This is my story - 10

10 – The call to officership at Youth Councils
“All young people take note. Youth councils led by the Officer Commanding, Lieut. Colonel William Darby, will be held at the Central Corps, 30 Oxley Road.” announced the Corps Officer, Captain Cecil Watts of Balestier Road Corps one Sunday. I almost fell off my chair when he announced the date! Did I hear it right? No mistake! It was confirmed in a poster on the notice board! Youth Councils to be held on the second day of Chinese New Year! Unbelievable! And the Officer Commanding worked for many years as a missionary in China before being appointed here!

To me, Chinese New Year was and still is a special occasion. It is a time of celebration, reunion, visiting our relatives and friends. As a youngster it was my responsibility to visit my uncles and aunts to pay our respects. It was a worthwhile and profitable exercise, for I would be given “ang pows” (red packets with money inside) It is the custom among the Chinese for the young to visit their seniors and employees to visit their employers. The elderly are specially remembered. We just go and visit to pay our respects, no invitation is required.

Here I was on the horns of a dilemma! Should I listen to my officers and attend Youth Councils, and incur the displeasure or even wrath of my parents? Should I think of some excuse and stay away from these special meetings prepared for youth? After some struggle, I chose to attend Youth councils, much to the disappointment of my parents. Anyway, I worked extra hard in visiting the relatives on the first day so that I could spend the second day at the Army.

The theme for the youth councils was “The Old Chariot” As I reflect on this theme today, I have to smile, for who in Singapore knew what a chariot looked like! We used to have bullock carts, horses and carriages, rickshaws, and tricycles but chariots, goodness knows what they were! It would have been better to use the picture of a rickshaw and sing “We’ll pull the rickshaw along.”

So the youth of Balestier and Central united for Youth Councils. There were only two Army Corps in Singapore at that time. Never mind it was Chinese New Year, we entered wholeheartedly into the meetings. We sang with gusto, clapped our hands and waved our flags! It was most enjoyable. Being in the Army hall with other young people was the best way to celebrate the festive season.

We sang this chorus repeatedly, “So we’ll roll the old chariot along and we won’t drag on behind.” Then the verses “If the devil’s in the way we will roll it over him, and we won’t drag on behind. If the sinner’s in the way we will stop to pick him in. And we won’t drag on behind.” By the way this chorus ‘the old chariot’ is still in our Song Book Chorus section number 224 under the heading of “Warfare.” I wonder how many readers remember singing this old song!

There were a number of very challenging messages given by the officers. They spoke about the chariot rolling to different countries like India, China, Japan and so on. They spoke about trials, tribulations and triumphs! We were then challenged to roll the old chariot.

There were three sessions of meetings and at the last one appeal was made for those who wanted to be officers. I was challenged as I thought of the countless people without the gospel. I made my way to the Mercy Seat and covenanted to “roll the old chariot along” for the rest of my life. That covenant is still intact, thanks be to God.

Unbeknown to me, a young lady knelt at the Mercy Seat in the same meeting. She too heard the voice of God calling her to be a Salvation Army officer. That teenage girl, Fong Pui Chan was to enter training to be an officer in the same session in 1954. At that time we did not know each other. Looking back I can trace the hand of God in our lives, for on 7th June 1958 we were united in marriage. It was all divine planning and together we are still rolling the old chariot, albeit with a slower pace as age catches up with us.

We do not need horses to pull this old chariot, but trust in the Lord Almighty to give us strength to roll it along. We have rolled it over smooth and rough places, over hills and valleys, in sunshine and through stormy weather, under pleasant and difficult circumstances, but we have always proved God’s grace to be sufficient. “Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days so thy strength shall be.” Deut. 33:25 (KJV) There has been no regrets that we committed our lives to God on that memorable Chinese New Year in 1949 when we were still students! The call of God was unmistakable!