SALVATION ARMY.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 2715, 24 June 1925, Page 10

SALVATION ARMY.

HISTORY OF PALMERSTON NORTH CORPS. The forty-first anniversary of the Salvation Army is being’ celebrated just now. Special services last Sunday were held and suitable reference was made in all gatherings on the 41st anniversary of the opening of the work in Palmerston North. In 1884 Captain A. Wilkinson and Lieutenant Rear fired the first shot and met with considerable success in their work in preaching the Gospel, helping the needy, visiting, the sad and sorrowful and adding a number of active workers to form the Corps and laying the foundation of the Corps of to-day. Amongst the officers who succeeded those pioneers were such men as Captain Hodgson (recently passed away in Wellington) , Captain A. Canty (father of the present officer In charge), Captain Drew (now retired) and also Captain Mclksham, Staff Captain Henry (now chief secretary for New Zealand) with the rank of Lieut.Colonel), Major Haywood (now in Australia), Adjutant Mathers, and others more recently, Ensign Gill Tnglis, and Ensign Jackson. .On two occasions the Corps was under the command of lassie officers. In the early days Lieutenant Gibson (now Mrs. Major Hildreth, of Wellington) and Lieutenant McCormack (the late Mrs. Commandant Hill) and then in 1921-22 Commandant N. Smith and Adjutant Birks led successfully' fpr a term. Advances were made and maintained until the Salvation Army have to-day a strong force of soldiers. 1 The band is doing fine service in I playing at all out-door services and assisting in most indoor meetings besides paying at the general hospital and Old Peoples Home. A useful songsterbrigade renders splendid help at indoor gatherings under the leadership lof Bro. H. Prince. '■

Then the young- people’s work Is also well organised under Envoy T. Carmichael who has the assistance of a devoted band of helpers in both senior and primary departments with young men’s and young women’s Bible classes. These operations are carried forward in a separate building up-to-date in every way. Thanks to many friends for financial support, Sister Carlisle is in charge of the Corps Cadet Brigade and a good work is being done in Bible study, etc. The young women are further catered for with a Guards Troop when many useful studies are taken and tests sot under the direction of Sister M. Foster. The Women’s Home League is constantly employed in helping needy ones. Meetings are regularly held and well attended on the whole.

The phief local oflipera are:—Sep*

geant-Major Millington; aecreta.V, WCliff; treasurer, J. Craven; Recruiting Sergeant, H. Long, and a large number of others who assist in every way with the work.

Within recent years another Corps was started at Terraco End and has its own officers and also its own separate hall.

Several of the old soldiers of early days are still with the Corps, including Bro. Paltrdige, Bro. Geo. Pliinmer, while many have been called to their reward and still the work, goes on and the strength of the Corps is greater to-day than it ever was. The anniversary concludes with a big tea meeting at 5.45 to-night and afterwards a musical program at S p.m. in the new Citadel, Broadway.