Soldiers of the Cross session marks 50 years since Commissioning

deansimpson7
1 hour ago
3 min read

The 1974-76 Soldiers of the Cross session of cadets outside the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne. Back row: James Weymouth, Alan Steven, Arthur Ford, Mrs Glenys Ford, David Mundy, Christine Gooch, Aylene Rinaldi, Mrs Jacqueline Watson, Arthur Owen, Alan MacDonald. Centre row: Jennifer Dickinson, Mrs Margaret MacDonald, Pamela Thomas, Mrs Christine Steven, Mrs Jacqueline Berris, Mrs Brigadier Mavis Waite, Brigadier John Waite (TP), Mrs Jennifer Wright, Carmel Watson, Agnes Johnston, Jean Shanks, Mrs Lorraine Owen. Front row: David Watson, Owen Hatchard, John Zilm, Colin Berris, Barry Thomas, Ronald Cochrane, Michael Cossington, David Cook, Gregory Wright, John Hallett, Jeffrey Richardson, Habel Laua. — The 1974-76 Soldiers of the Cross session of cadets outside the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne. **Back row:** James Weymouth, Alan Steven, Arthur Ford, Mrs Glenys Ford, David Mundy, Christine Gooch, Aylene Rinaldi, Mrs Jacqueline Watson, Arthur Owen, Alan MacDonald. **Centre row:** Jennifer Dickinson, Mrs Margaret MacDonald, Pamela Thomas, Mrs Christine Steven, Mrs Jacqueline Berris, Mrs Brigadier Mavis Waite, Brigadier John Waite (TP), Mrs Jennifer Wright, Carmel Watson, Agnes Johnston, Jean Shanks, Mrs Lorraine Owen. **Front row:** David Watson, Owen Hatchard, John Zilm, Colin Berris, Barry Thomas, Ronald Cochrane, Michael Cossington, David Cook, Gregory Wright, John Hallett, Jeffrey Richardson, Habel Laua.

BY DEAN SIMPSON

It has been 50 years since the Soldiers of the Cross session of cadets in the former Australia Southern Territory were commissioned during a vibrant series of services in January 1976.

The 32-strong session entered The Salvation Army Training College in Victoria Parade, East Melbourne in 1974, completing their standard two-year residential officership training.

There was also a Soldiers of the Cross session in the former Australia Eastern Territory, and they held a 50th anniversary reunion in early 2024, and you can read about that here.

On a sunny day during their training, the Southern Territory cadets walked over to the Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton, where they had their photo taken with the Training Principal, Brigadier John Waite and his wife, Brigadier Mavis Waite.

After serving faithfully for many years, many of these officers have since been promoted to glory, some are enjoying retirement in aged care homes and some are still actively involved in local corps.

One of these is Carmel Jackson (nee Watson), who is a member of the prayer team at Maryborough Corps in Victoria.

“I look back with fondness on my training college days,” said Carmel.

Carmel Jackson and her husband, who now attend Maryborough Corps in Victoria.

“And, yes, I remember walking over to the Exhibition Building for that group photo. There was a first-year cadet – Cadet Athol Jackson, if I recall correctly – who came along to take the photo.

“As you can see [in the photo], our session was large in number, and we came from most Southern Territory states, with one cadet coming from Indonesia to do his training. Habel Laua was his name.

“There were many blessings in training. My out-training was spent at the Ballarat West Corps, where I remember a much younger Miriam Gluyas [now Territorial Commander of the Australia Territory] being an attendee. God bless her.”

The Commissioning Weekend for the Southern Territory’s Soldiers of the Cross session was held over four days at the beginning of 1976, with a Farewell Festival on Friday 9 January, a Final Field Day on Sunday 11 January, and a Dedication and Commissioning service on Monday afternoon 2 January, all at Melbourne City Temple.

A page out of the Commissioning brochure introducing some of the cadets and their families.

A final Presentation and Appointments service was then held at Melbourne Town Hall on Monday evening 12 January, where seats had to be booked with ticket prices being 80 cents for the stalls and $1 for the gallery.

All services over the weekend were conducted by the Southern Territory’s Territorial Commander, Commissioner William Goodier, and his wife, Mrs Mary Lee Goodier, supported by Training Principal Brigadier John Waite and Mrs Mavis Waite, and staff from the training college and territorial headquarters.

This staff included Majors Gavin and Jean Parker, Major Jean Healey, Major May Merrett, Major Jean Bloxham, Major Marjorie Doran. Captains Ernest and Avis Lamotte, Lieut Raymond Finger, Lieut Patricia Wilhelme, Lieut Margaret Moore.

A sessional song was also written. Cadets Alan and Margaret MacDonald wrote the sessional song, which was performed over the Commissioning Weekend, titled ‘Soldiers of the Cross’. Alan, a pianist and the cadets’ songster leader in college, wrote the score, and Margaret wrote the words.