Geraldine Crane, Ordinary
women doing extraordinary things, The Brisbane NCGM/YCW (Girls) Story
1945-70, YCW Past Members Association
Page iv
About the author
Geraldine
Crane was born in Brisbane and is married with five children. She
attended Catholic schools completing her secondary education at
Junior level (Year 10) at
AO Hallows School. She was a member of the Young Christian Students
(YCS )
there and joined the Rosalie branch of the
NCGM in February 1950. She
began work in the State Public Service as a clerk-typist and switched
to the Commonwealth Public Service as a clerk after obtaining her
Senior Certificate from the Evening Tutorial Classes in 1952.
In the
Movement she served twice as Group President at Rosalie, was a member
of the Diocesan Executive from 1955-1958,
was Diocesan President in 1958
and was a member of the National Executive
1958-1959. She
resigned from the Movement on her marriage in August 1959.
She was the Foundation President of the YCW
Past Members Association from 1964 to
1968 when she
went to live in Canberra.
After
obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Australian National
University in 1974 she
tutored and lectured in Sociology at the Canberra College of Advanced
Education (University of Canberra) between 1975
and 1985 and
worked in the Australian Bureau of Statistics from 1989
until her retirement in 1995.
Table of contents
Preface x
Acknowledgments vii
Abbreviations and
terms viii
Introduction xii
The founder xiv
Chapter 1 The call to
action and the response 1
The
nature of Catholic Action Cardijn
A working class Movement
Differing altitudes to Catholic Action The Australian experience
Chapter
2 The Grail and its relationship to the NCGM 11
The Grail
The Grail in Australia
Training and formation of girls The National Catholic Girls Movement
The Grail legacy to the NCGM
Chapter
3 The Movement in the Brisbane Archdiocese 29
The beginning of the
Brisbane NCGM Growth of the Movement State connections
National and
international connections
Chapter
4 The scope of the Movement 43
A service for every need
Some special Movement services Education for life Representation
Chapter 5 The structure
and organisation of the Movement 71
The leaders group The
role of the president The parish section The meeting plan General
members
The development of the
final parish structure The diocesan executive
Chapter 6 Training and
formation for leadership and commitment 91
Content of the training
and formation Regular and specialised
Linked to life and within
members ' capabilities Commitment
Memories and mementos of
the Movement
Chapter 7 Chaplains,
diocesan presidents and other key leaders 13
Chaplains and leaders The
archbishops and senior priests Diocesan chaplains Diocesan presidents
Key leaders
Chapter 8 The appeal of
the Movement for young women and its impact on them
Women in the period
(1945-1970)
Women's call to Catholic
Action — ahead of its lime
Friendship
Ordinary young women
Development of members Doing extraordinary things
Chapter 9 Identifying
some factors which were important for the success of the Movement
Full-time secretaries
Diocesan headquarters
A rose by any other name
Finance and fund raising
Chapter 10 More reasons
for the success of the Movement
Hope as conviction in
Christ and the Spirit Loving others
Girls and boys working
together
Turnover of membership
and the ability to adapt
Authority in the Movement
Chapter 11 Evaluation of
the Movement
The Movement as a
community
The ability to change
individuals
The liberating effect for
girls
Developing potential,
self-esteem and self-confidence
The Past Members
Association
Failure to understand the
uniqueness of the experience 177
Chapter 12 Some personal
reflections on the Movement
The nature of the
Movement The Movement and feminism Cardijn's importance and influence
Communication