This article may rely excessively on sources too closely associated with the subject , potentially preventing the article from being verifiable and neutral.(August 2024) |
Abbreviation | Crusaders or CRU |
---|---|
Formation | 1930 |
Purpose | To nurture church membership and train young Christians |
Headquarters | Eastwood, New South Wales |
Region served | New South Wales & Australian Capital Territory |
Membership | independent school students |
Executive Director | Gary Hill |
Staff | 71 permanent staff, 50+ casuals |
Volunteers | 900+ |
Website | www |
The Crusader Union of Australia (Crusaders or CRU), is a Bible-based, interdenominational, non-profit Christian youth organisation. It has three main areas, CRU Camps, which includes: CRU Holiday Camps, CRU Study Camps and CRU Day Camps, Summit Educational Camps and Schools Ministry (made up of CRU School Groups and CRU Resources). CRU's frontline ministries are supported by two campsites (CRU Galston Gorge Camp & Conference Centre and CRU Lake Mac Camp & Conference Centre), and a Training Division.
Crusaders was founded in 1930 in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia by Howard Guinness, [1] a man keen to strengthen Christian work among school students in independent schools. He saw voluntary groups as a key to achieving this. The first Crusader Camp was held in 1930. In 1934 CRU was founded in Western Australia. From small beginnings in four schools, CRU has expanded to serve 185 Independent schools in New South Wales and the ACT.[ citation needed ]
The Crusader Women's Fellowship, began at Roseville Park in 1939. The land for the Crusader site at Lake Macquarie NSW was donated by Leslie Parr in the 1940s and in the 1950s Paul White mortgaged his home to buy land at Galston Gorge site for £600. These sites are where the majority of CRU Camps take place.[ citation needed ]
In 1955 CRU merged with Scripture Union in all states except NSW. During the 1960s CRU became a Registered Company Limited by Guarantee to meet legal requirements. Initially established in Sydney's CBD, the office relocated to Strathfield in 1988, then Eastwood in 1993. The Crusader Union of NSW became the Crusader Union of Australia on 23 May 1990 and the Crusader ‘eagle’ logo was introduced in 1997. The CRU Camp brand was trademarked in 2002. In 2020 the 'eagle' logo was phased out and replace with the current stylised letters. [2]
CRU run many different types of camps, including holiday camps for children in Years 3-12, study camps for Year 12 students and Day Camps during the school holidays for children in Years K-12.
Formerly known as Summit Educational Camps. Over 100 school camps are run each year, providing outdoor education to over 7,100 campers and training about 20 ministry trainees, called ‘Summit trainees’.
Six full-time staff and four ministry associates address over 100,000 students each year in 185 independent schools across NSW and the ACT. There are also Christian groups across Australia using CRU resources. The following schools have internal CRU Groups or Christian groups supported by CRU operating in them:
CRU's ministries are supported by two residential campsites: CRU Galston Gorge Camp & Conference Centre, located in Galston Gorge and CRU Lake Mac Camp & Conference Centre, located in Lake Macquarie with water-based activities and its own sailing fleet.
CRU Galston Gorge is located 45 minutes from Sydney's CBD in a bushland location. The majority of the CRU Study Camps are run at this location. CRU Lake Mac is located in Lake Macquarie, 60 minutes from Hornsby or Gosford.
CRU is a Registered Training Organisation (NTIS No. 90717) offering training in ‘Apply First Aid’ (formerly Senior First Aid).
The Head of the River is a name given to annual Australian rowing regattas held in South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania and Western Australia. The regattas feature competing independent schools, and the winner of the 1st division boys or girls race is crowned the "Head of the River".
Redlands, Sydney Church of England Co-educational Grammar School, is a multi-campus independent co-educational early learning, primary, and secondary day Christian school, in the Anglican tradition, located in Cremorne on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Established in 1884, the non-selective school caters for approximately 1,700 students from early learning and on to Kindergarten to Year 12.
Abbotsleigh is an independent Anglican early learning, primary and secondary day and boarding school for girls, located in Wahroonga, on the Upper North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Arcadia is a semi-rural suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia 42 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of Hornsby Shire.
Galston is a semi-rural suburb located in The Hills District of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Galston is located from the city at 36 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Hornsby Shire. Galston is in the NSW state electoral district of Hornsby and Federal division of Berowra. Galston is situated 16 minutes away from the suburb of Hornsby.
Hornsby Heights is a suburb of Northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Hornsby Heights is located 26 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Hornsby Shire. The suburb is often referred to as part of the Upper North Shore.
Inter-School Christian Fellowship (ISCF) or Inter-Scholastic Christian Fellowship is a Christian youth ministry that works with students within high schools. ISCF groups are often supported by external evangelical Christian organisations and churches – examples including the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students, the Scripture Union, and local churches. ISCF operates in countries including Australia, Canada, Indonesia, Philippines and the United States of America.
Northholm Grammar School is an independent Anglican co-educational primary and secondary day school, located in Arcadia.
The Association of Heads of Independent Girls' Schools (AHIGS), is an Australian association for independent girls' schools, founded in New South Wales, Australia.
Meriden, An Anglican School for Girls is an independent Anglican single-sex early learning, primary, and secondary day school for girls, located in Strathfield, an inner-western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
The Independent Girls' Schools Sporting Association, was established in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, in 1922 with five founding members, all of them independent girls' schools.
Pamela Irving is an Australian visual artist specialising in bronze, ceramic and mosaic sculptures as well as printmaking and copper etchings. In addition to her extensive art work, Irving has lectured in art and ceramics at Monash University, the Melbourne College of Advanced Education, the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) and the Chisholm Institute of Technology. She also worked as an art critic for the Geelong Advertiser and was a councillor on the Craft Council of Victoria.
Bertrand James Waterhouse OBE, FRAIA, FRIBA was an English-born Australian architect and artist.
The Alliance of Girls' Schools Australasia is a non-profit organisation that promotes the education of girls in single-sex girls' schools, and promotes the image of, and support the development of, girls' schools in Australasia.
John Brendan Larkin is an Australian writer. He is best known for The Shadow Girl and The Pause, both published by Penguin Random House. The Pause was released in April 2015 and won the Griffith University Young Adult Book Award at the 2015 Queensland Literary Awards. The Shadow Girl won the 2012 Victorian Premier's Award for young adult fiction.