This is my story - 12

12 – Shepherds Session of Cadets

The Training College started with three cadets – Chan Chin Chai, Fong Pui Chan and myself. Teo Poh Leng arrived about three weeks later as he had to give a month’s notice to his employer. This was the first session of cadets after the war.

The two girls shared the room adjacent to the sitting cum dining room. There were four chairs and a small table in the lounge, plus a library – all the books in one glass cupboard with three shelves. On the other side was the dining table with six chairs.

The boys shared the room on the other side of the lecture hall and next to their room were the Central Corps Officers’ quarters. Major and Mrs. Arthur Hall were the Corps Officers, very godly officers from the United Kingdom.

The General Secretary Major Will A Price, who was to be the Principal, had to return to England for personal reasons. I was sad for Mrs. Major Price was my mentor and did a lot for me in preparing me for training. I always went to her with all my problems. I was also giving private tuition to her son Nigel which brought me a little income.

So the Officer Commanding, Lieut. Colonel Fred Harvey added on the responsibility as Training Principal to his portfolio. Mrs. Lieut. Colonel Mabel Harvey was the Acting Finance Officer. Major Arthur Hall became our Bible and doctrine teacher and his wife, Mrs. Major Vera Hall was the matron. Lieutenant Jean Milton who later became Mrs. Douglas Kiff taught us field training. There was no full time staff at the Training College. All the Command Headquarters’ staff took turns to give lectures. There were occasions when our teachers were too busy and we were told to do private study.

Subjects included were Bible, Doctrine, Orders and Regulations, public speaking, sermon preparation. Unlike modern day training, we did not have subjects like Pastoral Theology, but the teachers drummed it into us to make sure we spend a minimum of 18 hours a week visiting our folk. We were taught how to care for our flock, to feed them lead them along the highway of holiness. We did not study eschatology, but we were told to be prepared for the second coming of Jesus. We knew nothing about pneumatology, but our teachers taught us about Holy Spirit, His work and ministry in the lives of believers. No high sounding terms for us, but we received solid teaching to prepare us for the future.

Major Stanley Gordon, the Public Relations Secretary gave us music lessons. He was the Songster Leader of Central Corps and every Wednesday evening all four cadets joined the songsters.

There was the cook Poon Wai Ying and she would get from Mrs. Harvey the princely sum of $5.00 per day to shop for rice, groceries etc. And each day one officer would come to join us for lunch! So we cadets made sure we did not take more than our portion to ensure there was enough to go round.

We had our lessons and field appointments. At one time the two boys were sent to Ipoh Boys’ Home for our social training. The superintendent was Captain George Wright whose wife was very sick. Throughout our stay at the Home, his wife was in Tapah Hospital. The captain would leave early morning and return about 10.00 p.m. at night and we were left in the care of a housemaster – Mr. Krishnan. You can imagine the kind of training we received. The condition of the Home was indeed pathetic.

The second time we went out was for field training and both of us were sent to Malacca Corps when Lieutenant Douglas Kiff was sick. So we had the corps to ourselves and we enjoyed the time doing our own campaigning! We trained ourselves! Among the contacts was Joy Goh who is still an active soldier of Central Corps.

We had our weekly field training – Lieut. Colonel Fred Harvey and Major Arthur Hall took turns to take us for training at the Corps – Central, Balestier and Tamil (now called Eratchippu Corps).

At the end of nine months we were commissioned as Probationary Lieutenants! The congregation waited in suspense for the Officer Commanding to announce and hand out the letters of appointments to the four cadets of the Shepherds’ Session. When my name was called, I stepped forward, saluted Lieut. Colonel Frederick Harvey, and waited with bated breath for a few tense moments! “Probationary Lieutenant Lim Ah Ang (that was the rank given to all newly commissioned officers) I appoint you as Commanding Officer of Malacca Corps” There was loud applause followed by shouts of Hallelujah.

The other appointments were

Chan Chin Chai – assistant Kuching Children’s Home under the leadership of Major Elsie Willis
Fong Pui Chan -assistant Kuching Corps under the leadership of Senior Captain Agnes Morgan
Teoh Poh Leng -assistant Ipoh Boys’ Home under the leadership of Major Joseph Jordan.

For me it was the fulfilment of a dream and a calling to serve full time as a Salvation Army officer. And even as I write these memoirs, that calling is still clear and insistent - to save souls, grow saints and serve suffering humanity.

In retirement, we still remember we are shepherds who follow the instruction of the Great Shepherd – Jesus Christ our Lord. We do not have a specific flock, like a pastor with a church, but we still try to seek and save the lost. We still try to gather the strays and bring them into the fold of the kingdom.

I seek God’s grace to carry out Peter’s injunction to church leaders, “Here’s my concern: that you care for God’s flock with all the diligence of a shepherd. Not because you have to but because you want to please God. Not calculating what you can get out of it, but acting spontaneously. Not bossily telling others what to do, but tenderly showing them the way. When God who is the best shepherd of all, comes out in the open with His rule, He’ll see that you have done it right and commend you lavishly.” (1 Peter 5: 1-4 The Message)