ORDER OF ST. JOHN

Greymouth Evening Star, 4 June 1938, Page 10

ORDER OF ST. JOHN

INTERESTING HISTORY. Although most people are aware of the great work which the St. John Ambulance Association and brigade are performing - in. the relief of human suffering, very few people realise that these organisations have their origin in. the Order of St. John—the most ancient Order of Chivalry —which was in existence at the time of 1 the Crusaders.

Early in the eleventh century a hospital existed in Jerusalem to minister to the needs of the Christian pilgrims who came from all parts of Europe to visit the Holy City. When in 1087 the Crusaders besieged Jerusalem. the* hospital was in charge of a body of men calling themselves “the poor brethren of the Hospital of St. John,” and these men devoted their lives to the relief of suffering and the administration of hospitality to the pilgrims. If was around this hospital that the Order of St. John developed, and 'although in later years the knights became one of the greatest military organisations' in Christendom, they still remained and developed the humanitarian side of their work, as their name—Knight Hospitaller—denotes. In. 1187 Saladin drove the Christians from Jerusalem ar.l • v - ujourning in Acre and Cyprus, the Order of St. John became established in Rhodes. For over 200 years- tho T '-‘ ’ " i' l their island fortre ■ ' v forces' of Islam, and by defence helped to stem the tide of J Mohammedan invasion, which threatened to overwhelm Europe. In 1480 the Turks' determined to subjugate this bulwark of Christendom, but after a. long and fierce conflict -they were defeated by the . Knights. In 1522, however, the Knights were compelled to leave Rhodes after a siege lasting six months, and' after some years of wandering they settled' down in Malta. REMAINED IN MALTA. Notwithstanding a fierce Turkish' attack on this island; in 1565 the Knights remained in Malta for more than tw'o centuries. During this period they became a powerful naval force, their large fleet being engaged in attacking the pirates of the Mediterranean.

During the whole of their existence the Knights gave special attention to the maintenance of a large Hospital at the Convent of the Order. However prominent the military duties of the Hospitallers might be they never allowed the original duty of relieving human suffering to lapse, nor the spirit of Christian charity to 'be forgotten by, them. Toward the end of their stay ih Malta the Knights- of St. John gradually lost th&r influence in the Mediterranean 1 and! they were dispersed by Napoleon in 1793. Early in the nineteenth century, the English branch of the Order (which came into existence in 1130, but had bqen! dormant since the> Reformation) was revived and in 1888 the status of the Order was 1 confirmed by Queen Victoria, who granted , a new charter which until 1926 controlled the work of the English Grand Priory and its departments. In that year the King granted a charter which extended the work of the Order to the British Dominions overseas. Such is the background the St. John Ambulance Association and' the St. John Ambulance Brigade have evolved, and never, surely, had a good cg-use such inspiring memories to dtaw upon. -

Although it was not untiJL .1877 that the St. John Ambulance Association officially came into existence as* a department of the Order of 1 St. John, the revived order had; shown' much inter-

est in ambulance Avork prior to that date, and many members enrolled in the British National Aid Society which was formed during the FrancoGerman war.

A GREAT ADVANCE. Following the advent of the St. John Ambulance Association, there was a. great advance in first aid work, the ambulance instruction classes of the association being espe-cially popular in the mining areas' of Derbyshire and Nottingham. In 187!) the first manual of ambulance instruction was published, and it. was found necessary to establish a stores depot at St. John Gate, from which ambulance appliances and materials' could! be obtained. In the same year arrangements were also made for candidates who had obtained the certificate to maintain and improve their efficiency by passing annual re-examinations, and medallions were awarded: to candidates who had twice undergone an. annual re-examination.

Even this way nOt sufficient for the ambulance enthusiasts which the association! was training, and following the example of the St. John Gate Transport Corps which had been recently established, bodies of men in various parts' of the country formed themselves into Ambulance Corps, ambulance stations were maintained at various exhibitions, and valuable' work was done by these pioneers on public occasions.

The work of these independent corps of ambulance workers was ••dually co-ordinated, and the rewas the formation, of the St. I John Ambulance Brigade. A glance at the ambulancct work of the Order to-day might serve to conclude this brief survey of the history of the Order of St. John. Class'eisj of instruction are now held by the association in all parts of the British Empire, including such places as Bermuda, Fiji Islands, Hong Kong, and: British Guiana. More than 50,000 certificates' are issued annually to successful' candidates in addition to more than, 60,000 awards to candidates who have maintained their ambulance efficiency. Classes of instruction' are also held under the auspices of the association in conjunction with the military and police authorities, the railway companies, the mercantile marine and the fishing fleets. Divisions of the’ St. John Ambiance Brigade have quickly followed the formation of association classes, and the strength of the Brigade in the British'Empire is now over 70,000.

It can, therefore, be seen that the St. John Ambulance movement is not an isolated society existing, for teaching “first aid,” but each member of the organisation belongs to the noble procession of Crusaders, streching from the Middle Ages' to the present day, united in their determin'd-: ;tion to relieve, the suffering of mankind.