by Maida Goodwin

The Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) is a world-wide movement which aims to develop the leadership of women and girls to achieve human rights, health security, dignity, freedom, justice, and peace for all people. The U.S. National YWCA was established in 1906 to facilitate formulation of an overarching national program and policies for local YWCAs spread around the country. It was not a hierarchy directed from above, but a participatory democracy whose programs and policies were determined by the membership and officially adopted at Conventions called every two or three years. The National Board of Directors, described as “servant and prophet of the local YWCA,” worked with a myriad of committees and an extremely dedicated National Staff to devise ways to “put Convention actions into living form.”

Grace Dodge, the first national President and the first General Secretary Mabel Cratty, were both entirely committed to this participatory democracy. They advocated an administrative style that fostered deep thinking and deep relationships among all YWCA members. Dodge and Cratty wanted the Association to “think clearly and broadly” and to be a fertile, fruitful, productive organization, both clear sighted and far sighted. The Association’s values and the remarkable commitment of its membership and staff were in large part a result of a process that insisted upon very widespread involvement of members in all phases of its work.

The basic principles and techniques of the National Association included adaptability of program to the needs at hand, program directed by the membership through consensus, and the benefits for the entire Association of a diverse membership providing for meaningful interaction of all kinds of women and girls.

The YWCA’s work during World War I brought it an enhanced national reputation, a greatly expanded program, and much larger membership—particularly among immigrants, African-Americans, and Industrial workers. The increased presence of these “constituent groups” profoundly affected the future directions of the Association.

When women finally won the right to vote in 1920, eager to encourage voter participation, the YWCA used the opportunity to turn its attention to public advocacy and citizenship education efforts, and it officially adopted the “Social Ideals of the Churches” as its social platform. By taking this step, the YWCA acknowledged the interdependence of all women and aligned itself with those who argued that working for economic, social, and eventually racial justice was a matter of Christian duty.

Given its mode of operation, the YWCA did not make decisions hastily. Convinced of the efficacy of consensus, most program proposals resulted in the formation of a Commission to study the matter and report to the following Convention, two or three years later. It was not unusual then for the matter to be considered for another Convention cycle, or 2 to 3 more years, before action was finally taken.

For archivists and historians, the great thing about all this process is that so many of the steps along the way are right there in the minutes, and reports, and publications, and convention proceedings and a variety of other documents. It’s  precisely what makes the records such a rich and valuable resource—you can follow the progression, watch light dawn, witness the conversion.

Beyond the minutes, reports, and proceedings, the national staff devised all sorts of tools and techniques for engaging the membership—from teen-age “Girl Reserves” to factory workers to the wives of factory owners who served on YWCA Boards—in the kind of clear and broad thinking and advocacy that Mabel Cratty wanted. The records are brimming with books, pamphlets, newsletters, “program packets,” and resource guides of all sorts.