations. The plan should go forward, but plenty of time should be set aside to listen to the concerns of those who disagree.